Essay on Marketing and Consumer PsychologyEssay Writing Service

Essay on Marketing and Consumer PsychologyEssay Writing Service Essay on Marketing and Consumer Psychology Essay on Marketing and Consumer PsychologyDiscussion 1: Priming and Consumer BehaviorPriming is the effect of the impact of the foregoing information on the subsequent without active human intervention or, in other words, the activation of specific associations in memory. Using priming effects in groceries marketing is based on creating the impression of freshness and naturalness of products starting from the entry into the store. Thus, in Martin Lindstrom’s (2011) example with Whole Foods, the owners placed fresh flowers and vegetables at the entrance to the supermarket in order to make the primary impression of goods quality in the store as a whole. Having seen definitely fresh foods at the entrance, people transfer the feeling of freshness to the rest of products in the sales area. The use of symbols of purity like water drops and ice contribute to the overall effect, as well as the color associations, which we will further discuss in more detail.Indeed, using colors with c ertain symbols and color combinations to create a certain image is applied effectively today to attract the attention of consumers in both the design of retail areas, packages of goods and means of in-store advertising, and display of goods. Studies show that colors appeal to people’s senses rather than logic: 80% of light and color is perceived by the nervous system and only 20% by vision (Haugtvedt et al., 2008, p. 361). Thus, influence of color on consumer choice can be illustrated by the following experiment (cited in Haugtvedt et al., 2008, p. 367-68). Housewives were given four cups of coffee to taste standing next to the boxes of brown, blue, red and yellow color. Coffee was the same in all the cups, but tasters did not know that. Results showed that 75% of participants noted that the coffee standing next to the brown box, in their opinion, was too strong. About 85% of the subjects found the coffee standing next to the red box most fragrant and tasty. Almost all claime d that the coffee standing next to the blue box was mild, and the one that stood next to the yellow box was weak.In particular, Whole Foods actively uses green as the color of nature and harmony because its light hues directly symbolize freshness, as well as meet the desires of buyers to compensate for the lack of vitamins, fresh fruits and vegetables. Banana growers use a similar mechanism in the example cited by Lindstrom (2011). In general, we can conclude that food marketing becomes more successful with proper use of the color pallet which eventually becomes the corporate identity and causes persistent associations based on previous experience.Discussion 2: Personal BrandingIn the information age recommendations on creating a brand become important not only for material goods, but also for individuals. With respect to the personality, brand can be defined as a stable set of associations, the image formed in the perception of the surrounding people. It is worth saying that the de finition of personal brand, in general, does not differ from the definition of product brand. For example, Chanel perfume is associated with aristocracy, refinement, high price, and personality of Coco Chanel. For connoisseurs of opera baritone Hvorostovsky is associated with a beautiful voice and a bright appearance, the mind immediately recollects such characteristics as the star of the world opera, the soloist of the leading opera houses in the world, as well as the arias he performed in the memory. In both cases there are strong associative images. If the ultimate goal of product brand is to increase profits in the long run, the personal brand depending on the scope of application, in addition to capitalization, may still pursue other goals. For example, a presidential candidate must create a positive and holistic image to make the voters believe and vote in one’s favor. But all in all, the ultimate goal of personal brands is recognition in a particular environment, high reputation, relevance, popularity and increase of the value in the labor market.Indeed, personality brands are subject to the same rules and use the same benefits as product brands: their product sells better, their services are paid higher, they have weight in society and respect of others, they are listened to, and trusted. For example, advertising a particular product, a celebrity actually indirectly vouches for its quality. Typically, this proven strategy brings good fruit to companies, because consumers are more willing to trust the