About the National Security Agency

The National Security Agency is a highly specialized and vital unit of the American intelligence community that works to create and break secret codes, a science known as cryptology. The National Security Agency, or NSA, reports to the U.S. Department of Defense. The work of the National Security Agency is done in secret and in the name of national security. The government did not even acknowledge the NSA existed for some time. The National Security Agencys nickname is No Such Agency. What the NSA Does The National Security Agency gathers intelligence by conducting surveillance on its adversaries through the collection of phone-call, email and Internet data. The intelligence agency has two primary missions: preventing foreign adversaries from stealing sensitive or classified national security information from the United States, and collecting, processing and disseminating information from foreign signals for counterintelligence purposes. History of the National Security Agency The National Security Agency was created on Nov. 4, 1952, by President Harry S. Truman. The intelligence agencys foundation has its genesis in the work U.S. forces conducted during World War II in breaking German and Japanese codes, which it describes as a crucial factor in the Allied success against German U-Boats in the North Atlantic and victory at the Battle of Midway in the Pacific. How the NSA is Difference From the FBI and CIA The Central Intelligence Agency deals mostly with gathering intelligence on Americas enemies and conducts covert operations overseas. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, on the other hand, operates within the U.S borders as a law-enforcement agency. The NSA is primarily a foreign intelligence agency, meaning that it is authorized to collect data to prevent threats from foreign countries. However, in 2013 it was revealed that the NSA and FBI had allegedly been collecting phone-call data from Verizon and other information from servers operated by none U.S. Internet companies including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, AOL, Skype, YouTube, and Apple. Leadership of the NSA The head of the National Security Agency/Central Security Service is appointed by the secretary of the Department of Defense and approved by the president. The NSA/CSS director must be a commissioned military officer who has earned at least three stars. The current director of the intelligence agency is U.S. Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander. The NSA and Civil Liberties The surveillance activities of the NSA and every other intelligence agency often raise questions about civil liberties, and whether Americans are being subjected to unconstitutional invasions of privacy. In a statement published on the NSAs website, agency deputy director John C. Inglis wrote: Im often asked the question, Whats more important – civil liberties or national security? Its a false question; its a false choice. At the end of the day, we must do both, and they are not irreconcilable. We have to find a way to ensure that we support the entirety of the Constitution – that was the intention of the framers of the Constitution, and thats what we do on a daily basis at the National Security Agency. Still, the NSA has publicly acknowledged that it has inadvertently collected communications from some Americans without a warrant in the name of national security. It has not said how often that happens, though. Who Oversees the NSA Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Government surveillance agencies are also subject to review by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which was created by Congress in 2004.

Asistir Conjugation in Spanish, Translations and Examples

Asistir is a Spanish verb that can mean—you guessed it—to assist or to help. But it is used more often for to attend or to go, as to an event, a school, or a class. It can also mean to attend to, such as in working to resolve a problem or in taking care of a medical patient. Asistir is conjugated regularly, so you can use  the charts here for  conjugating most other -ir verbs as well. Youll find listings here for all the simple tenses in both the indicative and subjunctive moods, such as the present, both types of the past (imperfect and preterite), the future, and the conditional. And of course, also included are the past participle, gerund, and periphrastic future as well as the commands or imperative mood. When talking about attending something, asistir is typically followed by the preposition a or the contraction al. As a verb for to help, asistir is somewhat formal. In informal situations, such as everyday speech, a more common verb is ayudar. In the conjugation charts below, the conjugation itself is the same for any of the meanings of  asistir, but the examples provided  apply to the most common use, to attend to. Present Indicative Tense of Asistir Yo asisto I attend Yo asisto al concierto de rock. T asistes You attend T asistes a la escuela. Usted/l/ella asiste You/he/she attends Ella asiste al gimnasio. Nosotros asistimos We attend Nosotros asistimos al juego. Vosotros asists You attend Vosotros asists a la universidad. Ustedes/ellos/ellas asisten You/they attend Ellos asisten a la reunin. Asistir Preterite The preterite is one of the two simple past tenses and is used with actions that came to a clear end. Yo asist I attended Yo asist al concierto de rock. T asististe You attended T asististe a la escuela. Usted/l/ella asisti You/he/she attended Ella asisti al gimnasio. Nosotros asistimos We attended Nosotros asistimos al juego. Vosotros asististeis You attended Vosotros asististeis a la universidad. Ustedes/ellos/ellas asistieron You/they attended Ellos asistieron a la reunin. Imperfect Indicative Form of Asistir The  imperfect  is the second simple past tense. One common use of the imperfect is to establish the background for another event. You normally would use the preterite to translate I attended the concert, but you could use the imperfect to indicate that as I was attending the concert, something else happened. Yo asista I was attending Yo asista al concierto de rock. T asistas You were attending T asistas a la escuela. Usted/l/ella asista You/he/she was attending Ella asista al gimnasio. Nosotros asistamos We were attending Nosotros asistamos al juego. Vosotros asistais You were attending Vosotros asistais a la universidad. Ustedes/ellos/ellas asistan You/they were attending Ellos asistan a la reunin. Asistir Future Tense Yo asistir I will attend Yo asistir al concierto de rock. T asistirs You will attend T asistirs a la escuela. Usted/l/ella asistir You/he/she will attend Ella asistir al gimnasio. Nosotros asistiremos We will attend Nosotros asistiremos al juego. Vosotros asistiris You will attend Vosotros asistiris a la universidad. Ustedes/ellos/ellas asistirn You/they will attend Ellos asistirn a la reunin. Periphrastic Future of Asistir Periphrastic is simply a way of saying something has more than one word. So this tense is simply ir a as the equivalent of Englishs going to. Yo voy a asistir I am going to attend Yo voy a asistir al concierto de rock. T vas a asistir You are going to attend T vas a asistir a la escuela. Usted/l/ella va a asistir You/he/she are/is going to attend Ella va a asistir al gimnasio. Nosotros vamos a asistir We are going to attend Nosotros vamos a asistir al juego. Vosotros vais a asistir You are going to attend Vosotros vais a asistir a la universidad. Ustedes/ellos/ellas van a asistir You/they are going to attend Ellos van a asistir a la reunin. Present Progressive/Gerund Form of Asistir Gerund of asistir asistiendo assisting/attending Yo estoy asistiendo a los conciertos de rock. Past Participle of Asistir Past participles are combined with forms of haber. They indicate that the verbs action has been or will be completed. Participle of asistir asistido have attended Yo he asistido al  concierto de rock. Conditional  Indicative Form of Asistir Yo asistira I would attend Yo asistira al concierto de rock si tuviera dinero. T asistiras You would attend T asistiras a la escuela si tuvieras la edad. Usted/l/ella asistira You/he/she would attend Ella asistira al gimnasio si tuviera compaera. Nosotros asistiramos We would attend Nosotros asistiramos al juego si pudiramos comprar boletos. Vosotros asistirais You would attend Vosotros asistirais a la universidad si quisierais. Ustedes/ellos/ellas asistiran You/they would attend Ellos asistiran a la reunin si tuvieran tiempo. Present Subjunctive of Asistir Que yo asista That I attend Pedro quiere que yo asista al concierto de rock. Que t asistas That you attend Andrea quiere que t asistas a la escuela. Que usted/l/ella asista That you/he/she attend Ana quiere que ella asista al gimnasio. Que nosotros asistamos That we attend Ral quiere que asistamos al juego. Que vosotros asistis That you attend Selena quiere que vosotros asistis a la universidad. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas asistan That you/they attend Roberto quiere que ellos asistan a la reunin. Imperfect Subjunctive Form of Asistir Most of the time, you can use either one of the conjugations given below for the imperfect subjunctive. The first one is used more often. Option 1 Que yo asistiera That I attended Pedro quera que yo asistiera al concierto de rock. Que t asistieras That you attended Andrea quera que t asistieras a la escuela. Que usted/l/ella asistiera That you/he/she attended Ana quera que ella asistiera al gimnasio. Que nosotros asistiramos That we attended Ral quera que nosotros asistiramos al juego. Que vosotros asistierais That you attended Selena quera que vosotros asistierais a la universidad. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas asistieran That you/they attended Roberto quera que ellos asistieran a la reunin. Option 2 Que yo asistiese That I attended Pedro quera que yo asistiese al concierto de rock. Que t asistieses That you attended Andrea quera que t asistieses a la escuela. Que usted/l/ella asistiese That you/he/she attended Ana quera que ella asistiese a la escuela. Que nosotros asistisemos That we attended Ral quera que nosotros asistisemos al juego. Que vosotros asistieseis That you attended Selena quera que vosotros asistieseis a la universidad. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas asistiesen That you/they attended Roberto quera que ellos asistiesen a la reunin. Imperative Forms of Asistir Imperative (Positive Command) Yo T asiste Attend! Asiste al concierto! Usted asista Attend! Asista a la escuela! Nosotros asistamos Lets attend! Asistamos al juego! Vosotros asistid Attend! Asistid a la universidad! Ustedes asistan Attend! Asistan a la reunin! Imperative (Negative Command) Yo T no asistas Dont attend! No asistas al concierto! Usted no asista Dont attend! No asista a la escuela! Nosotros no asistamos Lets not attend! No asistamos al juego! Vosotros no asistis Dont attend! No asistis a la universidad! Ustedes no asistan Dont attend! No asistan a la reunin!

