Ways to Differentiate in an Increasingly Commoditizing Market Place

By Guest Blogger Imogen Reed

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Ways to Stand Out in a Commoditizing Market Place

[Image from Channel Champion]

All products and services broadly speaking follow a life cycle, where the early adopters take on a product or service as soon as it is launched and then there are those who take up a product or service towards the end of its cycle or the end of that version, waiting until almost everyone else has already given it a go. Thinking of any product or service can nearly always be linked to a life span of some sort. For example, in terms of products, the mobile phone in the beginning was only really a tool of the affluent or business types. Similarly, in terms of services such as restaurants or balance transfer offers it is only a select few that try something out first, with the rest of the population following suit if it is successful and appeals to them.

It is only when the products or services become more uniform, more available and more affordable that they become the commonplace items or services that we know today. There is no defined time limit on a product life cycle and something may not always reach the end of a life cycle — it could evolve and develop to always maintain the peak of its success by constantly reinventing itself.

Something becomes commoditized when one offering is nearly indistinguishable from another. As a result of advances in technology, broader education and more aggressive marketing methods many goods and services, like mobile phones, bank accounts and even holiday destinations have become commoditized and, therefore, widely accessible.

(1) Working smarter

Companies now need to work smarter and harder to win over their customers to differentiate and set themselves apart in the marketplace. The best ones do this just one way — through branding their products and services. Coca Cola, Pandora and Apple are all well known brands with commoditized products — however, something drives their customers to their products and that is the power of their brand.

Whilst there are numerous ways to differentiate your business, through segmentation, product development, market research and so on, at the heart of them all is a company’s brand. Branding is all about getting to heart of your customers and understanding them better than they do themselves. The extent that a company can position itself as providing a superior value to its competitors will enable it to gain competitive advantage.

(2) Evoking emotional response

The best brands evoke strong emotional responses from their customers, thus creating a special relationship. This is often based on intangible qualities that the brand conveys through its logo, general look and feel, or the way the company interacts with its customers and how it conducts itself in the market place. Being the best brand isn’t always about price it is about the whole package and delivering that package well.

(3) Shrinking world

With the advent of social media the world has never been so small, certainly on a communications level at least. People can share something in an instant so whilst goods and services are infinitely more accessible, word of mouth has never been more widespread and companies/businesses should be mindful of this and leverage as appropriate when developing their brand. It is important to meet and some would argue exceed your customer’s expectations as far as possible. If a company fails not only will the world find out quicker there will also be a rival product waiting in the wings only too happy to pick up the pieces.  Repairing a brand’s reputation is hard so the trick is not to damage it beyond ruin in the first place.

(4) Brand archetypes

Those interested in branding may like to consider the concept of ‘brand archetypes’ popularized by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson in the book The Hero and The Outlaw.

The basic premise behind brand archetypes is that brands are a basic human social concept. They’re a way for us to understand ourselves and associate with others, and through common themes and characters, we can better understand how consumers connect with brands. For example; what is it that makes Nelson Mandela so inspiring or Oprah Winfrey so motivating? Why is the Harley-Davidson brand so compelling and exciting or Apple as a company so innovative and aspirational? Such iconic individuals, brands, and organizations command our attention because they carry the mythic power of an archetype. By aligning your company strategy and direction to brand archetypes you too can create an engaging and differentiated brand.

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Author Bio:

Imogen Reed has been working full-time as a professional writer and researcher for five years; in that time there isn’t a lot she hasn’t already covered (including a nice article on Mary Louise Brooks, who defines: “I don’t give a damn”). Imogen enjoys writing with a site’s readership in mind. She can be reached at imogenATlinegrayDOTcom

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Thanks, Imogen — I agree with the importance of branding ;)! Here are a couple of links readers might like to check out:

(1) Differentiating the Brand is a PDF by Six Degrees (a sensory branding agency).

(2) Why We Don’t Commoditize, by Anthony Iannarino, author of The Sales Blog.

– Jess C Scott / jessINK

Why I’m Not Joining Amazon’s KDP Select Program

[Image from a cached page of Entrepreneur Watch]

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Amazon recently introduced the KDP Select program to entice authors in making their ebooks available through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (to earn a percentage of the $500,000 pool for the month of Dec 2011 — C. D. Reimer).

