• Title/Summary/Keyword: Critical Understanding of Media

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Excrement and Subversion: Challenging the Authority and Values through Excrements in Contemporary Art (배설과 전복: 권위와 가치에 대한 도전으로 보는 현대미술에서의 배설)

  • Rhee, Jieun
    • The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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    • no.13
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    • pp.133-156
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    • 2012
  • This paper briefly charts the history of excrement as part of the late 20th-century art and explores ways in which excrement functions in the realms of 'High' art. From Piero Manzoni's to David Hammons' performance , excrement has taken a small yet distinctively important part in the development of contemporary art. In an attempt to challenge the hegemony of 'high' art, on the one hand, and resist the commercialization and fetishization of art, on the other, Manzoni allegedly offered his own "shit" preserved in a tin can and sold it at the price of gold of the same weight. Andy Warhol took the legendary Abstract-Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock as the object of parody, simulating Pollock's dripping action by pissing onto the canvas that had been primed with copper-based paint. Warhol's urination produced splashes and stains of iridescent colors just as the patterns on ordinary abstract paintings. In contrast to Pollock's masculine action, Warhol's pissing alludes to the artist's homosexuality. Excrements in art also provoked controversies, debates, and even acts of vandalism against the artworks. The works of Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili infuriated many Christians for the blasphemous use of excrement with religious icons. Politicians engaged in the heated debates on the use of public and national funds in support of some of the 'politically incorrect' contemporary art. In the midst of media sensation and criticisms, these works challenged the conventional understanding of artistic beauty. The preexisting artworks were also targeted. African-american artist Hammons assumed the role of spectator in by urinating on Richard Serra's sculpture in the street of New York City. It was an act condemnation levelled at the racist pattern of the way in which large portions of funds and commisions of "public" art tended to promote established 'white' artists, whose work or creative process often failed to reflect the actual public. The use of excrement in art is not unusual in contemporary art practices. With its subversive power, excrement plays an important critical roles in the shaping of contemporary art.

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North American ginseng influences adipocyte-macrophage crosstalk regulation of inflammatory gene expression

  • Garbett, Jaime;Wilson, Sarah A.F.;Ralston, Jessica C.;Boer, Anna A. De;Lui, Ed M.K.;Wright, David C.;Mutch, David M.
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.40 no.2
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    • pp.141-150
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    • 2016
  • Background: Adipocyte-macrophage communication plays a critical role regulating white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammatory gene expression. Because WAT inflammation contributes to the development of metabolic diseases, there is significant interest in understanding how exogenous compounds regulate the adipocyte-macrophage crosstalk. An aqueous (AQ) extract of North American (NA) ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) was previously shown to have strong inflammo-regulatory properties in adipocytes. This study examined whether different ginseng extracts influence adipocyte-macrophage crosstalk, as well as WAT inflammatory gene expression. Methods: The effects of AQ and ethanol (EtOH) ginseng extracts ($5{\mu}g/mL$) on adipocyte and macrophage inflammatory gene expression were studied in 3T3-L1 and RAW264.7 cells, respectively, using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Adipose tissue organ culture was also used to examine the effects of ginseng extracts on epididymal WAT (EWAT) and inguinal subcutaneous WAT (SWAT) inflammatory gene expression. Results: The AQ extract caused significant increases in the expression of common inflammatory genes (e.g., Mcp1, Ccl5, Tnf-${\alpha}$, Nos2) in both cell types. Culturing adipocytes in media from macrophages treated with the AQ extract, and vice versa, also induced inflammatory gene expression. Adipocyte Ppar-${\gamma}$ expression was reduced with the AQ extract. The AQ extract strongly induced inflammatory gene expression in EWAT, but not in SWAT. The EtOH extract had no effect on inflammatory gene expression in either both cell types or WAT. Conclusion: These findings provide important new insights into the inflammo-regulatory role of NA ginseng in WAT.

