Comparison of Buying Behaviour: Own Brand and Label Food

Comparison of Buying Behaviour: Own Brand and Label Food CHAPTER ONE 1. INTRODUCTION In the UK, for nearly two thirds of consumers, own-label is an important reason to shop in a particular store. Value for money, availability and the breadth of products on offer are the key factors attracting customers to own label products. (Mintel Report, 2007). Own-label brands give consumers the opportunity to find something new at a supermarket, while branded is the same whichever store a consumer buys from. Consumers are increasingly careful about their grocery shop, using forward planning and budgeting to control the amount they spend. Shopping habits have become more price-focused with rising numbers of consumers looking for the lowest prices and special offers. Retail brands do not yet command the same degree of brand loyalty that the big brand names do, even though many consumers do agree that taste and quality are often on a par. (Mintel Report, 2008). According to Mintel report (2006) when it comes to choosing brands over own-label products, familiarity and trust are important criteria. Europe is the most developed region of the world for own label groceries and in Europe, own label is growing faster than manufacturers brands. Own-label brands and ranges can span all categories, something manufacturers brands cannot do. This presence builds trust and strengthens own-label branding. Retailers are able to suppress prices below competitors. The scale and flexibility of own-label production can also lead to a quick response to changing consumer needs and occasions. Consumer buying behaviour has remarkably influenced by the current credit crunch/recession. (Mintel Report, 2006) The UK is also experiencing a large increase in immigration. In October 2005, National Statistics reported that a record 582,000 people came to live in the UK from elsewhere in the world. It also predicted that the population might increase by up to 7.2 million over the next 25 years, with more than half the rise being attributed to immigration. This will boost overall demand for all retail goods. Own label or private brand can be hard to establish and costly to stock and promote. However, they also yield higher profit margins for the reseller. And they give resellers exclusive products that cannot be bought from competitors, resulting in greater store traffic and loyalty. (Mintel Report, 2006) The study is an investigation in to the current issues concerned with consumer buying behaviour for branded and own-label food. Consumer buying attitude has been greatly influenced by the current credit crunch and nine out of ten consumers thinking their financial situation has got worse over the last 12 months. (Mintel Report, 2008) This study will investigate the factors that influence buying behaviour of consumers shopping at an ALDI store. Factors such as price, quality of products, family size, culture, particular food product, financial background, gender and different age groups of consumers will be considered. Two thirds of consumers are looking out for deals/promotions, over half only buy what they need and just under a third go to discounters or cook from scratch more often. (Mintel Report, 2008). According to Foley (2008) ALDI is a rapidly grown discount supermarket and growing rapidly, pulling in thousands of new customers trying to save a few pounds on their weekly shop. ALDIs big boast is that it carries a limited range i.e. just over 1000 products (and only 15 brand names) compared with the 25,000 product lines in a supermarket such as Tesco, but buys in huge numbers and gets top quality. ALDI rigorously controls costs and their stores are all basic. There is no fancy flooring or fixtures. The lighting is definitely not designed to enhance the products. You dont take the shop home, only the food†. It is the same product but it doesnt cost more because of its decoration. In order to save money; over four in ten consumers buy more own-label value lines, buy own-label products more often or have switched to cheaper brands. (Foley, 2008). Individuals aged between 15-34 shows the greatest growth in the tendency to look for the lowest prices. Between 2006 and 2011, the number of people over 65 is projected to increase by 10.1%, increasing their proportion of the population as a whole from 21.6% to 23.4%. This obviously means that the proportion of the population who are retired, on fixed incomes, and, therefore, managing on tighter budgets will increase, this should maintain interest in lower-cost, own-brand goods. Furthermore this research will also focus on quality of branded and own-label food products from a consumer perspective. Assumptions that an own label is a cheap version of the manufacturer brand; is not evident. The gap in quality that was evident over a decade ago has been reduced in recent years. This is supported by Chaney, 2004 who concluded that every sale places the retailers highly valued name at risk and this has meant that there is increasingly little difference in the quality level of own brands compared to manufacturers brands. (Chaney, 2004). 1.1 Aims and Objectives 1.1.1 Aims The study aims to investigate consumer buying behaviour with regards to branded and own-label food products using ALDI as a case study. 1.1.2 Objectives 1. To carry out a literature review on consumer behaviour with regards to purchasing food and the current issues concerned with branded and own-label products. 2. By use of a case-study and questionnaire determine consumer behaviour with regards to branded and own label food products. 3. To compare and contrast the quality of own label and branded foods from a consumer perspective. 4. To analyze the primary data collected in the light of the secondary data in order to identify the key issues that influence consumer behaviour and the purchasing of own-label and branded food products. CHAPTER TWO 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction The aim of the literature review is to evaluate critically current data from research relevant to the aims and objectives of the project and evaluate the findings. 2.2 Evaluate critically the UK food retail market Seth and Randall (1999) stated that supermarkets across the developed world have been a key feature of the second half of the twentieth century, and the UK supermarket in its own right has, and in a world context, has been both important and distinctive. The UK is today often seen as the worlds most innovative retail market. Presentation and range, 06 goods including adventurous new chilled food and meal solutions are product fields that the rest of the world is still discovering; this has lead to researches such as, suggesting that it is difficult to fault UK sourcing energies or innovative drive. Next there is own-label. This plays an increasingly important and developmental role in this respect. They also mentioned that supermarkets activities have affected our lives and changed them as substantially as probably any other single influence. Supermarkets are universal, their customers drawn from all elements in society, from richest to poorest. It has been calculated that today the average British citizen will spend two years of their life or 3 percent of a normal waking life inside the doors of a supermarket. According to Embargo (1996), the average UK household spends over  £50 per week on food. Between us this amounts to 43 billion spent throughout the year. This is about 12 percent of total consumer expenditure, and a massive 85 per cent of this is spent in supermarkets. Embargo (1996) also stated that the British supermarkets are a 20th-century invention, offering the shopper unprecedented variety and convenience. From humble beginnings as a stall in Leeds or as West End Dairy, they have grown to dominate food