Top 10 PR Techniques to Make Your Product Famous

Top 10 PR Techniques to Make Your Product Famous © Shutterstock.com | Bakhtiar ZeinIn this article, we will look at 1) the importance of public relations for any product or business and 2) top PR techniques to make your product famous.IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR ANY PRODUCT OR BUSINESSOrganizations, businesses, and individuals are increasingly feeling the importance of strong public relations to grow their brand, their business or further their cause. Almost all large organizations have a dedicated unit for PR in-house, or big and small firms outsource these activities to a PR firm or a consultant. This is now a key area of marketing communications and is vital to maintaining a company’s image in the eyes of its stakeholders. A positive narrative about the firm can lead to better sales, more loyal following, and fans as well as an improvement to the overall bottom line.There are several techniques and tools that a public relations professional will employ in order to cultivate positive relationships with its key audience. Through the use of these techniques and tools, the aim is to:Manage issues and crises as they arise and often proactively;Act as a company spokesperson;Build mutually beneficial relationships with members of new and traditional media;Keep a strong social media presence;Closely monitor media channels for public comments about the company to predict issues or trends;Build goodwill through outreach, community, and philanthropic activities;Ensure that the right information is put out to the right audience at the right time to drive the conversation.These goals can be achieved through a systematic and sustained effort by the public relations professional in conjunction with the senior management of the firm. The top ten PR techniques to do so are discussed in the next section in some detail.TOP 10 PR TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT FAMOUS1. Clearly Identify Your AudienceUsually, a wider marketing strategy will have customer segments, and key stakeholders mapped out for a company. Inform ation about this audience needs to be put into a database and will include information such as demographics (age, gender, geographic location etc) as well as other relevant information including preferred activities, where time is spent online, keyword research and purchasing power. It is vital to identify this audience because it costs time and money to reach the audience and if it is the right one, there will be returns on the investment. A simple 5 step plan to identify a target audience is mentioned below.Step #1: Refer to Your Business Plan This is a good starting point to study the broad goals of your company and assess the products/services on offer. What need do they fulfill? How are you better than competitors? Why would a customer value these differences and who is this audience? The next bit of information to figure out is how to reach this audience. The key is to not consider who you would like to sell to but to assess who will value the product.Step #2: Begin ResearchUs e existing sources initially to gather initial information about the industry, the competition and identified target customers. If information is not available, then there may be a need to conduct some primary market research.Step #3: Develop a Customer ProfileWith the right information, a generic customer profile or profiles can be constructed. This description of the customer may include information such demographics and psychographics. The latter includes information regarding the consumer’s psychology, interests, hobbies, values, attitude, lifestyle and more. This information together helps identify who will buy a product and why they will do so.Step #4: Find this Audience Once identified, it is now time to find the audience. This means assessing which websites they visit, preferences for social media, email, apps, as well as traditional media preferences, will help get the message to them.Step #5: Monitor and EvolveThere needs to be a constant effort to stay on top of the cur rent market and industry trends and evolve with any changes.2. Clearly Define Your GoalsThere can be many different goals of any PR effort. Even within a single company, there may be a variety of expectations from public relations. Generating buzz or interest, an increase in brand recognition and awareness, dissemination of information, placing news and interviews, mitigating crises, influencing the direction of the industry are all activities that PR would perform. While setting goals, a few key questions should be kept in mind.What will be accomplished?The first question to ask regards the expected outcome of a publicity initiative. There is a need to be specific and to group similar goals together. All goals will need measurable objectives against them.How will the results be measured?Often, the impact of a PR initiative may not be measurable through hard metrics. To counter this, it is necessary to decide on the right metrics before an activity is undertaken. When goals and obje ctives are set clearly and broken into key components, the measurability increases.What will the timelines be?Most often, PR goals will need to coincide with other business goals to ensure maximum impact and a unified message. Timelines will help capture deliverables and increase chances of maximum impact initiatives.What is my budget?Along with time, budgets also have great impact on the kind of goals and timelines that will be set. The scale and reach of initiatives will depend on the type of budget that can be allocated.3. Build a Compelling Brand StoryAccording to Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and the co-author of the best-selling book on content marketing, Content Rules (Wiley, 2012), storytelling in a business context is not about a fairy tale, but more how the product/service exists in the world. The story should be who you are and what you do for others. The brand story should help people connect with you and the brand and