King Henry VIII was a remarkable ruler apart from any...

King Henry VIII was a remarkable ruler apart from any other. He reigned over England from 1509-1547 (Tudor History). The English Reformation was solely his doing as he separated England from the Roman Catholic Church and changed the country forever (Biography). He has always been well known for his six marriages in which he treated his wives as his possessions. Many know about what Henry VIII did through his lifetime but do not know who he was. It is important to take a closer look at King Henry VIII’s personal life to understand and get to know who he really was as a person, rather than just as a powerful King. On September 20, 1486, King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth the Good were blessed with their firstborn son, Arthur. Giving birth to†¦show more content†¦Throughout all of Prince Henry’s life, he would have a great deal of responsibility in his hands (Van Duyn Southworth). Such obligations came a lot earlier in his life than one may expect. His first two offices were assigned to him at the age of only two years old (Walder 13). This is quite unbelievable to someone of the current day and age. Two years old is much too young to be given such high power considering he may barely have the ability to even talk! He could not come close to understanding the responsibility he had been given. Though that was the way royal families handled business. Prince Arthur and Prince Henry were both given a list of titles at remarkably young ages. The income that would be brought into the family was the sole reason for this. It was all about the money. It was important that the family rece ived as much money as possible, rather than it to have been given to an unrelated nobleman. Yet the work that the positions required was done by underlings and deputy officials since the boys were obviously much too young to handle it (Biography). In April of 1493, the young Prince Henry was officially assigned to the offices of state, Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports (Van Duyn Southworth 22). He was carried by his designated nurse, Anne Luke, as he was publicly

The Text and Images in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Essay

Essays on The Text and Images in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Essay The paper "The Text and Images in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi" is a wonderful example of an essay on literature. The veil in Persepolis is used as the cover image and since it basically represents oppression. Marjane is always rebelling against the norm of ‘veiling’. She is often scolded for not putting on approved garments. As such, Marjane is ‘unveiling’ herself by refusing to be suppressed. This strategy of using the veil is quite critical to her goal of seeking freedom. The veil becomes a symbol of nationalistic ideas since it symbolizes Iran’s struggle during the revolution; just like Maryjane is unhappy about the veil. The author (Satrapi) might have used a child as a narrator since children tend to portray their environment without a lot of bias. This characteristic makes her a reliable narrator. Additionally, a child narrator often experiences things mainly for the first time, as the reader does too. As such, the child narrator will get comp lete and easy to comprehend the description. This concept will enable the reader to understand the story better. In Persepolis, the text and images work harmoniously together. For example, the images depicting an adult authoritatively handing school children a veil is in line with the text (Satrapi 4). This was in 1980 when it became mandatory for school children to wear a veil. Persepolis can be viewed as Satrapi’s form of resistance since she clearly opposes the veiling of women. According to her, veiling demeaned women. Satrapi implies that games and jokes were used as a form of resistance by women. Marji’s family treats Mehri as their own child. However, they become discriminatory when Mehri’s time to marry comes. They understand that she must marry from her social class (33-39). Pictures are often used as evidence. As such, we can read it as ‘evidence’ by mainly focusing on the meaning of the graphics. The graphics represent the situation in Iran. As evidence, these images will be reviewed later and help the reader to comprehend how the environment was the n. It might be illegal to take photographs in Iran since they will act as evidence of atrocities committed (29).

Book Review.. Law and Society Free Essays

string(75) " by the enactment of such measures of coercion is called a coercive order\." Slavery, Law and Society in the British Windward Islands 1763-1823 September 29, 2011 Lecturer: Dawn M. McNeil Reviewed by Natasha Stewart DR BERNARD MARSHALL (2007) SLAVER, LAW AND SOCIETY Published by Arawak Publications ISBN 976 8189 81 9 (hbk) ISBN 976 8189 27 4 (pbk) One of the most important courses that are required for matriculation into law school is â€Å"law and society†. This is due to the fact that this course covers interaction between Law and Society from a historical, economical, political, sociological perspective of Caribbean societies, from primitive to transitional and also modern societies. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review.. Law and Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now It incorporates trends of law enforcement as well as current social and technological changes that influence society. It is premised on the fact that law has a critical function in all forms of social conduct. Though not the exact words of lecture McNeil, they were enough to help me to understand the importance of this course. Therefore upon her instructions to review the book â€Å"Slavery Law and Society†, I was most enthused, as I intended to read with an objective that would allow me to understand more about the laws of slavery and their impacts, the composition of society and to compare it with the society we have today. As I thought that this would allow me to be understanding of this course of study. My attention was also naturally drawn to the author Bernard Marshal, as I think he did a great job in compiling this case study. Nonetheless, I feel privilege to know that my review o this book will ultimately make it better, while giving me knowledge of a society that I fortunately escaped. The book slavery law and society is a comparative study, which looks at the political, economical, legal and social life of a majority black population, a minority white population and a relatively large amount of free colored in St Vincent, Tobago, Dominica, Grenada and the Grenadines between the years 1763 to 1823. This period marks a relevant and vital time in the history of the Caribbean and the importance of these Windward Islands to French and British economy. These two European nations stood in constant conflict over wealth and ownership of these islands. Thus building our understanding of how Caribbean history in these islands was developed. Bernard Marshall assessed the relationship between different groups in society, with special attention placed on the enslaved population who were in constant resistance of slavery, especially the maroons. Throughout the sixty years of slavery, many writers have analyzed the nature of slavery in some of the more popular Caribbean islands, however it must be noted that this book is the first to help with understanding the nature of the slave system in these four important communities. At a time when slavery and plantation ownership was very important to the economic success of the planter class, the nature of the slave society was examined and critiqued in this study. Special emphasis was placed the political, social, religious, economic and legal organizations of these islands. Nonetheless there was decline which brought into question, the importance of a seemingly redundant enslaved population. Bernard however, presents a harsh historical reality, which was seen in the most inhumane activities meted out to mankind, which is the trans-Atlantic slave trade. During that period the establishment of sugar plantations required purchasing of land, plantation buildings, equipment and upkeep of one’s own labour force which translated into large expenditures: for example a sugar estate in St Vincent that contained 442 acres was 74,035 pounds. Funds were secured to purchase such an estate from the mercantile houses in the metropolis. When the economy declined and prices paid for crops were reduced, many planters defaulted on their loans and went bankrupt. This period saw many such declines and loss for planters, whether for economic reasons or as a direct result of the many revolts that were carefully planned and executed by the slaves seeking freedom and social status. To date the Caribbean is very familiar to almost everyone, due to the contributions of historians, sociologists, lecturers and legal scholars. Nonetheless, only this writer has sought to give a comparative analysis of these communities as they are generally ignored in most readings of Caribbean history, though same were the experiences of these islands in the era of slavery. The role of law was carefully examined and most importantly, its relationship with economic, political and social life of persons in these communities. Marshall’s study provides adequate insight into the society of slavery in an ignored area of the Caribbean history. It must be noted that while the whips and the other physical brutal methods of control were deemed effective to control the slave population. A critique of religion was also evident as it was used as an effective form of social control which made the slaves subservient to their masters. The book is mostly viewed from a Marxist perspective; therefore the function of law was an instrument of the ruling class. This authority