retailing. Over 80 per cent of consumers regularly shop in supermarkets for food and basic household goods. According to Embargo (1996), one of the most significant trends in supermarket retailing is the growth in own-label sales relative to branded products. Own-label lines, sold under the supermarkets name, have become an effective way for the big stores to increase profits and build customer loyalty. Own-brand options are available for the majority of foods, offering consumers a wider choice of goods than ever before. (Embargo, 1996) According to Verdict Research (UK Food Grocery Retailers 2009 (April, 2009), in 2008 food and grocery specialists defied wider retail market gloom, increasing their combined sales by 5.0% to  £124.1bn. Grocers performed especially well with sales ahead by 5.6% their strongest growth since 2001. Food price inflation has driven market growth. Higher energy costs, a series of crop failures and growing food demand from China pushed UK food grocery inflation up to 6.4%. Even price-keen grocers experienced their highest rate of inflation in 17 years at 4.7%. (Verdict Research, April 2009) According to verdict Research, April 2009) the credit crunch and subsequent recession, plus inflation have had a profound impact on consumer behaviour and the wider dynamics of grocery retailing. Price, or more specifically value, now sits firmly at the top of the consumer agenda. Customers are searching for the best prices and increasingly switching to own label or alternative brands. (Verdict Research, April 2009) According to Verdict research i.e. UK Retail Futures 2013 (April 2009), though food grocery will significantly outperform the wider retail market, the recession is resulting in an unprecedented change in consumer behaviour. The discounters are enjoying impressive growth, while the major grocers focus on enhancing value credentials, leading to what we believe will be long-lasting changes to the grocery market. Verdict believes two key drivers will inhibit growth in food grocery over the next five years. Firstly, with consumers more cautious and trading down, value growth will slow. Secondly, grocers will find it tougher to open new stores especially superstores, with space and volume growth easing as a consequence. (Verdict Research Retail futures, April 2009) Grocers are focusing more effort on developing their own-brand offers, either through lower prices or through the introduction of new ranges to build scale, increase choice, promote value credentials and boost margins. (Verdict Research Retail futures, April 2009) 2.3 Evaluate critically Factors that affect UK food retail market According to Kathawala (1989), quality may mean different things to different people, for instance, Juran defines quality as â€Å"fitness for use† while Crosby defines it as â€Å"conformance to requirements†. Their definitions imply a quality standard equated to that of satisfying the customers demand. Deming defines quality as â€Å"surpassing customers needs and expectations throughout the life of the product†. Feigenbaum indicated the ever-changing and elusive nature of quality when he defined it as â€Å"a moving target†. Kathawala (1989) mentioned, a comprehensive definition of quality would include all four aspects, â€Å"Conformance to requirements, surpassing customers needs and expectations throughout the life of the product, quality is a moving target, quality is fitness for use†. (Kathawala, 1989). Armstrong and Kotler (2007) stated that, quality has a direct impact on product or service performance; it is closely linked to customer value and satisfaction. He claimed, in the narrowest sense, quality can be defined as â€Å"freedom from defects†. But most customer-centered companies go beyond this narrow definition. Instead, they define quality in terms of creating customer value and satisfaction. According to Armstrong and kotler, (2007) The American Society for Quality defines quality as the characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied customer needs. Similarly, Siemens defines quality this way: â€Å"Quality is when our customer comes back and our products dont†. (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007). According to Solomon (1996), consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is determined by the overall feelings, or attitude, a person has about a product after it has been purchased. Solomon (1996) also mentioned that, product quality affects customer satisfaction, which in turn, results in increased profitability among firms who provide quality products. Consequently Quality is more than a marketing buzzword. Customers want quality and value. Especially because of foreign competition, claims of product quality have become strategically crucial to maintaining a competitive advantage. Consumers use a number of cues to infer quality, including brand name, price and even their own estimates of how much money has been put into a new products advertising campaign. Solomon (1996) mentioned that, one way to define quality is to establish uniform standards to which products from around the world must conform. This is the intent of the International Standards Organization. Seth and Randall (2000) stated that, the supermarkets know that they rely absolutely on their customers confidence in the safety of the food they buy. They work hard to deserve that confidence, and their record shows that they do. According to Smith (1997) â€Å"Quality is about listening to our customers and delivering more than they expect. Its about paying attention to the smallest details and getting it right first time, every time. Most important, quality is a continuous process that involves every employee. By making small improvements every day, we can make real progress and deliver increasingly higher levels of customer satisfaction. Quality allows us to measure and compare our performance against the best in class. It sets the standards for our support services and enables us to focus training and development on the most important areas†. According to Solomon (1996), â€Å"Perception is the process by which physical sensations, such as sights, sound, and smells, are selected, organized, and interpreted. The eventual interpretation of a stimulus allows it to be assigned meaning. A perceptual map is a widely used marketing tool that evaluates the relative standing of competing brands along relevant dimensions†. (Solomon, 1996) As a result consumers have a particular perception of a particular product, they expect and know what to expect from branded. Therefore the non-branded product must as far as possible meet these perceptions if it is to compete with the branded product. A cheaper product may compensate for some variation but the own brand product must be recognisable by the consumer. Almost every business has a trading name, from the smallest market trader to the largest multi-national corporation. Only a minority of those businesses however, have what could be classed as a ‘brand or a ‘brand name. Branding is a word commonly referred to by advertisers and marketing people. Armstrong and Kotler (2007) stated that, â€Å"a brand is a name or symbol that is commonly known to identify a company or its products and separate them from the competition†. They go on to say a well-known brand is generally regarded as one that people will recognise, often even if they do not know about the company or its products/services. These are usually the businesses name or the name of a product, although it can also include the name of a feature or style of a product. The overall ‘branding of a company or product can also stretch to a logo, symbol, or even design features (E.g.: Regularly used colours or layouts, such as red and white for Coca Cola.) that identify the company or its products/services. (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007). For example: The Nike brand name is known throughout the world, people can identify the name and logo even if they have never bought any of their products. However, not only is the company name a brand, but the logo (The ‘tick symbol) is also a strong piece of branding in its own right. The majority of people that are aware of the company can also identify it (or its products) from this symbol alone. The clothing and running shoe company Adidas is well known for using three stripes on its range of products. This design feature branding allows people to identify their products, even if the Adidas brand name and logo is not present. (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007). 