Healthcare finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare finance - Assignment Example Variability in contribution further implies variability in marginal cost equation because contribution is an element of the equation. In addition, contribution has direct impact on profit and change in the environment, with volume remaining constant, means lower profit to volume ration because of lower contribution. Further, reduced marginal cost, due to discount the discounted fee for service environment shifts the break-even point. Consequently, contribution influences change in the other three elements of the analysis (Gapenski, 2008). Ability to identify factors to cost is one of the important attributes of cost drivers. This allows for cost determination and ability to control costs. Another important attribute of an effective cost driver, which transcends to effectiveness of cost allocation, is the ability to identify the level at which cost occur, a feature that facilitate understanding of costs and their control (Gapenski, 2008; Kinney and Raiborn,

Virgin Holidays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Virgin Holidays - Essay Example In addition to this the company has an established ski programme, known as the Virgin Snow and also Taste of Adventure product range. New destinations were also added in the year 2007 which basically consists of Malaysia and also Mauritius. In 2008 Virgin Holidays acquired the assets and also the brand name of the Travel City Direct from the XL Leisure Group, which was collapsed in the year 2009. The Travel City website has now been re launched along with a Virgin Holidays style design and layout. Since its creation the Virgin Holidays has gone from the strength to strength. The company thus now offers an extensive selection of the holidays to mainland USA, Florida, Canada, Caribbean and also to South Africa. In addition to this a well-established programme has also been developed in order to make this service the better one. Virgin holiday is also known as one of the best part or area with the help of which one can enjoy and can easily spend the time. The rates are different for dif ferent occasions. If you really want to enjoy then you can visit and can also book your flight with the Virgin holidays and can enjoy your holidays. It is also marked as one of the best holiday operators all over the world. One can gain as much benefit as much he/she wants from this service. Discounts are also being offered and you can avail much more discounts too. Virgin Holidays is basically meant for tourists and people can acquire as much as they can and as much as they want. As mentioned earlier Virgin holidays is working along with other facilities too for instance Virgin air lines, Virgin mobiles and many more and this is the main reason that how and why Virgin holidays has became the best one. (Trawicky & Gregory, 311) When working in any company or in any organization, different kind of problems occurs and therefore different solutions are also

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis Executive Summary As coffee drinkers of all ages and sizes increase around the world, Starbucks amongst fierce rivals continues to experience unsurpassed growth sales. Their upscale coffee outlets that deliver pleasing to the eye dà ©cor and brand uniqueness at locations scattered nationally and internationally, their distinct aromas and scents, Starbucks has been able to differentiate themselves from all competitors. The aforementioned characteristics that is Starbucks, has enabled the coffee retailer to increase profitability, expand globally, and attract new customers. With an estimated 17,000 outlets in approximately 55 countries, Starbucks boasts as the largest coffee outlet chain in the world. In North America alone, Starbucks employs nearly 11,000 full-time and 60,000 part-time employees. Additionally, the chain employs over 7,000 outside its United States borders. Through providing top quality coffee beans and distinctive varieties (aforementioned), Starbucks has led the way in revolutionizing the market industry. The chain not specializes in serving coffee, but also teas, juices, pastries of all kinds and now even coffee-flavored ice cream brands that deliver pleasing to the taste and thirst of many loyal, and soon-to-be new customers. Since 1994, Starbucks has enjoyed measurable success through clever mergers and or acquisitions. A few successful ventures include Seattles Best coffee chain now offers a small line of its premium brands on commercial Delta airlines flights and thanks to the ever-increasing Wi-Fi market, Starbucks continues to connect with customers. In 2010, after extensive market surveying, Starbucks introduced three new ice cream coffee-free flavor brands. Starbucks continues to face stiff competition and only through strategic planning hinged upon finding new and creative ways to be innovative will the firm continue to diversify its financial portfolio while enabling its ability to cover liabilities. Introduction Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks is an international Corporation (www.Starbucks.com) whose stocks are traded on the NYSE under the SBUX ticker symbol. Starbucks is the largest coffee outlet in the world, with close to seventeen thousand shops in approximately fifty countries or provinces, eleven thousand in America alone, over one thousand in Canada, eight hundred in Japan and seven hundred Coffee Shops in the United Kingdom. Starbucks in 2003 was listed as a