created an exploited Caribbean society by colonial rule whose authority was justified by the existing political and judicial precedents created by them and used to keep the â€Å"less fortunate† Africans and free coloured in check. Marshall showed how the law worked in favour of the ruling class, those who owned the means of production. This aspect of Marshal’s analysis can be compared to present day societies, where preference is given to the â€Å"big man†. Law is a coercive order†¦.. the norms which form a legal order must be norms stipulating a coercive act, e. g. a sanction, the evil applied to the violator of the order when sanction is socially organized, consists in a deprivation of possessions- life, health, freedom or property. As the possessions are taken from him against his will, this sanction has the character of the measure of coercion; a social order that seeks to bring about the desired behavior of individuals by the enactment of such measures of coercion is called a coercive order. You read "Book Review.. Law and Society" in category "Law" The laws of the islands recognized the owner’s right to his property in the slave, and protected right from violation by others†. Therefore various acts were passed to govern the every movement of slaves. (Slave laws of 1768) In an attempt by the minority white to ensure social stability, laws were designed to push actions such as rebellions, robbery, running away, ars on etc, the actions were severely punished, in fact, dealt was the ultimate. The responsibility of punishment was given to the police, who ensured that laws were upheld. The law was therefore seen as a weapon of social control that worked in the interest of the minority white population. It was used to dehumanized the African population in a most barbaric and unthinkable way. The ruling class fashioned its own brand of social engineering to support a system of racial inequality and exploitation. In the period between 1763-1773, Great Britain acquired what was well known as the British Windward islands. An economy which was initially based on the production and trade of cocoa, coffee, spice and tobacco was now changed into one based on sugar production. This lead to the immediate migration of white owners who could not compete with the emerging sugar industry and influx of slaves. this lead to a cultural change of the society into that of which was centered around the sugar industry, slavery and a dominating planter class. â€Å"The history of slavery in the British Windward islands indisobly and extricably linked to the expansion of the sugar industry. Ever since 1773, sugar had gained a position of first rate importance in the plantation economy. A position which it maintained throughout the period of this study, to almost the total neglect of other kinds of economic activities. For instance, in St. Vincent after 1773, tobacco cultivation was carried out by the Black Caribs only, and following their expulsion in 1797 it was most likely to be abandoned. Report from the island in 1788 also revealed that the culture of coffee and cocoa was being neglected by planters†. This aspect of history saw decline in the economy of these islands due to revolts by slaves and other economic reasons such as cut off of trade with America, knowing that this trade with America was vital to the survival of plantation economy. In Grenada and St. Vincent, production level fell, while prices also declined presenting famine in these islands. French rule played a significant role in the losses suffered by these islands. Nonetheless, the treaty of Versailles gave back to Britain these islands. British were well interested in the American rum and liquor, which were relatively cheap and affordable, thus inviting the interest of the British to trade for a profit in their market. The economy suffered extreme effects of war, of which the planter class was seemingly unaware. Through Marshall’s theses, revelation was made of economic politics which resulted in revolts of the whites, mullatos and slaves. Slave rebellion in Tobago between the years 1770 and 1773 saw 80 whites killed. These revolts were influenced by other revolutionary wars, such as French Revolution, American Revolution and enlightenment thinkers. Passive and submissive behaviors were thought to the slaves by Christian missionaries. In a report submitted to the Privy Council in 1788 it was asserted that â€Å"if they (the slaves) receive punishment for misdemeanors, though they might seem too severe, the brethren have no business to interfere† this policy was perused by the Moravian Brethren in Tobago. In addition, they preached the virtues of obedience, submission and diligence to their converts and by doing so they made a fairly significant contribution to the maintenance and stability of the slave society. The brethren had no choice than to adapt to these policies of the planters, since their focus should be on conversion of the heathen to Christianity. Failure to comply would result in them being forced to leave the islands. When in 1799 Brother Schirmer’s went to say the last word to a slave who was about to be executed, this was what he said: â€Å"Though God is merciful and gracious and forgives repenting sinners, yet he also executes his vengeance against those who persist in sin and commit iniquity with greediness and has authorized the powers he had established in the world, to do the same. Even after the abolition of slave trade in 1807 the lives of slaves still had no value to the planter class. The inferiority of Negro slavery was still polished in their minds, and this harsh trend has been brought down into our societies today. The thought that slave trade was abolished and slaves could now buy their freedom was a most welcomed notion by the slaves, however this was a mere dream in reality, as the price to purchase such freedom was unattainable. In St. Vincent, one slave out of every 630 gained his freedom each year; in Grenada, one out of every 408: in Dominica 1 out of every 90 and in Tobago one out of every 832. The slave society in the new world and Brazil remained fairly closed. Slave societies in the Windward Islands and other islands of the New world such as Brazil are quite similar, regardless of a few supersticial differences. Nonetheless, Marshall’s contribution to slavery in these islands is commendable a great deal of achievement, however, many generations to come, will encounter different articles on slavery. Perceptions of slavery might change in future references. However the process and nature of slavery will be the theme for many great writers, who will borrow from Marshall’s study of these Windward Island. A criticism of Marshall’s theory links it to a cohesive society with shared norms and values and similar goals and objectives. Nonetheless, this text was a well researched on, based on various references provided from other writers to substantiate information given. The relevance of this study to my course of study was what gave me the drive to continue reading Marshall’s ork. It was quite informative; on the other hand it could have been far more concise, as there was too much repetition of points that were made clear in earlier chapters. The dates though very important, were overused and at some points they were not significant, and caused me to lose focus on many occasions. A book of this nature which caters to a wide range of intellectuals, specifically uni versity students should have been vetted thoroughly to avoid spelling errors and incorrect grammar. I also found that paragraphs were exhausted and one point either overlapped into another or it was too long. Marshall’s study of these islands was somewhat limited as it could have incorporated more impacts of the outside world on these plantations, such as the rise to industrialism and enlightenment, impact of French revolution, slave actions in other Caribbean territories, works of humanitarians etc. all the aspects of slavery impacted the windward islands, but Marshall paid little attention to them. I think however that had he made relations to more similarities between these islands and other well written about Caribbean territories history of slavery, then he would attracted more authors of this school of thought to add the history of the windward islands into their writings of Caribbean history and slavery. Though I am appreciative of the fact that this study gave me extended knowledge of Caribbean history, which I very much appreciate, I think that this source was not one of the more captivating piece of Caribbean history that I have read, and if not for a specific purpose I would not be enthused to read it again. Though a local case study, the book is nevertheless an important contribution to the history of slavery in the Caribbean and in the New World in general. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Hans keelson, general theory of law and state [ 2 ]. House of commons Accounts and papers, volume xxvi,1789 [ 3 ]. Periodical accounts, volume ii: extract from brother Schirmer’s diary. 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Sportsmanship Case Essay Sample free essay sample