to see the business as a live entity with real people behind it. A few elements of a captivating story will include:It’s True  The story should not be made up, and marketing content should be based on real people, situations, and genuine emotions.It’s Human   For any company, even B2B ones, it is important to capture how products affect real people.It’s Original   The story should not be the same as many other companies but instead focus on what makes you unique or interesting and why are you important.It Serves the Customer   The story should be well produced and interesting in order to captivate the audience and allow them to connect with it.4. Work on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)A majority of information does the rounds on the internet these days. This is what makes the ability to optimize for search engines such a key factor in successful PR activities. With an understanding of the audience and PR goals, key search words can be identified that can then be used to optimize articles, news stories, blog posts and even social media posts. SEO basically means finding ways to highlight a website in internet search results and diverting more traffic to the site. A few important aspects of SEO are:Monitor Constantly: SEO effectiveness will only measurable by monitoring search standings. This can be done through page rank tools such as Alexa and the Google Toolbar.Appropriate Use of Keywords: The right keywords need to be a part of content titles, the content itself, URLs and in image descriptions. A thorough analysis will help identify obvious and less obvious possible keywords. The danger here is keyword stuffing that can lead to a site being labeled as a spammer.Link Back to Yourself: One important SEO strategy is to create internal links within a website. This helps direct traffic to individual pages. An appropriate amount of links back to archived material through anchor text that is also search engine friendly will help boost traffic.Image Descriptions: Search engines can only through text itself. This excludes any text within an image thereby creating a need for text-based image descriptions.5. Associate With Big Issues or TrendsAnother good way to create a successful public relations campaign is to link it with relevant world events or global issues. This is great way to engage audiences, extend reach and help a news item or an article go viral. A few websites can help track and identify important world trends.Google trends â€" http://www.google.com/trendsYouTube trends â€" http://www.youtube.com/trendsdashboardTwitter trends â€" http://trendsmap.comSome tips to help identify important trends are:Focus beyond only the interesting trends to those that have a bearing on your business and your industry.Keep an eye on what is happening domestically as well as globally. Some trends may take time translating to the local market but may be important and useful if identified early.Keep an eye on industries that your partners and suppliers are a part of as thes e may affect your business as well.Trust your instincts about what is important and don’t over-analyze.6. Leverage Social MediaAnother important path to successful public relations efforts is to create and maintain a vibrant social media presence. Customers appreciating your product on these forums serves as free endorsements that are genuine and credible. Below are a couple of important points to keep in mind when leveraging social media.Find Your Market: Use search features within each social media platform to find conversations about your brand or industry. Using these, find your audience on each platform and you may find them favoring one platform over the others.Keep it Manageable: To keep things manageable, it is a good idea to identify a few platforms with the most relevant audience and focus on them to ensure a sustainable and consistent effort.Provide Visuals: To stand out in the massive crowd online and on social media, it is important to have captivating subject matter. Photos and videos are the best way to achieve this for whatever platform you chooseBe Conversational: People eventually tire of a brand that is in an impersonal broadcast mode. Instead, it is a good idea to engage others, mention them and respond to comments and queries.Connect with Influencers: Building up a follower base from zero can take a lot of time. A good way to do this faster is to find non-competing influencers who can be partnered with to build up fans with a mere exchange of content. Others can be prominent bloggers and celebrities who may endorse your product.Give Freebie: A good way to get something from others is to give freebie. This means sharing and liking content posted by others without an expectation for return favors. This will promote a culture of engagement and others will want to do the same for you.7. Sponsor or Hold Special EventsAnother good way to raise awareness through PR is to sponsor popular public events or even to hold events. Different events can be chosen for this such as charity events, sporting events, fashion or recreational ones. The company’s marketing content can be displayed at the venue, on giveaways and even invitation cards. Charity events especially build goodwill with the audience as the company is seen to care about its community. Some potential event ideas can be:Contact local charities and suggest working together for a cause or campaign.Contact local sporting teams to see if they are interested in sponsorship for the team itself or for a tournament.Depending on the nature of the product, a weekend family event could raise the products image with the participating families.Network with local business leaders, politicians and media representatives to find new avenues to explore.8. Build Relationships with Blogger and Idea MakersInfluential bloggers already have a target audience in place and by forming long-term relationships with these bloggers, you can get direct access to thousands of their readers. Blog gers also have credibility among their followers and referrals from them