I personally chose not to enroll any of my eBooks in the program because I try not to support monopolistic tactics, though I understand many other authors/individuals may feel differently.

This post isn’t meant to bash Amazon — I’m thankful for the opportunity to sell my work on their website, and that Amazon’s Kindle was the device that sparked the eBook revolution.

This post just reflects my (polite, but firm) decision to not participate in Amazon KDP Select.

We are all in this together. Think about who really benefits from the exclusivity (see email below for more info), and why Amazon is appealing to individual self-interests instead of collective self-interest (“how much I could potentially make if I participated in KDP Select” versus “what’s really best for readers/customers/independent writers”).

It’s in all our interests to encourage a thriving, competitive market. We have to realize (now, before it’s “oops, too late”) that when Amazon’s the only game in town, they’ll start pulling more of these maneuvers on everyone that shops/sells there. This is the case with all big businesses that start becoming monopolistic (Amazon is in no way an exclusive case in point).

I’ve included an official reply from Amazon below, along with some links for more information on the matter.

AMAZON.COM REPLY (to an author re: KDP Select):

Hello xxx,

When you choose KDP Select for a book, you’re committing to make the digital format of that book available exclusively through KDP.

During the period of your book’s enrollment in KDP Select, you cannot distribute your book digitally anywhere else, including on your website, blogs, etc. However, you can continue to distribute your book in physical format, or in any format other than digital.

Similarly, you cannot offer a sample or teaser on any platforms. With this in mind, you may certainly link to your Amazon detail page from other websites; a sample of your book will be available there.

Be sure to take a look at the KDP Select Terms & Conditions here:

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=APILE934L348N#Select

If you have additional questions about KDP Select, check out our Help pages:

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=200798990

I hope this helps. Thanks for using Amazon KDP.

P.S. Thanks to Joel Kirkpatrick, Maria Savva, Keta Diablo, Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Stephen Goldin, James Sophi (apologies to anyone else I missed out) for the heads up re: KDP Select (members of BestsellerBound).

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* UPDATE (9 May 2012): Emailed KDP to clarify a couple of points.

AMAZON.COM REPLY (re: KDP Select exclusivity):

Hello Jess,

. . .Every term of KDP Select is 90 days long. Your digital content would have to be exclusively available on Amazon.com as long as the book is enrolled in KDP Select.

You may offer a sample, excerpt or teaser of your KDP Select-enrolled book on your website, as long as it doesn’t include a substantial portion of your book’s content. Up to about 10% of the book’s content is a reasonable amount.

Keep in mind that a sample of your book is also available on your Amazon.com detail page, and we recommend linking to your detail page from your other sites.

You may also put similar samples on other websites. We strongly recommend you clearly indicate in the title of your sample that it is a sample, so that there won’t be confusion regarding availability of your book on another sales channel.

I may try out a couple of promotional eBook items with KDP Select (to stay competitive), though I’ll keep my backlist on other retailers’ sites for now.

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More Links:

1. Amazon Aims to Empty Competitor Shelves of Indie Ebooks (Mark Coker @ Huffington Report)

2. Amazon Shows Predatory Spots with KDP Select (Mark Coker @ Smashwords Blog)

3. Avoid Getting Banned from Amazon as an Author! – Part 1

Elven Trilogy, Book02 (Draft01)

I’ll be expanding on my commercial/mainstream department over 2012. I think the main commercial elements are as follows:

accessibility; niche genre; output; plot-driven;
series/sense of familiarity

When I look at my catalogue of work critically/realistically, I can say with all certainty that I’m commercially (very) weak at the moment. However, I like to be adaptable/flexible (i.e. Virgo Sun + Pisces Moon), so it might be more or less balanced in the long run (the challenge of keeping to some artistic and/or technical standard with non-commercial work is good practice for the business of commercial writing).

I like to think of Roald Dahl and Shakespeare (amongst many other writers), who were both artistically and commercially successful. The substance is what lasts, which is separate from popularity that results from capitalizing on a cultural zeitgeist.

I am very careful to always focus on substance (i.e. some “meaning” to combat the proliferation of “fluff” out there). I do not mind if people enjoy fluff or mindless entertainment (something I myself enjoy, from time to time), but I do think the media has a tendency of over-glorifying fluff at the expense of something new/original/innovative (which is what I do mind).