Fortune 500 firm, ranked 465. By the end of 2010, they were ranked 241. Background Howard Schultz gained control of Starbucks in 1987. Starbucks was founded by three colleagues in 1971 in Seattle who were inspired by a mutual acquaintance Alfred Peet, an established businessman. By 1980 the company had grown to four locally owned stores that turned a reasonable profit every year. It was in 1981 when Howard Schultz, then Vice President of U.S operations for Swedish Kitchen and Coffeemaker equipment decided to visit Starbucks out of curiosity as to how and why the Starbucks was so successful with selling his companys products. Managerially, Schultz was impressed with the company. After much persistence, Schultz landed his first job with Starbucks as head of marketing and research. Overflowing with ideas for the company, Howard Schultzs biggest inspiration and vision for Starbucks future came in 1983 while on a business trip to Italy and the idea of Espresso Bars came fell upon him. After failing to convince Baldwin for the expansion of business, he initially left Starbucks in 1985 and started the Il Giornale coffee bar chain in 1985 and the coffeehouse was very successful. In 1987 after buying out the former owners Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker, Schultz began to quickly begin to realize his full dream for Starbucks and quickly expanded business operations in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Chicago, Illinois, of the same year. By 1992, Starbucks then a recognized publicly traded company on the stock market had expanded nationally to 165 shops. In 2009, Starbucks succeeded by opening about nine hundred additional shops outside the Continental United States. Mission Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) Establish Starbucks as the premier distributor of the best coffee on the planet without compromising principles on quality of growth. Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Were passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done.(2, 7) Our Partners Were called partners, because its not just a job, its our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard, ensuring the latest technology is implemented for producing superior products to our loyal customers. (4, 8, 9) Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers-even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. Its really about human connection. (1) Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. Its about enjoyment at the speed of life-sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. (6) Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action-bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility-and our potential for good-is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. (3) Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of success that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks-and everyone it touches-can endure and thrive. (5) Customer Products or services Markets Technology Concern for survival, profitability, growth Philosophy Self-concept Concern for public image Concern for employees Mission Statement Analyzed   I consider this to be a fairly good, and accurate statement although per my rating (based on research), the mission statement lacks two (2) important components: Technology and Concern for employees. The company must evaluate whether it is technologically advanced and even though the companys vision is of concern to its employees, it still should be added to its mission statement. Vision Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) To establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world and become a national company with values and guiding principles that employee could be proud of. The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the worlds most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. Finally, the company focuses emphasis in the value of employees and their loyalty, and strives to create a happy work environment. The opportunity for entry of new competitors shows a balance between different firms competing in a market and subsequently, they can be looked upon as a threat to already established firms. One of Starbucks staunchest competitors is McDonalds McCafe which is really catching on globally. Competition is real due to entry level start up costs which can be extremely low and or offered at a bargain price to gain a competitive edge. This probably can explain why Starbucks has recently decided to partner with Burger King which I personally consider a very positive move. Starbucks Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) is illustrated below and compares the coffee firms internal and external factors, based upon strengths (superior or 4.0), against weaknesses (1.0), against its current, and projected market competition. Used effectively, it will give management clear idea about the firms strengths and weaknesses and aid in plotting a way forward that is healthy and most importantly, profitable. Anything in between can be rated from fair, to average to above average to superior. From the illustration below, Starbucks fares a little above average when compared to Dunkin Donuts, yet well below McDonalds. Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) In the External Factor Evaluation or EFE, only external factors, that is, opportunities, and threats, are evaluated. From the illustration below, the following info can be drawn: Gourmet coffee consumption tied in to drinkers educational levels. The higher the level of education the more gourmet coffee on average was consumed, by as much as seventy-one percent. Trends showed sixteen percent of U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis; sixty-three percent only occasionally. The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002. Also, trends over the past ten-years showed consumers requesting more organic coffees which influenced retailers on the growing environment of coffee beans. Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calories. International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee. With regards to threats, the 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry. Recently, trends show consumer concern with nutritional value. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers. Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings. In conclusion, competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complimentary products. This may explain why SBUX has recently announced a partnership with Burger King who has long lagged behind McDonalds, especially in the breakfast arena to start offering Seattles Best coffee products (a subsidiary of Starbucks), in efforts to further close the gap between itself from its the conglomerate that is McDonalds Corporation. External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought forty-nine percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought seventy-one percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas sixty-three percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbs / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Threats The 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends shows consumers are concerned about the nutritional value of coffee products and are demanding nutritional info be posted on the products even in retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix is a summary step in conducting an internal strategic-management audit used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a business, and provide a foundation for identifying and evaluating relationships founded upon those areas. Looking at key Internal Factors, Starbucks most advantageous opportunities lie in expansion in ever-growing Markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China or the BRICs as they are commonly referred. Of note, Starbucks doesnt appear to show any interest in marketing its products through advertisings as much as focusing on the quality of its coffee and that power alone to retain, and attract new customers. Key Internal Factors Strengths Starbucks expects to add approximately 20 net new stores to its global store base in fiscal 2009 by closing approximately 425 company-operated stores in the United States and adding of approximately 60 company-operated stores internationally The company plans to open approximately 65 net new licensed stores in the United States and approximately 320 net new licensed stores internationally Capital expenditures for fiscal 2009 are expected to remain unchanged, at approximately $600 million. Licensing revenues increased primarily due to higher product sales and royalty revenues as a result of opening 438 new licensed retail stores in the last 12 month Strong marketing and promotional campaign such as product placement in major TV series Starbucks also provides electrical outlets and, in some stores, wireless access, for customers who might need to use their MP3 players or laptop computers Starbucks products can be found in convenience stores, grocery stores, department stores, movie theaters, businesses, schools, and even airports Starbucks is rated by Fortune as one of the best top 10 places to work Starbucks also encourages the use of its Web site where customers are able to register their Starbucks cards, receive nutritional information about Starbucks products, shop online, search for careers, and much more Weaknesses 47 percent drop in earnings in one year (2008) For the 26 weeks ending March 2009, Starbucks revenues decreased 7 percent to $4.95 billion and net income decreased 72 percent to $89.3 million Moodys Investors Service recently downgraded Starbucks credit ratings The U.S. company operated retail business continued deteriorating trends For the second quarter of fiscal 2009, U.S. total net revenues were $1.8 billion, a decline of $131.5 million, or 6.8 percent, due to decreased revenues from company operated retail stores Many of Starbucks International operations are in early stages of development that require a more extensive support organization relative to the current levels of revenue and operating income in the United States International total net revenues were $433.7 million for the 13 weeks ended March 29, 2009, down $59.7 million, or 12.1 percent, compared with the same period last year, primarily due to the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar relative to the British pound and Canadian dollar Global Consumer Products Group (CPG) total net revenues decreased by 2 percent to $94.