can lead to purchase decisions. The idea is to treat bloggers with respect and make attempts to form lasting and long term relationships. Some tips for doing so are discussed below.Research: Instead of going after hundreds of bloggers, identify the few key ones that will have the most impact on your chosen target market. Research these bloggers and get to know them before approaching them.Take them Seriously: Always respect the hard work that has gone into forming a successful blog and thousands of loyal readers.Introduce Yourself: Make yourself and your intentions known to the blogger and explain that your research has led you to believe that you could work well together.Don’t Attach Strings: Offer the product for review but do not stress or force a positive one. If your product is up to par, it will stand well to the test and garner positive reviews on its own. These reviews will mean more and have more cre dibility than any forced ones.Offer Gifts, Not Bribes: A gift offered in return for their time and effort is a positive thing, but items sent with the expectation of positive reviews in return are a bad idea.Provide All the Relevant Information: As with traditional media and media packs, make sure the blogger has all the relevant information needed to evaluate  properly the product.Follow Through: Once the product has been reviewed, maintain a relationship by sending a thank you note or writing a testimonial. You could provide a link to their site as well.9. Develop Winning Content Broadcast it in the Right PlaceIn order to differentiate your campaign from the many others out there, it is vital to develop catchy, engaging and interesting content that has good recall. Content may be funny, serious, creative or eye-catching, but it has to be relevant. Some aspects to consider for a successful campaign are:What is the audience?What are the campaign goals?What is the key medium of comm unication?What will the framework of the campaign content be?How will the message be phrased?Once the right content is created, it also needs to be broadcast in the right place. Trying to cover a large audience by replugging the same content on every social media outlet or traditional media channel is not the way to go. Instead, the message needs to be tailored to the audience for each specific type of channel selected with a unified and harmonious message.10. Measure your ResultsThroughout a campaign and on its conclusion, there needs to be adequate monitoring and evaluation to assess if the objectives of the campaign are being met. It is vital to divide the main goal into measurable objectives and decide the metrics that will be measured for success or failure before the campaign is initiated. Some ways to measure include:Press ClippingsMedia ImpressionsContent AnalysisWebsite TrafficCustomer SurveysSocial Media Mentions

Personal Statement Real Estate Essay - 1748 Words

Real Estate A good job is something everyone needs to have. It doesn’t have to be a doctor or dentist or any other traditional well-paying job. Your job should be something you enjoy and look forward to doing. To get a decent paying job you should go to college for at least 4 years. Although there is a couple lucky people who do or did okay without going to college. Mostly, nowadays people have to go to college to live well. If you are someone who wants to have kids or a family, you will need a decent job to even provide the basic needs of your family. I plan to attend college for four years so I can manage and own a business myself. Real Estate schooling doesn t take that long to complete. Real Estate isn’t the career for people who would like to work at a desk job from nine to five but it interests me. I don’t want to be just a real estate agent; I also want to be an owner of a real estate office. To do this, I want to go to college and get a business degree on top of a real estate license. A bachelor s degree takes 4 years to achieve. I plan on getting a bachelor’s degree in business because there are plenty of jobs I can get if I don’t like real estate. Like I also said I want one so I can propitiously run an office. You could say that a business degree is also a fail-safe. A business degree is also a good thing to go to college for because it opens a lot of doors down the line. After or maybe even during my time in college, I can also get my real estate license.Show MoreRelatedPersonal Statement : Developing My Skills At This Point Have Centered Around Your Real Estate Investment Company953 Words   |  4 Pagesmission, vision, and core value statements realizing this will help focus not only myself, but the direction I will take the company in the future, it will also play a vital role in getting addition capital or investors to buy into what this could potentially become. 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The Importance Of Verbal And Non Verbal Communication

1. Introduction With the globalization of market, there are an increasing number of international trades between two interlocutors that come from different cultural background. The business negotiation is an important part of trade cooperation and it can even determine the success of trade cooperation. Verbal communication is an essential and considerable part of the business negotiation; it is believe as the most crucial and direct means of communication. However, non-verbal communication, such as paralanguage, proxemics, kinesics, chronemics, oculesics, colorics and olfactics, can transfer information and emotion far more efficiency and actually. The study of nonverbal communication is very important, especially in cross-cultural background, maybe we couldn’t understand the language a foreigner saying, but we can know his intention by his non-verbal language, for instance, behavior. Failure to recognize important cultural different in business negotiation will cause misunderstanding and eve n lead to stagnation or dismissal. In the paper, I will explore the relative importance of verbal and non-verbal communication in the negotiation process. Part one of this article describes the definition of verbal and non-verbal communication and their kinds and expression forms. In Part two, I will take China companies as examples to discuss how to use verbal communication and non-verbal communication rationally in cross cultural negotiation and avoid making mistakes. The articleShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Verbal And Non Verbal Communication Essay1456 Words   |  6 PagesMy partner and I spent twenty minutes talking about our goals and fears, regarding this course. I found this process comfortable, a combination of factors are the reasons in which this process was comfortable including, the use of verbal and non-verbal communication. 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National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Free Essays