I incorporate these sentiments straight into my work (embedded somewhere in the plot). I like to target my work to the YA crowd when possible also, because I think it’s dangerous when the proliferation of fluff is celebrated without a critical eye (so much so that shallowness has become the accepted norm and “way of life”).

I know shallowness has always been around, though I think it’s become more and more amplified over time (particularly after the music/publishing/etc industries became COMPLETELY 100%-commercial, and substance was generally tossed aside in the name of hype and $$$$$).

Regarding my ongoing Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy, I’ll probably get straight to the first draft of Book03 once the current draft for Book02 is done (since the “momentum” is in full swing at the moment — might as well make the most of it).

A non-cliched love triangle has been established in Book02. I’ll take extra care to keep it non-cliched, but still intense. I’ve also increased the cyberpunk focus/themes (with slightly more emphasis on “cybernetics“), though I’ll tidy everything up so that the details are intricate without being overwhelmingly complicated (I’ll do my best to follow that aspect of Book01).

I’ve updated the summary and synopsis for The Darker Side of Life (Book02) (on the about page here). Got to go continue Chapter 12 now. Completed first draft’s gonna be a real big mess to clean up (the first draft usually is, lol).

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P.S. Since the title’s The Darker Side of Life, I included the following phrase in one of the chapters (the title helps me keep to the theme):

“The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.”

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P.P.S. I’ve dreamt of Eminem several times in the past. I recently read a dream book which suggested dreaming of celebrities could signify the desire to emulate some of their traits.

I know many of Eminem’s lyrics by heart, and one I always fondly remember is:

I’m sick of you little girl and boy groups — all you do is annoy me
So I’ve been sent here to destroy you.
~ The Real Slim Shady

When anger/a destructive force is correctly channeled into something positive (i.e. creating something that matters), I think the result can be something really good/significant/memorable.

Steve Jobs’ Advice

[Young Steve Jobs | Zillionarts]

I recently came across a very nice post by Kelly at The Maximum Customer Experience blog.

The post was inspired by the following quote:

I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.
— Steve Jobs (BusinessWeek interview)

Here’s what Kelly learned from Mr. Jobs, the iconic leader-guru of Apple Computer:

How to be like Steve? Just Don’t Do It!

Don’t go for the easy short-term dollars over long-term loyalty.

Don’t compromise quality to follow fads.

Don’t complicate your message.

Don’t overthink.

Don’t overdesign.

Don’t underprice.

Don’t make decisions by committee.

Don’t walk forward while looking over your shoulder at the competition.

Don’t pay staff one penny less than your company’s growth is worth to you.

Don’t abandon a fresh idea when you know the customer is ready for it—find a better way to communicate it.

Don’t scream when speaking plainly will do.

Don’t pay for flounces.

Don’t give up.

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5 Oct 2011: RIP Steve Jobs | http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/10/jobs/ | “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Commercialism

AKA: My views on things that matter

I happened to be reading an article by Cliff J. Burns on “Setting the bar high,” where Cliff writes about being committed to producing quality work (as a writer, in his case).

While I don’t agree with all of Cliff’s views (not that they’re wrong perspectives — I just have different personal goals as a writer), it inspired me to “say something” about the dismal situation of 100%-commoditization by the mainstream mass media.

I’ve kept quiet about it for some time, but after reading his posts and some other websites (particularly a collection of essays on arts and culture, by Venice muralist R. Cronk), I finally realize how bad the situation is, and that artists/artistic types do have a certain amount of responsibility to do their best to combat the mind-numbing effects of consumer capitalism/commercialism/commoditization.

I’ve added two articles to jessINK, on the ill effects of 100%-commercialism, and why quality still matters (and how ‘elite’ is not the same as being ‘elitist’).