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, due primarily to lower margin on sales of packaged coffee as a result of discounting, as well as lower volume to the trade The Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis is an effective to that when used properly, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates information which helps firms identify strategic advantages/disadvantages. SWOT Strategies Opportunities Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought 49 percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought 71 percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas 63 percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only 13 percent and 59 percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Implement product development by introducing organic coffee and disclosing the nutritional content to the consumers (S1, S2, S3, S5, S6, S7, O1, O2, O3) Continue opening more retail stores overseas where coffee is in demand and market has not been saturated by competitors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S9, O6) Develop new products with better nutritional value (S6, S8, O1, O2, O4, O5) Develop a marketing strategy such as Starbucks Combo by offering combination of gourmet coffee and cookie / cake or 2 for 1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the patrons can purchase coffee on Tuesday and get free refill on Wednesday (W1, W2, W3, O1, O2, O3) Establish joint venture with hotels, airlines, and retailers for having mini-Starbucks locations or for serving premium Starbucks coffee in the hotel rooms or during the flights (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, O1, O2, O3, O6) Threats The 2007-2009 global recession negatively affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends have shown that some of the consuming public is concerned about the nutritional value of such products as those offered by the specialty coffee sector and have even challenged the correctness of the labeling and calorie information posted on the products available at retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Implement market penetration strategy by promoting additional licensing retail deals. This minimizes the risks and capital expenditures for Starbucks (S2, S3, S4, S5, T1, T4, T5) Lower prices of popular drinks by $0.50 and promote the price decrease through aggressive advertising (S6, S7, S8, T1, T4) Penetrate market by appealing to a wider variety of consumers (W6, T4, T5) Cutback on some of operating expenses such trying to improve purchasing power and getting better prices from the suppliers and vendors (W4, T4, T5) Create Promotional Strategies Such As Starbucks Combo Or Reduce The Price By $0.50 Per Drink On Popular Drinks Develop New Products With Better Nutritional Value Expand Internationally By Opening Additional 100+ License Retailers Through Joint Ventures Portfolio Analysis: Starbucks BCG Matrix (The Worlds Most Innovative Companies Their creativity goes beyond products to rewiring themselves. Business Week and the Boston Consulting Group rank the best. Accessed and referenced on 20 February 20, 2011 at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_17/b3981401.htm) The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is enhancing a multidivisional firms efforts to formulate strategies. The BCG allows a multi-focused firm to manage its portfolio by examining relative market share position and the industry growth rate each division relative to all other divisions in the organization. The Starbucks BCG matrix below shows four (4) divisions which include Question Marks, Stars, Cash Cows, and Dogs. Quadrant I shows low relatives market position, high growth industry. Cash needs versus cash generation are high and low. Quadrant II or Star Division identifies best long-run opportunities for growth and profitability. Quadrant III or Cash Cows with high relative market share position but compete in a low growth industry and finally, Quadrant IV or Dogs identifies relatively low market share position and compete in a snail or no market growth industry. Starbucks Income Statements shows steady increases between 2003 and 2005. The revenues on the year 2003 were $4,075,000, while $2,191,000 in year 2004, $6,369,000 in year 2005. Also, the firms growth sales rate for 2004 and 2005 was 56.3%. In conclusion, Starbucks were identified in Star division which means its long-run opportunities for the growth and profitability is overall good. Recommendations Starbucks coffees price are much more expensive than other market competitor products because Starbucks purchases the highest quality coffee beans which means and price-war advantage for its competitors in these challenged economic times. Develop series of new coffee, tea and fruit drinks with better nutritional values for health conscious customers. Initially, enter selected market with predatory pricing strategy and then move to larger market. Starbucks is showing signs of change and that the change has started to work. For the first time in eight quarters, the company posted positive earnings. In fact, all US company operated stores reported positive growth in their sales. For the last few years, the company over-expanded by opening too many stores and some too close to each others. Now, they have done an impressive job restructuring itself and returning back to being profitable by closing some stores and slimming down its workforce over the past few years. They further eliminated excessive waste in their operations and have been trying to be leaner in their day to day business processes. Leading the way in technological media, Starbucks innovative nature has enabled capitalization on the social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, Starbucks even has an iPhone application (accessed at Why Starbucks Has Room to Improve. http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/starbucks-growth-upgrade-profit-price-hikes/1/22/2010/id/26485 20 Feb. 2011.).