Adams is a movie about a man that is determined to be a doctor. Along the way, he comes across some issues when he won’t conform to the rest of the medical students. He is actually a good example of an existentialist. We will write a custom essay sample on National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is his own person within a larger society, or the other students at the school. He follows what he believes in and his life turns out almost just the way he wanted it to. In the movie, there were some quotes: â€Å"Look beyond the problem. † –Arthur Everyone else stares whatever their problem is right in the face and expect to figure out the solution. Arthur tries to say, look past the problem. Focus on the solution. â€Å"See the world anew each day. † –Arthur †¢In a way, this is a stoic quote. To not let anything previous to this day affect it. Everyday holds a new adventure and if you are worrying about the past, how are you ever going to enjoy it? â€Å"The mental hospital was the best thing that ever happened to me. † –Patch †¢In the hospital, he found out he loved to help people.He wanted to listen to people and make them enjoy life. He really found his passion and without the mental hospital, he maybe never would have. â€Å"Death is not the enemy†¦indifference is. † –Patch †¢When people are dying, showing care is the most important thing. If they don’t know that people care, that makes death so much worse. Everyone is going to die someday. Everyone should just enjoy life. As relating to existentialism, Kirkegaard would have thought that Patch was a good example. He was a part of the group, yet he was his own person within that group. How to cite National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch, Papers

Why You Should Create Urgency to Improve Concentration

The CEO of Testive, TheRealTomRose answers questions about life, college, and stressed out parents in our quick-fire QA. Learn more about Testive at www.testive.com.Alma Mater? Duke University (NC) and MIT (MA) Favorite quote? When the student is ready, the teacher appears. - Anonymous. One of the things I have learned from my experience working with over 100,000 students on the SAT and ACT is that the single biggest thing that stops students from succeeding is not sticking with the process. The SAT/ACT score is the most important part of a college application that can be improved in the short-term. Considering how important it is, it’s a mystery to many why students have trouble getting started and sticking with a program. But Ive learned that most students havetrouble sticking with a learning program because it just isnt that urgent. It never has to be done today until it’s too late. To be successful, one needs to create urgency. There are only two good ways to create this urgency. (1) You can take a real test(there’s nothing like getting a real score to light a fire under you); or (2) you can get a coach/tutor. (One exception, 10% of students are strangely able to self-motivate, but 90% need the help of a teacher to reach their full potential .) First job? I got super lucky on my first job out of undergrad. I was hired by the dean of the Pratt School of Engineering to be the Director of The Duke Smart HomeProgram. It was started as a student-led initiative to build the house of the future. As a recent student who was part of the program from the beginning, I was hired to run the project. We raised $3M from The Home Depot and built the world’s first LEED Platinum (the pinnacle award of green building) college dorm. The building was completed in 2008 and 10 students now live there while they continue to experiment with future-living. How did you become the CEO of an ed tech company? I used to work as a high-priced tutor. (At my peak, it was $440 per session.) For a while, I loved the work. I was making a real difference in the lives of students and the work was fun and easy. But soon, the work became repetitive. I was still delivering tremendous value to my students, but so much of what I was doing was a repeat of something I had already done. Eventually, I got to thinking that there had to be a way to use technology (I’m an engineer by training) to handle the repetitive parts of teaching, so that I could be free to do the really high-value parts of coaching students: learning strategy, solving personal problems, and getting students un-stuck and back on track. That technology turned into what Testive is now. The leverage of the technology allows us to make the program 3x cheaper, and even better, the score improvement results are higher than what I was doing before on my own. (We post all our actual student results publicly online here.) Why should students hire you? Our software is built on top of proprietary algorithms designed at MIT that increase learning speed (the software is free!) Our students increase their scores 3x the industry average.To get the most out of Testive, it is best used with one of our coaches (we charge for this.) We work with all of our students 1-on-1. Our teachers have all scored in the 99th percentile of the tests they teach. All our meetings are done with video chat online, so there is no travel. What’s your motto? Motivation is fundamentally