2.4 Strengths and weaknesses of own-label food and drink. Table 1: Strengths and weaknesses of own-label food and drink, as stated by Mintel, (2006). According to Business Services (2009), the main benefit of branding is that customers are much more likely to remember a business. A strong brand name and logo/image helps to keep a company image in the mind of potential customers. If a business sells products that are often bought on impulse, a customer recognising a brand could mean the difference between no-sale and a sale. Even if the customer is not aware of selling of particular product, if they trust that brand, they are likely to trust unfamiliar products. If a customer is happy with your products or services, a brand helps to build customer loyalty across the business. For example Marks and Spencer is recognised by consumers as offering a specified standard of quality they therefore assume if they buy any food product from Marks and Spencer the product will be of the same quality standard. (Business Services, 2009). A strong brand will project an image of a large and established business to potential customers. People usually associate branding with larger businesses that have the money to spend on advertising and promotion. The creation of effective branding can make business appear to be much bigger than it really is. An image of size and establishment can be especially important when a customer wants reassurance that particular brand will still be around in a few years time. (Business Services, 2009). A strong brand projects an image of quality in the business; many people see the brand as a part of a product or service that helps to show its quality and value. According to Business Services (2009), if you show a person two identical products, only one of which is branded, they will almost always believe the branded item is higher quality. Over time the image of quality of an effective branding business will usually go up. Of course, branding cannot replace good quality, and bad publicity will damage a brand (and businesses image), especially if it continues over a long period of time. For example: The Sunny Delight drinks brand was one of the biggest in the UK just a year after its launch. However, constant bad publicity about the quality of the product has severely damaged the image of the brand, and sales have dropped for each of the past several years. (Business Services, 2009). A strong brand creates an image of an established business that has been around for long enough to become well known. A branded business is more likely to be seen as experienced in their products or services, and will generally be seen as more reliable and trustworthy than an unbranded business. Most people will believe that a business would be hesitant to put their brand name on something that was of poor quality. (Business Services, 2009). If a business has a strong brand, it allows you to link together several different products or ranges. A brand name can be used on every product or service a company sell, meaning that customers for one product will be more likely to buy another product of same brand. For Example: Sony sells televisions, music equipment, consoles, camcorders, DVD players, video players, and etc all under the Sony brand name. Creation of separate brand names for product ranges allowing people to see brand name, and then use the range brand name to work out what they wish to buy. For Example: Cadburys makes a range of confectionary under many different sub-brand names such as Dairy Milk, Boost, Flake, and Time Out. All of these are sold under the product brand, but all feature the Cadburys brand name on the packaging. (Business Services, 2009). A strong brand is memorable, but people still need to be exposed to it, this often requires a lot of advertising and PR over a long period of time, which can be very costly. There are also costs involved with the creating of a brand image or logo (Paying for a designer, printing new letterheads/business cards etc.), and although most of these are only one off costs, they are still relatively large for most small businesses. The exposure of a brand can be left to word of mouth, this will save money, but will also greatly slow down the exposure that the brand receives. (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007). One of the main problems with many branded businesses is that they lose their personal image. The ability to deal on a personal basis with customers is one of the biggest advantages small business have, and poorly designed branding could give customers the impression that a business is losing its personal touch. (Business Services, 2009). Every brand has a certain image to potential customers, and part of that image is about what products or services a company sell. If a company is known for selling just one product and want to sell another product, will that company be able to do so effectively? If a company sell computers, would that brand name be suitable for selling vacuum cleaners? If a brand is focused too strongly on one product, it can limit the ability to sell other products. (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007). The process of creating a brand will usually take a long period of time. As well as creating a brand and updating your signs and equipment (e.g. stationary, vehicles etc), it need to expose to potential customers. It is commonly shown that people need to see an advert at least three times before they absorb it, which means that a company will need to advertise and promote the brand for a considerable amount of time before it will become well known. (Business Services, 2009). The continuing development of own-label brands can be largely attributed to ownership concentration in the retailing industry by multiples such as Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda. The two leading supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsburys have exploited this branding strategy to the extent that 50 percent of their sales are their own-label products. The supermarkets are committing considerable finances to their own-labels to increase their penetration. (Chaney, 2004). In marketing own-label brands the retailers have several advantages over manufacturer brands. Own-label brands can access the prime shelves as this space is controlled by the retailer. Manufacturer brands generally have to pay for the privilege of displaying and merchandising their goods. Furthermore, retailers, unlike the manufacturers, have knowledge of competitors sales figures and promotions. (Chaney, 2004). 