Nick Birch – författare

"This book provides a decent overview of recent advances in biopesticides and other biological options for insect management with an easy-to-follow format and content…a good resource for students, educators, researchers, regulators, agricultural partners and IPM implementors interested in sustainable agriculture."(Society for Invertebrate Pathology Newsletter)With increasing concern about the environmental impact of synthetic pesticide use, including their impact on beneficial insects, the problem of insect resistance and the lack of new products, there has been an increasing interest in developing alternative biopesticides to control insects and other pests. This collection reviews the wealth of research on identifying, developing, assessing and improving the growing range of biopesticides. Part 1 of this collection reviews research on developing new biopesticides in such areas as screening new compounds, ways of assessing effectiveness in the field and improving regulatory approval processes. Part 2 summarises advances in different types of entomopathogenic biopesticide including entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes and the use of Bt genes in insect-resistant crops. Part 3 assesses the use of semiochemicals such as pheromones and allelochemicals, peptide-based and other natural substance-based biopesticides.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2011 in the subject Communications - Miscellaneous, grade: 1.5, Central Queensland University, course: Creative Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: Digitization has impacted the creative arts since its inception and has even driven most sectors to where they stand today. Digitization is the conversion of information to a digital or binary format so that it may be processed by a computing device, making it easier to access, share and preserve (Whatis, N/A). The digitization of information enriches its quality, has made it possible to store in compact forms and enables it to be shared instantly. Advertising can more easily reach the masses and digital selves borderline immortality. Advancements in technology have seen the entertainment industry thrive in spite of also causing damage to sales. Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) has ushered in a new era of deception, warping reality and even creating new ones. In filmmaking, the line between imagination and reality has all but disappeared. Advertising can at times create controversy over what is an acceptable level of illusion. Even when informed, however, our vulnerability to accepting distorted realities seems to endure.

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, grade: 1.2, Central Queensland University, course: Creative Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a 'name, term, sign, symbol or design' intended to identify and differentiate them from competitors (Lake, N/A). Walter Landor, one of the greats of the advertising industry, said "e;simply put, a brand is a promise. By identifying and authenticating a product or service it delivers a pledge of satisfaction and quality"e; (Nelson, 2008). Bates (N/A) believes that the best definition is that a 'brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer'. This definition clearly distinguishes that a brand is very different from a product or service. A brand is intangible and exists in the mind of the consumer (Bates, N/A). Social media has turned the ways in which the brand interacts with the customer on its head. With close to 2 billion internet users worldwide, 126 million blogs, 12 billion videos viewed per month in the US alone, (Thomas, 2009), 2 billion tweets on Twitter per month and 500 million people on Facebook (Van Grove, 2010), the face of the consumer may remain essentially the same but the way in which they interact with brands has changed dramatically. It seems brands are now impacted by the creative arts, the ones more specifically known as social media sites, blogging and user-content creation leading to direct consumer participation in the modification of brand identity. The creative arts and technology have allowed the consumer to have their say heard by an audience, to rapidly share information and empowered brand-users to gain control over how a brand is perceived, their reputation, product quality control and even direction. Amidst the impact of these creative arts, brands now ignore their customers at their peril.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2014 in the subject Communications - Media and Politics, Politic Communications, grade: 1.4, Central Queensland University, course: Applied Communication Arts, language: English, abstract: Mass Communication is a primary contributor to the construction and maintenance of culture. The precise relation of culture to mass communication and its function in our lives has long been debated (Baran, 2010). Because of the power mass communication has in shaping culture, it presents us with both opportunities and responsibilities. Media industries must operate ethically or risk negatively influencing the culture in which they exist. Consumers likewise have the responsibility to critically examine media messages (Baran, 2010). Both technology and money shape the mass communication process. Innovations in technology bring about new forms of media, or make older forms more accessible. As profit-making entities, the media must respond to the wishes of both advertisers and audience. Ultimately, though, the consumers choose which forms of media they support and how they react to the messages that face them. Technological and economic factors such as convergence and globalization will influence the evolution of mass communication (Baran, 2010). [N]ewspapers are downsizing, consolidating to survive, or closing all together; radio is struggling to stay alive in the digital age; and magazine circulation is decreasing and becoming increasingly more focused on microaudiences. The information function of the news has been criticized and called infotainment, and rather than bringing people together, the media has been cited as causing polarization and a decline in civility. (Charles et al. 2009)

