How to Say Thank You in Japanese by Using Arigatou

How to Say 'Thank You' in Japanese by Using 'Arigatou' If you are in Japan, you will probably hear the word arigatou (㠁‚り㠁Å'㠁 ¨Ã£ â€ ) used on a regular basis. It is an informal way of saying thank you. But it can also be used in conjunction with other words to say thank you in Japanese in more formal settings, such as an office or a shop or anywhere where manners matter. Common Ways of SayingThank You There are two common ways of saying thank you formally: arigatou gozaimasu and arigatou gozaimashita. You would use the first phrase in a setting like an office when addressing a social superior. For example, if your boss brings you a cup of coffee or offers praise for a presentation you gave, youd thank her by saying, arigatou  gozaimasu. Written out, it looks like this:  Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£ Å'㠁 ¨Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢. You can also use this phrase in less formal settings as a more general expression of thanks, either for something someone has done or will do for you.    The second phrase is used to thank someone for a service, transaction, or something that someone has done for you. For example, after a clerk has wrapped and bagged your purchase, you would thank him by saying arigatou  gozaimashita. Written out, it looks like this: 㠁‚り㠁Å'㠁 ¨Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿ. Grammatically, the difference between the two phrases is in the tense. In Japanese, the past tense is indicated by adding mashita to the end of a verb. For example, ikimasu (è ¡Å'㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢ ) is the present tense of the verb to go, while ikimashita (è ¡Å'㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿ) is the past tense.

Standard Lesson Plan Format for ESL Teachers

Standard Lesson Plan Format for ESL Teachers Teaching English, like teaching any subject, requires lesson plans. Many books and curricula provide advice on teaching English learning materials. However, most ESL teachers like to mix up their classes by providing their own  lesson plans and activities. Sometimes, teachers are required to create their own lesson plans when teaching ESL or EFL at international institutions that are scattered throughout the world. Develop your own lesson plans and activities by using a basic template. Standard Lesson Plan Format Generally speaking, a lesson plan has four specific parts. These can be repeated throughout the lesson, but its important to follow the outline: Warm-upPresentFocus on specificsUsage in a wider context Warm-Up   Use a warm-up to get the brain thinking in the right direction. The warm-up should include the target grammar/function for the lesson. Here are a few ideas: Ask small talk questions about the weekend for a lesson on the simple past.Discuss a hypothetical situation for a lesson focusing on conditionals.Challenge students to describe others in class when working towards building descriptive vocabulary.   Presentation The presentation focus on  the learning objectives of the lesson. This is the teacher-guided section of the lesson. You might: Explain grammar at the whiteboard.Show a short video to introduce a topic of discussion.Present new vocabulary, making sure to provide lots of  contexts.Present written work for a class discussion of structure. Controlled Practice Controlled practice allows for close observation to gauge whether the learning objectives are understood. Controlled practice activities include:​ Gap-fill exercises on tense conjugation.Complete-the-sentence exercises to encourage specifically-written formulas.Reading and listening comprehension activities.Language function practice on specific activities such as apologizing, negotiating, and thanking. Free Practice Free practice allows students to take control of their own language learning. These activities should encourage students to explore language with activities such as: Class debatesCreating role-plays and acting them out for othersGames focusing on communication skillsEssay writing During the free practice section, take note of common mistakes. Use feedback to help everyone, rather than focus on individual students.   This lesson plan format is popular for many reasons, including: Students have a number of chances to learn a concept through various means.Students have plenty of time to practice.Teachers can give detailed instruction, or students can deduce structures and learning points through practice.The standard lesson plan format provides structure.The lesson provides for variation over the course of 60 to 90 minutes.This lesson plan format moves from teacher-centered to student-centered learning. Variations on the Lesson Plan Format Theme In order to keep this standard lesson plan format from becoming boring, it is important to remember that there are a number of variations that can be applied to the various segments of the lesson plan format. Warm-up:  Students might arrive late, tired, stressed or otherwise distracted to class. In order to get their attention, its best to open with a warm-up activity. The warm-up can be as simple as telling a short story or asking students questions. The warm-up can also be a more thought-out activity, such as playing a song in the background or drawing an elaborate picture on the board. While its fine to start a lesson with a simple How are you, its much better to tie your warm-up into the theme of the lesson. Presentation: The presentation can take a variety of forms. Your presentation should be clear and straightforward to help students understand new grammar and forms. Here are a few suggestions on how to present new materials to the class: Reading selectionSoliciting students knowledge about a specific pointTeacher-centered explanationListening selectionShort videoStudent presentation The presentation should include the main meat of the lesson. For example, If you are working on phrasal verbs, make the presentation by reading something thats peppered with phrasal verbs. Controlled practice: This  section of the lesson provides students with direct feedback on their comprehension of the task at hand. Generally, a controlled practice involves some type of exercise.  Ã‚  Controlled practice should help the student focus on the main task and provide them with feedback - either from the teacher or the other students. Free practice: This integrates the focus structure, vocabulary, and functional words and phrases into students overall language use. Free practice exercises often encourage students to use the target language structures in: Small group discussionsWritten work (paragraphs and essays)Listening comprehension practiceGames The most important aspect of free practice is that students should be encouraged to integrate language learned into larger structures. This requires more of a stand-off approach to teaching. Its often useful to circulate around the room and take notes. Students should be allowed to make more mistakes during this part of the lesson. Utilizing Feedback Feedback allows students to check their understanding of the lessons topic and can be done quickly at the end of the class by asking students questions about the target structures. Another approach is to have students discuss the target structures in small groups, once again giving students the chance to improve understanding on their own. In general, it is important to use this lesson plan format to facilitate students English learning. The more opportunities for student-centered learning, the more students acquire language skills for themselves.

International Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Financial Management - Assignment Example Hedging is one feature of the forward market. MNC’s. Hedging the amount that they are supposed to receive or pay in foreign currency will make the spot rate unimportant for them till their future payment. There is very little difference between the forward and future market. But the differences are very important. Unlike the forward market, which is characterized by personalized contracts with no initial payment necessary, future market have standardized contracts with at least marginal payment paid initially. This implies that the amount that is being transacted can be of any value. Future contracts specify the volume of a particular currency to be used for transaction at the specified date. Secondly, for forward contracts there is no organized exchange present in the future contracts as the contracting parties directly do the transactions. Thirdly, the contract size depends on the contracting parties in case of the forward contracts. But, for the future contracts, contract s ize is standardized. Fourthly, future contracts are government- regulated and bears low risk while forward contracts are unregulated and are high-risk bearing as there are chances of default. (Madura 2009, pp. 108-110)   Speculators purchase currency futures to capitalize their expectation about the ups and downs associated with respect to currency movement. Suppose a speculator expects appreciation of a particular currency in the future. They can then buy future contracts and hence lock the price of that currency for a specific settlement date. On this date they can buy their currency at a rate specified in the futures contract and sell it at the spot rate, which is less than the rate specified in the futures contract. If  the spot rate has appreciated, then they extract profit. Different expectations of the speculators guide their decisions to sell and purchase future contracts. Corporations use currency futures to hedge and thus reduce their