2.5 Evaluate literature that relating to consumer behaviour According to Colla (2003), discount food retailing has experienced considerable expansion over the last ten years and currently occupies an important position in the European retail industry. According to Shine et al (1997), Consumers have become increasingly interested in nutritional issues over recent years. This interest in nutrition is fuelled by a number of factors including lifestyle, ageing population, dietary and safety concerns. The consumer is influenced by various sources of information such as the family/household, social network, â€Å"popular media†, and government dietary guidelines Shine et al (1997) also stated that majority of consumers consider diet to be a very important component of their lifestyles and regard nutrition as a positive attribute of food products. Increasing consumer interest in nutrition has led to an increased interest in nutrition labelling. Nutrition labelling was found to have an impact on consumer purchase decisions. Of those consumers who read nutritional labels, 81 per cent use them in their evaluation of food products. According to Baltas (2001), Nutrition labelling of food products has received considerable attention in the marketing literature due to increasing consumer interest in health and diet issues. He also stated, nutrition labelling of food products is intended to enable informed consumer choices and stimulate the consumption and production of healthful products. The effectiveness of nutrition labelling depends also on the organisation and presentation of the information, implying the importance of regulatory issues. Baltas (2001) stated that in the UK, more than 80 percent of surveyed individuals claim that they look at labels and that label information affects their purchase decision. Most consumers also use information on nutrition labels the first time they purchase a product and this then becomes a source of new knowledge they can draw on in subsequent purchases. Baltas (2001) also stated nutritional attributes are, of course, only a subset of objective and perceived characteristics such as price, taste and brand name determining consumer preferences. Their relative importance for the determination of consumption patterns may vary not only over people, but also across product categories and purchase occasions. According to Mintel, (Food Packaging UK, 2008) the most important consideration for consumers is that the packaging to compost is not always realistic. Mintel also stated, Four in five shoppers agreed that the food inside was not accurately depicted on the packaging. Nearly as many confirmed that it was sometimes hard to tell how much food was inside the packaging. (Mintel, Food Packaging UK, 2008). Shoppers at discounters; Morrisons and the Co-op found it harder to tell the quantity of food from the packaging it looks as though these supermarkets could be more accurate in their own-label packaging. Consumers should be able to take a good look at the food item they are buying to get an idea what it looks like and how much it contains. (Mintel, Food Packaging UK, 2008). According to Mintel (2006), significant differences are evident between the attitudes of men and women towards food packaging. Almost two thirds of women, compared to just over half of men, say that labelling is important when deciding what to buy. Womens role as the key grocery purchaser in many households has removed the need for men to study labels more carefully when choosing what to buy. However, growth of one-person households is expected to bring mens attitudes towards packaging more in line with those of women, as an increasing number of men take responsibility for doing their grocery shopping. According to Mintel Report (Food Packaging, 2006), â€Å"Consumer attention on the environmental impact of packaging is set to continue, with further debate anticipated on the sustainability of different packaging systems and the environmental impact of reuse, recycling and incineration. Biodegradable plastics are already emerging and a gradual wider acceptance of the concept is expected, while the pressure to engineer improved performance whilst utilising less material resources will continue to exercise packaging manufacturers†. According to Montgomery (2008), a study by the Co-operative Bank revealed that more than a third of people surveyed are making cuts in their weekly shopping spend. â€Å"Were typically spending  £68.33 per adult on the weekly supermarket shop, compared with an average of  £89.88 in 2007†. Montgomery stated that, its no surprise that the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Asda are feeling the pinch. (Montgomery, 2008). She also explain that the two key items to have dropped off our shopping lists are flowers and magazines, while next on the hit list is bottled water, expensive handwash and CDs, followed by wine, teeth whitening products, fabric conditioner, unsliced bread and nail polish. (Montgomery, 2008). Emma Thomas, from the Co-operative Bank, commented: People are being more conservative in their spending and are finding that cutting back on luxury items can help make a difference. Developing a household budget is essential to keep spending in check and to identify ways costs can be trimmed. (Montgomery, 2008). â€Å"Thanks to the credit crunch, the budget supermarket chains, such as Cost-cutter, Aldi and Lidl, have been transformed from the haunt of cash-strapped students to the savvy housewifes favourite†. (Montgomery, 2008). Montgomery (2008) stated that, sales at Cost-cutter (budget supermarket) have grown by 6.2% so far this year. Lidl came out as the cheapest supermarket after a recent survey carried out by â€Å"Which?† magazine. Montgomery (2008) explains that in a price comparison of a typical shopping basket, the publication found that Aldi was 3% more expensive, while Tesco was 21% more expens

Hope and Saul Bellow :: Biography Biographies Essays

Hope and Saul Bellow      Ã‚  Ã‚   People grow up to respect their elders, their society, and their lifestyle. We learn from the people around us and our own experience. Saul Bellow presents his moral code and the standards that he believes people should follow. His characters experience loneliness and alienation from society. They place blame on the people around them, society, and religion. Each character believes in something; hope is everything to them. They think they can promote change and achieve a moral standard. Bellow believes in the human spirit. His characters show that no matter what we are presented with, or what hand fate deals us, we can conquer.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bellow acknowledges the primitive tendencies latent in human beings. Scratch the surface of human civilization, and you will find the beast lying just below. As Frank D. McConnell states "the shuddering recognition of how little distant we actually are from the savagery of our origins, how fragile a thing is the civilization which makes, we continue to tell ourselves, our life worth living". Bellow's protagonists sense this dark side of the human spirit lurking within society. They struggle to find decency and meaning in the chaos of the world.    In Bellow's novel The Victim, the main character, Asa Leventhal, a resident of Chicago, struggles with his identity in a subtle way. Instead of philosophizing about who he is and what he is doing, he creates conflict with people and society. Allbee lost his job and had a drinking problem, Levanthal could have helped get him a new job or given him assistance. He is insecure about what he is doing, because despite his wish to ignore and turn away his old friend Kirby Allbee, he also feels compelled to help him.   Allbee places all the blame on Levanthal for losing his job. If Levanthal had talked to him and told him it was also due to his drinking problem and relationship difficulties, he would not be blamed for costing Allbee his job. Instead, he takes responsibility he is unwilling to confront Allbee, wanting none of Allbee's problems to invade his life. As Derek Rubin writes in his analysis of Levanthal's faults "Levanthal's being caught between his desire to turn Allbee away and his inability to ignore Allbee's demand for help is related to his insecurity as a marginal man"(1). Kirby tries to reason with Leventhal, but is turned away " 'Watch your talk,' said Leventhal stiffly.