ICT Development and Customer Participation in Fashion Industry (ICT 발전과 패션산업에서의 고객 참여)

  • Kim, Yun Jeong;Rha, Jong-Youn;Lee, Yuri
    • Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.907-918
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    • 2015
  • With the pervasiveness of digital environment and expansion of new media, ICT (Information and Communication Technology) leads the role of consumer to change from a passive customer into an active co-producer. As customer participation in the fashion industry increases, this study attempts to explore the cases of customer participation as a co-producer in fashion industry through analyzing business models of companies, including Threadless, Blank label, Cut on Your Bias, Acustom Apparel, Thinkgivers. The results show that customer participation is mainly facilitated through design participation in fashion industry, with different level of participation and IT as well as different contribution target. Compared to the past, consumer’s preference is reflected through participation before the stage of production. Results indicate three main characteristics of customer participation in fashion industry. First, value co-creations using customer experiences and understanding customer needs are important. Second, active online communication among customers are critical. Third, it is important to ensure customer’s own item. From a customer perspective, participation enables them to purchase their own distinctive product and offers exciting experience and satisfaction over the production processes, and compensation can be used to increase customer participation. On the other hand, companies using customer participation can take advantage of cost reduction in product development, inventory, and marketing. Customer participation, as a win-win strategy for business and consumer, is expected to expand further in the future with the development of ICT.

A Critical Review of Discourses on Commercialization of Korean Press (한국 언론의 상업화 논의에 관한 비판적 검토 -'1933년 상업화론'과 '1960년대 후반 상업화론'의 비교)

  • Lee, Jung-Hoon
    • Korean journal of communication and information
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    • v.62
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    • pp.315-328
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    • 2013
  • With a view to grasping how media commercialization is understood and discussed in the media-related academic community, this study compares and reviews other researches on the commercialization process of Korean press. Full-fledged studies have been rarely performed on the history of commercialization, but similar or related studies have been conducted intermittently: One is the commercialization theory in 1933 and the other is the commercialization theory in the late 1960s. Both of them decided Korean press had been commercialized as a strategical option in the midst of political pressure. It gives a clue leading us to understanding on why Korean press shows partisanship which is pointed as one of social maladies. Korean press acquires less economic benefits if they play in the market than if political parties they support or share the same political interest take power, so they are a commercial press as well as a partially partisan press. In this context, commercialization of Korean press is still underway, and genuine commercialization hitting the balance with politicization may have yet to begin.

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Animation Education as VCAE in the Digital Age (시각문화교육과 디지털 미디어 시대의 애니메이션 교육의 방향)

  • Park, Yoo Shin
    • Cartoon and Animation Studies
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    • s.35
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    • pp.29-65
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    • 2014
  • Visual culture art education (VCAE) seems to be the new paradigm for art education after postmodernism. Getting beyond the traditional art education, VCAE has expanded its scope of interest to include the visual environment that surrounds our life, thus pushing the boundary of art education beyond the traditional fine arts to cover pop culture and visual art. VCAE shares the issues as well as a lot of elements of culture and art education and in fact serves as a major theoretic background for culture and art education, in that it pays attention to the sociocultural context of images and emphasizes visual literacy and constructionist learning. In this paper, I have reviewed the theoretical background and related issues of VCAE with a view to presenting a direction for animation education, which is gaining in importance coming into the Age of Digital Media. VCAE was born in the progressive cultural atmosphere from the 1970s and thereafter, and its gist consists in figuring out visual artifacts and their action in order to improve individual and social life. Yet, VCAE continues with its development according to the changing aspects of visual culture, and currently, it is expanding its scope of interest to cover the esthetic, experiential education in visual culture and construction of meaning through digital story-telling. In the visual environment of the Digital Age, animation is establishing itself as the center of the visual culture, being a form that goes beyond an art genre or technology to realize images throughout the visual culture. Also, VCAE, which has so far emphasized visual communication and critical reading of culture, would need to reflect the new aspects of the visual culture in digital animation across the entire gamut from experiencing to understanding and appreciating art education. In this paper, I emphasize on Cross-Curricula, social reconstruction, the expansion of animation education, interests in animation as a digital media, and animation literacy. A study of animation education from the perspective of VCAE will not only provide a theoretical basis for establishing animation education, but also enrich the content of VCAE, traditionally focused on critical text reading, and promote its contemporary and futuristic orientation.