Role of the Individual in Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, Essay

Role of the Individual in Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, and Thomas Paine's Common Sense - Essay Example A free society is hard to achieve because of the competing demands of the individual and that of the state, where individual rights and collective rights often come into conflict. This paper tries to explore two views on the role of the individual in both society and politics. Discussion Man is by nature a social animal and therefore it is but inevitable that some forms of organization exist in any society, even in primitive society. No man can live alone by himself, and when this happens, some compromise has to be found between an individual's rights and that of the society to which he belongs. The usual cause of friction or conflicts in such kind of arrangement is determining the limits of the rights of an individual and that of society. This is an implicit agreement between individuals and society, the very essence of the social contract. This is a philosophical construct wherein free individuals agree to give up their natural rights in favor of being governed by a social or polit ical system for their own common protection or overall welfare, to live harmoniously with others and pursue their goals in life in peace. Along this line, the essay by Thomas Paine entitled â€Å"Common Sense† makes a lot of sense in terms of imposing order because Man finds it easier to live together than be apart but as the population increases and society grows larger and larger, the people find it necessary to craft some regulations to govern themselves and later on pass new laws to be enforced. This is the point where a formal government structure becomes a necessity and also the point where it becomes a dangerous instrument when the powers of government fall into the wrong hands. In retrospect, all present societies have this rather curious mix of government and society but in some instances, there is a disconnect between the goals and aims between these two. Taking into account the period of history when â€Å"Common Sense† was written, it is a seminal piece of political thought because it argued forcefully for independence from Great Britain at the time when the English government was viewed as extremely oppressive by the American colonies. There were many who were yet undecided on the proper course of action to take, and some thought fighting for independence was a bit extreme to redress matters. The political essay by Thomas Paine convinced those who doubted to change their minds about it, and go for broke by severing ties with the mother country. The colonial government run by the British in America no longer served its original purpose but became instead an instrument for oppression and exploitation, a government run by men and not by laws. It was not in a true sense a representative government but rather one run by a monarchy and aristocracy. The way things were before the American Revolution was a political situation where the social contract had been a failure, either by design or by default. The people clamor for the right to be h eard and represented in government. They gave up their natural rights expecting something in return from their government but got shortchanged instead. This contradicts the theory of natural rights to life, liberty and property by philosopher John Locke (Parry 12). Thomas Paine influenced public opinion that the people should re-assert their rights, and the best course of