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Communications - Mass Media, grade: 1.3, Central Queensland University, course: Applied Communication Arts, language: English, abstract: Governments, businesses and citizens across the world are only beginning to understand the profound implications of living in a hyper-connected world. Organisations operating across borders must recognise that the users of that information, and their governments, often have different cultural norms, values and expectations. These norms are changing as digital natives come of age and challenge old orthodoxies. Digital technologies continue to evolve, making it ever more difficult for anyone to control or regulate the manner and flow of information (World Economic Forum, 2013). According to an International Media Concentration Research Project, led by Professor Eli Noam of Columbia University, Australian newspaper circulation was the most concentrated of 26 countries surveyed, and among the most concentrated in the democratic world (Flew, 2013). Rupert Murdoch s News Corp Australia, the Fairfax Media and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) are all examples of mass media communicating systems of norms and values. The first two accounted for 86% of newspaper sales in Australia in 2011, as compared to 54% for the top two newspaper owners in the United Kingdom and as low as 14% for the top two in the United States (Flew, 2013). News Corp and Fairfax have been seen to express a response to political climates according to their owners rather singular perspectives. Allegations of news media bias in Australia during the past several years are nothing new, in each case these players are after a different goal (Tucker, 2013).

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Communications - Theories, Models, Terms and Definitions, grade: 1.3, Central Queensland University, course: Applied Communication Arts, language: English, abstract: The Knowledge Gap Theory of Communication is primarily concerned with the unequal distribution of information throughout society and the correlating access to knowledge pertaining to socioeconomic status. The Knowledge Gap Hypothesis was first proposed in 1970 by three University of Minnesota researchers: Phillip J. Tichenor, then Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, George A. Donohue, Professor of Sociology, and Clarice N. Olien, Instructor in Sociology (Yoo Ri & Southwell, N/A). The hypothesis explains that there is a resulting divide between people of lower and higher socioeconomic status 'as the infusion of mass media information into a social system increases, higher socioeconomic-status segments tend to acquire this information faster than lower socioeconomic-status population segments so that the gap in knowledge between the two tends to increase rather than decrease' (Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien, 1970, p159-160). The resulting speed at which people are able to access tradition mass-media compared to modern systems may be surprisingly congruent when underlying education is taken into consideration.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2011 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, grade: 1.6, Central Queensland University, course: Advertising Design Communication, language: English, abstract: As far as movie advertising goes, official web sites have become a crucial tool for advertising upcoming and existing films. Mabry & Porter (2010) reports a 'relatively important and statistically significant relationship between web site traffic and box office revenue'. Movie trailers have been a vital part of the advertising process, appearing 'very early on - around 1912 - although they did not become standard for several years' (Film Reference, N/A). Of some 10-billion videos watched on line annually, movie trailers rank #3, after news and user-created video. With such easy and instant access to them, these increasingly popular cinematic morsels are being devoured by moviegoers and served up with serious consideration by the industry that sometimes spends sums equivalent to a third world country s annual budget to concoct them (Merin, 2008). According to a study by Microsoft Advertising and 20th Century Fox, [o]nline film advertising should play a growing role in the marketing of movie releases... Online film advertising [is] particularly effective at presenting film trailers in a positive environment and broadening [the advertiser s] reach beyond the cinema environment. Trailers were confirmed as the single most influential element in consumers decision to view a film (Microsoft Advertising, 2009). Snell (2009) believes that movies are a large part of the entertainment industry and that in recent years their websites have become increasingly critical to their overall success .