New horizon of geographical method (인문지리학 방법론의 새로운 지평)

  • ;Choi, Byung-Doo
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.38
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    • pp.15-36
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    • 1988
  • In this paper, I consider the development of methods in contemporary human geography in terms of a dialectical relation of action and structure, and try to draw a new horizon of method toward which geographical research and spatial theory would develop. The positivist geography which was dominent during 1960s has been faced both with serious internal reflections and strong external criticisms in the 1970s. The internal reflections that pointed out its ignorance of spatial behavior of decision-makers and its simplication of complex spatial relations have developed behavioural geography and systems-theoretical approach. Yet this kinds of alternatives have still standed on the positivist, geography, even though they have seemed to be more real and complicate than the previous one, The external criticisms that have argued against the positivist method as phenomenalism and instrumentalism suggest some alternatives: humanistic geography which emphasizes intention and action of human subject and meaning-understanding, and structuralist geography which stresses on social structure as a totality which would produce spatial phenomena, and a theoretical formulation. Human geography today can be characterized by a strain and conflict between these methods, and hence rezuires a synthetic integration between them. Philosophy and social theory in general are in the same in which theories of action and structural analysis have been complementary or conflict with each other. Human geography has fallen into a further problematic with the introduction of a method based on so-called political ecnomy. This method has been suggested not merely as analternative to the positivist geography, but also as a theoretical foundation for critical analysis of space. The political economy of space with has analyzed the capitalist space and tried to theorize its transformation may be seen either as following humanistic(or Hegelian) Marxism, such as represented in Lefebvre's work, or as following structuralist Marxism, such as developed in Castelles's or Harvey's work. The spatial theory following humanistic Marxism has argued for a dialectic relation between 'the spatial' and 'the social', and given more attention to practicing human agents than to explaining social structures. on the contray, that based on structuralist Marxism has argued for social structures producing spatial phenomena, and focused on theorising the totality of structures, Even though these two perspectives tend more recently to be convergent in a way that structuralist-Marxist. geographers relate the domain of economic and political structures with that of action in their studies of urban culture and experience under capitalism, the political ecnomy of space needs an integrated method with which one can overcome difficulties of orthhodox Marxism. Some novel works in philosophy and social theory have been developed since the end of 1970s which have oriented towards an integrated method relating a series of concepts of action and structure, and reconstructing historical materialism. They include Giddens's theory of structuration, foucault's geneological analysis of power-knowledge, and Habermas's theory of communicative action. Ther are, of course, some fundamental differences between these works. Giddens develops a theory which relates explicitly the domain of action and that of structure in terms of what he calls the 'duality of structure', and wants to bring time-space relations into the core of social theory. Foucault writes a history in which strategically intentional but nonsubjective power relations have emerged and operated by virtue of multiple forms of constrainst wihthin specific spaces, while refusing to elaborate any theory which would underlie a political rationalization. Habermas analyzes how the Western rationalization of ecnomic and political systems has colonized the lifeworld in which we communicate each other, and wants to formulate a new normative foundation for critical theory of society which highlights communicatie reason (without any consideration of spatial concepts). On the basis of the above consideration, this paper draws a new norizon of method in human geography and spatial theory, some essential ideas of which can be summarized as follows: (1) the concept of space especially in terms of its relation to sociery. Space is not an ontological entity whch is independent of society and has its own laws of constitution and transformation, but it can be produced and reproduced only by virtue of its relation to society. Yet space is not merlely a material product of society, but also a place and medium in and through which socety can be maintained or transformed.(2) the constitution of space in terms of the relation between action and structure. Spatial actors who are always knowledgeable under conditions of socio-spatial structure produce and reproduce their context of action, that is, structure; and spatial structures as results of human action enable as well as constrain it. Spatial actions can be distinguished between instrumental-strategicaction oriented to success and communicative action oriented to understanding, which (re)produce respectively two different spheres of spatial structure in different ways: the material structure of economic and political systems-space in an unknowledged and unitended way, and the symbolic structure of social and cultural life-space in an acknowledged and intended way. (3) the capitalist space in terms of its rationalization. The ideal development of space would balance the rationalizations of system space and life-space in a way that system space providers material conditions for the maintainance of the life-space, and the life-space for its further development. But the development of capitalist space in reality is paradoxical and hence crisis-ridden. The economic and poltical system-space, propelled with the steering media like money, and power, has outstriped the significance of communicative action, and colonized the life-space. That is, we no longer live in a space mediated communicative action, but one created for and by money and power. But no matter how seriously our everyday life-space has been monetalrized and bureaucratised, here lies nevertheless the practical potential which would rehabilitate the meaning of space, the meaning of our life on the Earth.