human. When you think about the things you do and why you do them, you’ll find that *other people* are at the root of most of them. That’s why students have so much trouble learning on their own in a vacuum, there is no motivation. That’s why working 1-on-1 with a human coach is so powerful. It’s not just more personalized, it’s more motivating. What are the biggest mistakes students make applying to college? (1) The biggest mistake I see my students make when applying to college is picking the wrong one (or wrong set to apply to). In particular, there is a tendency of many to prioritize rank over fit. There are tons of small, liberal arts schools that deliver world-class educations that don’t rank well in US News because they don’t have doctoral programs. Also, students should consider their in-state public university. Large, public schools typically have something for everyone, so they’re pretty safe, they’re easier to get into, they’re much cheaper (I still personally have $127,000 in student debt), and here’s one reason to go to one’s local school that I just discovered. (For the moment, suppose that the child in this scenario ultimately settles down near their parents later in life. I know 17 y/o’s are in a quest for independence that is creating a powerful drive to go get out of dodge, but just assume for one sec that at the en d of the day, the child settles near the parent.) There is a tremendous advantage to going to school in that same area: imagine making several hundred close friends and business contacts throughout school, many of whom are likely to stay local. That network could power one’s social-life/career for the rest of life. (Plus, many people meet their future spouse in college. Imagine if your spouse is *also* local. Now you’re living in the home town for both of you!) (2) The second biggest mistake I see is people waiting until too late to get started with SAT/ACT prep. Test scores are the most impactful part of one’s application that can be affected in the short term. The best time to get started prepping is the summer before Junior year. Remember, you can take the test as many times as you like and submit only the scores you choose. Everyone should plan to take a test 3 times (you don’t have to take it that many times, but you should plan to have time so that you can if you need to.) What that means is that students should be taking their first test in October/November of their junior year. One tip of advice for students? Don’t fool around. Get an expert coach early and nail down some great test scores. Underscoring your potential is super depressing. It can limit your trajectory in life. Scoring well on these tests requires mastery of reading, writing, and arithmetic, the fundamental skills of success in modern life. Putting extra time in here is lucrative in many ways beyond the score, so it’s a great investment. How do you think the application process will change in 10 years? I’m hopeful that the concept of the undergraduate degree as we know it will die soon. The value of a college education is very low right now. What I currently see in higher education today is people burning about $300k over 4 years (including the opportunity cost of lost work) so they can acquire maturity and pedigree and stall the beginning of their careers. What I hope will happen is that we will see the reemergence of vocational schools (such as General Assembly) and experience programs (such as Outward Bound) to take their place. Imagine that instead of dropping $300k on a bachelors degree, you instead lived in Spain for a year (mastering Spanish for life), sailed around the world with 7 of your new greatest-friends-for-life, spent a year building software at a hot tech company like Testive, took courses from General Assembly, and finished with $150k in the bank and a job paying $80k a year. That life is available to students right now, and I know several people who have d one something similar. In 10 years, I hope it’s closer to the norm. What’s your opinion on ACT vs. SAT? This is a very complicated and personal question and the internet is full of half-answers to this question that leave people stranded without giving them a definitive answer. Our students grapple with this question all the time, so we have created an interactive tool that determines the optimal test for each student based on a set of questions (geographical location, study-time-to-date, skills-differential, year of graduation, etc.) and a optionally a shortened adaptive practice test of each to judge ability. 3 people to have dinner with (dead or alive)? (1) My wife Tracy(Strangely, this never gets old, and is rarer than I’d like.) (2) John Fallon (the CEO of Pearson, the largest Ed Tech company in the world) (3) Dharmesh Shah (The former co-founder of HubSpot, and an investor in Testive. An introvert, that rarely does dinner dates, and is a huge inspiration of mine.) Biggest thing parents stress out about? Parents stress because there are few things they can do directly to affect college admissions. As a result, parents spend lots of time stressing out about how to get their child to *do* something. This turns into nagging, which depletes good will and is also low-leverage. Once your child hits the teenage years, every moment you have alone with them becomes precious. You don’t want to spend the tiny amount of time you have nagging them about test prep. Instead, outsource it to us! We’ll work with your student to set a score goal and make a plan to hit it. We’ll send you a weekly status report with the progress they are making, so you can calm down and spend more quality time having fun. Looking for help with your college applications? Get in touch with a mentor and have your questions answered by a successful college student. Search through our database to find students like you and see how they got into college. If you’re interested in working with Testive, you can sign up to use our free SAT/ACT prep software at www.testive.com or speak with one of our advisors directly at www.testive.com/schedule-call/.