information received from a famous (in other words, almost familiar) person. However, personality brands are not only media persons or celebrities. Professionalism in any field today is regarded as a marketable commodity, and the professional as a brand. Thus, in case of looking for a new job, I would first try to answer a question whether it is authentic to make the CV in the same way as 999 000 others, and then would make efforts to construct my p ersonal brand through applying Dan Schawbel’s three obligatory elements of: value proposition, differentiation, and marketability(Schawbel Buckingham, 2013).Discussion 3: The Effectiveness of Online MarketingToday, companies are starting to use online solutions for all types of marketing tasks from creating awareness to after-sales services, and recognize that online tools are important and effective parts of the marketing strategies. Internet combines the interactive nature of communication, hypermedia nature and the possibility of establishing individual interaction. Global computer network has become both a new communication environment and the market with tens of millions of potential customers with a sufficiently high income level. The main advantages of internet marketing are considered interactiveness, opportunities for most accurate targeting, possibility of post-click analysis which leads to the maximization of indicators such as Site Conversion and ROI of the inter net advertising. Moreover, marketers claim that online tools help them achieve marketing goals throughout their clients’ decision-making process, sometimes in ways that are not consistent with the general ideas of certain tools should be used.As a result, according to the recent survey of CEOs, in the next three years they are most likely to plan to increase the advertising budget for Online Marketing, in particular, for search and video advertising, while budgets for media advertising and mailout are less likely to be increased (Scott, 2013, p. 113-115). In this perspective, the relevant question occurs of how to raise online marketing efficiency through the use of constantly updating mechanisms in the spirit of dynamic online audience. For example, involving social media in the communications process the companies should offer its readers/subscribers not the end sale, but something more interesting and useful, representing a â€Å"transactional† action in the buying process (Scott, 2013; Lindstrom, 2011). For example, if you sell cars, offers applications for test drives through your social media platforms, if you are selling training courses, invite for a free lesson, if you sell consumer electronics, promise a discount coupon, for complex B2B hardware fix number of downloads of brochures and price sheets, etc. In addition, it must be remembered that a robust interaction in real time allows producers to not only respond to comments and feedback of buyers, but also develop the right reputation policy. The brand’s reply to a user’s question or a comment is more important than the comment itself, because the producer’s reaction is the attitude of the brand to consumers that forms buying activity and brand loyalty.Discussion 4: Online DistributionFor quite a long time, the famous Internet retailer Amazon has been intensively testing the fresh food delivery service Amazon Fresh, thus capturing another niche in the market and co mpeting with major players like Wal-Mart.com or Alice.com. Expanding into new segments allows the company to declare itself as a retailer with the largest range of products offering to purchase any type of product not leaving the house.The very idea grocery-shopping online is absolutely in the spirit of the time: it saves time and, depending on local prices, might save money. According to data from Tesco, the share of online food sales in the UK in 2009 accounted for about 3% of the total retail sales of food, while in 2014 online sales of food products are expected to increase to 5.5%, due to the fact that the growing number of consumers begins to positively evaluate the advantage of delivering, wide range, and affordable prices in the online grocery stores (Scott, 2013, p. 159). However, by now Amazon Fresh is mostly presented by third-party sellers, which makes their prices incompatible in many cases, especially if Wal-Mart coupons would be taken into account. In addition, unlike Amazon that doesn’t take back groceries or personal care items, Wal-Mart allows its consumers to return anything bought online to a local store within 90 days. At the same time, willingness to sell products with delivery is a proof of the high level of responsibility that cannot be achieved