Recounts Of The Birth Of Singapore Essay

Who / Year How it started When the reign ended Why he left Sejarah Melayu Seri Teri Buana, Prince of Palembang / 1299 Decided to stay after he saw the merlion and renamed Temasek as Singapura After 5 generations / 1396 Last king, Iskandar Shah betrayed by his official who opened the gates for invading Javanese forces Portuguese recounts Parameswara, Prince of Palembang / 1392 Fled Majapahit forces despatched to crush the rebellion he staged After 4 years / 1396  Assassinated host who welcomed him. Fled the ensuing Thai forces set to avenge for the dead ruler Accounts on the birth of Singapura Sejarah Melayu Portuguese accounts â€Å"Singapura as an auspicious location, a new city to be established† 1299: Seri Teri Buana leaves Palembang, arrives, discovered and renamed the place as Singapura Ends his reign after 48 years when he died, succeeded by his son Reign ended after 5 generations, in 1396 Singapura was powerful and able to challenge Majapahit, the major hegemon in the archipelago Why singapura had power? Second ruler of Singapura, son of Seri Teri Buana, married to daughter of Tamil ruler of Kalinga Singapura had standings among the indian kingdoms Reason for its end: 1396, Last king, Sultan Iskandar Shah was betrayed by one of his officials , to the invading Majapahit Iskandar Shah fled singapura, went to Melaka to set up a port-city â€Å"Singapura as a refuge† 1392: Parameswara arrives after fleeing an unsuccessful uprising against Majapahit in Palembang; he then kills his host, and takes over Singapura Reason for its end: 1396, Parameswara forced to flee from an invading Thai force sent to avenge the murder of its vassal Great civilizations of Asia: China, India and Middle East ïÆ'  Affected economic, social and political history of the coastal port-states of Melaka Straits region How did the port settlements along the Melaka Straits region function? (dependent on trade context) 1. Asian maritime trade involving exchange of goods between states in south china sea and indian ocean One main port in the Melaka straits emerges as the entrepot , the centrifugal point between the markets in these two major Asian economic regions The other ports in the Melaka straits subsumes themselves under this chief entrepot, acting as feeder ports, servicing the chief port’s economic needs, benefitting from the Asian trade directly 2. Trade context differed, no need for chief entrepot port -ports orientate their economic outlook towards key markets that were closest to them -ports on northern end of MS focused on India and Middle East -ports on southern end (incl sg) focused on the malay archipelago, mainland SEA and china Temasek: -collection centre -export gateway for products obtainable from immediate area (for South Johor and Riau Arcipelago) ïÆ'  Chinese ceramic and glassware imported by Temasek were similar, glass ware had similar compositions (Shows that Riau Archipelago was intimately linked to Temasek!) Singapura Region 1402 Singapura comes under Melaka Sultanate. Acts as the home base of the Orang Laut, warriors of the Melaka sultans Parameswara establishes Kingdom of Melaka 1511 Melaka falls to the Portuguese 1528 Last sultan of Melaka establishes Johor Sultanate up the Johor River 1530 Orang Laut chief defends Singapura against Portuguese attacks Series of Portuguese attacks on Johor Sultanate Year 14th Temasek Region China Before 990 Chinese ships banned from venturing abroad to trade 990 Ã¥ ®â€¹lifted ban though trade, however, still highly controlled: -ships had to register at the Guangzhou port before they could embark on a journey to SEA maritime market did not expand significantly trade continued to be facilitated by foreign ships (arab origin) ïÆ'  types of goods brought and volume of maritime trade could not be dictated by Chinese market 1079 Malayu at Jambi became premier emporium in the Melaka Straits 1087- 1090 From small volume, high value exotic goods to large volume, low value mundane goods SEA: important source of low value goods (rich in natural resources, geographical proximity) Chinese vessels permitted to go on overseas voyages as long as they have permits and their departure was officially registered by local administration 1127 Temasek one of many ports in the region that emerged to serve Chinese traders Srivijaya loses chief enterpot port position Expansion of maritime trade and growth of coastal cities under Soong Dynasty 1275 According to Daoyi Zhilue, Temasek specialised in hornbill, lakawood and cotton. (competitive advantage) Temasek served as a trading hub for a regional hinterland Jambi, capital of Srivijaya, sacked by invasion forces. Port-settlements mushroomed along Melaka Straits 1279 Yuan Dynasty encourages maritime trade 1299 Seri Teri Buana arrives -commanded a large retinue of boat people (Orang Laut) 1330s Wang Dayuan arrives in Temasek and records a Thai invasion that was thwarted by a Chinese mission 1368 Temasek ceded to Melaka in return for annual fixed payment of gold. Temasek’s existence as autonomous port-settlement came to an end Prince from Palembang secured sole rights to conduct trade with Ming court, Melaka became the key port of call Zhu Yuanzhang overthrows Yuan Dynasty and reinstates trade ban Fort Canning Hill Main settlement Area Where North Bank of the Singapore River Who inhabited Royal family, ruling family What is it used for Centre of ritual and political activities in Temasek Location of main settlements and economic activities of Temasek (e.g. trading) How did it looked like Artisan Quarters Lower east slope of hill is the artisan and servants quarters; high concentration of glass fragments, beads, ceramic moulds suggest glass- and jewellery-making Religious site Higher up east slope, lies remains of a building foundation of religious significance; non-perishable materials were used for the construction Royal abode On the northern slope near the summit of the hill was an impressive terrace site likely used to house the ruling family Restricted Space Royal garden and palace on the hill’s eastern and northern slope were inaccessible to commoners due to salt marches to the west and forest up north Boundaries / Defence The royal residency is likely to have a perimeter defence