Chemical Preservatives Essay Example

Chemical Preservatives Essay Example Chemical Preservatives Essay Chemical Preservatives Essay It is applied as a chelating agent. Its function is to control the reaction of metal ions with some organic and inorganic components that will result in deterioration of foods. Apart from that, the preservative also acts as antioxidant antimicrobial agent, especially against gram-negative bacteria. Mechanisms of action Ca disodium EDTA blocks the normal reaction of metal ions by binding to their reactive sites. This increases its efficiency as an antioxidant. Consequently, the oxidation of ascorbic acid and fat-soluble vitamins is hindered and also the rancidity of the product. The resistance of gram-negative bacteria is overcome by the removal of lipopolysaccharide containing membrane. 2. Calcium Propionate (C6H10CaO4) It was found in wholemeal bread rolls. Properties It is the salt of propionic acid. It is only soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol. Utilization The antimicrobial activity is particularly against mycotoxin forming moulds, less so against bacteria. No inhibition effect has been demonstrated against yeast. Therefore, it is mainly used for bread preservation, as it will not interrupt the leavening in bakery goods raised by yeast. The other salt of propionic acid, sodium propionate is employed chiefly in confectionery. Mechanisms of action The antimicrobial activity is related to amino acid uptake inhibition and growth inhibition in the cell membrane. Propionic acid carries out neutralization of the protonmotive force by shuttling undissociated molecules through the membrane. They are then dissociated on the inside of the membrane. Apart from that, it can work within a high pH range, which is the condition in most bakery goods owing to low dissociation constant. Moreover, they can combat against moulds and prevent ropiness caused by the action of Bacillus mesentericus. 3. Nisin It was found in Swiss cheese. Properties It is a polypeptide antibiotic, produced by some Lactococcus lactis strains. The polypeptide consists of 34 amino acids. Although it is defined as an antibiotic, it is not used as human medicine in disease treatment. Utilization The inhibitory effect of nisin is restricted to pathogenic gram-positive microorganisms and all spore forming microorganisms. For example, lactic acid bacteria, Streptococci, Bacilli and Clostridia. However, yeast and moulds are not inhibited by nisin. This heat resistant peptide is applied to suppress anaerobes in cheese and cheeses products, especially in hard cheese and processed cheese to inhibit butyric acid fermentation. Mechanisms of action The action of nisin is directed against the cytoplasmic membrane right after the germination of the spore. Its action is pronounced against spores rather than vegetative cells. 4. PHB-esters It was found in chicken and mushroom pastry. Properties They are the alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and are stable. The solubility in water decreases with increasing alkyl chain length. Utilization The esters are mostly antifungal agents. They are effective against yeasts but less so against bacteria, especially those gram-negative bacteria. The uses of PHB-esters are governed by 3 properties: action dependent on the pH value, very low water solubility and particular organoleptic characteristics. Mechanisms of action Its mode of action is very similar to that of benzoic acid. The parabens dissolve in or through the cell membrane, interfering with the membrane-related processes or structures. In addition to that, paraben has been found to inhibit both growth and isolated uptake systems for amino acids. 5. Sodium Ascorbate (C6H7NaO6) It was found in the smoked reformed ham of Italiano ham and cheese tortellini. Properties It is the salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). It is soluble in water. In water, it readily reacts with atmospheric oxygen and other oxidizing agents. Utilization Na ascorbate is used as an antioxidant due to its high affinity for oxygen. Furthermore, it is also functions as a colour preservative. It is used as a reducing agent in curing of meat for a good pink colour. In addition, it helps to retard the browning reactions in fruits and vegetable products. Mechanisms of action In this context, Na ascorbate is included in the curing-salt mixtures to reduce the amount of residue nitrite. As a reducing agent, it influences the rate of key reducing reaction in the formation of nitrosyl myoglobin (MbNO). MbNO is responsible for the read pigment of the uncooked bacon and ham. As a result, lower levels of nitrites or nitrates could be used in pickles. At the mean time, it also hinders the nitrosation reaction. 6. Sodium Benzoate It was found in marmalade. Properties It is the salt of benzoic acid. It occurs in the form of white crystalline powder. Its solubility is 200 times greater than benzoic acid. Utilization The inhibition activity of sodium benzoate is mainly against yeasts and moulds. Bacteria are only partially inhibited. It is used for preservation of sour foods, which has a pH of 4-4. 5 or lowers, as they can tolerate at acidic pHs. The usual quantity applied is 0. 05-0. 