without special equipment, which involves the use of trucks with refrigerators and sealed compartments, special boxes for food storage, quality control at all stages. Together with attractive wholesale prices and direct manufacturer offers, these advantages of large retail chains are designed to ensure higher customer loyalty in the nearest future.Discussion 5: â€Å"Free† MarketingAccording to behavioral economists, neuro-marketers and copywriting experts, the word â€Å"free† has a huge impact on the buyer. Studies show that consumers cannot help noticing it, miss it or pass it by (Haugtvedt et al., 2008, Lindstrom, 2011). The word â€Å"free† literally means that à ¢â‚¬Å"something is offered for nothing† and even though deep down people perfectly subconsciously realize that nothing happens for no reason and the company certainly gets benefit from something else, every time they hope that â€Å"maybe it is really so this time.†An interesting example of the impact of the word â€Å"free† on consumers was demonstrated in Billund, the international airport in Denmark (Scott, 2013, p. 205). The company decided to carry out the split testing the call to action located on the fourth menu button of their online store, which was proposed to change from â€Å"Buy online† to â€Å"Buy Tax-Free.† Buy Tax-Free in this example meant buying without local Value Added Tax (saving 7-22%). Eventually, the second version showed better results, and surpassed the first one by 49.85% in CTR.Practice shows that neutral inscriptions â€Å"Buy online† or â€Å"Order delivery† do not have any clearly defined economic or em otional effect: they just speak for themselves causing no special feelings, not showing benefits to the client, do not disclose the advantages. In turn, basing on Haugtvedt et al. (2008) research, the phrase including the word â€Å"Free† (tax free, free shipping) has many advantages: 1. Thoughtful valuable offer (assertion giving the user a complete picture of why one should buy a product or use the services of the company); 2. Competitive advantages (better offer capable to interest an online user who surfed today the entire Internet far and wide in search of the best prices and offers); 3. Demonstration of care for buyer’s benefits. This impact on the consumer’s psyche makes the technique of using the effect of the word â€Å"free† one of the most effective in promoting the products, along with the offer of discounts and coupons.

Computer Forensics

Computer Forensics The Internet is growing explosively, as is the number of crimes committed against or using computers. As a response to the growth of computer crime, the field of computer forensics has emerged. Computer forensics involves carefully collecting and examining electronic evidence that not only assesses the damage to a computer as a result of an electronic attack, but also to recover lost information from such a system to prosecute a criminal. With the growing importance of computer security today and the seriousness of cyber crime, it is important for computer professionals to understand the technology that is used in computer forensics. This paper will discuss the need for computer forensics to be practiced in an effective and legal way. It promotes the idea that the competent practice of computer forensics and awareness of applicable laws is essential for today's organizations.Computer ForensicsAs technology has advanced, computers have become incredibly powerful.John Wilkes authored p amphlets critical of the Bri...Unfortunately, as computers get more sophisticated, so do the crimes committed with them. Distributed Denial of Service Attacks, ILOVEYOU and other viruses, Domain Name Hijacking, Trojan Horses, and Websites shut down are just a few of the hundreds of documented attack types generated by computers against other computers. Managers of information systems should understand computer forensics. Forensics is the process of using scientific knowledge for collecting, analyzing, and presenting evidence to the courts. Forensics deals primarily with the recovery and analysis of latent evidence. Latent evidence can take many forms, from fingerprints left on a window to DNA evidence recovered from bloodstains to the files on a hard drive. Computer forensics can be used to uncover potential evidence in many types of cases including, for example: ·Copyright infringement ·Industrial espionage ·Money laundering ·Piracy ·Sexual harassment ·Theft of intellec tual property ·Unauthorized access to confidential information ·Blackmail ·Corruption ·Decryption ·Destruction of information ·Fraud ·Illegal duplication of softwareThe three main steps in computer forensics are...