and there is likely to have spatial demarcation to mark out the functions of the spaces Archaeological findings in new Parliament House, Empress Place, Colombo Court Site, Singapore Cricket Club and St. Andrew’s Cathedral revealed: Earthenware Water containers and cooking pots were mostly made in Singapore. Coarse Stoneware Ceramics Storage jars and bottles were entirely imported from aboard. Most likely used to store foodstuff or other smaller ceramic pieces to be carried around Fine Stoneware and Porcelain Ceramics were product of kilns in Guangdong and Fujian. Yuan period blue and white porcelain were also recovered Metal Finds Copper coins minted during Song period with several minted in Yuan. No coins post-date Yuan. Yuan used paper currency extensively and in Ming, Singapore no longer autonomous port Evidence This form of religious architecture was fairly common throughout island Southeast Asia in the classical period Archaeologists unearthed rare and valuable Chinese ceramics; flexible gold armlets of Javanese-inspired designs near Fort Canning site Occurrence of iron and copper finds only at New Parliament House site suggests metal smelting and working concentrated there Large quantities of storage jar shards from Empress Place and Old Parliament House suggest unloading of trade goods off ships and location of storage facilities Higher concentration of copper coins at New Parliament House, Singapore Cricket club and St. Andrew’s Cathedral suggests trade conducted further inland, away from the harbour and warehouses Context: Straits of Melaka and Sunda Straits the only two channels connecting the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. Control of the waters around Singapore would have accorded control, security & economic benefits to the power that was able to project that strategic capability. Build-up: As early as 1620s, Ming had the detailed recorded navigational know-how through the Keppel Straits Portuguese also had the knowledge by early 16th Century Event Britain took over Dutch territories in Java & Melaka after Dutch loss to France in the war in Europe 1818 Raffles assigned to Sumartra as Lieutenant-Governor 28 Jan 1819 Raffles anchored off St John’s Island 6 Feb 1819 Treaty that gave British rights to set up a factory in exchange for money to Tengku Husain and Temenggong was signed June 1819 Raffles signed further agreements with Husain and Temenggong that regularise the administration of the settlement, limiting their influence on Singapore Oct 1822 1 June 1824 Crawfurd stopped all payments to Husain by alleging that agreements to pay Husain was not legitimate and Husain in return owed the East India Company money. In order to repay the debts, Crawfurd wanted Husain to sign a new treaty that gave up Husain’s power in the island 2 Aug 1824 New treaty signed Players leading to the establishment of colonial Singapore Maritime Network Up till 1923, Singapore was a trading port without a clearly defined hinterland that could only be reached by sea. The economic networks that sustained Singapore operated on an extended sea-lined foreland covering much of Indian Ocean and South China Sea. As a colonial port, Singapore’s trade was predominantly Asian. SEA accounted for a quarter, China 12%. Overland trade with SEA was insignificant, hence Singapore’s position between two oceans was more important than being on the southernmost tip of Asia. Late nineteenth century: Singapore gradually became a staple port from which Malayan commodities such as tin and rubber were processed and exported to the rest of the world Tin Demand for tin exploded in 1810 with the introduction of tin cans (also used in American Civil War for preserved food for troops) Tin mining mostly done by Malays prior to nineteenth century Chinese labourers began coming to Malaya after the founding of Pinang to work in tin mines since Malays were reluctant to increase production to meet the rising demand for tin In 1874, British signed the Pangkor Engagement with the Malay sultans to keep law and order through the establishment of a British resident (to protect their investments in the tin industry) Brought abt peace and stability, thus bringing more investments and more Chinese migration 1890, western tin-smelter built by Straits Trading company as a European investment Rubber Development of motor car industry in United States ïÆ'  led to establishing of rubber plantations in Malaya Ridley persistently promoted rubber as a cash crop Discovered how to tap rubber sap without damaging the tree in 1897 1908, despite protests by London agents, british firms in sg banded tgt to start rubber market in singapore 3 years later, Rubber Association handled sale of rubber; Singapore developed into an important international rubber market 1905 Shipping industry developed to serve the new port-city , Colonial government assumed control and development of the port to meet the increasing demand  Tanjong Pagar Dock Ordinance began converting into Singapore Harbour Board 1924 Road link between Malaya and Singapore opened, serving the tin, rubber and oil from the Northern hinterland Colonial Singapore experienced early industrialisation as a result of the raw materials that was coming from the North Proposed Defence / Motivations Results 1819 – 1827 Series of artillery batteries over the island with a major artillery fort on Pearl’s Hill Singapore was worth defending in view of Dutch threat – Britain in debt from administering expanding Indian empire, unable to fund the defences – Britain did not perceive the Dutch threat grave enough to improve defences 1843 Protect the entrance to Kallang River, New Harbour at Tanjong Pagar with series of artillery batteries and forts. In view of the opening up of China after the Opium War, Captain Best proposed to beef up defences in Singapore as part of a greater sea lane from Singapore to China. Series of Artillery batteries & forts VS Naval squadron from Bengal Local merchants wanted batteries but were not willing to pay for it / Bengal argued that naval squadron was more effective 1878 Advent of steam ships, Suez Canal and telegraph brought the Empire â€Å"closer†. Small conflicts no longer local and could escalate into wider conflicts Major McCullum propose strong