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Critical Review about the Character of Communication among Participating Stakeholders in the Improving Alley Landscapes in Residential Neighborhoods Project (주거지골목길 경관개선사업에서 참여 이해관계자의 의사소통 특성)

  • Kim, Yun-Geum;Lee, Ai-Ran
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.44 no.2
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    • pp.25-36
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    • 2016
  • This paper discusses the character of communication among participating stakeholders in the Improving Alley Landscapes in Residential Neighborhoods project. The participation of diverse stakeholders in conventional urban redevelopment is considered to delay and complicate the progress of a project. However, in urban regeneration, a field-oriented operating system and collaboration between diverse stakeholders is considered critical to building a sustainable community. A stakeholder is defined as "a person or organization that can influence decision-making or be influenced by it." This paper uses a case study to examine what types of stakeholders participate and what communicative processes and ideas are shared among them. Six neighborhoods were selected out of a total of 26 of Seoul's 2014 Improving Alley Landscapes project. This research was developed through interviews and a review of the literature. The character of communication among stakeholders in the case study is as follows. Firstly, the administration initiated the project but did not show leadership. This was caused by a gap in understanding about the project between city and borough administrations, Further, the city administration lacked experience with projects that placed an emphasis on fieldwork. Tongjand and Banjang, at ancillary institutions, acted as spokespersons and helped people in the community to understand the administrative process. However, because they led communication and used personal relationships to ensure they communicated effectively, the communication process had limits from the perspective of democratic process. Diverse stakeholders expressed their opinions in the public sphere and communicated about them using diverse media. Finally, experts produced the output, facilitated communication, and mediated in conflicts. Because new experts acted as facilitators and mediators, there was a great deal of trial and error. This project has particular significance: Seoul's city government deals with urban space rather than parks and green space, which are limited by boundaries; and whether "green" can be used for urban renovation was tested by several landscape architects, who sought to identify a new role in urban renovation, namely, the role of landscape and landscape architecture. However, the project has some limitations, including an insufficiently detailed project plan, a lack of common understanding among stakeholders, and a short timeframe. A number of stakeholders overcame these limitations to a certain degree. Officials of the Borough and the Dong managed the project and resolved civil complaints. Experts provided special information, and contributed to the design and construction of improvements.

Big Five Personality in Discriminating the Groups by the Level of Social Sims (심리학적 도구 '5요인 성격 특성'에 의한 소셜 게임 연구: <심즈 소셜> 게임의 분석사례를 중심으로)

  • Lee, Dong-Yeop
    • Cartoon and Animation Studies
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    • s.29
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    • pp.129-149
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    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the clustering and Big Five Personality domains in discriminating groups by level of school-related adjustment, as experienced by Social Sims game users. Social Games are based on web that has simple rules to play in fictional time and space background. This paper is to analyze the relationships between social networks and user behaviors through the social games . In general, characteristics of social games are simple, fun and easy to play, popular to the public, and based on personal connections in reality. These features of social games make themselves different from video games with one player or MMORPG with many unspecific players. Especially Social Game show a noticeable characteristic related to social learning. The object of this research is to provide a possibility that game that its social perspective can be strengthened in social game environment and analyze whether it actually influences on problem solving of real life problems, therefore suggesting its direction of alternative play means and positive simulation game. Data was collected by administering 4 questionnaires (the short version of BFI, Satisfaction with life, Career Decision-.Making Self-.Efficacy, Depression) to the participants who were 20 people in Seoul and Daejeon. For the purposes of the data analysis, both Stepwise Discriminant analysis and Cluster analysis was employed. Neuroticism, Openness, Conscientiousness within the Big Five Personality domains were seen to be significant variables when it came to discriminating the groups. These findings indicated that the short version of the BFI may be useful in understanding for game user behaviors When it comes to cultural research, digital game takes up a significant role. We can see that from the fact that game, which has only been considered as a leisure activity or commercial means, is being actively research for its methodological, social role and function. Among digital game's several meanings, one of the most noticeable ones is the research on its critical, social participating function. According to Jame Paul gee, the most important merit of game is 'projected identity'. This means that experiences from various perspectives is possible.[1] In his recent autobiography , he described gamer as an active problem solver. In addition, Gonzalo Francesca also suggested an alternative game developing method through 'game that conveys critical messages by strengthening critical reasons'. [2] They all provided evidences showing game can be a strong academic tool. Not only does a genre called social game exist in the field of media and Social Network Game, but there are also some efforts to positively evaluate its value Through these kinds of researches, we can study how game can give positive influence along with the change in its general perception, which would eventually lead to spreading healthy game culture and enabling fresh life experience. This would better bring out the educative side of the game and become a social communicative tool. The object of this game is to provide a possibility that the social aspect can be strengthened within the game environment and analyze whether it actually influences the problem solving of real life problems. Therefore suggesting it's direction of alternative play means positive game simulation.