Constitutional Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Constitutional Law - Essay Example The juvenile was sent by his father to live with the paternal grandparents in South Carolina. The hospitals in the state did not have any Paxil, so they opted for an alternative drug, Zoloft. Zoloft is also an antidepressant. The accused experienced extreme side effects as a result of drug substitution. In addition, the doctors decided to double the dosage in an effort to reduce the side effects (State v Pittman). On the day he committed the offense, the defendant was punished by his grandfather. He resented the punishment and took the decision to kill both grandparents. He used their shotgun to kill. He shot them and burnt the house using candles and paper. He consequently stole the family dog, $33 and left the house in his grandparents’ car. The trial court also heard that he was apprehended some counties away from the scene of the crime and claimed that the death of his grandparents was a result of burglary. The defendant attorneys argued that the accused ought not to have been tried as an adult due to health and mental issues. The defense attorneys argued that the Pittman was under duress from a mental condition. The claim is grounded on the fact that prior to the crime, the convict had a depression problem. Pittman was under antidepressant drugs at the time he committed the crime. South Carolina state law does not have an age limit that differentiates a juvenile trial and an adult trial. The trial court in South Carolina determined that the defendant could be tried as an adult. The prosecution showed that it was indeed the defendant that committed the crime using a shotgun. The court also heard the happenings prior to the attack and after the attack. The prosecutor proved that the offense was carefully choreographed, thus warranting an adult trial. However, the defense team is adamant that although Pittman committed the crime, he was a juvenile under depression. The accused was also under new medication that negatively impacted on his mental

What causes market monopoly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

What causes market monopoly - Essay Example This is a normal behavior because it works. In general, the government regulation that helps create monopoly conditions falls into one of three categories: Barriers to Labor. Licensing or other regulation impeding the mobility of labor. Barriers to Resources. Examples include natural resources, wireless spectrum. Barriers to Operations. Examples include casino gambling, illegal drug trade. The stated purpose of the legislation is always to protect the public, but interested parties usually write the legislation to suit their own agenda. In many cases, the legislation that purported to protect the public actually harms the public. An example is barbers. Why does a barber require a license to cut hair, and why does the license to cut hair require a lengthy period in a beauty college? The answer is that the legislation is purely to protect the markets of existing barbers. During hard times, setting up a private barbershop or beauty salon is not difficult for anyone with some skill, whic h presents competition to the existing barbers and beauticians. The clip-joint owners went to the state legislature and worked out a deal. It was in the public interest to cut the deal because the state is always worried about taxes and someone who receives cash for cutting hair in a private shop may forget to pay their taxes on the income. Likewise, the clip-joint owners wanted to make sure it was difficult to get into this business, but not so difficult that the labor supply dries up. They wanted limited competition in good times and high barriers to entry in bad times. The solution was to require a license and make the requirements of getting a license be a three to six month course at a beauty college. This is an example of barriers to entry into the labor markets, which we shall discuss. Barriers to Labor Markets As illustrated by the story about the barbershop protection societies, many different groups have formed protective associations. The public face of the protective ass ociation is always to ensure compliance to the highest ethical standards, but the real agenda is always ensuring that their turf is staked out and defended. We shall say now, we have never seen a protective association of theoretical physicists. We have never heard specious claims of how the public must be protected from all that high-powered thinking and the only solution is to license and regulate them. Perhaps the reason is that not many people are capable of becoming a theoretical physicist. Realtors, however, are a different story. Like barbers and the business of cutting hair, if the market looks good and a person has sales talent, real estate looks good. Especially if that person is a â€Å"connector† who collects contacts and likes to stay in touch with many different people. Realtors are just as intelligent as barbers and they formed a protective association that has been very successful in placing a very high barrier to entry into that field. The barrier to entry is so high in many areas that it hurts the public. We shall explain: After the realtor’s protective association convinced the state legislature to pass appropriate legislation and license the realtors subject to an industry oversight board with regulatory powers granted by the legislature, along came the Multi Listing Service (MLS). Now that everyone was a member of the union, the idea was to make it easier for everyone to share pieces of the pie. Few understand this, but it hurts consumers because a disincentive has been created: there is no

MGMT438 Unit 1DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT438 Unit 1DB - Research Paper Example Communication is a performance-based issue in a group activity. Communication influences the coordination of work within a group that intends to undertake a project. Communication is among the factors that elaborate the mission and objectives of a given group. Lack of effective communication strategies would limit the levels of bond and cohesiveness within a group (Lee, Kim, & Shin, 2012). Actions of the groups in relation to performance always rely on the levels of information available within the group activities. Communication limits the levels of performance and group cohesiveness since the members if the group cannot contribute to the issues of concern in relation to the activities of a particular project being solved (Lee, Kim, & Shin, 2012). As a human resource specialist involved, I would identify the barriers to communication that exist within the groups. Identifying the barriers would imply that there would be a starting point for the scrutiny of different factors that hamper communication within the system. This analysis would also identify the points of communication breakdown as reflected within the group activities. After such identifications, researching on central methods of enhancing communication would be an additional step towards solving the problem. This would entail finding communication methods that would be consistent within the group. This involves continuity of effective communication. In order to achieve this strategy, incorporating technology is another factor that would enhance the improvements in communication. Introducing diversified communication platforms such as computer for mails and other fax machines would enhance faster spread of information within the group. This fact implies that the tec hnological innovations would increase concerns towards effective information spread. Computer based systems would enhance smooth flow of exchange of ideas. Lee, J.-S., Kim, T.-H., & Shin, Y.-J. (2012).