naval fleet with secure chain of ports and coaling station as combat support Fortification of Singapore carried out among together with Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, etc. 1921 Far East Fleet to counter an emerging and hostile Japan, and also to protect interest in SEA and Australia Imperial Conference reviewed and decided with only the construction of a naval base and not a Far East Fleet Construction and fortification of Singapore started in 1923 and completed only in 1938 1945 – Britain came out of WWII severely weakened but still had an empire to govern. She wanted to de-colonize and bring colonies under the â€Å"Commonwealth† umbrella, maintaining a certain influence over them Saw Singapore as an important pivot to combat communism in the region Britain increased defence in Singapore to maintain her military presence in the region PAP’s English educated members and Indian politicians appealed to workers and unions while Lee Chin Siong’s Chinese roots appealed to the China-born voters who had yet to shed their Chinese chauvinism. As such, PAP won the election against Lim Yew Hock’s Labour Front Britain was unaware of LKY’s agenda behind LKY’s seemingly enigmatic choice of working with the communist despite PAP’s anti-communist ideology Reasons for Merger Worries of Merger PAP Economic: Create jobs for an increasing population In order to sustain declining economy, needed Malaya as a hinterland and Malaya’s consumer market to aid her weakening entrepot Without merger, Singapore unable to rival neighbouring countries’ low production cost and bigger market Politics: Have to fulfil their electoral promise of delivering independence to Singapore Independence could only be achieved through merger Financial  Singapore wanted to collect all tax revenue within the island and pay an agreed amount to the central government Malaya wanted all tax revenue to be  collected centrally and give Singapore what they needed Citizenship Singapore was not comfortable with the possibility of relegating to second class citizens in Malaysia; citizenship rights were not ironed out Malaya Prevent the defeated Malayan Communist Party from using Singapore as a springboard to mount a comeback Sweetener in Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo ïÆ' ¨ Although Borneo was unhappy, their complains were disregarded by Britain ïÆ' ¨Made North Borneo part of the merger deal to sweeten the deal for Malaya Chinese radicals in Singapore whose violent riots were well-documented Did not want to lose central control over Singapore after merger Britain Favoured merger to keep communism in the region in check Has vested interest in Singapore in their established military base, hence did not want Singapore to turn to communism 1954 – 1955 Number of Chinese riots and clashes including the Hock Lee Riots and Chinese students over the new National Service Ordinance 1959 PAP won election with help of Left-Wing radicals Lim Chin Siong and Feng Swee Suan Singapore granted self-governance by the British May 1961 Tunku announced contemplation to bring Singapore, Borneo, Brunei & Sarawak under the Malaysia Jul 1961 PAP loses second by-elections in Anson engineered by the Communist Aug 1961 13 PAP rebels formed the Barisan Sosialis which opposed merger Sep 1961 Broad agreements to the merger reached, working committees to be formed to iron out details of merger â€Å"before June 1963† Sep 1962 Singaporeans vote for merger in the National Referendum Feb 1963 Operation Coldstore arrests key left-wing and presumably pro-Communist leaders Jul 1963 Final negotiations in London in search of compromise in financial arrangements & a common market Sep 1963 New Federation of Malaysia with Singapore PAP wins elections in Singapore despite UMNO’s participation Nov 1964 First Malaysian Budget unveiled, DPM Goh calculated that Singapore’s taxpayers contributed to 39.8% of the budget even though it had 17% of the population of Malaysia Singapore saw tax on diesel oil and sugar Jul 1964 Malay-Chinese race riots, Syed Ja’afar Albar flamed LKY on different mediums Apr 1964 PAP registered as a Malaysian political party to run against UMNO led alliance and won one seat, threatening UMNO’s political position Feb 1965 Talks on disengaging Kuala Lumpar from Singapore was stopped by Britain May 1965 In the inaugural Malaysian Solidarity Convention, LKY challenged UMNO’s policies for solving Malay’s poverty; argued for a Malaysian Malaysia where race does not play a part Direct challenge to UMNO-led alliance that was split between racial lines Jun 1965 Goh Keng Swee and Tun Razak held secret talks on separation without Britain knowing Aug 1965 Separation After 1965 Resumed industrialisation, welcoming FDI in Singapore that was not possible under Malaysia Resumed Indonesian barter trade that was not possible due to Malaysia-Indonesian relations Trade in traditional produce – tin, rubber and rice – gave way to trade in petroleum, petroleum products, shipbuilding and services Bank of China kept institutions in existence 1967 Sing dollars came into existence Longue Duree Problems Respond / Results Lack of Sense of Belonging Singapore has been an immigration haven, population comprised of immigrants, descendants of immigrants who had been living and working within their respective ethnic groups Different groups of people with diverse language, historical and cultural background meant that they did not have a sense of belonging in Singapore People had no stake it Singapore Create a common identity, shared experience in WWII Espoused principles of Equality, Meritocracy, multiracialism and multiculturalism 1967, introduced NS, fostering sense of Nationhood Resettlement program offers cheap housing raising standard of living of Singaporeans tremendously, it also provided Singaporeans with a stake in the country Small town Defence Was very vulnerable fresh out of separation, threats from Indonesian Konfrontation, Malaysia, etc ïÆ' ¨ intended to rely on British military presence but they withdrew in 1971 Chinese country in a Malay region Deterrence is Singapore’s best form of defence ïÆ' ¨ poison shrimp – porcupine – dolphin 1971, ASEAN was established to serve the need for regional corporation in matters to foreign affairs