MCDonalds Essay Example for Free

MCDonalds Essay Strategy and Repositioning the Brand McDonald’s in India Sameer, Sharanbir Kaur Abstract- Despite global slowdown, Indian economy is resurgent and offers fresh opportunities as well as challenges to global players. McDonald‘s still treats the Indian market as one of their young markets although what they have achieved in 15 years here, it would usually take them 25 to 30 years in another market. McDonald‘s philosophy of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSCV) is the guiding force behind its stellar service to the customers. However there is still a huge potential in the Indian food market that remains untapped in terms of family restaurants, quick service restaurants and breakfast eateries. Coming in the wake of these, their rebranding effort requires much more than a mere change of the logo or signage. There is a need to critically evaluate the right marketing mix. The article is focused upon assessing the marketing efforts in India in terms of positioning of McDonald‘s. Index Terms- Rebranding, Repositioning, Demography, Marketing Mix I. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN INDIA T he Indian fast food industry has evolved over time and always has been in line with the needs of people of all ages and segments. There are enterprises which scale from one room outlet to a chain having hundreds of outlets like McDonalds in India. As per new research report ? Indian Fast Food Market Analysis? , India is blessed with one of the fastest growing fast food markets in the world. The Indian fast food market is growing at an annual growth rate of 30-35%. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them posting an appreciable growth. Although the market has witnessed robust growth in the past couple of years, it remains largely under penetrated and concentrated in the metropolitan cities. However, there is large room for growth in tier-II cities, tier-III cities which are mostly untapped. Therefore, the future of Indian fast food industry lies in masses that live in tier-II and tier-III cities. In 2013, the global fast food market is forecasted to have a value of $200 billion, an increase of 29. 3% and a volume of 94. 7 billion transactions, an increase of 10. 4% since 2008. The consumer spending on processed food has increased at an average rate of 7. 6 per cent annually from 2008 to 2010 and this is expected to rise at an average of around 8. 6 per cent until 2012, according to a report by Assocham. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them are posting appreciable growth. It is estimated through the Euromonitor International and Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Survey, that the average Indian spends just $ 11 as compared to his Chinese counterpart who would ideally spend $ 20 on fast food. Yet , if we see the Indian spending on food in totality , they spend 23 % of their earnings on the same while the Chinese spending is 20 %. So, the inference that can be drawn is that owing to the eating pattern of Indians they prefer to eat at home and would spend on cooking ingredients over fast food. However, this does not spell good news for the industry. It is set to witness the entry of new fast food players that plan to hit the Indian market with a vengeance with international giants like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks being amongst them. II. THE COMPETITION People prefer fast food because its cheap, easy to prepare, and heavily promoted. India is a developing country with 2 percent of organized and 98 percent of unorganized sector. So most of the fast foods that came into Indian market as India has a high growth in every sector. Major players in fast food in India are: McDonald’s KFC Pizza Hut Dominos Cafe Coffee Day Barista More than 75% of McDonalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent locals. McDonald‘s product line in India is almost similar to other burger chains with a dominant Indian flavour. Perhaps, it would be correct to say that their only similarity with their foreign outlets is that they have French Fries and still use buns. Examining the immense Indianzation they have attempted in their menu here it wouldn‘t be surprising to see Indian Chapatis in place of buns. Their current offerings reflect the same. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 2 Table I : Present Menu for McDonald’s India Menu Ranges Burgers and other Bites Spicy Delights McSpicyPaneer ExtraValue Meals Chicken McNuggets Meal McAloo Tikki Happy Price Menu Breakfast Menu Favourites Sausage McMuffin with egg French Fries McAloo Tikki Happy Meal Meals Source: McDonaldsIndia. com Desserts Big Spicy Paneer Wrap Filet O Fish Meal Maharaja Mac Meal McVeggie /McChicken Meal Chicken McGrill Beverages McSwirl Iced tea/ Cold Coffee Minute Maid Pulpy Orange/ Cappucino/ Tea Soft Serve (Strawberry /Chocolate) Veg Supreme Veg Pizza McPuff Veg McMuffin Sausage McMuffin Pancakes Filet O Fish Chicken Maharaja Mac Chicken McGrill Meal McChicken/ McVeggie McVeggie Meal McFlurry McChicken meal III. BUSINESS MODEL The Business Model of McDonald‘s is a franchise-based model coupled with strong corporate branding. The focus is on the branding of McDonald‘s as a globally accepted service provider with strong customer perception about: www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 3 Happy Employees means Happy Customers McDonald’s Efforts of repositioning its Brand-Recently, McDonalds management has decided to change itsstrategies. They now want to provide not only a place to sit and eat but also an experience that can be enjoyed by their customers. Figure 1: The Service Marketing Triangle Zeithaml and Bitner (1996 ) McDonald‘s realized very early in their business that in order to achieve happiness amongst customers;the possible route is through happy, motivated and committed employees. In accordance with this they played on the customer first strategy. Even in India, their efforts clearly indicated that they were keen to understand the Indian consumer. Hence they adapted themselves to tickle the taste buds of their Indian customers to become a brand that enjoys a very high brandrecall. Therefore they focused on internal as well as external marketing. The level of importance has changed to be in the following order (the most important people arenow at the top). Corporate Branding The marketers are shifting the branding efforts from their product brands to a more holistic corporate branding . The reason for the shift can be traced to the belief that, it is the corporate image that carries a great impact on the buyers who are more aware and more exposed to media coverage on various issues be it environmental responsibility, being corporate social responsibility or be it responsibility towards health of future generation. McDonald‘s describe a corporate branding framework that is based on three elements: Figure 2: McDonald’s Service Pyramid Figure 3: Corporate Branding Source: Hatch and Schultz (2003)), â€Å"Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding†, European Journal of Marketing, The recent McDonald‘s rebranding strategy is a part of this thought and vision. McDonald‘s road to success has not always been rosy. They have been at the receiving end of the media‘s onslaught. There was a huge uproar in US after media exposure against McDonald‘s unhealthy menu that was affecting the nation and leading it to a generation suffering from obesity and heart diseases among many more ailments. There were employment issues internally which showed that they did not treat their workers well. Hence they assessed their strategies again and came up with new objectives that strengthened their previous aims and gave a new direction to them as well. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 4 McDonald’s Marketing Efforts Over the Years – Proactive Rebranding – A Proactive strategy includes a new line of business or market that does not conform to the existing brand identity. When McDonald‘s once referred to itself as Mickey D‘s to target kids in a commercial, it had just coined a new way of catering to an audience separate from its traditional family audience. Objectives of McDonalds Repositioning StrategyMcDonalds, the promise of American fast food anywhere in the world, has had to rethink and reposition its brand offerings in different countries. While some basic elements like Ronald were left in place the menu underwent an overhaul. For example, in India, the menu has no beef dishes since it is not considered religiously correct to eat cow‘s meat: there is the very popular McAlooTikki, a potato-based patty in burger buns; the Big Mac is replaced by the Maharaja Mac, the Big Mac in chicken; there is also the paneer (cottage cheese) McVeggie burger. The Italian McDonalds has a special coffee spot. To celebrate its 20th anniversary in China, McDonalds rebranded under the Make Room for Happiness campaign. They had all you want coffee refills; Wi-Fi and a more modern restaurant design were unveiled. This was done exclusively for China, where McDonalds positioned itself as a place to relax away from the high demands of the average Chinese‘s life. Its Im Lovin It slogan made way for Make Room for Happiness, and McDonalds became the place where the stressed young Chinese can spend quality time rejuvenating after working for long hours. The result was an 18% increase in sales, and an increasing legion of fans that is fueling McDonalds growth in China. McDonald’s Changing Markets Changing Strategies Decades after its launch, the Big Mac is changing colours, literally. The worlds largest fast-food chain is letting go of its familiar red-and-yellow colours for more muted tones as it goes for its biggest and costliest revamp in the country, in line with its global strategy of attracting more adults. For the next generation of consumers McDonald‘s plans to cultivate a very different image from its existing one. After revamping 280 stores in various markets last year, McDonalds is now opting for the Tampa model and will spread that design to upwards of 800 locations this year — roughly triple what it did last year. The company is donning a new look when India is on its way of becoming a global hotspot for food retailers, with chains like Starbucks, Burger King planning to enter the country. Some McRemodel highlights include : †¢Redoing roofs The bright red roofs that have topped McDonalds for several decades are getting the heave, replaced with flatter, more conventional roofs. †¢Muting paint The neon yellows and reds common to the interiors and exteriors are becoming history, replaced with much more subtle oranges, reds, yellows and even greens. †¢Updating chairs Those industrial steel chairs are giving way to wooden chairs, colorful stools and, in some cases, vinylcovered chairs that resemble leather. Some stores will have larger lounge chairs similar to the kind you might expect to find in a coffee shop. †¢Doubling drive-through To ease lines inside and outside stores, many locations are adding second drive-through windows to speed up service. †¢Splashing colour McDonalds hasnt junked its familiar red and yellow colors altogether, but it is making them far less obvious. Instead of filling the restaurants with them, its splashing bright yellow and red here and there for effect. †¢Dividing dining areas The sea of tables and chairs is history in the remodelled stores. The new dining rooms are divided into separate eating zones for larger groups, eat-and-run customers and folks who want to stay and lounge. †¢Adding flat-screens TVs Large, flat-screen TVs — some playing contemporary music — are showing up in many locations, though fewer than half of the remodelled stores will display them. The new design makes the customer feel more comfortable and at leisure to enjoy their surroundings. This offers to McDonald‘s two key opportunities- firstly, to shift to another www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 customer base with high spending power and then to broaden their menu with offerings at a higher price point. Risks Involved When a global organization like McDonalds is going in for rebranding, a lot of financing is involved and the global impact is huge. Though the step taken by the managers of McDonalds is well calculated but speculations are on till the time it doesn‘t fair well in the market and most importantly to the customers. This kind of rebranding in the Indian Food Industry can help change the image of McDonald‘s completely like in the case of Pizza Hut, which has become a part of fine dining segment, which it was not earlier. The Indian consumer is considered to be loyal but still the risks involved are high. 1. A trade-off between what is expected from a company and what a company has to gain from the consumers One can see that one facet raises the scale while the other weighs it down making it a tough task. In order to sustain the balance, it requires big investments which will surely add to the costs incurred in the rebranding. If the rebranding falls flat, it will result in a major profit decline. 2. Store positioning McDonald‘s needs to have the most current information to determine if present outlets are cannibalizing each other‘s business. To achieve this McDonald‘s team willneed comprehensive, demographic data of India along with both theirs and competitors‘ outlets. IV. CONCLUSION The task is mammoth as McDonald‘s tries to keep up in the race for a piece of the great Indian pie . As per Forbes , McDonald‘s India operations contribute 30 % to their sales which is a considerable share. It might become imperative to create a Point of Difference to fight it out in the Indian market as all fast food brands have modelled themselves on local flavours now , the latest being KFC with its ? Streetwise‘ menu. While McDonald‘s does have the edge with its excellent supply chain and distribution network the customer ultimately does become the king with low brand loyalty in this category being the generalisation . The rebranding effort on their part seeks to bring 5 in a new flavour to their brand offering but what remains to be seen is whether they are still able to strike a chord with the customer. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people who assisted us in this endeavour of ours. First and foremost , we would like to thank Mr. Praveen Gupta, HOD , Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management for his valuable time and support. Also, a special mention to the staff of McDonald‘s Jor Bagh, Delhi who was very patient and helpful during our visits to the outlet for the study. REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Lovelock,Wirtz and Chatterjee ,? Services Marketing ? , in Plastics ,Sixth Edition ,India , Pearson , 2010 , pp. 66-98 , pp. 340-372 Aaker, D. A. (2004b), ? Leveraging the Corporate Brand? , California Management Review, 46 (3), pp. 6-18 Bijoor, H. , ? A Time to Rebuild? , Business India, February 20,2011 pp. 48. Hatch, M. J. and Schultz, ? Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding ? , European Journal of Marketing, 2003, 37 (7/8), pp. 1041-1064. Jacquelline, B. and Kline,S ,? From McLibel to McLettuce: Childhood, Spin and Re-branding? ,2007 , Society and Business Review, 2(1)