Discourse on Tamil Tigers Ideology Essay Example for Free

Discourse on Tamil Tigers Ideology Essay â€Å"I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy† (Towards Liberation 83). V. Prabakaran, leader and founder of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), said this during an exclusive interview with the magazine the â€Å"Sunday. † This statement represents how most Tamil Tigers feel about their fight for freedom. Tamil Tigers are dedicated to dying in battle rather than being caught by the enemy (Sri Lanka military). The Tamil Tigers were founded in May 1979 and they were defeated on May 18, 2009. They are still active, but they are no longer officially recognized as a terrorist organization because they don’t have a base and their leader is dead. They are a national separatist group in Sri Lanka whose ideology can be traced to Marxism, Leninism, and nationalism. The Tamil Tigers are a terrorist group that has been fighting the Sri Lanka government for independence. They are also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE. The armed conflict between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government is one of the longest ones in Asia. The LTTE’s first attack was on a military troop transport that killed thirteen soldiers. This sparked riots against the Tamil people, which in turn, caused many youths to join insurgent groups against the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE at one point had a navy and an air force. They also had a special unit called the Black Tigers, which was a suicide unit based solely on suicide attacks. The navy has sunk 30 Sri Lankan ships, including 29 small inshore vessels and one freighter. The air force tigers had at least four aircraft, but all of them are destroyed either from suicide missions or being shot down. The Black Tigers have carried out between 100 to 200 missions with over 330 members being killed. The Tamil Tigers believe in Marxism. They want a socialist and classless society with equality for â€Å"everyone†, but Muslims and Sinhalese people. In fact, the LTTE has committed several massacres against Muslims and Sinhalese people. Their most notable attack on Muslims is the Kattankudy mosque massacre which occurred on August 4 1990. LTTE soldiers raided four mosques during prayer and killed 147 Muslim men and boys. It appears the Tamil Tigers want a Marxist society, but only for the Tamil people. Several times in the LTTE’s history they have evicted Muslims and Sinhalese from their land and either killed them or forced them to leave. Since 1985, the LTTE has forcibly occupied 35,000 acres of Muslim-owned land. This is what the Tamil Tigers believe Marxism is; equality for one group and not the others. Just as the LTTE believe in Marxism they also believe in a similar ideology called Leninism. The main concept the LTTE believe in from Leninism is that a nation has a right to secession and statehood (Towards Liberation 64). Lenin once said, From their daily experience the masses know perfectly well the value of geographical and economic ties and the advantages of a big market and a big state. They will, therefore, resort to secession only when national oppression and national friction make joint life absolutely intolerable and hinder any and all economic intercourse. In that case, the interests of capitalist development and of the freedom of the class struggle will be best served by secession (Towards Liberation 70). Lenin said this in his essay The Right of Nations of Self-Determination and the Tamil Tigers included it in one of their press releases. The Tamils believe that they should be able to secede from Sri Lanka and make their own independent state. They feel that their population is large enough to have their own state. They also believe that they will have the economic stability to function as a nation. The Tamils wish to create a state in north and east Sri Lanka, but the Sri Lanka government won’t allow them to. One reason they won’t allow them to create a state is that region is to rich in resources to give up. In addition to Marxism and Leninism, the LTTE also believe in nationalism. This is probably their strongest belief, where most of their roots as a terrorist organization come from, and what they are fighting for. To be specific, the LTTE believes in a specific type of nationalism called Tamil nationalism. Tamil nationalism is the concept