1. The actions of the US Golf squad at the 1999 Ryder Cup. received a batch of media attending. The consequence of the Cup came down to the seventeenth hole. which was a play-off between the US participant Justin Leonard. and the European participant Jose Maria Olazabal. Both participants found themselves with hard birdie shootings. Leonard made an astonishing 45-foot putt to claim a birdie. The American squad started dancing and heartening on the viridity. However Olazabal hadn’t shooting yet. If Olazabal made his 22-foot putt for birdie. the lucifer would be tied. and travel on to another hole. Olazabal couldn’t take his shooting until all of the participants. married womans and fans had been cleared from the green. With his focal point wholly destroyed. Olazabal missed the putt. 2. The actions of the Australian cricket squad in 1981. when playing New Zealand. were condemned both in Australia and by the Cricket community internationally. We will write a custom essay sample on Sportsmanship Case Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Australia was bowling and there was merely one ball left to be bowled in the lucifer. New Zealand needed 6 tallies to bind the lucifer. The Australian Captain ordered the bowler. Trevor Chappell. to turn over the ball down the wicket. guaranting that the New Zealand batter could non perchance hit a 6. The batter swatted off the ball and threw down his chiropteran and walked away. The bowl was widely criticized as being against the spirit of the game. 3. One of the more celebrated bad athleticss in tennis. Lleyton Hewitt. was the victim of bad sportsmanship in a lucifer at the 2005 Australian Open. The bad sportsmanship occurred in a lucifer against Juan Ignacio Chela. Hewitt won a critical game in the lucifer. and yelled his hallmark â€Å"C†mon! ’ . This seemed to upset Chela. and as the two walked to their chairs after the game. Chela bicker in Hewitt’s way. Chela was fined $ 2000 US Dollars for the incident. 4. The universe of snooker is non one that is by and large associated with bad sportsmanship ; nevertheless a celebrated incident did happen at the 1996 Snooker World Championship. Ronnie O’Sullivan. frequently described as the bad male child of universe snooker. was scheduled to play a lucifer against Alain Robidoux. O’Sullivan was a right-handed snooker participant. but decided to play his lucifer Robidoux with his left manus. O’Sullivan finally won the lucifer 10-3. Robidoux did non agitate custodies at the terminal of the lucifer. and subsequently called O’Sullivan’s actions disrespectful. O’Sullivan replied that he could play better with his non-favored manus. than Robidoux could with his favorite manus. 5. Soccer has one of the worst reputes for bad sportsmanship out of all the different athleticss. Events like the 1s that transpired in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. are no uncertainty portion of the ground for the sport’s opprobrium. In a group lucifer between Turkey and Brazil. Rivaldo ( a Brazilian ) had been awarded a free boot. Rivaldo was traveling about taking the kick really easy. in order to blow clip. Hakan Unsal. a Turkish participant. became defeated. and kicked the ball towards Rivaldo. to rush things up. The ball hit Rivaldo in the shins. at which point Rivaldo clutched his face. and collapsed to the land. The referee. who had non seen the event. believed that Rivaldo had been hit in the face. and sent Unsal off. intending Turkey played a adult male down for the remainder of the lucifer. Turkey later lost the game. 6. Bad sportsmanship goes against everything the Olympics bases for. nevertheless even the Olympics are non free of unsporting behaviour. At the 1972 Olympics. in the hoops Grand Final. the US hoops squad lost their first game at the Olympics. The US squad claimed they had been cheated. and made an official protest. When the protest was turned down. the US hoops squad refused to accept their Ag decorations. As of April 2007. the decorations remain unclaimed in a vault in Switzerland. 7. Michael Schumacher has long dominated the universe of Formula One racing ; nevertheless his calling has ever been clouded by accusals of bad sportsmanship. One incident in peculiar is remembered from the 1994 Season. In the last race of the season. Schumacher was taking the points table by 1 point from Damon Hill. This meant that Hill would win the World Championship if he finished anyplace in forepart of Schumacher in this last race. Toward the terminal of the race. Schumacher was in the lead. being closely followed by Hill. Schumacher made a error in one of his bends. go forthing room for Hill to go through him on the interior. Hill went to go through Schumacher. and got about halfway yesteryear. when Schumacher slammed his auto into Hill’s. numbering both autos. significance that neither could finish the race. Since neither finished. Schumacher finished the season 1 point in front of Hill. and hence won the World Championship. 8. The Solheim Cup is a golfing tourney that is played between an American squad and a European squad. The 2000 Solheim Cup was marred by the behavior of the US squad. Annika Sorenstam. playing for the European squad. had a really hard shooting for birdie. both the US squad and the Eurpoean squad. watched as Sorenstam prepared herself for the shooting. Finally she took the shooting. and sunk the birdie. Once they had seen that Sorenstam had really made the shooting. the US squad complained to the referee that it had been the Americans turn to hit. and that Sorenstam’s birdie should non number. The referee agreed. and Sorenstam was forced to recapture the shooting. Visibly disquieted. she missed the shooting. and the Europeans went on to lose the Solheim Cup by one shooting. 9. The 1986 FIFA World Cup was home to one of the most celebrated Acts of the Apostless of bad sportsmanship to of all time take topographic point in association football. It has been named â€Å"the Hand of God† incident. This incident occurred in a lucifer between England and Argentina. Diego Maradona. an Argentine participant. received a miscued clearance boot from one of the English participants. Maradona knocked the ball into end with his manus. The referee did non see this. and awarded the end. Argentina went on to win the lucifer 2-1. with both their ends holding been scored by Maradona. After the lucifer. when questioned about the end. Maradona said â€Å"it was partially the caput of Maradona. and partially the Hand of God† . Maradona subsequently admitted to the handball. 10. Muhammad Ali is possibly the most celebrated pugilist of all clip. He is renowned for his accomplishment in the ring. and his oral cavity outside the ring. What is less known is the act of bad sportsmanship he took portion in. Ali was contending Henry Cooper. in a lucifer he was expected to win easy. In the 4th unit of ammunition. Henry Cooper knocked Ali to the floor with an impressive left. The bell rang before Cooper could seek for the smasher. Ali looked dazed from the shooting. so his trainer ripped his baseball mitt in order to derive Ali more clip to retrieve. Ali went on to win the lucifer. .

Famous Amos Essay Example For Students

Famous Amos Essay 1. Executive Summary Famous Amos is one of the most recognizable cookie brands in the world and its products are positioned as premium quality. Initiated by Wally Amos in 1975, the brand currently belongs to the Kellogg Company and is available in most parts of the world. However, it remains alien to China and this report is dedicated to Famous Amos’ entry into Shanghai. Its products include bite-sized chocolate cookies, sandwiched cookies and muffins that come in various flavors. Apart from that, it offers customized wrapping services at its specialty stores. Parallel with the goals of its parent company, Famous Amos is focused on achieving sustainable growth through the expansion of its operations. It was identified that Famous Amos practices the differentiation, market penetration and market development strategies. To enter the market, it can select to either export its products or entry through acquisition. Shanghai, as one of the largest metropolitan, serves as the heart of finance and economic activities of China. With a large population and rising income level, it provides many opportunities for Famous Amos to grow its business. Not only is Shanghai culturally and socially diversified, its people are also early adopters and are open to western cultures. Its strong currency and steady stock market performance indicates economic strength which add to its attractiveness. The drawbacks are that its political conditions are slightly instable due to the ongoing process of reformation and its legal structure is still developing. An analysis on competition level in Shanghai revealed that its main competitors will be Kraft, Mars and Cadbury. Besides that, Famous Amos also faces a threat from Hershey’s should it enters the market. The SWOT analysis was also included to highlight the strength and weaknesses of the brand along with the opportunities and threats poses by the external environment. Listed marketing objectives for the first year mainly revolve around building brand awareness, capturing market share, innovation and establishing an effective distribution network. A few targeted segments were identified, which are the affluent group, the working class, children and students. The characteristics of these segments are discussed in the report. A marketing plan of is formulated for Famous Amos’ first year in Shanghai. In terms of promotional activities, Famous Amos will engage in heavy advertising, promotions and public relations to build brand awareness, consistent with one of the marketing objectives. Examples of promotional activities are such as distribution of free samples in schools, giving away complementary merchandises and introducing loyalty programs. New flavors such as almond, green tea and red bean will be introduced to suit local taste in to capture market share efficiently. Distribution channels selected such as specialty stores, retailers and convenience stores will provide wide geographical coverage to make its products accessible. An implementation chart is then laid out to highlight the type of marketing activities to be carried out at different periods such as launching of orange-zest topped cookies during the Chinese New Year and so on. Famous Amos does not practice standardized pricing in all its markets, rather it sets different price for each market. As it is a premium brand, it will not slash it prices but rather sell in smaller packages so that it can be afforded by children and students. The prices of its products remain relatively constant throughout the whole year except for special student rate during promotion. Finally, an evaluation chart is provided followed by a conclusion of whether Famous Amos should enter the Shanghai market. In fact, our research has found more than enough information to support that the entry of Famous Amos into Shanghai is feasible. 