How Thomas Hardy Presents Women in His Short Stories Essay -- essays r

How Hardy Presents Women in His Short Stories Thomas Hardy wrote about society in the mid 1800's and his tales have rural settings in the fictional name he gave to the South-West of England, Wessex. The short stories reflect this time and the author also demonstrates the class division in rural society - rich and poor - and the closeness of the communities. Almost everyone belonged to the 'labouring classes' and worked on the land. People of around 150 years ago were very superstitious and marriage was important. If a woman did not marry by a certain age she was thought of as a witch, or 'spinster'. Her only roles were to be faithful to her husband and to bear a son to become heir. The role of women was very different from today's society - it was world dominated and run by men. In the first of the three short stories, ?The Withered Arm?, Hardy writes of two women of different classes who are joined by one man. The first of the women is Rhoda Brook. She is a milking maid who is not within the milking circle. She is physically and metaphorically outside because she had an illegitimate son. Rhoda ?milked somewhat apart from the rest?. Having a child out of ?wedlock? was frowned upon, some people were publicly condemned in the 1800?s. She is the occasional subject of gossip and with being a single mum back then she would have been in a very difficult position. Hardy presents this well in his tales, as he shows Rhoda?s predicament. The father of Rhoda?s son, Farmer Lodge, was of a much higher status than herself. He would never have married a milk maid and does not face the same condemnation as Rhoda does. Rhoda?s previous lover, Farmer Lodge, is to marry a young woman as during a conversation between the mil... ... Milly is the most foolish of the girls as she believes every word Tony says to her, however this shows that she will do anything to gain a husband. In ?The Son?s Veto? Sophy is shown to be dominated by both her husband and her son. Decisions are mostly made for her giving Sophy little freedom in her own home. Her son denied her the opportunity to marry and be happy again as the man she was in love with was not a gentleman of class, which was all too embarrassing for him. Sophy is weak and feeble and dies a lonely and unhappy woman. In Thomas Hardy?s three short tales, the presentation of women is negative, however typical of the 1800?s. His stories show just how women lived in these times and how it was difficult. They received few opportunities and choices as most were made for them. Their main role in life was to be a good mother and a devoted wife.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 24

Mom's Handwriting Emerges The sun bursts through the attic window and lands on my face, warming it, until I open my eyes and greet the day with a squint. After a kiss, I return Nikki to my bedroom dresser and find my mother still asleep in my bed. I notice that the glass of water I left her is now empty, and I am glad to have left it there, even if I am mad at Mom now. As I descend the staircase, I smell something burning. When I reach the kitchen, my father is standing in front of the stove. He is wearing Mom's red apron. â€Å"Dad?† When he turns around, he has a spatula in one hand and a pink oven mitt on the other. Behind him, meat hisses – a thick river of smoke flies up into the exhaust fan. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Cooking.† â€Å"Cooking what?† â€Å"Steak.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I'm hungry.† â€Å"Are you frying it?† â€Å"I'm cooking it Cajun style. Blackened.† â€Å"Maybe you should turn the burner down?† I suggest, but he returns to his cooking, continuing to flip the sizzling cut over and over, so I go down into the basement to begin my workout. The fire alarm goes off for fifteen minutes or so. When I return to the kitchen two hours later, the pan he used is blackened and still on the now greasy stove; a plate and utensils are in the sink. Dad is watching ESPN on his new television, and his surround sound speaker system seems to shake the house. The clock on the microwave reads 8:17 a.m. My mother has forgotten my meds again, so I take out my eight bottles, remove all the caps, and search for the right colors. Soon I have a half dozen pills lined up on the counter, and I confirm that the colors are what I take every morning. I swallow all of my pills, thinking maybe my mother is testing me again, and even though I am technically mad at her, I am also now very worried about Mom, so I climb the steps to my room and see that she is still sleeping. Downstairs, I stand behind the couch and say, â€Å"Dad?