that the Tamil people have a right to create an independent and self-governing state, specifically in North and East Sri Lanka. (See map on last page) As you can see from this map, the majority of the people living in the area the Tamil people want to make a state are Tamil. There is one district where ninety-five percent of people living there are Tamil. That means ninety-five percent of people living in that district want to break away from Sri Lanka. The area shown on blue in the map is roughly the area that the LTTE controls. The majority of the people in those districts, excluding the thirty-four percent and eighteen percent districts, support the LTTE. The concept of Tamil nationalism began in the 18th century under British control when Tamil Hindus tried to counter Protestant missionary activity. Later in the 20th century, the Tamils realized they were a minority ethnic group and began to believe they should have their own country. At first, the Tamils tried to get equal representation in the government along with other minorities, but it never happened. Since this did not work, Tamil terrorist groups, like the LTTE, formed. The insurgent groups formed to fight for Tamil nationalism. All in all, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are a national separatist group based in Sri Lanka. Their ideology has roots in Marxism, Leninism, and nationalism. The Tamil Tigers have been recognized by 32 countries as a terrorist organization. They believe in the Marxist idea of a classless society, the Leninist idea of a nation’s right to secede, and nationalism.

Bulk and Nanomaterials Synthesis Experiment

Bulk and Nanomaterials Synthesis Experiment Introduction In recent years, bulk and nano materials in several areas of pure and applied sciences have captivated a great interest amongst the researchers. Because of their fascinating and tremendous properties with great potential in many applications such as solid state lasers, lamp industry, colour displays, etc (Senthil et al, 2001; Tamrakar et al, 2013â€Å"a†; Tamrakar et al, 2013â€Å"b†; Tamrakar et al, 2014â€Å"a†; Tamrakar et al, 2014â€Å"b†) these bulk and nano materials having great interests of research. Experimental Section 2.1. Materials and Synthesis Samarium oxide (Sm2O3) and samarium nitrate (Sm(NO3)3.6H2O) were used as the rare earth sources of K3Gd(PO4)2:Sm3+ in the following synthesis methods. Urea (NH2CONH2) and citric acid monohydrate (C6H8O7.H2O) were used as fuels in combustion and citrate gel combustion methods. The raw materials in carbonate form were used in solid state method whereas in case of combustion and citrate gel method it could be used in nitrate form. 2.1.1. Synthesis of undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 by solid state method The raw materials potassium carbonate (K2CO3), gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3), ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate (NH4H2PO4) and samarium oxide (Sm2O3) of high purity were mixed and grounded together with the smallest possible amount of ethanol in an agate mortar for an hour to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The stoichometric amount of starting materials was weighed according to the balanced chemical reactions for the undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 (equation (1)) and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 (equation (2)) and are given as follows: The mixed powder was transferred to the alumina crucible and placed into the muffle furnace at 850  °C for 7 hours. The prepared phosphors were cooled to room temperature and grounded to obtain fine powder. 2.1.2. Synthesis of undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 by combustion method with urea (NH2CONH2) Urea (NH2CONH2) as a fuel used for the preparation of the undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 by combustion method. The reagents used were potassium nitrate (KNO3), gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3), ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate (NH4H2 PO4), urea (NH2CONH2) and samarium nitrate (Sm(NO3)3.6H2O) of high purity. The materials were weighed according to the balanced chemical reactions (equations (3 4)) given below: The stoichometric ratio of reagents was kept at unity, so that the heat liberated during combustion be maximized for complete combustion. The weighed reagents were dissolved in a small amount of distilled water and thoroughly mixed in an agate mortar to obtain a paste. The obtained paste was transferred to the alumina crucible and inserted into the pre-heated muffle furnace sustained at 600. The combustion process occurs with the evolution of the large amount of gasses. The whole reaction takes 3-5 minutes to complete. The final white foamy product was cooled to room temperature and ground to obtain fine powder. The fine powder then further annealed at 850 for 3 h to get complete crystallanity. 