Cult Brands :: Business Marketing

Cult Brands Maslow's postulated that we humans have an ascending order of needs and used a hierarchal pyramid to prioritize them. At the bottom levels of the pyramid are our physiological needs, which include basic things like food, shelter, and clothing that we all need to survive. At progressively higher levels in Maslow's Hierarchy are the needs for safety and security, social interaction, and self-esteem. At the very top is self-actualization, a term Maslow coined to describe the ultimate human need to learn, grow, and reach one's full potential as a person. We all desire on some level to self-actualize, both to be at peace with ourselves and to try to be the best we can be. As humans, we are drawn to people, places, groups, causes, companies, and, ultimately, brands that we believe can help us towards our ultimate goal of self-actualization and total fulfillment. Higher level needs influence future human behavior much greater than lower level needs. It is the brands that can fulfill human needs on the higher levels of the hierarchy that become irreplaceable in the mind of the consumer. Brands sometimes like to think of themselves as religions. These are called cult brands (Holt) and organize their community of clients as a congregation, with a holy land or place, churches, rituals, etc. It has to be said that few of these brands actually evoke religious fervor in their subscribers. That's what customer loyalty is really all about. Being irreplaceable. True customer loyalty is not only about getting a customer to consistently choose your brand over another. It's for that same customer to always believe (and then go tell the world) that your company's brand has no equal! This is when the customers form a cult. You need not look much farther than a Harley-Davidson rally, a Star Trek convention, or a Jimmy Buffett concert to see the cult branding phenomenon at work: thousands of passionate, faithful fans spreading the good word and spending lots of money. Not all brands have the dash of edginess, the devoted fan base, or the niche positioning to be cult brands. But those that do tend to share similar characteristics that make them successful. Douglas Atkins' definition of "cult brand": "A brand for which a group of customers exhibit a great devotion or dedication. Its ideology is distinctive and it has a well-defined and committed community. It enjoys exclusive devotion (that is, not shared with another brand in the same category) and its members often become voluntary advocates. Cult Brands :: Business Marketing Cult Brands Maslow's postulated that we humans have an ascending order of needs and used a hierarchal pyramid to prioritize them. At the bottom levels of the pyramid are our physiological needs, which include basic things like food, shelter, and clothing that we all need to survive. At progressively higher levels in Maslow's Hierarchy are the needs for safety and security, social interaction, and self-esteem. At the very top is self-actualization, a term Maslow coined to describe the ultimate human need to learn, grow, and reach one's full potential as a person. We all desire on some level to self-actualize, both to be at peace with ourselves and to try to be the best we can be. As humans, we are drawn to people, places, groups, causes, companies, and, ultimately, brands that we believe can help us towards our ultimate goal of self-actualization and total fulfillment. Higher level needs influence future human behavior much greater than lower level needs. It is the brands that can fulfill human needs on the higher levels of the hierarchy that become irreplaceable in the mind of the consumer. Brands sometimes like to think of themselves as religions. These are called cult brands (Holt) and organize their community of clients as a congregation, with a holy land or place, churches, rituals, etc. It has to be said that few of these brands actually evoke religious fervor in their subscribers. That's what customer loyalty is really all about. Being irreplaceable. True customer loyalty is not only about getting a customer to consistently choose your brand over another. It's for that same customer to always believe (and then go tell the world) that your company's brand has no equal! This is when the customers form a cult. You need not look much farther than a Harley-Davidson rally, a Star Trek convention, or a Jimmy Buffett concert to see the cult branding phenomenon at work: thousands of passionate, faithful fans spreading the good word and spending lots of money. Not all brands have the dash of edginess, the devoted fan base, or the niche positioning to be cult brands. But those that do tend to share similar characteristics that make them successful. Douglas Atkins' definition of "cult brand": "A brand for which a group of customers exhibit a great devotion or dedication. Its ideology is distinctive and it has a well-defined and committed community. It enjoys exclusive devotion (that is, not shared with another brand in the same category) and its members often become voluntary advocates.