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, grade: 1.1, Central Queensland University, course: Advertising Design Communication, language: English, abstract: It is of no contention that the air-brushing of models in advertisements has been a central issue amongst body image advocates. Re-touching images of people has created problems for body-conscience individuals as well as advertisers although it is questionable whether the significance of the problems has yet outweighed the advantages of the practice. Part of the ethical responsibility of designers is to be aware of the effects their designs have on people, but there may be times when designers do not have a choice. Advertisers respond to the market in a supply-and-demand manner and will continue to deliver images that are successful, or more aptly recognised: as profitable. Design critic Alice Rawsthorn categorises most graphic design ... as quietly good design , (that is, we never) really stop and look at it in the way that we might stop and look at a painting or a work of art. We absorb the messages, but only rarely take time to look at how the message has been constructed. In other words, we gulp the wine, but never look at the glass (Shaughnessy, 2008). It is interesting that the glass that delivers images of people in particular gains so much attention.

Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Sociology - Individual, Groups, Society, grade: 1.1, Central Queensland University, course: Creative Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: Group decision-making is a process where an assembly of people convene to analyse problems or situations, evaluate alternative actions and reach solutions. Decisions may concern the judgement of a particular course of action, how best to solve a problem or the determination of the direction or magnitude of work ahead performed by teams or individuals. Deciding the best course of action can range in perplexity, depending on the effectiveness of how that group functions, the quality of alternatives that are generated, the amount of access to correct and adequate information and their understanding of the problem. Where time is of the essence and also befits the personification of money, it is customary for a business or organisation to engage in Group Decision-Making processes in the attempt to effectively and efficiently solve problems. Though some methods are more time-consuming some others. The group leader usually reserves judgement on which method is used in the Group Decision-Making process, because if one assembled a group to make a decision on what method should be used, what method would one use to decide? And so on one would ramble in an infinite loop. And if the group ever assembled without a leader, who s idea was it for the group to assemble in the first instance? So the first advantage or disadvantage of a group decision would be how effective its leader is in managing the process, which can either be a solution in itself or it can be a problem. Though the greatest problem of all seems to be time.

Project Report from the year 2010 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, grade: 1.5, Central Queensland University, course: Media Relations in Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: TELEVISION COMMERCIAL SYNOPSISAs part of the Australian Government s new national reform package, The Organ and Tissue Authority was established on the 1st of January 2009 as a nationally coordinated approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation (DonateLife, 2009). The Australian Organ and Tissue Authority s chief executive Karen Murphy has said that families need to know each other s wishes about organ and tissue donation, because even if you are registered as a donor, your next of kin is still asked to give consent for donation to take place (The Border Watch, 2009). DonateLife is the new brand and name for the national network of organ donor agencies that will deliver the message that every Australian has the potential to save lives (The Border Watch, 2009). Funded by The Organ and Tissue Authority, DonateLife offers educational services, donor family support, donor/recipient correspondence and also run Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week, the largest public awareness campaign in Australia associated with organ and tissue donation for transplantation (DonateLife, 2009). The Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week s aims are to raise donation rates in Australia by focusing on the pressing need for organ and tissue donation, encourage families to discuss their wishes, [highlight] the success of organ transplantation in Australia; and, finally, promote the registration of consent on the Australian Organ Donor Register (Parry, 2007, p.137). You can watch the television commercial project here: http://youtu.be/uaH6sIIb6jQ

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, grade: 1.2, Central Queensland University, course: Media Relations in Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: Mobile phones are a product that are easy to sell as they are intrinsic to our modern lives, however at the same time it is increasingly difficult to sell one particular handset due to the complete and utter saturation of handsets already on the market. For any kind of handset to procure a foothold, let alone a decent market share, is an enormous challenge for any manufacturer. Apple's campaign to introduce the iPhone, which is a device that combines a mobile phone, iPod, email and internet browsing capabilities, may be the most successful marketing effort ever (Koeppel, 2007). The ongoing campaign to market the iPhone may be measured by theoretical marketing tools such as AIDA and Maslow's model of Human Motivation to observe and understand its varying successes. The real success however, lies in Apple's customer knowledge and manipulation of social media to allow others to do the work for them.