† But he ignores me, so I return to my basement gym and continue my workout, listening to the ESPN commentators recap the college games and forecast the upcoming NFL action. Their voices arrive crisply through the floorboards above. I know from reading the paper that the Eagles are favored to win over San Francisco, which makes me excited to watch the game with my father, who will be in a great mood if the Eagles are victorious, and therefore he will also be more likely to speak with me. Midmorning, Mom descends, which is a relief, because I was starting to worry that she was really sick. I am riding the bike, and – after finding the â€Å"Pat† box last night – I just continue pedaling when Mom says, â€Å"Pat?† I do not face Mom, but using my peripheral vision, I see that she is showered, her hair is done, her makeup is applied, and she is wearing a pretty summer dress. Mom also smells really nice – lavender. â€Å"Did you take your pills last night?† she asks. I nod once. â€Å"What about this morning?† I nod again. â€Å"Dr. Patel told me I should have allowed you to take control over your meds when you first came home, that this was a step toward independence. But I was being a mom when you did not need me to be a mom. So congratulations, Pat.† â€Å"Congratulations† is a strange thing for her to say, especially since I have not won a prize or anything, but I am really only thinking about what happened last night, why Mom came home drunk. So I ask her, â€Å"Where were you last night? Did you go out with friends?† Using the corner of my eye again, I see her look down at the old brown rug beneath us. â€Å"I appreciate your putting me to bed last night. The water and the Tylenol helped. It was a bit of a role reversal, eh? Well, I appreciate it. Thanks, Pat.† I realize she has not answered my question, but I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. â€Å"Your father has been a bear lately, and I'm simply tired of it. So I'm making some demands, and things are going to change a little around here. Both of my men are going to start taking care of themselves a little more. You need to get on with your life, and I'm sick and tired of the way your father treats me.† Suddenly I forget all about the â€Å"Pat† box and face my mother as I continue pedaling. â€Å"Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"I'm not mad at you, Pat. I am mad at your father. He and I had a long talk yesterday when you were running. Things might be a little rough around here for a few weeks, but I think we'll all be better for it in the long run.† A wild thought leaps into my head and terrifies me. â€Å"You're not leaving us, Mom, are you?† â€Å"No. I'm not,† Mom says, looking me in the eyes, which makes me believe her one hundred percent. â€Å"I would never leave you, Pat. But I am going out today because I'm done with Eagles football. You two are on your own for food.† â€Å"Where are you going?† I ask, pedaling faster now. â€Å"Out,† Mom says, and then kisses the little white scar on my sweaty forehead before she leaves. I am so nervous about what Mom has told me that I do not eat anything all day, but simply drink my water and do my routine. Because the Eagles are playing at 4:15, I get in a full workout. The whole time, I secretly hope my father will come down into the basement and ask me to watch the 1:00 NFL game with him, but he doesn't. Midafternoon I climb up out of the basement and stand behind the couch for a second. â€Å"Dad?† I say. â€Å"Dad?† He ignores me and keeps watching the 1:00 game, and I don't even look to see who is playing, because I am so nervous about what Mom told me. I put on my trash bag and hope Tiffany is outside, because I could really use someone to talk to. But after I stretch for fifteen minutes, Tiffany doesn't show, so I run alone, thinking it funny that when I want to run alone, Tiffany is always there, but today she is not. I am very hungry, and the pain in my stomach increases as I run, which I relish because it means I am losing weight, and well, I feel as though I might have put on some extra fat in the past week, especially after drinking beer with Jake last weekend. This reminds me that I have not spoken with Jake since the Eagles lost to the Giants, and I wonder if he is coming over today to watch the game with Dad and me. Since the pain has sharpened, I decide to run farther than usual, pushing myself. Also, I am sort of afraid to go home, now that my mother has left me alone with my father for the day, and I am not sure what she meant by â€Å"changes† anyway. I keep wishing Tiffany was running with me so I might talk to her and tell her how I feel, which