Some excerpts:

I now see how commodity production has completely replaced originality and innovation, with regards to mainstream creative work (books, movies, music, etc.). Everything is dictated and driven by the almighty dollar. Money is God, even as mass society continues to espouse values and virtues which its members have been told/encouraged to aspire to (that the ultimate goal in life = “financial success”), but not necessarily subscribe to (can all the money in the world really buy a meaningful existence?).
– Commoditization and The Death of Art

Art doesn’t have to be “high-brow” or “difficult to comprehend” in order for it to be considered art. Art contains a spiritual aspect, where it has the power to speak to a person on a deeper level, and is therefore remembered (as opposed to a commercial commodity, which many people try to emulate in the hopes of “making money”). Artistic quality and accessibility are part of the same equation. Elitism = snobbishness. Since when did being an artist mean to be “arrogant and annoying”?
– ‘Elite’ isn’t the same as ‘Elitist’

As a person/author/artist, quality matters to me, and I can no longer “sit back and keep quiet” and watch commoditization and commercialism continue to overtake mainstream society, at the expense of something meaningful that matters. I know that businesses are in business to make profits, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of exploiting mainstream society (see two paragraphs below).

Some people have told me that it’s not the fault of the mainstream mass media for “giving people what they want” (and that “a fool is born everyday…”). While I don’t disagree with that entirely, I DO think that the mass media has a tremendous amount of impact and influence in shaping the norms and values/goals of mainstream society, which is why my sentiments are mostly directed to the mass media, and not mass society.

What I’m most annoyed with is that the mass media, instead of having some sense of moral obligation to society due to its PERVASIVE MASS INFLUENCE on society, has absolutely zero moral conscience whatsoever, and is completely motivated by the post-modern religion of consumer capitalism.

Movies studios and major book publishers are all owned by parent companies (which means the power is held by an extremely small group of people). How is this not a form of mind control on the masses, when everything that the public can view/consume in the form of entertainment/infotainment is dictated controlled by the few key people that are right at the top of the economic food chain?

As a fellow writer/artist wrote to me via email:

“The independent artist might be the last bastion against the grand, hegemonizing mindset of corporate scum everywhere — one world, one people, one wallet. Screw them and their mercenary mentalities.”

Artists (and artistic/creative types) are the ones who can make a difference, because of the engaging/spiritual component of art (which directly combats the de-spiritualizing effects of consumer capitalism/commodization/commercialism).

I do what I can everyday (to contribute something worthwhile to society via the work I do, basically). My goal isn’t to be a billion-dollar author. My goal is to have enough money to live a simple life where I’m able to do meaningful work I enjoy.

As an author/artist, I’m happy to do what I can to counter the negative effects that commercialization has imposed (and continues to inflict) upon current generations.

It’s a duty I don’t (and will never) take lightly. I’ve always wanted to do something that matters. I understand it’s not an easy road to take. But if more and more artists and creative types refuse to be gulled by promises of fame and fortune, then maybe, just maybe, a true cultural revolution could occur, “[where] the creators of culture resist trends toward despiritualization and commercialization. . .[so that] a rejuvenation of humanitarian values could happen in a ground-up scenario.”

That is something I ultimately aspire and desire to be a part of. Also, because I understand that if artists stop fighting, that’ll really be the end, where Big Brother wins.

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I’m currently working on The Darker Side of Life (Book02 of my Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy).

Here’s a tentative try-out cover and a little bit of info about the book.

THE DARKER SIDE OF LIFE (Book #2) — forthcoming; early 2012

Book #2 in the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy.

LOGLINE / SUMMARY (tentative): A hybrid offspring combats a dark elf’s scheme to exploit and turn a virtual reality system into a weapon of mass destruction.

COVER ART: I wanted a central mainstream/edgy graphic (initial idea = black ink on yellow background, semi-mangaesque feel). Below = first version. I have an idea for the sketch/graphic for the last book too, but I’ll get to that next year.

I’m about 1.5 chapters into the first draft. I spent some time coming up with an outline, which I’ve been following quite closely so far.

One of the themes I’d like to explore in this book is the negative influence(s) of the mass media (I’ll do my best to “weave it into” the plot somehow). One thing I’d also like to see more of is a presentation of love/romance/sex that doesn’t follow the current fluffy, formulaic love triangle trend of the present commoditized variety. Gawd, it’s been done so many times I choke just thinking about it I like to create what I have trouble finding ;)…

P.S. I think one can tell a lot about a person, from their views on sex, money, and music (and maybe books/films/etc…but music, especially).