2.1.3. Synthesis of undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 by citrate-gel combustion method with citric acid (C6H8O7.H2O) Potassium nitrate (KNO3), gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3), ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate (NH4H2 PO4), samarium nitrate (Sm (NO3)3.6H2O), citric acid monohydrate (C6H8O7.H2O) of high purity was used as the starting materials for the preparation of the undoped K3Gd(PO4)2 and Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2. The citrate gel was prepared according to the following chemical reactions: The reactants in stoichometric amounts were weighed according to equations (5 6) and dissolved together in 10 ml distilled water. The mixed solution was heated to 85 °C on a hot plate with continuous stirring for 2 hours to obtain a viscous gel. The obtained gel was placed into the pre-heated muffle furnace maintained at 600. After several minutes, the gel boiled followed by evolution of huge amounts of gases. Eventually, spontaneous ignition occurred and the gel underwent combustion. The whole process ended within a few minutes. The final products were cooled to room temperature and grounded to obtain fine powder. The fine powder, then further annealed at 850 for 3 h to ensure that all the unwanted impurities were evaporated and only the higher temperature pure monoclinic phase of K3Gd(PO4)2 remains as the final product. 2.2. Characterization The X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the synthesized powders were recorded by using Philips X’pert MPD system with Cu KÃŽ ± radiation (1.5406 Ã…) operated at 40 kV and 30 mA. The 2ÃŽ ¸ was varied in the range of 10 ° ≠¤ 2ÃŽ ¸ ≠¤ 60 ° with step size of 0.01 ° (2ÃŽ ¸) and count time of 18s /step. The lattice parameters were calculated using unit cell program [ †¦]. The diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded using a Shimadzu UV-VIS-2600 double beam spectrophotometer coupled with an ISR (integrating sphere assembly). The photoluminescence (PL) (excitation and emission spectra) and the lifetime measurements of the synthesized phosphors were recorded using a Cary-Eclipse Spectrofluorometer equipped with a 150W Xenon lamp as an excitation source with slit width 5 nm and 2.5 nm for excitation and emission monochromator. All the measurements were performed at room temperature. 3. Results and discussion 3.1. Phase formation The powder XRD patterns of the Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 samples synthesized by solid state, combustion and citrate gel combustion methods were measured. The patterns are shown in figure 1 and compared with that of the JCPDS card 049-1085 (K3Gd(PO4)2). The XRD patterns of Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 phosphor indicates a pure phase of the standard K3Gd(PO4)2 and all the peaks were in good agreement which belongs to the monoclinic phase with space group P21/m [20]. Also the XRD shows that the formed materials are in crystalline and homogeneous forms. The particle size of the prepared samples have been calculated from the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the intense peaks using Debye Scherer formula. Here, D is particle size, k is the Scherrer’s constant (0.89), ÃŽ ² is FWHM (full width half maximum), ÃŽ » = 1.54 A ° is the wavelength of X-ray source (Cu (KÃŽ ±) radiation), ÃŽ ¸ is Bragg angle of the X-ray diffraction peak. The average particle size of the Sm3+ doped K3Gd(PO4)2 phosphor prepared by solid state method was found approximately 39 nm, while those prepared by combustion and citrate gel methods were found to be 23 nm and 27 nm. The decrease in the particle size is due to increase in the FWHM of the XRD peaks for the phosphor synthesized by combustion method and citrate gel combustion method. The variation of particle size with FWHM is also tabulated in table {}. References