Marketing Analysis of Vinegar in Hengshun Company

The No. 3 of Arts building Zhejiang University City College 51 Huzhou Road 1 December 2011 Professor Min He Teacher of Consumer Behavior 51 Huzhou Road Dear Professor He Attached is the report you requested on 1 December analyzing the marketing situation of XIANGFEI vinegar in HENGSHUN Company. The report mainly includes market analysis, market strategy, SWOT analysis and recommendations of XIANGFEI Vinegar in HENGSHUN Company. Recommendations are made that, if implemented as soon as possible, should make it better. Preparing the report has been challenging and most worthwhile.I will be available if you have any queries or wish to discuss any part of the report in more detail. Yours sincerely Student in CB Class A REPORT OF THE MARKETING ANALYSIS OF VINEGAR IN HENGSHUN COMPANY AS AT DECEMBER 2011 Prepared for: Professor Min He Teacher of CB Zhejiang University City College Prepared by: Student in CB Class Date of submission: 12 December 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Item Summary iv 1. INTRO DUCTION 1. 1 Authorization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 1. 2 Aim of Report†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 1. Scope†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 2. 0 BACKGROUND 2. 1 Company Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 2. 2 Consumer Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 2. 3 Competitor Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 2. 4 Condition Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 3. 0 ANALYSIS 3. 1 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 3. 2 4Ps Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 4. 0 PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4. 1 Marketing Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 4. Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 5. 0 CONCLUSIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 List of References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Summary This report was commissioned by Professor Min He to analyze the marketing situation of XIANGFEI vinegar in HENGSHUN Company. The report focuses on these aspects: market analysis, market strategy, SWOT analysis. By analyzing these, a market plan should be made. As financial crisis is going on, the companies in all aspects suffered a decrease in their busin ess. After analyzing the background of HENGSHUN, it is clearly to know the conditions of company.HENGSHUN Company registered capital is 127. 15 million Yuan. Stock price is $7. 1 per share. New total share capital is 127. 15 million shares. Annual sales are more than 1. 1 billion. By August 2011, the company's total assets are 3. 28 billion. What’s more, HENGSHUN become the first listed company in 2001, and this company developed much faster than before. From the selected information, its product sales grew over 20% between July and August in 2011, and the estimated growth rate of this year will more than 25%. In 2009, the operating income of HENGSHUN Company is 1. 74 billion Yuan, and the growth is over 68. 09%; the company earned 40,440,000 in the same period, and doubled compared to prior to listing performance. The company is committed to extending modern new spices and vinegar products research. At the same time, relying on the century brand, the company has implemented Trans – regional development at Chongqing, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and other places, where established the condiment production base. At present, HENGSHUN Vinegar has been developed from a traditional sauce vinegar manufacturer into the largest and most modern vinegar production enterprises.The company mainly produces vinegar, soy sauce, pickles, rice wine and other traditional and modern brewing condiment, deferred compound condiments, vinegar manufacture and sale of health products . And the company's new product development in line is based on the dominant market, orienting to consumer demand and the purpose is to improve the level of consumer health. The company also did the market segmentation and established development direction . It adheres to the † customer first â€Å"and implementing tracking services to speed up the popularization and application.What’s more, by the use of 4Ps analysis, it is easy to explain the present circumstance of HENGSHUN Compan y. So did the SWOT analysis. Then, making an advertisement video is for the aim to propagate the brand awareness of HENGSHUN Company. Recommendations have been made that, if implemented, should give HENGSHUN Company a better market plan and strategies. These include: build its own famous brand with the authority of government; using the statues of stars and experts, ask them to endorse the products of HENGSHUN Company; setting a goal as green brand. . 0 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Authorisation Professor Min He, teacher of class CB, requested this report on 1 December 2011 1. 2 Aim of Report The purpose of this report is to provide an report of the marketing analysis of XIANGFEI Vinegar in HENGSHUN Company. It aims to suggest recommendations to promote the XIANGFEI Vinegar in a better way. 1. 3 Scope The report will introduce the background of HENGSHUN Company and the XIANGFEI Vinegar. And the next is analyzing the competitors to HENGSHUN Company, such as DONGHU vinegar Company and SHUITA Com pany.Also the following is to describe the market segment. Next, the positioning strategy and promotional mix and how they will be applied in the marketing will be mentioned. Finally, the advertisement plan and some recommendations for this vinegar will be demonstrated. 2. 0 BACKGROUND 2. 1 Company Background First comes the financial condition:The registered capital of HENGSHUN Company is 127. 15 million Yuan. Its stock price is $7. 1 per share. Annual sales are more than 1. 1 billion. By August 2011, the company's total assets are 3. 28 billion.Then following are the general managerial skills. The company is committed to extending modern new spices and vinegar products research. At the same time, relying on the century brand, the company has implemented Trans – regional development at Chongqing, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and other places, where established the condiment production base. Based on the inheritance of ancient brewing techniques, the company boldly introduced moder n high- tech and advanced management experience and invested in the new city of Dantu in â€Å"HENGSHUN industrial park â€Å".Following is the production capabilities. At present, HENGSHUN Vinegar has been developed from a traditional sauce vinegar manufacturer into the largest and most modern vinegar production enterprises. The company mainly product vinegar, soy sauce, pickles, rice wine and other traditional and modern brewing condiment ,deferred compound condiments, vinegar manufacture and sale of health products . Its investment involves biological health, real estate, packaging industry and commerce retail. At last follows something about its reputation.Jiangsu HENGSHUN Vinegar Industry Company was founded in 1840, the DAOGUANG of the Qing Dynasty as â€Å"old China† business. HENGSHUN product has won international gold medal for 5 times, also 3 times for national quality award, the national geographical indication products and the brand – name product in Chin a. 2. 2 Consumer Background According to our investigation, its current consumer is mainly housewives, and the potential consumers maybe are the husbands and the aged. As a condiment, housewives are the main consumers who usually do the cooking in the family.Since it is a kind of fruit vinegar, it has a lot of functions to prevent diseases and keep healthy. It can restrain and reduce the formation of the aging oxide in human body, so as to achieve anti-aging and make skin smooth. Another function: Promote the body's metabolism, remove fatigue, relieving alcoholism, lose weight clear bowel. Another function: Softening vessels, reducing blood fat and cholesterol. This is suitable for the aged. A specific questionnaire has been designed to understand the needs of the customers. Then depending on the research, it is lear to decide marketing contents. 2. 