2. 0 Background Information The Kellogg Company is the world’s leading cereal and snacks producer; marketing more than 1500 products in 180 countries (Our Company 2009). The firm employs around 32000 employees worldwide and has 59 manufacturing facilities located in 19 countries (Kellogg Company 2008). Its portfolio consists of famous brands such as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Froot Loops, Cheez-It and Famous Amos. Famous Amos was initiated by Wally Amos in 1975 specializing in cookie-making and became a huge hit grossing over $5 million within five years of operation (Frost 2002). Due to mismanagement, the brand went through numerous ownerships from Bass Brothers to Shansby Group; and currently belongs to the Kellogg Company. Famous Amos cookies are available in most countries and come in flavors like No Nuts Chocolate, Macadamia and Raisins. Its line includes sandwiched biscuits in Vanilla, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Macaroon flavors. It also offers customized and ready-packed gifts for celebration of all kinds. Famous Amos is positioned as the world’s best chocolate chip cookie, where its premium quality is unrivalled in the cookie industry. It won the Automatic Merchandiser Magazine Readers’ Choice Award as the most requested product for three straight years (Automatic Merchandiser 2007). Cookies sold at its specialized stores are freshly baked whereas those sold in retailers are pre-packed for convenience. As a brand under the Kellogg Company, Famous Amos shares similar mission, goals and strategies as its parent brand. 2. 1 Vision and Mission At the Kellogg Company, the vision is to be the food company of choice with a mission to drive sustainable growth through innovation and expansion of its operations. The mission of growth is well communicated and employees across all operations know what they are expected to contribute to achieve it. In 2008, it met all sales targets and achieved geographical expansion to Russia and China through acquisitions (Kellogg Company 2008). Its cereal and snacks operations recorded growths of 4% and 9%, respectively; in addition to the 5% increase in sales (Kellogg Company 2008). The firm is optimistic that it can continue to fuel growth through expansion, innovation and cost-saving. 2. 2 Goals and Strategies The Kellogg Company’s revenue in 2008 amounted to $12. 82 million and operating profit was reported as $1. 95 million (Kellogg Company 2008). The company is positive that growth is achievable despite the weak global economy as consumers will purchase more convenient foods and prepare more meals at home. Focus will be placed on cost efficiencies and innovations across all operations to increase profitability. The following are the goals of the company which are shared by Famous Amos: †¢ Sales are expected to grow by 3% 5% in 2009. †¢ Operating profit is targeted to increase by approximately 5% in 2009. †¢ Annual cost savings will add up to $1 billion by 2011. Apart from the stated goals, few corporate strategies can be inferred for Famous Amos using the Porter’s Model, the Ansoff’s Matrix and the Expansion Method Matrix. 2. 2. 1 Porter’s Strategy Michael Porter’s 4 generic strategies, as explained by Cruz (2006): †¢ Cost-leadership: Achieving lower total costs compared to competitors to appeal to all customers. †¢ Differentiation: Differentiation of products from rivals to attract all customers. †¢ Cost-focused: Based on cost-leadership and concentration on attracting buyers from a narrow segment. Differentiation-focused: Based on offering niche customers customized attributes that satisfy their demands. Famous Amos uses the differentiation strategy where it positions its products as superior to others and charges premium prices. Its cookies are made with the finest ingredients and are baked to perfection. Besides that, it provides excellent gift-wrapping service which is not offered by any other cookie sellers. To date, there has been no successful attempt of other cookie producers to tap Famous Amos’ market share as its recipe remains well-kept. 2. 2. 2 Ansoff’s Matrix Of greater relevance is the matrix proposed by Igor Ansoff, which outlines four growth-related strategies: market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Market penetration involves increasing market share by promoting existing products to existing customers while market development involves selling existing products in new markets (Ansoff 1957, 116). Product development is the marketing of new products to existing customers whereas diversification involves introducing completely new items to the market and can be divided into related or unrelated iversifications (Ansoff 1957, 117). To achieve sustainable growth, Famous Amos practices the market development and market penetration strategies. Not only does it seek to increase sales through promoting its products in existing markets, it also looks into expansion into new markets. Particularly, this paper studies the expansion of Famous Amos into Shanghai. 2. 2. 3 Market-entry Strategies The expansion m ethod matrix provides methods of expansion by examining the internal and external networks that offer growth opportunities (Lynch 2000, 582). Entrance into foreign markets using external networks can be through acquisition, joint ventures or franchising whereas with internal efforts, it is achieved through exporting and establishing subsidiaries. Famous Amos can enter Shanghai through exporting or acquisition. 2. 2. 3. 1 Exporting Famous Amos can also make its products available in Shanghai through exporting which involves shipping its products overseas with the help of intermediaries such as logistics firms, exporting agents, wholesalers and retailers to carry its pre-packed cookies. . 2. 3. 2 Acquisition Acquisition is basically buying over a firm for rapid entry into a market or acquiring technical expertise. Famous Amos can take advantage of the fact that the Kellogg Company had acquired China’s own cookie and cracker manufacturer (Zhenghang Food Company) in 2008 and turned it into its manufacturing facilities (China Food Drink Report Q1 2009 2009). Apart from being able to produce locally, Famous Amos is subje cted to less legal entry barriers into Shanghai and can ride along Zhenghang’s existing distribution networks. . 3 Social Responsibility As a part of the Kellogg Company, Famous Amos is dedicated to reducing greenhouse emissions in its operations and improving society’s welfare by donating to the less-fortunate (Corporate Responsibility 2009). In 2008, Famous Amos Hong Kong donated its proceeds from sales on Mother’s and Father’s Day to provide tutoring and sports training for kids from low-income families (HKFYG 2008). 3. 0 Environmental Analysis of Shanghai, China Although available in most countries, Famous Amos remains alien to China consumers. China’s transition from a planned to market economy made it one of the largest emerging markets in the world (Ellis and Gadiesh 2006, 6). Firms such as Coca-Cola, Unilever and Danone earn 10-15% of total revenues from three of the largest emerging markets in Asia: China, India and Indonesia (Shankar et. al 2008, 19). To target China as a single market for entry is ridiculously ambitious and therefore, Shanghai has been selected for initial entrance. Shanghai is the most populous city and is dubbed the heart of trading in China. An analysis on the political, legal, economic, financial, technology, social and cultural factors is carried out to determine if it is feasible to expand into Shanghai. 3. 1 Political Environment China’s political system is based on bifurcated authoritarianism, which places power in the hands of a leader who exercises it arbitrarily (Allen 2008). Under reformation, the central government gradually withdraws from direct control of businesses, empowers local authorities in making decisions and frees business activities from strict policies. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report on political instability revealed that China’s political risk is lower than U. S. , France and Spain. China scored 4. 8 on the scale of 10 which indicates moderate risk, putting it at par with countries such as Singapore and India (China politics: Is China less risky than the US? 2009). However, the level of political risk is still concerning due to possible political violence, terrorism and asset seizure. 3. 1. 1 Political Violence China experiences political instability due to the ongoing process of reformation. As a result, backlash against the government erupts in forms of attacks and demonstrations. For instance, over 10,000 people attacked government buildings and set fire to police stations in Guizhou in June 2008 (Li 2008). Another violent attack occurred in Zhejiang in July 2008 where police officers were injured by over 1,000 angry foreign workers (Li 2008). Political instability leads to uncertain economic conditions such as labor strikes and decrease in consumers’ willingness to spend which would affect Famous Amos’ operations. 3. 1. 