1% Mechanisms of action The undissociated part of benzoic acid is the effective agent. Its action is pH dependent because it has to penetrate the cell wall of the microorganisms in order to develop its action. Generally, it has been discovered to influence the enzyme controlling acetic acid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, the preservative also intervene at various points in the tricarboxylic cycle, especially where the dehydrogenases of ? -ketoglutaric acid and succinic acid are involved. 7. Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2) It was found in the honey roast sandwich ham . Properties It is the salt of nitrous acid. It is a white to pale yellowish granular powder with salty taste. It has a high solubility in water. Utilization It is used primarily to preserve the red colour of meat. Apart from this, sodium nitrite also demonstrates antimicrobial activity. It is particularly effective against outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum, which can produce the deadly toxin, botulin. Mechanisms of action The nitrite oxidises the iron ( ) state of the muscle myoglobin to the iron ( ) state. Fe 2+ + No2- + H+Â   Fe3+ + NO + OH- The myoglobin (Mb) is converted to metamyoglobin (MMb). The resulting nitrogen oxide will react with the iron MMb to form nitrosyl metmyoglobin (MMbNO). The respiratory system of the muscle tissue will reduce MMbNO to nitrosyl myoglobin, MbNO, which is the red pigment of the uncooked bacon and ham. The antimicrobial effect, which is termed as Perigo effect , is related to the residual nitrite in ham. During cooking of the ham, much of the residual nitrite is broken down to nitrogen oxide. NO has an inhibition effect on at least one enzyme (namely pyruvate:ferrodoxin oxidoreductase), which plays an important role in the energy metabolism. Interfering activity of NO includes inhibiting oxygen uptake, oxidative phosphorylation and H+ dependent active transport. Furthermore, the uncoupler also causes collapse of proton gradient. As a result, the growth and toxin production of Clostridium botulinum is severely affected. Apart from NaNO2, Sodium nitrate is used in curing of meat to supply the nitrite. This is due to the reason that nitrite is the effective agent. NO3- + 2[H] NO2- + H2O 8. Sorbic acid (C6H8O2) It was found in cheese. Properties It is a white monocyclic crystal with a specific odour and sour taste. It will melt at 132 to 135 0C. The solubility increases with temperature. It is effective over a broad range of pH but ineffective above pH 7. Utilization It is effective against mould and yeast but only marginally effective against bacteria. This makes it very suitable as a cheese preservative because it permits the fermentation action of lactic acid bacteria. Mechanisms of action The activity of sorbic acid is very pH dependent. The un-dissociated acid constituent, which is antimicrobial, will penetrate the cell wall in order to develop action in the cell. Its action includes inhibition of various enzymes such as enolase and lactate dehydrogenase and others. One of the ways is by forming covalent bonds between its own double bonds and the SH groups of enzymes. 9. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) It was found in ready to eat apricot dried fruits. Properties SO2 is a colourless, non-combustible gas with a pungent odour. It dissolves in water to yield sulphurous acid. The density of SO2 is twice higher than that of air. Usage It is widely used in many foods and beverages as preservatives and antioxidants. Its functions include prevention of oxidation, inhibition of chemical and enzymatic reactions and the inhibition of the growth of yeasts, moulds and bacteria. It is commonly used in the form or sodium hydrogen sulphite, sodium metabisulphite, potassium metabisulphite and calcium hydrogen sulphite. Mechanisms of action In the production of dehydrated fruits, SO2 provides protection against oxidative, enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning reactions. Moreover, it also helps to delay colour changes or acts as bleaching agent. SO2 prevents enzymatic browning by inactivating the phenolases, which are mainly found in fruits and vegetables. These enzymes facilitate the conversion of colourless phenolic compounds to highly coloured quinones. Fig 1 Fig 2 In non-enzymatic browning, SO2 inhibits discoloration by blocking compounds with reactive carbonyl groups, the nonreactive hydroxy sulphonate sugar derivatives. Although SO2 itself is successful in many systems in very low concentration, combinations with other preservatives such as sorbic acid, sorbates and ascorbic acid may be more effective for browning prevention in certain foods and beverages. 10. Vitamin E It was found in vegetable fat spread. Properties It is a group of derivatives of 6-hydroxychroman carrying a phytyl side chain. There are two main groups of compound, which have vitamin E activity, the tocopherols and tocotrienols. The vitamin E content of foods is expressed as mg ? tocopherol. Therefore, vitamin E is sometimes labelled as tocopherols in the product. Utilization It functions as an antioxidant in oily and fatty foods. Rancidity of foods resulted from autoxidation of the unsaturated fatty acid is prevented. Mechanisms of action As an antioxidant, vitamin E blocks the free-radical chain reactions of lipid peroxidation. References 1. Belitz, H. D. and W. Grosch (1999) Food Chemistry, (2nd edition), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Germany. 2. Coultate, T. P. (1996), Food: The Chemistry of Its Components, (3rd edition), Royal Society of Chemistry Paperback, Cambridge, p239-241, 247-257.