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Sociology - Media, Art, Music, grade: 1.1, Central Queensland University, course: Media Relations in Arts Administration, language: English, abstract: It can be quite difficult to source examples of effective crisis strategies in creative enterprise. Companies may be small, they may not have product that if defective could bring harm to the masses, inciting a recall, or even if a crisis occurred, would necessarily lead to financial ruin or impact enough jobs as to be considered newsworthy. Essentially, being portrayed negatively in the media is what is considered a 'crisis' rather than whatever was at fault in the first instance. This is undoubtedly due to the unpredictability of what character-revealing hue the media may taint their brush with when presented the opportunity to paint a picture of whatever business has managed the misfortune of unintentionally wandering into the spotlight. Even though being in the spotlight can be very good for business, a crisis is when a business finds itself in there for the wrong reasons. The biggest business there is in creative enterprise is of course actors. Their sheer bankability provides millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs for each movie they secure, so much can be at stake if their reputation goes down and at the wrong time. When analysing public image and crisis management strategies, the business of being one person follows the same principles of those strategies being employed by companies and corporations because they are in themselves a brand. If a celebrity does not behave accordingly when a crisis occurs, especially when it is usually their behaviour that has caused the crisis, devastating consequences can ensue. They employ publicists just as companies procure PR personnel - for the management of crises and to nudge their image in the right direction, or at times, drag it kicking and screaming. Many act on their own volition, which can be very precarious if they were a big company. But celebrities are probably the easiest for the public to forgive, as after all it is their job to entertain and a public discretion is hardly akin to a situation such as a large toy manufacturer producing their latest line of product which has just caused several child fatalities due to toxic parts. The methods they employ during scandals can be measured by textbook crisis management procedures on a smaller scale humanly while generally on a much larger scale publically.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2009 in the subject Economics - Innovation economics, grade: 1.5, , course: Creative Industries, language: English, abstract: Innovation is defined as the 'introduction of new things or methods' (Dictionary.com, 2009). It is also used by creative industries to create novel and exciting product and it is also a technique employed by creative sectors to improve interaction with audiences, consumers as well as each other sectors across all industries. The ways in which innovation enhance and sometimes limit the creative industries were discussed at length at the Creative Capital Conference, held in Amsterdam in 2005. This event was organised by an initiative known as Knowledgeland, a network of government, private sector, knowledge institutions and civil society to think about the consequences of the knowledge economy and how to respond to it as a society (Kennisland, n.d). Four main thematic areas were analysed at length, each representing focus points on how aspects of creative industry operations contribute to Creative Capital: Creative Crossovers, Creative Clusters, Creative Cities and Creative Public Domain. Using these four areas as a basis of analysis, it is the objective of this paper to demonstrate through examples how innovation is used to advance Creative Capital across the globe. Firstly, it is fundamental to clearly define what innovation means to the creative industries and what exactly Creative Capital is.

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Communications - Miscellaneous, grade: 1.3, Central Queensland University, course: Creative Industries, language: English, abstract: Censorship can be a grey area and that is usually because what is under contention of being censored is far from black and white. The ramifications of this contention is of most interest to the Creative Industries as it may have a direct effect on the kind of content that governing bodies allow to be distributed, which in turn affects commercial viability and therefore production. There are the artists who may produce art for art's sake, though there remains an indeterminate amount seeking remuneration from their efforts through sales and exhibitions. When their work or part of their work is suddenly deemed inappropriate by the law, the resulting controversy often results in publicity, a concept Art Photographer Bill Henson is no stranger to. It is somewhat difficult to comprehend who or what is controlling the definition of art and its place in the cultural life of Australia. The manifestation of governmental and public opinion surrounding specific case studies can distinguish publicity from the constant reconstruction of culture, apropos the importance of the re-educating of governing bodies upholding the opinion of the public by the public themselves. Representing a fair spectrum, we have the publicly denounced work of Bill Henson and arguably one of the most controversial films of the decade, Ken Park, with its positive appraisal fiercely contesting only recently updated censorship laws. The battleground for these fights for cultural integrity is the media, the most public and least bias of course being the internet, though the internet in Australia is currently in the process of becoming censored itself! As though product from the creative industries were not being censored enough, the almost alarming concern the government is so compassionately exhibiting for all of our welfare may just be impacting industries in more ways than just what is appropriate to expose to a morally deteriorating or protection-dependant public.