2 Terrorism Activities of terrorism in China are done by the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang region. Such behaviors are retaliations to the government’s control on religious activities and to the dissatisfaction on government’s economic policy (Branigan 2008). Violence of the Uighur community peaked in 1997, where they engaged in bus bombings and riots after a peaceful protest was suppressed. There were also speculations of terrorist attacks by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) days before the launch of Olympic 2008 (Branigan 2008). To promote stability, the government allocated billions of Yuans to develop Xinjiang and is reducing business restrictions in the region (Paperny 2008). Besides that, the government is strengthening its antiterrorism measures by legislating terrorism laws and collaborating with the European Union to explore antiterrorist issues in theory and in practice (BBC 2006). Although concerning, terrorism occurs in Xinjiang which is located far away from Shanghai and thus, Famous Amos’ operations in Shanghai are unlikely to be impacted. 3. 1. 3 Seizure of Assets There have been several cases of expropriation in China. Expropriation is the governmental action of disposing an investor or foreign company, often with unreasonable compensation. In 2000, the Beijing government invited local and foreign investors to drill oil-wells and signed contracts to enforce the agreements. Few years later, the government breached the contract and seized all privately owned oil-wells, paying compensations that were only 1/3 of the investors’ investment outlays which caused them to make losses (King 2005). The practice of expropriation is exercised mainly on land, building and resources and thus, its effect on Famous Amos is not large. But it could affect the operation if its manufacturing plant is seized. 3. 2 Legal Environment China does not practice common law alongside with other countries. It practices the civil law in conjunction with influences by Confucius. General Principles of Civil Law of People’s Republic in China (1986) was introduced to help clarify the scope of civil law. People of China and foreign investors must abide to the Constitution of the People’s Republic in China (1982). Standardization Law of the Peoples Republic of China was issued on December 1988 and implemented in April 1989. This law contains five components ranging from general to supplementary provisions (Standardization Administration of the Peoples Republic of China Standardization Administration of the Peoples Republic of China 2007). . 2. 1 Intellectual Properly Rights (IPR) Since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), China strengthened its legal framework and amended its IPR to comply with the WTO Agreement on Traded-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). Today, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) is responsible for granting patents, regist ering semiconductor layout designs, and enforcing patents; as well as coordinating domestic foreign-related IPR issues involving copyrights, trademarks and patents (China Gateway 2006). Protection of IP in China follows a two-track system. The first and most prevalent is the administrative track, whereby an IP rights holder files a complaint at the local administrative office. The second is the judicial track, whereby complaints are filed through the court system (China Gateway 2006). Through stronger statutory protection, Famous Amos need not worry that its copyrights, trademarks and patents will be plagiarized. 3. 2. 2 Food Laws Chinas legislature had recently approved the Food Safety Law, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen food safety control from the production line to the dining table (Yee and Wu 2009). The law, which went into effect on June 2009, will enhance monitoring and supervision, toughens safety standards, recall substandard products and severely punish offenders. These would include risk evaluation, the making and implementation of safety standards, and the monitoring of about 500,000 food companies across China, as well as circulation sector (Yee and Wu 2009). Based on this new law, consumers will have more confident on consuming food product from China which has a dire reputation of food product. 3. 2. 3 Quality Control Laws Damages caused by inferior products are major concerns of consumers in China. The laws on liability for defective products are the General Principles of Civil Law and the Product Quality Law (China Orbit n. d. ). Under these laws, a manufacturer is liable for any damage caused by a defect in its product. China’s law does not impose punitive damages (damages intended to punish the manufacturer). The closest analog in China would be what translates roughly as hardship damages. The cap on these damages is RMB 50,000, regardless of severity. 3. 2. 4 Taxation FDI and enterprises in China are governed by â€Å"Rules for the Implementation of the Income Tax Law of the  People’s Republic of China for Enterprises with  Foreign Investment and Foreign Enterprises† (Taxation Law n. d. ). China had recently announced the possibility to cut business tax as part of its efforts to prop up the slowing economy. The government is very likely to soon cut the business tax for enterprises by one percentage point (China to Cut Business Tax 2008). Famous Amos can benefit from the lower tax should the cut is carried out. 3. 2. 5 Corporate Social Responsibility In recent years, China experiences issues related to corporate social responsibility. Few unethical MNCs have evaded the minimal social responsibility in China. For instance, authority discovered that Shenzhen’s Haagen-Dazs kitchen was operated without hygiene permit (People’s Daily 2006). Also, handful multinational employees gave bribes and evaded taxes illegally, some practiced lower labor standards while other foreign-funded enterprises produced sub-standard products in the country (People’s Daily 2006). Consequently, the related companies’ reputations suffer. Famous Amos must be attentive in practicing social responsibility to set a reputable image and ensure that they would not repeat the mistakes that others had done. 3. 3 Economic Environment Ever since it embarked on market economy, China emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing countries. Averaging more than 10% annual growth in GDP, China’s economy sits firmly in third in the world’s nominal GDP ranking; following closely after the United States and Japan with a nominal GDP of $4. 222 trillion in 2008 (China 2009). It is the second largest exporter after Germany, with value of exports up to $1. 65 trillion while imports are valued at $1. 156 trillion for 2008 (China 2009). Although the recent financial crisis has severely impacted many economies, China remains strong with a current account surplus of $440 billion (China’s Balance of Payments Surplus Slows Down 2009). Additionally, the central bank announced that its foreign exchange reserves rose 16% to $ 1. 954 trillion at the end of March 2009, making it the largest reserves holder (Sabloff 2009). It appears that China’s economy is only slightly, if otherwise unaffected, by the recent crumble of the U. S. economy. China’s economy is mainly driven by Shanghai the heart of trading in China. Shanghai’s economy has grown substantially since economic reformation and recorded a growth of more than 10% for 15 consecutive years since 1992 (Shanghai Economy 2009). GDP of the region was reported as $46. 33 billion in the first quarter of 2009 and it hosts the world’s fastest growing share market – the Shanghai Stock Exchange. 3. 3. 1 Demographics of Shanghai As one of the largest metropolitans in the world, Shanghai’s population is approximately 18. 88 million (Population and Employment 2008). The age and gender structures of the Shanghai population, as inferred from a 2005 sample survey (Population and Employment 2008) are as below: †¢ 8. 88% are aged 0 – 14. †¢ 79. 17% are aged 15 – 64. †¢ The remaining 11. 95% are aged 65 and above. †¢ 51. 4% are males while females made up for 48. 6% of the population. Trends in Shanghai’s demographics that should be highlighted are the increase in aging citizens, the rise of the affluent and childless family groups. As a result of lower fertility rate and greater life expectancy, Shanghai faces a problem as its citizens age faster than the youth group’s growth. In 2006, those aged 65 and above grew 4% from 2005 to reach almost 26% (Population and Employment 2008). Another trend is the emergence of a group with higher education and income level; known as the affluent. This group consists of mainly young males with a taste for luxury and very family orientated. Some of the new families in Shanghai are childless due to the reluctance of younger couples to give birth (Li 2009). Younger couples prioritize success in the working field and enjoy life with less financial burden and thus, have higher spending ability. . 3. 2 Labor In 2005, Shanghai employed 8. 613 million people and unemployment rate was 4. 4% (Population and Employment 2008). Minimum wage in Shanghai was raised 14. 3% from 840 Yuan to 960 Yuan due to the increase in cost of living, making minimum wages there the highest in the country (Shanghai Lifts Minimum Wage for Residents 2008). Shanghai has a relatively well-trained labor force, with many well educate and skilled at complicat ed technical manufacturing tasks. The higher minimum wage means higher cost for Famous Amos. Felony Murder Rule Criminal Law EssayLuxury brands such as Versace, Rolex and Moet Chandon have entered China to benefit from the rise of the affluent group. Below are the characteristics of this group according to Wong (2007): †¢ Busy: Most of them have an average leisure time of 15 hours a week. †¢ Family-orientated: As they are always occupied, they value time spent with family highly. †¢ Knowledgeable: They are heavy readers of magazines and newspapers, which also made them skeptical. †¢ High spending: They believe in paying premium prices for higher quality. †¢ Values: Convenience, self-pampering and status. This segment can be reached through advertising in magazines and newspapers. As they are skeptical, public relation may be a more persuasive form of communication. The affluent people have high discretionary incomes and are willing to pay premium for quality and convenience, both offered by Famous Amos. 6. 