Leontyne Price, New York Met Opera Star

Leontyne Price, New York Met Opera Star Known for:  New York Metropolitan Opera soprano 1960 – 1985; one of the most popular opera sopranos of recent history, known as the first black American-born prima donna; she was the first black opera singer on televisionOccupation:  opera singerDates:  February 10, 1927 -Also known as: Mary Violet Leontyne Price Background, Family Mother: Kate Baker Price, a midwife, and singer in the church choirFather: James Price, a carpenter who also sang in the church choirHusband: William C. Warfield (married August 31, 1952, divorced 1973; opera singer) Education Central State College (formerly the College of Education and Industrial Arts), Wilberforce, Ohio.  BA, 1949Juilliard School of Music, 1949 - 1952Voice with Florence Page Kimball Leontyne Price Biography A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Mary Violet Leontyne Price pursued a singing career after graduation from college with a B.A. in 1948, where she had studied to be a music teacher. She had been inspired first to pursue singing  upon hearing a Marian Anderson concert when she was nine years old. Her parents encouraged her to learn piano and to sing in the church choir. So after graduating from college, Leontyne Price went to New York, where she studied at the Juilliard School of Music, with Florence Page Kimball guiding her as she would continue to do. Her full scholarship at Juilliard was supplemented by a generous family friend, Elizabeth Chisholm, who covered most of the living expenses. After Juilliard, she had her 1952 debut on Broadway in Virgil Thomson’s revival of Four Saints in Three Acts. Ira Gershwin, based on that performance, chose Price as Bess in a revival of  Porgy and Bess  that played New York City 1952-54 and then toured both nationally and internationally.  She married her co-star, William Warfield who played Porgy to her Bess on the tour, but they separated and later divorced. In 1955, Leontyne Price was chosen to sing the title role in a television production of  Tosca, becoming the first black singer on a television opera production. NBC invited her back for more telecasts of operas in 1956, 1957 and 1960. In 1957, she debuted in her first stage opera, the American premiere of  Dialogues of the Carmelites  by Poulenc. She performed primarily in San Francisco until 1960, appearing in Vienna in 1958 and Milan in 1960.  It was in San Francisco that she first performed in Aida which was to become a signature role; she also played that role in her second Viennese performance.  She also performed with the Chicago Lyric Opera and the American Opera Theater. Returning from a successful international tour, her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in January 1961, was as Leonora in  Il Trovatore.  The standing ovation lasted 42 minutes. Quickly becoming a leading soprano there, Leontyne Price made the Met her primary base until her retirement in 1985.  She was the fifth black singer in the Met’s opera company, and the first to really achieve stardom there. Associated especially with Verdi and Barber, Leontyne Price sang the role of  Cleopatra, which Barber created for her, at the opening of the new Lincoln Center home for the Met. Between 1961 and 1969, she appeared in 118 productions at the Metropolitan. After that, she began to say â€Å"no† to many appearances at the Metropolitan and elsewhere, her selectivity earning her a reputation as arrogant, though she said she did it to avoid overexposure. She also performed at recitals, especially in the 1970s, and was prolific in her recordings. Many of her recordings were with RCA, with whom she had an exclusive contract for two decades. After her retirement from the Met, she continued to give recitals. Books About Leontyne Price Aida: Leontyne Price, illustrated by Diane and Leo Dillon. Trade Paperback, 1997. Price retells the story of the Ethiopian princess who is sold into slavery in Egypt.Leontyne Price: Opera Superstar  (Library of Famous Women): Richard Steins, Library Binding, 1993.