Completion of PS + Urban Fantasy Expansion

*** Note #1: Blog post is split into four parts. ***

*** Note #2: Beginning of this post was from a conversation with Vixen Phillips on Facebook :P ***

1. AMAZON STUFF + MY UPCOMING CONTEMPORARY FICTION (later 2012 and beyond)

Due to a few odd things happening here and there (at sporadic/random intervals), I possibly do have a few people “keeping an eye” on my Amazon account (whether they’re directly associated with Amazon or not). I recently got one short story re-instated (it was blocked/banned/removed for “offensive content”). I replied to Amazon’s Kindle titles department (to the email address that sent me the message) and politely asked them to show me where the offensive content was, because it was a revised edition.

Their polite reply: “We have investigated (etc etc)…and we apologize for any inconvenience this temporary suppression may have caused.”

Half the time I’ve no idea what’s happening (certain keywords flagged? People reporting something as having ‘offensive content’?), but I guess I’ll continue moving my work in the same direction (towards a “contemporary fiction” style that’s sexually-themed without being defined by “graphic scenes”). It’s harder to deem such types of work offensive ;) And I mean that in a general sense, not in an “against Amazon.com” sense. My non-erotic material (so far) has always been OK with all retailers, and I’m appreciative of that (though I will defend my “controversial” material when necessary…).

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2. PRIMAL SCREAM IS DONE (yippee!)

This was a big anthology to complete and I’m glad to get it out of the way ;)

You can check out the product page here, and the review request here.

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3. SVEN + UPCOMING PROJECT(S)

I’ll be cleaning up a little bit of SVEN (I’m tweaking anything crass/graphic — not too much to begin with, just a sparse few lines here and there — what I want to strengthen in this project is not raunchiness, but the “urban fantasy / paranormal” aspect), then expanding on that, and writing a third incubus/succubus-themed novella. I feel better starting out with novellas (in some cases, especially when the content is complex), because it kind of sets a (very) good foundation for the longer pieces later (I have a better idea of what I’m talking/thinking/writing about, in terms of themes + characters + setting).

Completing the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy is also something I want to do over the first half of 2012 (if possible), because I’d like to strengthen my (non-erotic) urban fantasy department (if only to confuse/surprise some people that an individual CAN be capable of producing work that is sexual-themed, and work that is not sexually-driven).

Maybe it’s the “fantasy” aspect/element that is the biggest (intellectual?) turn-on for me. I’m not sure and I don’t need to know ;)

Right now I think I’ll finish up the 3 urban fantasy projects I have left to do (so that the foundation for both alternative/erotic material, and more mainstreamy/urban fantasy material, is balanced)…then figure what to do next. I’ve owned www.dragonsinn.net for the past 12 years (and 2 months, and counting), so I am very serious with doing a decent job with any stories that have dragons in them.

I have another whole series to complete (young adult, and maybe an adult-alternative one in future), and some other things I’d like to do in a contemporary/mainstream type of new style (in comparison to my earlier really multiple-genre-bending work)…I guess it’s new material to add to my portfolio (so the brand will be strengthened based on diversity/quality/quantity of products — I’m always thinking on a long-term basis).

While a part of me enjoys being original, I CAN see “the way the system works,” and how it naturally favours commercial/mainstream work (that’s just how it is).

And while another part of me does enjoy the challenge of integrating my unconventionality with mainstream/accepted norms, I make it a point (in my daily/general life) to maintain a clear perspective (as best as I can) with both my personal and business goals. I need to work with a clean conscience because I treat writing as both a passion and purpose (as I’ll be saying in an upcoming interview with Morgen Bailey, who I recently interviewed here).

I have always, always, always chosen to be more spiritually than materially-driven (despite my occasional desire for the latter), and I would honestly like to always maintain this direction.

For two main reasons:

1) I like to sleep well at night.

2) If/when I do really make it big one day in future, I don’t want to “be changed” by the new amount of money/stuff that I have or could afford. Could I say that with all certainty at age 21? Nope. Could I say that with all certainty now (approaching age 25)? Not totally still (dammit! — but at least it’s an improvement from an earlier, slightly more impulsive age ^^…). I want to work towards financial security without sacrificing meaningful work (on the career side). If not, all the newly-gained financial “security” will be empty/meaningless, which would be even worse than the monetary zilch I started out with. Wealth is not all about money/material goodies, and I’m willing to wait until I REALLY understand that fully (even if I have to go righhhhhht up to the edge to take a long had look at something, before saying “no” and backtracking — in “other departments” in life too, lol), so that I can keep working towards it (strong/stable financial security), and gain it, without losing myself and/or my values in the process.