A study on the cultural ideology of narrative in 3D C.G. Animation (3D C.G. 애니메이션에 반영된 문화적 이데올로기 - <슈렉>을 중심으로)

  • Koh, Eun-Young
    • Cartoon and Animation Studies
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    • s.6
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    • pp.7-22
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    • 2002
  • Animation constitutes the core of the media industry, which in turn lies at the center of the cultural industry. It is considered one of the industries where South Korea has the competitive edge over other countries. With the pool of customers getting wider, the genre of animation has become more and more diverse, forming a great market for it. Aware of this trend, this study focused on animation as a part of the pop culture, and on providing corresponding various viewpoints for future cultural studies. This researcher measured the practicality and persuasiveness of this study through Shreck, a three-dimensional C.G. animation which is acclaimed for its success in dismantling the old grammar of animation movies that represent the anti-Disney ideas. This researcher felt it imperative to heed the unique language of Shreck, which contains discourses on various cultural ideologies such as paradoxical structure that pits entertainment that is shown through dismantling of the canon, feminism and antifeminism against each other. This study analyzed the entertaining element of the animation genre by means of the Semiotics of Keith Moxey, thereby attempting to establish a legitimate social status of the genre, whose artfulness has been depreciated in the art society. In chapter II, this researcher examines the chronological development of three-dimensional C.G. animation that has shown a rapid advancement. Chapter III defines the cultural ideology of Shreck by exploring basic theories and texts employed in analysis of art works. This study started with the assumption that defines, from the viewpoint of symbology, the animation text as an aggregate of discourses on entertainment, and competitive and paradoxical ideologies. Then, this researcher analyzed the text and the generation process of meanings in Shreck. Consequently, this study has come to the following conclusions: First, Shreck induces changes of concepts about the canon by means of distorting and reversing the existing animation movies, which seems to reflect in the contemporary tendency of seeking new interpretations of entertainment. Second, Shreck shows up the cognitive changes of our age as to feminism by competing feminism against antifeminism. Although Shreck serves as a venue of competition between the two opposing ideas, it stops short of brushing off women as outsiders in society. Rather, it represents the resistance to the male chauvinism existing in the structures of animation and culture. As shown in the text analysis, Shreck presents an advent of a new ideology critical of the previous animation films. In addition, it reflects in the struggle between the pro-feminism on the part of the viewers and the anti-feminism that lies in the social and culture structure. This study, however, is limited in its scope and selection of subject. First, although this researcher has stressed the importance of understanding the animation as part of the pop culture and conducting researches within the historic paradigm, this study fails to provide an in-depth insight in the impacts that the changes in the C.G. industry and the systematic conditions may have on the three-dimensional C.G. animation genre. Furthermore, this study runs the risk of being understood as pro-American due to its selection of Shreck as its research subject.

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The Effect of Customer Experience of Offline Channel and Mobile Channel on Brand Loyalty: Focused on Coffee Chains (옴니 채널에서 오프라인 채널과 모바일 채널의 서비스 경험이 브랜드 충성도에 미치는 영향: 커피 전문점을 중심으로)

  • Kim, Byoungsoo;Kim, Daekil
    • Knowledge Management Research
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.69-88
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    • 2022
  • Omni-channel enables businesses to provide a seamless customer experience by organically integrating data from multiple channels. Customers have increasingly used mobile applications to place orders and make payments in offline stores. In such context, this study investigated the effects of customer experiences on brand loyalty via offline and mobile channels. Additionally, it examined the role of habit in establishing brand loyalty in a daily service environment. This study confirmed the importance of functional, human, and mechanical cues on perceived value in the offline channel. Additionally, differences in the influence of customer experiences via offline and mobile channels on brand loyalty were examined at based on the age and gender. The research model was empirically validated using survey data collected from 365 customers who visit coffee chains via mobile applications. The analysis results found that both perceived value of offline stores and loyalty to mobile applications have a significant effect on brand loyalty. Habit plays another critical role in enhancing brand loyalty. The findings of this study help service providers better understanding of the formation mechanism of brand loyalty in the context of omni channel and will be able to develop more effective marketing and operations strategies.