2 The Working Class Another identified target market is the working group which includes the blue and white collar workforce. People in this group aged 18 to 55, has substantial income and mostly living a hectic lifestyle. Most of the people works in private sectors as 60. 4% of jobs in Shanghai are provided by private firms (Shanghai Jobs: Overall Outlook for Surrounding Area 2007). According to HKTDC (2006), Shanghai has the highest labor cost and highest cost of living in China. In 2005, the average annual salary in Shanghai was 26,823 Yuan up 9. 9% year-on-year (HKTDC 2006). The working class is generally well-paid which means that they have considerable purchasing power. The working class makes up for most of China’s 250 million middle-class population (Wang 2009). Middle-class people tend to own at least a house and a car, to eat-out and to be familiar with foreign brands and ideas (Chang 2008). In fact, the middle-class people are aspired to be affluent. They learn English, wear branded apparels, use expensive gadgets and consume premium goods for a taste of luxury (Chang 2008). This segment is concentrated in the urban area, which makes marketing efforts easier. Activities to target the affluent group also work well for this group as they aspire to be rich and consume like the rich. Since most of the working people are well-educated, they can be reached through communications in reading materials and the internet. 6. 3 Children In China, there are currently more than 800 million children ages from 4 to 12 years with an estimated of 3. 7 million located in Shanghai. 70% of the children are from the urban and 30% from rural areas (McNeal and Yeh 1996). These children have three main sources of income which they receive as gifts from seniors on special occasions, regular allowances and money from grandparents (McNeal and Yeh 1996). Children in Shanghai are just like children from other parts of the world who are carefree and dependent on adults. They do not place much value on the products they purchase as long as it is tasty and available. Children are chosen as a target market because they are the major consumers of confectionaries and are easily influenced to try new products. Additionally, they have income in the form of pocket money from seniors which they could spend without saving. 6. 4 Student The size of China’s student population has doubled to 23 million in less than eight years. Currently, China accommodates approximately 2. 5 million foreign students (International Workshop on Higher Education Reforms in Shanghai 2008). Shanghai itself has over 450,000 students in 2005 and the number is growing rapidly due to the concentration of education institutions in the region (Students Tout Travel to Peers 2005). This indicates the tudent segment is also a potential market for Famous Amos. The student segment consists mostly of individuals aged 18 to 24 that are still studying in colleges and universities. This group is mainly concentrated in the urban area where education institutions are located. Students ty pically spend their time in campus, on the internet or in shopping malls socializing. Although majority are financially dependent on parents, there are some who work part-time to earn extra income. Many of them are living away from home and therefore, will be making choices over which brand to purchase for the first time. Hence, attracting students at this time will result in high brand loyalty over their lifetime. Additionally, students are influencers as majority of them are early adopters and innovators (Target Market – Innovators, Early Adopters, Influencers n. d. ). They will then influence people around them to try out new products. 7. 0 Marketing Mix Strategies Although Shanghai is an attractive market, Famous Amos’ expansion is complicated by obstacles such as competing on unfamiliar ground dominated by local firms, introducing a new category of food items, communication barriers and coping with deep-seated social and cultural customs. All that can be overcome with the right marketing mix and a change of attitude to a more globalized perspective. The four elements of marketing mix are discussed in the following sections. 7. 1 Products Product is a collection of attributes, tangible or intangible, which provides satisfaction to the buyer or end-user (Fletcher and Brown 2005, 286). The scenario chosen by this study is the confectionary product done by Famous Amos. This includes cookies and other same genre type items such as muffins, etc. A competitive advantage of Famous Amos is that its products come in both pre-packed and freshly baked form. The emphasis is on freshly baked products such as cookies are due to the fact that Famous Amos is the first foreign company to do so in Shanghai. 7. 1. 1 Brand Famous Amos is a highly recognizable brand and is labeled as the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. As mentioned earlier, the objective is to achieve 75% customer awareness within one year among the targeted segments and therefore, it is important to highlight the benefits of its products. Famous Amos is positioned as a premium brand where its consumption is associated with self-pampering and status. This fact will be particularly attractive to the affluent and working classes as they value premium quality. Another way is to position its cookies as the ideal breakfast snacks along with Kellogg’s Breakfast Plan which will induce frequent consumption. 7. 1. 2 Standardization vs. Adaptation One of the issues in international marketing and product development is the degree to which a company adapts its products according to the market (Czinkota and Ronkainen 1995, 157). Standardization means offering a common product on a global basis whereas adaptation means changing a product to satisfy local needs (Chee and Harris 1998, 375). Since it is entering a new market with different cultural and social backgrounds, it needs to customize its products according to the market’s needs. Apart from its existing 9 flavors, Famous Amos has to modify its products according to local taste to ensure that they will be accepted by the targeted segments. The customizations are necessary to plant awareness and to capture market share. It was specify in one of the marketing objectives that Famous Amos needs to develop at least 4 new flavors for the Shanghai market. One way to alter its products is to introduce local ingredients such as adding orange zest and almond nuts to its cookies or rolling out new flavors such as green tea and red bean chocolate cookies. For a healthier option, there are the oatmeal cookies while vegetarians can opt for egg-free chocolate cookies. 7. 1. 3 Packaging and Labeling Famous Amos’ standard packaging is only available in yellow colour. More attractive packaging patterns need to be incorporated as Shanghai people value aesthetics highly. For instance, red and orange bags can be used to package cookies during Chinese New Year and heart-shaped boxes can be used on Valentine Day. It is also proposed for its packaging to be split into smaller sizes for children and students as their pocket money may be insufficient to buy large packets. Since Mandarin is the official spoken and written language, it is wise for Famous Amos to label its products in dual-language (Mandarin and English). Ingredients labeling are especially important since consumers are getting more health conscious and fanatic about hazardous chemicals such as melamine. 7. 1. 4 Services Famous Amos provides a very unique service where it helps customers to wrap their purchases. This serves as one of the reasons for many to patronize its specialty stores during festivities. Gifts are wrapped in many ways such as hampers, boxes, bouquets with items such as soft toys, cups, tins, and chocolates. 7. Pricing Price is an integral part of a product. It is difficult to talk about a product without considering its price as a product cannot exist without a price. Price is one of the marketing mixes that the company uses to achieve its marketing objectives. Pricing decisions must be coordinated with product design, distribution and promotion decisions to form a consistent and effective marketing program (Kotler et. al 2003, 335). There are various factors that can affect price. For instance the law of supply and demand, cost, exchange rate, tariffs and distribution cost, etc. , they are all highly influential to the company’s pricing decision. 7. 2. Dual Pricing Famous Amos uses dual pricing instead of worldwide pricing. Having said, we compared the prices offered by Singapore and Malaysia for instance. The 200gram cookies-in-bag sold in Singapore cost S$8. 20 (equivalent to RM19. 75) while in Malaysia, it cost RM14. 90 for the same amount of cookies (Famous Amos Singapore 2008). This is mainly due to the cost differences, along with the contrast of tariffs imposed and distribution cost in the two different counties. However, Famous Amos is still considered as premium cookies in the two countries as they are both priced higher than the other ordinary shelf cookies. 7. 2. 2 Product Line Pricing Famous Amos specialized in making cookies and only cookies. Hence, they have a vertical product line, whereby their cookies are priced according to the weight (Famous Amos Singapore 2008).. For instance, freshly baked cookies sold in specialized stores comes in 100g is sold for RM7. 70, 200g (RM14. 90), 300g (RM22. 70), 400g (RM29. 90) while the 500g for RM37. 70 in Malaysia. 7. 2. 