3 Competitor Background According to lan Gordon (2002): ‘a company should look two ways—at the individual customers it has chosen and the specific competitors it intends to beat. As to HENGSHUN, Vinegar business in Shanxi province is the biggest competitor. The old vinegar in Shanxi already has a more than 1000 years history. And among the four famous vinegar companies, it still is in the top. As the news reported, Shanxi old vinegar has occupied 10% of the marketing. DONGHU Vinegar Company is a major sale company of the Shanxi old vinegar group co. td. Because of the high brand awareness, DONGHU has become the main and strong competitor of HENGSHUN. But also because of being as the place of origin, DONGHU was treated as a going-down company, so it give more chances for HENGSHUN to reaching its goal. According to the news on the economics of Shanxi Daily, due to the depressiveness in the vinegar marketing, the shares of sale will not increase rapidly, but with the promotion of consumption, HENGSHUN has a high possibility to raise their sale occupation relying on its high brand awareness. (Shanxi vinega r: fighting for honor. http://www. aynews. com. cn/sxjjrb/122745. html) 4. Condition Background Firstly, the economic condition will be analyzed. In recent years, Chinese economic strength becomes stronger and people's living level improves, so people began to pursue the high-quality life. Of course, the average price of HENGSHUN’s vinegar is higher than competitors’, but the taste and quality is better than others. Because Chinese persons’ financial burden released, people prefer to use better vinegar which is more health and tasty. HENGSHUN became the first listed company in 2001, and this company developed very fast.Product sales grew over 20% between July and August in 2011, and the estimated growth rate of this year will more than 25%. HENGSHUN Company invested in real estate development, which brought their profit and challenge. Then is the political condition Zhenjiang HENGSHUN’s vinegar brewing techniques has been protected and appreciated by Chin ese government. According to China’s State Council announced in 2006, Zhenjiang HENGSHUN’s vinegar brewing techniques has been included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage, which s the food industry in Jiangsu Province, and it is also the only selected traditional craftsmanship. As for the culture condition, HENGSHUN’s vinegar is a famous and outstanding brand of Zhenjiang vinegar. HENGSHUN Company carries forward Chinese traditional food culture and revives national industry. In the same time, HENGSHUN absorbs the advanced science and technology to promote industrial updating. 3. 0 ANALYSIS 3. 1 SWOT Analysis ‘SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or in business venture.In involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. ‘ ( Xing 2009,p. 50) 1. Strength: HENGSHUN Company is a listed company. It has a higher awareness of its brand, and because of its stocks, more and more people will pay attention to its trend of development. 2. Weakness: Because of its creation date, it is much later than the vinegar business in Shanxi Province. So many the aged prefer the long-history brand, such as DONGHU Company, SHUITA Company.And the price is higher than others, so some working class people would not choose this kind of vinegar. 3. Opportunity: As the development of IT and media, HENGSHUN will be known by more and more people. And, due to its use of high-technology, high and new quality of vinegar will be produced, like fruit vinegar, seafood vinegar. As Roininen, K (2001) points out, attitude scale that purely concentrate on its taste, and health in the food choices, 4. Threats: DONGHU Company has reproduced a new kind of vinegar.And lots of new vinegar company has founded recently. HENG SHUN will face more powerful company in the near future. And also because the instability of the stock markets, HENGSHUN’ stocks are in a embarrassed circumstance. 3. 2 4Ps Analysis As Kotler, P (2009, p. 48) points out, the marketing mix consists of everything the firms can do to influence the demand for its product. The many possibilities can be collected into four groups of variable known as the ‘ 4 Ps': product, price, place and promotion. And the 4Ps analysis is often used in the firm promotion period.As Glowa, T (2001) points out, understanding how consumers make complex choices is a critical component of market strategy. 1. Product: XIANGFEI vinegar is something like apple vinegar. Both of them are all used for the health or beauty reasons. As Garber, L & Starr, RG (2003, pp3-15) points out, the most important apple vinegar attributes for consumers are its taste and odour. So XIANGFEI vinegar in HENGSHUN Company just focuses on these two aspects. HENGSHUN Company is committed to extending modern new spices and vinegar products research.Based on the inheritance of ancient brewing techniques, the company boldly introduced modern high – tech and advanced management experience. The company mainly product vinegar, soy sauce, pickles, rice wine and other traditional and modern brewing condiment ,deferred compound condiments, vinegar manufacture and sale of health products. Its investment involves biological health, real estate, packaging industry and commerce retail. 2. Price: As far as we know, the vinegar prices of HENGSHUN Company are commonly acceptable. But in contrast to the other small brands, its price is a little higher.Especially, the XIANGFEI vinegar is much more expensive than others, due to its function in health protection and beauty. 3. Place: HENGSHUN Company was founded in Jiangsu Province, so its loyal consumers concentrate on the southern areas. Another reason is the northern people much more delighted with the old vineg ar in Shanxi Province. According to Don Hutson (2008): ‘As a salesperson, understand that the concept of place is complex. ’ So as for the sale area, it is an obvious significant problem waiting HENGSHUN to solve it. 4.Promotion: In terms of promotion, using a brief video is to do the advertisement for HENGSHUN Company. This video was separated into three parts. First is focusing on the function of health care. It can restrain and reduce the formation of the aging oxide in human body, so as to achieve anti-aging and make skin smooth. Second is to stress another function: Promote the body's metabolism, remove fatigue, relieving alcoholism, lose weight clear bowel. Lastly, the function of softening vessels, reducing blood fat and cholesterol have been mentioned. 4. 0 PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4. Marketing Plan Firstly, HENGSHUN Company should pay more attention on the product strategies. Develop the new technologies, as to the aspects of treatment, beauty, health, in order to change the vinegar image which is in consumers’ minds. As to the HENGSHUN’ image, it is also waiting to be changed. Second is the value pricing method, at the low level market with a low price but high quality products and services which is under the condition of reducing costs without sacrificing the quality. HENGSHUN should control its price at a acceptable range, so as to keep the loyal consumers.And this also can improve its brand loyalty. Thirdly, the company can do the promotion by carrying out all kinds of lectures to make consumers know the functions much better. And next is the sales strategies, nowadays, HENGSHUN must make full use of supermarkets. It must be sure that the products of HENGSHUN should be put at the conspicuous place. So it can attract more people and propagate its brand. 4. 2 Recommendations 1. Build its own famous brand with the authority of government. In the powerful government-decided society, the honor delivered by the government will give the sense of reliable.Relying on this, HENGSHUN Company can achieve much more than present. 2. Using the statues of stars and experts, ask them to endorse the products of HENGSHUN Company. It usually can work in a short time. 3. Setting a goal as green brand. Focus on the function of health and environment protection. Produce the new kind of vinegar so as to follow the trend of the modern society. 5. 0 CONCLUSIONS After analyzing all these aspects, the background of HENGSHUN Company has been know, included the financial condition, general managerial skills, production capabilities, reputation, and marketing skills. Similar essay: Reed Supermarkets: a New Wave of CompetitorsThen by using the 4Ps, its marketing circumstance in this environment has been investigated. Also relying on the SWOT analysis, it is helpful to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity, and the threats which HENGSHUN Company will be faced in the near future. And at last, relying on a video, it is a useful skill to attract consumers. What’s more, some market plans and recommendations have been given to HENGSHUN Company for their better development. List of References Hawkins, Mothersbaugh, and Best , 2009, Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing strategy, 10th edition, china machine press, pp. 57 Philip Kotler & Gary Armstrong , 2009, Principles of Marketing, 11th edition, Qinghua press, pp. 48 YQ Xing, 2009, Management ,2nd edition, High Education press, pp 48 Shanxi vinegar fighting for honor. ,viewed in 1 December, 2011, http://www. daynews. com. cn/sxjjrb/122745. html Hutson,D 2008 Sell value, not price, Acant hus Publishing, Boston Garber, Lawrence & Starr, RG (2003), Measuring consumer response to food products, Food Quality and Preference, vol. 14, pp3-15 Lan, G 2002, Competitor targeting, J.Wiley& Sons, Etobicoke Glowa, T (2001), Understanding how consumers make complex choices, http://www. glowa. ca/Understanding_consumer_behaviour. pdf Finance and economics, viewed in 3 December, 2011, http://finance. sina. com. cn/realstock/company/sh600305/nc. shtml Roininen, K (2001), Evaluation of food choice behavior: development and validation of health and taste attitude scales, Academic Dissertation, University of Helsinki, Department of Food Technology, http://ethesis. helsinki. fi/julkaisut/maa/elint/vk/roininen/evaluati. pdf