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Design (Industry, Graphics, Fashion), grade: 1.1, Central Queensland University, course: Brand Image Design, language: English, abstract: All aspects of a brand image should resonate with its target audience in order to create a meaningful relationship. Before a brand can improve the lives of those who use it, the identity of both needs to be clearly understood by the other. Once this is established, a relationship can be forged and nurtured much like a relationship between two people. Like a relationship, the parties need to bond, to listen, to grow, to be authentic and to stay that way. When Interbrand (2014), the world s largest brand consultancy, released their 2007 Brand Marketers Report, the following five top aspects of successful branding were revealed (Airey, 2007):1. Consistency2. Understanding of Customer/Target3. Message/Communication4. Creative/Design/Brand ID5. RelevanceMany other aspects were of course discovered in the survey, but the best practises may be found under these top five the first beating the second by twice the percentage (Airey, 2007). When implemented successfully, valuable brand equity can be attained, attracting a responsive audience and relevant target customers.

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Design (Industry, Graphics, Fashion), grade: 1.1, Central Queensland University, course: Brand Image Design, language: English, abstract: Aesthetics are an integral part of marketing communications, influencing the design of logos, advertising, atmospherics and package design. The strategic management of brand image design is essential to developing and implementing a corporate or brand identity. According to Simonson & Schmitt (1997), aesthetics can create tangible value for an organization because: aesthetics creates consumer loyalty aesthetics allows for premium pricing aesthetics cuts through information clutter, increasing the memorability of the visual marks of the company, which in turn increases its chance of selection at the point of purchase aesthetics affords protection from competitive attacks aesthetics can save costs and increase productivity, as employees and outside suppliers need to spend less time in creating new layouts and messagesDavid Garvin s (1987) book, the Eight Dimensions of Product Quality, consists of performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics and perceived quality. The concept defines aesthetics as the subjective dimension indicating the kind of response a user has to a product. It represents the individual s personal preference (Karch, 2008). Aesthetics management should begin with a thorough status quo analysis of every aspect of a company or brand s visual and sensory identity. The objective of this analysis is to get a clear understanding of the identity that the organisation wants to project for itself and its brands in its aesthetic output (its corporate expressions) and how customers perceive the organisation s current aesthetic output (customer impressions). (Simonson & Schmitt, 1997, p.45.)Brand Identity focuses on the following attributes of aesthetics, outlined by Friedlander (2012): Colours Fonts Logos Images Layout

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2014 in the subject Design (Industry, Graphics, Fashion), grade: 1.15, Central Queensland University, course: Brand Image Design, language: English, abstract: There are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States and almost all of these institutions have continued to attract enough students to remain operational year after year, according to Author and Marketing guru Roger Dooley (2013). That s about to change, and one of the key differences in who survives won t be the academic output of the faculty or the amenities available to students. It will be a factor seemingly unrelated to the schools mission: branding. (Dooley, 2013)Nurko (2010) says that branding is a vital tool for Universities to consider as they not only seek to attract the brightest students, but they also seek to attract and retain top academic faculty talent, become centres for research grants as well as attract investment funding and endowments to subsidize future growth . The days when Universities were simply hallowed halls of academia around the world are gone. Today, Universities are not only academic institutes but they are commercial organisations and engines of economic growth for their communities and shareholders. Universities compete for talent at both the student level, but also for faculty personnel and investment funding. Both private and public Universities are more accountable for their balance sheets, as well as for their level of academic rigour and reputation. In a world in which academia, commerce and government overlap, the role higher education plays has never been more critical yet, at the same time more controversial. For this reason, Universities are deploying marketing and branding strategies and tactical executions which seek to help them differentiate while also compete for potential student attention, financial investment and ultimately reputation accolades. (Nurko, 2010)The current Harvard coat of arms certainly retains some complexity, but the question becomes - is the complexity meaningful?Well, yes and no but the fundamental design flaws do need to be addressed so that Harvard can retain some consistency across the board. Harvard University could definitely simplify its branding without compromising connections to its roots, but it is important to focus on the purposes for doing so.