Singapore befriended global powers like the US Powerful friends + Local defences Entrepot trade susceptible to global swings Singapore’s economy is one of a staple port that supported the primary economy of a large rural hinterland ïÆ' ¨ In 14th, served Riau and Borneo ïÆ' ¨ Early 20th, served Malaysia In 1965, Malaysia’s trade barriers, Indonesia’s Sukarno administration and China’s Cultural Revolution made it impossible for Singapore to rely on their traditional economic pillars Enterpot trade was VERY susceptible to global trends Manufacturing Embraced colonial past and opened up to West Import-substitution manufacturing for domestic market to manufacturing for Western market Education and training realigned to upgrade economic productivity Business-friendly labour laws passed Financial Sector Insurance, international banking corporations encouraged to establish Asian base in Singapore Shipping Improved port and shipping capabilities Results By 1975, Singapore was the world’s 3rd busiest port GDP increased tremendously in early independence

Hydroxycut Advertisements and Their Effects on Young Women

Chastain Black Instructor Reyes English 102 29 April 2012 Hydroxycut Advertisements and Their Effects on Young Women Iovative Health Sciences, Inc. is the owner of the diet supplement brand Hydroxycut. The company advertises through numerous media channels to reach its countless viewers. The Hydroxycut advertisements are most commonly visual images like commercials, billboards, and print ads that carry a voice all their own. With teen girls and young women being the majority of Hydroxycut’s audience it is only natural to focus on them and how Hydroxycut advertisements affect them. At this unripe but blossoming age, body image, how they see themselves, as well as how others see them is what primarily influences their self-esteem. Iovative†¦show more content†¦The product more or less receives a seal of approval without the consumer ever really knowing whether the â€Å"expert† is truly an expert at all. The professional’s actual doctorate may not even be in the medical field, but in a completely different field and unrelated all together. This is done because viewers ask fewer questions about a product or information when backed by a professional. This tactic is used to gain the trust of the viewers. Once they have the viewers’ trust in hand, Iovative Health Sciences, Inc., persuades these young female viewers to believe almost anything that they want them too. These women become inclined to believe that Hydroxycut will work for them; fast, easy, and with no hassles. This method of gaining the female consumers trust coupled with Hydroxycut ads’ other advertising fallacies for example, the airbrushed and digitally enhanced photos along with Hydroxycut’s over exaggerated or falsified statements; make their already vulnerable female audience more susceptible to their deceptions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an agency created to protect America’s consumers, drew up a report called, â€Å"Weight-Loss Advertising: An Analysis of Current Trends,† which in vestigated weight-loss advertising. In 2001, a content analysis found that over half of all advertising for weight-loss products used fabricated, unsupported claims. In an investigation of 300 ads fromShow MoreRelated The Dangerous Combination of the Media and the Weight-Loss Industry 1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe Dangerous Combination of the Media and the Weight-Loss Industry    Abstract: Excessive use of diet pills by American women stems from the idea that thinness is ideal. This ideal is unlikely to change in the near future, so the use of diet pills and other unhealthy fat diets is likely to increase. If women remain unaware of the health risks associated with the use and abuse of these unregulated drugs, rates of illness and even death are also likely to increase. In 1997, the use of diet pillsRead MoreUnit 3 Critical Thinking729 Words   |  3 Pagessays.Hydroxycut the perfect diet pill/fat burning pill, a pill that will boost energy and at the same time burn fat and increasing the muscle definition. We all want to lose weight and get that body back that we had as a young adult or in our youth, this is what the advertisement says to the consumer. What caught my eyes as I turned the pages of the flex magazine were of course the ripped up models that were on the pages. The ad shows you all these perfect body models that say they have taken thisRead Mor eHow Media Affects Women Body Image1924 Words   |  8 Pagesbillboard signs. Checking out at the grocery store can be tricky if trying to avoid magazines. The media portrays what is considered to be normal for how a female acts and looks, and therefore affects what women in society feel they should look and act like. The medias portrayal of body image affects women negatively through using stereotypes, encouraging thinness, and promoting unnecessary products. Of course there are extremely thin people, but it’s usually unhealthy and not terribly normal. One figureRead MoreToday’s society thinks that a size zero woman and a man with perfect six-pack abs is the ideal2300 Words   |  10 Pagesdifficult for women and men to reach the â€Å"ideal† body image. The desire for perfection is unrealistic and even dangerous. This generation is purely based off of the media. The media puts these crazy ideas out there and society takes it without any questions. The media will do whatever is takes to sell their products, and they see showing off good-looking, fit women or men with their product is the best way to do just that. Clothing advertisements are a major example of the media using women and men toRead MoreEssay about Body Image in Advertising2023 Words   |  9 Pagesnone other than the advertising industry. Walking through the mall, there is a multitude of advertisements for different stores ranging from clothing stores to department stores to specialty stores. Most of the advertisements portray the product with fit, good looking models as if they were the norm. The fashion industry, presumably more than any other industry, has the clothing on fit men and thin women. Even meandering through the stores and observing the mannequins, a person can see that the