As Psychology Locus of Control Essay

Discuss the role of locus of control on independent behaviour. (12 marks) Locus of control refers to a person’s perception of personal control over their own behaviour. There are two types of locus of control; internal and external. Internal locus of control occurs when individuals feel they are in control of their behaviour and are responsible for their actions. External locus of control occurs when individuals feel their behaviour is controlled by external forces (e. g. luck or fate) and they are not responsible for their own actions. Those with internal locus of control are more likely to show independent behaviour and resist the pressures to conform or obey whereas those with external locus of control are more likely to obey and conform. High internals do not rely on the opinions of others. They are better able to resist coercion and are more achievement-orientated. High internal locus of control has been linked to leadership and individuals with high internal locus of control are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Anderson and Schneier found that group members possessing an internal locus of control were more likely to emerge as leaders in their groups. This may be because individuals who take responsibility for their own actions feel that they can cause changes in their environment, including the behaviour of those around them. There is lots of research evidence to support locus of control. Oliner and Oliner found that people who had gone against the majority and protected the Jews from the Nazis tended to score higher on measures of internal locus of control. This means they believed they had influence over events in their life including success and failures. It may be this that made them independent. Also, Elms and Milgram found that the people that were disobedient in Milgram’s study of obedience shows higher internal locus of control and social responsibility. Avtigis did a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between locus of control and conformity and found high scores of external locus of control were more likely to conform than those with a low score. The average correlation between locus of control and conformity was 0. 37. This suggests that there are higher rates of conformity shown in external locus of control when compared to internal locus of control. There are a number of problems with using a meta-analysis. The studies are secondary data that the researcher has compiled. This means the study could suffer from researcher bias as they may have only found studies that supported their view. Also, as the study is correlational, cause and effect cannot be established. It does not comment on why there is a link or which factors were most important it only states that there is a relationship between the two variables. However, as the data is secondary data there are no ethical issues linked to the use of a meta-analysis to study the patterns between locus of control and conformity. On the other hand, Williams and Warchal gave 30 students a range of conformity tasks based on Asch’s study and assessed them using the Rotter’s locus of control scale. They found that those who conformed were the least assertive but did not score differently on the locus of control scale. This suggests that assertion may be more important in conformity than locus of control. There are also research studies that suggest that independent behaviour can be fostered or encouraged through modelling. Nemeth and Chiles found that those who had been exposed to a minority (four participants, one confederate) who gave a different answer were more likely to stand their ground and defy the majority in the second part of the experiment when they became a minority (four confederates, one participant). This study implies that exposure to a model of independent behaviour can influence the individual’s ability to stand firm against the majority and resist the group pressure to conform. However, there are problems with research into locus of control. Many of the studies that support locus of control are carried out in laboratories. This means they lack ecological validity and the results may not be applicable to real life situations. Also, demand characteristics may be present. The participant may have guessed the aim of the experiment and acted accordingly to fit the results they assume the researcher wanted. Also, it is difficult to measure personality. The use of questionnaires could mean that the studies suffer from social desirability bias as people may have altered their answers to appear more normal or to fit with what they assume the researcher wanted. Lastly, situational factors may be more important as personality is not always consistent. McGuire found that conforming behaviour differed across situations. If conformists and independents are not consistent in their behaviour it is hard to conclude that it is their personality that solely affects their choice whether or not to conform. Situational factors may influence behaviour too as they tend to conform in certain situations but not in others.

How revolutionary was the American war Essay Essay Example

How revolutionary was the American war Essay Essay Example How revolutionary was the American war Essay Essay How revolutionary was the American war Essay Essay Essay Topic: Revolutionary Road The American war of independency was besides known as the American revolutionary war. This war was fought between the American settlements and England. The war itself started with the conflict of Lexington and Concord. It started when some soldiers of the British ground forces arrived in Lexington. Massachusetts. Over at that place. they fired at the colonial reserves which it was a group of husbandmans. male childs every bit good as old work forces. Then on the undermentioned twenty-four hours they headed to Concord and over at that place they killed some Americans. Therefore. this was the first battle of conflict of the radical war. The broader sense of the revolution began when parliament started to enforce Torahs and ordinances to the settlements. For case. After the Gallic and Indian war was over. Britain turned its attending to the settlements. They restricted the settlements to merchandise with other states. Therefore trough the pilotage act the settlements were allowed to merchandise merely with England. So goods such as sugar. baccy. and cotton that were produced in the settlements could merely be exported to British ports. Indeed. these regulations and ordinances ended up curtailing the colonist’s life and freedom Other Torahs that they impose on the settlements included revenue enhancements. Since the Gallic and Indian war had put England in a batch of debt. they decided to raise the revenue enhancements. Then In 1764. England passed the Sugar Act. which was used to raise money from the settlements. Furthermore. â€Å"The Stamp Act passed by England in 1765. located revenue enhancements on mundane points such as newspapers. legal paperss. and even playing cards† ( Divine 135 ) . Furthermore. England did non even see the ideas of the Americans when they tried to hold soldiers enforce British revenue enhancements and Acts of the Apostless. The settlers felt that they were treated below the belt so they called for a meeting to protest the revenue enhancement. So. representatives from nine out of the 13 settlements came to this meeting. â€Å"The settlers drafted requests to parliament that declared no revenue enhancements should be imposed on them. but with their ain consent. given perso nally. or by their representatives† ( Divine 136 ) . Besides. they felt that the cast act was improper because Americans were non represented in parliament. But still. the British went behind their ain jurisprudence which is â€Å"no revenue enhancement without representation† ( Divine 132 ) and still taxed the settlements anyhow. In return. the settlers imposed a voluntary boycott of British goods until parliament repealed the cast act. So. it was obvious so. that the British were non handling the Americans every bit like their ain citizens in England. So I think that it was these inequalities that besides lead to the determination to declare independency from the British regulation. In add-on. the â€Å"Townshend Acts came and it besides taxed glass. paper. tea and lead. † ( Divine 140 ) Therefore. the settlements refused to pay. In fact. it didn’t seem logical so that the settlements were regulated and revenue enhancement by a authorities from so far off. Finally. the Americans realized that the lone manner for them to retain their rights was to hold political freedom from England. So they wanted independency from England. But unluckily. the British strongly opposed allowing the Americans be free. Therefore. it created many struggles between the Americans and the British particularly the soldi ers. Indeed. all of these struggles led to the radical war. Finally. when America decided to declare its independency and travel to war. it was a mark of extremist action. Britain’s ground forces was bigger and consisted of good trained and experient soldiers. Americans. on the other manus. had soldiers who were ill trained and equipped. But that didn’t halt them. They were determined to travel to war anyhow in order to alter the regulation of the state. As a consequence they were able to interrupt away from British regulation. Therefore the radical war had a greater impact on the settlements and involved more than their independency. A new position of authorities was created that the universe had non seen earlier. Democracy for the first clip was implemented in a authorities and its authorization was based on single rights instead than from a male monarch or church. Furthermore. the revolution changed the American society in some ways. For case. after the war the American people denounced such English rubrics like esquire from the names of affluent people. They besides lower the sum of land that they needed in order to vote. Even though the American Revolution brought some alteration. other things were still the same. For case. the distribution of wealth in America was still uneven Thus. â€Å"the sudden accretion of big lucks by new households made other Americans sensitive to blue display† ( Divine 163 ) Furthermore. adult females were non let to vote and it took a long clip for some slaves to be free or to be treated as peers. Thus the revolution did non convey about a large alteration of American society. at least non in the short term. But. â€Å"republicans such as Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson raised issues of huge significance for the ulterior history of the United States. They felt that equality was indispensable. â€Å"Even though they failed to get rid of bondage. institute cosmopolitan manhood right to vote. or use equality to adult females. they articulated a set of premises about people’s rights and autonomies that challenge future coevalss of Americans. † ( Divine 168 ) Mention: America yesteryear and present. volume I. Divine Breen and Fredrickson Williams. right of first publication 2002 hypertext transfer protocol: //encyclopedia. thefreedictionary. com/American % 20Revolution hypertext transfer protocol: //www. kusd. edu/schools/lance/platinum/banaszynski/revolution/patriot_links_2003/taxes_taxes_taxes. hypertext markup language