Patience is still something I have to cultivate (though it’s been improving “with age”). I think I’ll manage to get it right some day ^^…

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4. ELVEN TRILOGY

I’ll try to complete Naked Heat (the first incubus/succubus anthology) by Oct/Nov 2011. I’d like to tackle the elves one too, BUT since Naked Heat is shorter in length and almost 50% done, I thought I’d clear that first, then focus on the elven one once winter comes around over here (it’s a good project to focus on during wintry months, lol).

I would like to “up” the dark/cyberpunk aspects of Book02 in the elven trilogy. I’ll work with as much speed and efficiency as I can…but not at the expense of the themes I’d like to explore/develop.

For the astrologically-inclined, much of this post can be explained by my following placements:

1) Mars Cap tenth house
2) Aries Rising (which further emphasizes #1)
3) Virgo Sun
4) Pisces Moon  (Virgo/Pisces = opposites)
5) Venus Scorpio 8th house (HA.HA.HA.HA)

P.S. In ancient Greek times, people used to study a wide range of subjects (literature, art, mathematics, astrology, etc). That’s always nice to know.

P.P.S. I know this was/is a quite-lengthy post, but I usually prefer to post several things at one go (it’s that way most of the time in my head, which is something I’ve gotten quite used to!). I think I’ll schedule another art(ists) post some time in future :)

A Few Distractions…

* * * jessINK News * * *

1. I spent a few hours setting up a Facebook page — thanks to all who helped ‘like’ the page (so that I could get the shortened URL: http://facebook.com/jessINKbooks!).

2. I’ve set up a newsletter/email subscription (for announcements of new releases, discounts, etc.). You can check out the sign-up page on this blog or the sign-up page on jessINK (since I’ve both a blog and website at the moment).

* * * Other News * * *

3. I’ve one more story to complete, which will wrap up the Primal Scream anthology. Below is a snapshot of the “massive clean-up” needed for ‘Switch’.

4. Summertime = Kayak time :D:D

5. I’d push myself to finish ‘Switch’ quicker, but my face kind of exploded about a week ago with adult acne (sigh — my skin was pretty okay throughout teenage years, up to the end of 2009). I’ve since cut back on chocolates/cookies etc (and upped my intake of bland, raw vegetables OMG)…I also got Seppo Puusa’s eBook, Clear for Life. Coz I’ve tried my fair share of acne treatment products, which tend to not really work in the long run.

There are probably a few underlying chronic issues I have to work through (which trigger the acne “on the surface”)…so I’ve been journalling and trying to get my way around it. The acne has since gone down some — I think mine’s a case of diet + self-induced stress. I believe the bulk of it was to do with a long-standing directionless pseudo-relationship that recently expired (I’ve “purged” it out of my system for good, this time), and some personal “issues” I have with the (ever evolving) development of my own artistic nature/temperament. Both these things have sort of been ongoing (off and on) since I was sixteen (I’ll turn twenty-five in September), so yeah…journalling and trying to sort some stuff out.

I keep my target audience in mind though — I know I’ll only be sh*tting myself and customers if I put in “less effort” in order to “get ahead” quicker. I’m trying to accept my relatively slow and methodical ways (instead of griping about not having three clones of myself so that I could see to and complete separate projects faster), since that’s the way I work and fighting against it is only going to cause myself unnecessary stress/tension.

I’m slow because I want the foundation(s) and end result (products-wise) to be right. Also, perhaps because I instinctively (somewhere in me, despite my occasional impulsiveness + impatience…) know that slower/more difficult early on = steadier/easier later on [which is an option I'll select anytime ;)].

So I’ll end this post with a simple note to readers/customers: I’ll continue to stick to a vision that is primarily concerned with the story/characters, instead of a vision that’s heavily influenced by $$$$$. Thank you for keeping my perspectives/values/(artistic and general) integrity in check.