3 Price-Bundling Price bundling here defined as offering two distinct products and offer them in a single bundle sold at a single price, with the aim of appealing two different market segments with contrasting willingness to pay with one offer and improve profits (Smith 2008). Despite offering just cookies, Famous Amos also offers its cookies together along other stuffs (wines, chocolates, candies, teddy bears, free delivery) in gift forms for every occasion. For example, the Chinese New Year Abundance gift set offered in Singapore, it includes a bottle of Australian wine, 4 different types of cookies with tin, a box of chocolate, a greeting card and free delivery to anywhere in Singapore (Famous Amos Singapore 2008). 7. 2. 4 Premium Pricing Strategy Famous Amos positions itself as superior cookies above other as all of its cookies are baked to perfection with the finest ingredients. Hence, it uses a premium pricing strategy in every country to maintain its standards. Moreover, it does not practice price dumping and price penetration at all in order to remain itself as a premium brand. With such high quality, Famous Amos’s level of competence has yet to be achieved by its main competitors. It is suggested that Famous Amos can price its cookies sold in Shanghai in two ways: ? Direct conversion from United States prices. ? Charge higher price above competitors prices in Shanghai. 7. 3 Promotion Promotions are tools used to communicate marketing messages to target consumers such as advertising, public relations and sales promotions. Famous Amos’ promotion tools are advertising, sales promotions and public relations. 7. 3. 1 Advertising Advertising is any form of non-personal presentation that is paid for. Famous Amos will focus on informative advertising since it is new in Shanghai. To boost popularity, it can sign endorsements with well-known local actresses like Gong Li, Zhang Zi Yi and basketball player Yao Ming to be its spokespersons. To build brand awareness, it has to expose itself through advertising in television, printed materials and the internet. †¢ Television Radio Famous Amos can take up advertising space when the viewing rate is high such as after-working time to target the working class. †¢ Billboard/Magazines/Newspapers In terms of print advertisements, it can advertise on newspapers, magazines and billboards. This form of communication is very effective to reach the affluent and working groups as they are regular readers. †¢ Internet Since the usage of internet is high in Shanghai and students spend a lot of time online, it can posts notifications on its latest products and promotions on its Shanghai based website to create awareness. 7. 3. 2 Sales Promotion Sales promotions are techniques used to stimulate short-term response (Dahringer and Muhlbacher 1991, 480). Examples include product sampling, trade-shows and patronage rewards. †¢ Flyers, pamphlets and discount vouchers Flyers and pamphlets along with discount vouchers can be distributed in housing and office area. This distribution can help customers get the latest promotion information and special discount for them, and therefore, the awareness of new brand Famous Amos can be increased. Furthermore, this point of purchase will induce impulse buying. †¢ Festivals promotion with launching of new products In conjunction with celebrated occasions such as Chinese New Year and Valentines Day, new flavors will be introduced along with promotions. ? 14th February 2010: Chinese Lunar New Year Introduce the orange-zest topped cookies and hampers in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebration. ? 14th February 2010: Universal Valentines Day Launching of almond and green tea flavored cookies as research showed that consumers are interested in local flavors. ? 16th August 2010: Qi Xi (Chinese Valentines Day) Red bean flavored cookies are launched. ? 25th December 2010: Christmas Special Christmas themed packaging and advertisement scheme. ? Throughout the year: Roll-out of oatmeal and vegetarian cookies for health-conscious consumers. Provide free-samplings to stimulate trial. †¢ Joint promotion with colleges/universities and schools. As students and children are two of the targeted segments, Famous Amos can promote its cookies in colleges, universities and schools. Apart from free samples, it can offer special student rates for immediate purchases. †¢ Complementary merchandises To show appreciation of customer support, they will receive gifts for purchases until a certain level. Below 500grams Pen 500grams-1kg Cup (1 liter) Above 1kg Umbrella †¢ Patronage Reward Offer Frequent-Purchase cards with 30 stamps. For every purchase of above 250grams, customers are eligible for 1 stamp. After 30 stamps are collected, customers will be rewarded a free 250 grams of any choice of cookies during the next purchase. This can induce loyalty in Famous Amos customers. 7. 3. 3 Public Relations Public relation activities like fund-raising and sponsorships yield reports from third-party which adds to the credibility of a brand and helps create brand awareness. Famous Amos may use press releases to inform people of its contributions to the community, the environment and nutrition to build reputable image. It can sponsor for 10% of Shanghai City Children’s Welfare for the whole year and also sports events such as China Basketball Association Playoffs. 7. 4 Distribution The distribution process involves all stages from the making of a product until it reaches the end-consumer. Specifically, it includes the physical handling of goods, the passage of ownership and the negotiations that take place in between. In this case, distribution activities can be classified into two broad categories: activities that make Famous Amos available in Shanghai and the local distribution networks in Shanghai. 7. 4. 1 Making Famous Amos Available in Shanghai Famous Amos can enter Shanghai through one of these two methods: exporting or acquisition. Depending on the entry strategy, the types of intermediary used will vary. Famous Amos can export its products into Shanghai through domestic or foreign middlemen. Domestic middlemen, located in the manufacturing firm’s country, provide marketing services from a domestic base (Cateora and Graham 2002, 419). Examples are global retailers, export management companies (EMC) and export merchants. For its pre-packed products, Famous Amos can utilize global retailers that operate in Shanghai such as Marks Spencer, Wal-mart and Parkson. It can also engage in EMCs that handle all matters from exporting to storing and distributing. However, the cost associated with the use of EMC is high. Alternatively, it can seek the service of foreign middlemen which operate from foreign base, performing similar tasks as domestic middlemen. Since its parent company is a successful global firm, t could perform direct export into Shanghai using its internal network. The Kellogg Company had recently acquired the Zhenghang Food Company as an entry strategy into China. The acquisition includes two manufacturing facilities, as well as the company’s sales and distribution networks (China Food Drink Report Q1 2009 2009). Famous Amos benefits from this as it can eliminate substantial amount of transport costs when its products are manufactured in China. Besides that, their in-country distributions (Zhenghang’s existing network) are also sufficiently established. 7. 4. 2 Local Distribution in Shanghai When its products made way into Shanghai, it is then concerned with the in-country distribution network. As it is a new brand, it needs to establish a distribution network that has high coverage so that its products can be accessed by targeted segments. This can be achieved by selling through specialty stores, retailers and convenience stores. Franchising is an agreement where a licensee purchases a brand name, pre-packaged goods and operating methods of a firm (Lynch 2000, 583). The presence of Famous Amos specialty stores in the global market is due to its effective franchising. Famous Amos offers high level of franchising support such as staff training, location analysis, site renovation, equipments, operation manual and field support (Support and Training n. d. ). This method of growth involves lower risk, less supervision and the licensor splits profit with the franchise holder. It is likely that many will be interested in taking up its franchise as it is a profitable and credible brand. Specialty stores are mostly set up in shopping malls, although there have been scenarios where franchisees have allocated a stand-alone shop just for selling cookies. Consumers prefer to buy from its specialty stores as the cookies are freshly baked and gift-wrapping services are provided. To achieve its objective of establishing 15 franchises by the end of 2010 is relatively easy as there are many shopping malls, mostly high-end malls, in Shanghai such as Plaza 66, Citic Square, Westgate, Grand Gateway and Times Square. The presence of specialty stores in these malls will help to promote brand awareness and capture market share as these malls have high human traffic. Famous Amos can also sell its pre-packed products through convenience stores, global and local retailers. Selling through retailers seemed to be the rational thing to do when Shanghai’s retail sector is booming. Retail sales in March 2009 jumped 15% since December 2008 to $430 billion, as citizens’ incomes rise and savings pile up (Zhang 2009). Apart from global retailers such as Parkson, Wal-mart, Carrefour, Isetan and Marks Spencer; Famous Amos can also sell through major local retailers such as Roly China, Hualian and Bailian (all based in Shanghai). Through these retailers, Famous Amos’ products will be sold at hundreds of stores across Shanghai which will generate greater sales and penetrate into more areas. Similarly, its products can be distributed through convenience stores like 7-11, Lawson, Family Mart and C-store. 7. 4. 3 The Internet High internet usage in China has opened up a whole new market for online retailing. In 2008 alone, Shan