Natural Acid and Base Indicators

Natural Acid and Base Indicators There are many common household products and garden plants that can be used as pH indicators. Most plants contain pH-sensitive anthocyanins, making them perfect for testing acid and base levels. Many of these natural pH indicators exhibit a broad range of colors. Plants You Can Use to Test pH Levels The natural world has given us numerous plants, from beets to grapes to onions, that can be used to test the pH levels of a solution. These natural pH indicators include: Beets:  A very basic solution (high pH) will change the color of beets or beet juice from red to purple.Blackberries:  Blackberries, black currants, and black raspberries change from red in an acidic environment to blue or violet in a basic environment.Blueberries:  Blueberries are blue around pH 2.8-3.2, but turn red as the solution becomes even more acidic.Cherries:  Cherries and their juice are red in an acidic solution, but turn blue to purple in a basic solution.Curry Powder:  Curry contains the pigment curcumin, which changes from yellow at pH 7.4 to red at pH 8.6.Delphinium Petals:  The anthocyanin delphinin changes from bluish-red in an acidic solution to violet-blue in a basic solution.Geranium Petals:  Geraniums contain the anthocyanin pelargonin, which changes from orange-red in an acidic solution to blue in a basic solution.Grapes:  Red and purple grapes contain multiple anthocyanins. Blue grapes contain a monoglucoside of malvinidin, which changes from de ep red in an acidic solution to violet in a basic solution. Horse Chestnut Leaves:  Soak horse chestnut leaves in alcohol to extract the fluorescent dye esculin. Esculin is colorless at pH 1.5 but becomes fluorescent blue at pH 2. Get the best effect by shining a black light on the indicator.Morning Glories:  Morning glories contain a pigment known as heavenly blue anthocyanin, which changes from purplish-red at pH 6.6 to blue at pH 7.7.Onion:  Onions are olfactory indicators. You dont smell onions in strongly basic solutions. Red onion also changes from pale red in an acidic solution to green in a basic solution.Petunia Petals:  The anthocyanin petunin changes from reddish-purple in an acidic solution to violet in a basic solution.Poison Primrose: Primula sinensis has orange or blue flowers. The orange flowers contain a mixture of pelargonins. The blue flowers contain malvin, which turns from red to purple as a solution goes from acidic to basic.Purple Peonies:  Peonin changes from reddish-purple or magenta in an acidic solution to deep purple in a basic solution. Red (Purple) Cabbage:  Red cabbage contains a mixture of pigments used to indicate a wide pH range.Rose Petals:  The oxonium salt of cyanin turns from red to blue in a basic solution.Turmeric:  This spice contains a yellow pigment, curcumin, which changes from yellow at pH 7.4 to red at pH 8.6. Household Chemicals That Are pH Indicators If you dont have any of the materials above at hand, you can also use some common household chemicals to test pH levels. These include: Baking Soda:  Baking soda will fizz when added to an acidic solution such as vinegar, but will not fizz in an alkaline solution. The reaction doesnt readily reverse itself, so while baking soda can be used to test a solution, it cant be reused.Color-Changing Lipstick:  Youll need to test your color-changing lipstick to determine its pH range, but most cosmetics that change color respond to changes in pH (these are different from cosmetics that change color according to the angle of light).ExLax Tablets:  These tablets contain phenolphthalein, which is a pH indicator that is colorless in solutions more acidic than pH 8.3 and pink to deep red in solutions more basic than pH 9.Vanilla Extract:  Vanilla extract is an olfactory indicator. You cant smell the characteristic scent at high pHs  because the molecule is in its ionic form.Washing Soda:  As with baking soda, washing soda fizzes in an acidic solution but not in a basic solution.

Understanding Customers and Competitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Understanding Customers and Competitors - Essay Example Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 along with economic slowdown, the Iraq war and SARS, the aviation industry has suffered a deep slump, particularly in flag airlines. Yet it raises opportunities for the low-fare carrier segment, such as Ryanair that is a rising star in the skies of Europe, having been performing well post 9/11. The aim of this report is to analyse the overall performance of Ryanair in the fast-changing environment, and then few recommendations will be provided. Conclusions will be drawn at the end of this report. Irish-owned Ryanair, founded in 1985, began to introduce a low cost operating model in the early 1990s. The company primarily serves short-haul, point-to-point routes that target business commuters and leisure travellers by offering low, multi-tier fare pricing and sngle-classs air transportation. Having overtaken EasyJet, Ryanair is now the largest low-cost carrier in Europe In January 2000. (Doganis, 2001) The company offers approximately 475 scheduled flights per day serving 84 locations in 14 EU countries. The worldwide commercial aviation has suffered from terrorist attacks of 9/11. The tragedy dramatically decreases the number of passengers and pushed Airline industry facing deterioration in their financial positions. Similarly, impact of SARS and Iraq War reduce willingness of people to travel outside their countries. (Graeme, 2005, Siobhan, 2004) Since 1997, the European market has been completely deregulated. For example, any airlines holding a valid Air Operators Certificate in the EU have right to operate on any route within the European Union, including flights wholly operating within another country. On May 1st 2004, ten new members joined the EU as part of EU enlargement. The era of single European sky related to Open-Sky Treaty, allowing point-to-point service between any EU countries is approaching and airline companies will benefit from consolidation; on the other hand, they