is a strange desire since she usually never says much in response, and the last time I tried to talk to her about my problems, she started cursing very loudly in a public place and said some really awful things about Nikki. Still, I am s tarting to feel as though Tiffany is my best friend, which is sort of strange and scary. At the end of my run, I jog down my street, and Jake's silver BMW is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he took the train in from Philadelphia, I think. I am hoping not to be left alone with my father for the game, but somehow I know this is exactly what is going to happen. When I enter the house, my dad is still alone on the couch, wearing his McNabb jersey now and watching the end of the 1:00 game. A small collection of beer bottles stand at his feet like bowling pins. â€Å"Is Jake coming over?† I ask my father, but he ignores me again. Upstairs, I shower and put on my Hank Baskett jersey. When I reach the family room, the Eagles game is just coming on, so I sit down at the end of the couch my father is not occupying. â€Å"What the hell is that noise?† Dad says, and then turns down the volume. I realize my stomach is making crazy gurgling noises, but I say, â€Å"I don't know,† and Dad turns up the volume again. Just as I had hoped, the new television is an experience. The players warming up on the field look life-size, and the sound quality makes me feel as though I am in San Francisco, sitting on the fifty-yard line. Realizing that my brother is not going to make it by kickoff, when a commercial comes on, I jump to my feet and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† but Dad only looks at me like he wants to hit me in the face again. So I sit down and do not say anything else. The announcers state that Donte Stallworth was a late scratch, so I start to hope Baskett will get a few more balls thrown his way, since the Eagles' number one receiver is out of action. The Eagles set up a nice drive and score on their first possession with a shovel pass to Westbrook, at which point my father's emotions morph. He reaches across the couch and repetitively claps his hand against my thigh, saying over and over again, â€Å"Touchdown Eagles! Touchdown Eagles!† I start to feel hopeful for my dad, but when the Eagles kick off, he resumes his negative ways and says, â€Å"Don't celebrate too much. Remember what happened last week.† And it is almost as if he is talking to himself, reminding himself not to be overly hopeful. The defense holds strong, and tight end L. J. Smith scores a touchdown with only a few minutes left in the first quarter, making it 13 – 0. Even though the Eagles have blown big leads before, it seems safe to say the Birds are the superior team today. My thoughts are confirmed after Akers hits the extra point and my father jumps up and starts singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly.† So I jump up and sing with him, and we both do the chant at the end, spelling the letters with our arms and legs: â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† Between quarters, my father asks me if I am hungry, and when I say yes, he orders us a pizza and brings me a Bud from the refrigerator. With the Eagles up 14 – 0, he is all smiles, and as we sip our beer, he says, â€Å"Now all we need is your boy Baskett to get a catch or two.† As if my father's words were a prayer answered, McNabb's first completion in the second quarter is to Baskett for eight yards. Dad and I cheer so loudly for the undrafted rookie. The pizza arrives during halftime, and the Eagles are up 24 – 3. â€Å"If only Jake were here,† my father says. â€Å"Then this day would be perfect.† My dad and I have been so happy that I've forgotten Jake is not with us. â€Å"Where is Jake?† I ask, but Dad ignores the question. In the third quarter the San Francisco running back fumbles on the Eagles' one-yard line and defensive tackle Mike Patterson picks up the ball and runs toward the opposite end zone. Dad and I are out of our seats, cheering on the three-hundred-pound lineman as he runs the whole length of the field, and then the Eagles are up 31 – 3. San Francisco scores a few touchdowns late in the second half, but it doesn't matter, because the game is basically out of reach, and the Eagles win 38 – 24. At the conclusion of the game, my father and I sing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† and do the chant one last time, celebrating the Eagles' victory, and then Dad simply turns off the television and returns to his study without even saying goodbye to me. The house is so quiet. Maybe a dozen or so beer bottles on the floor, the pizza box is still on the coffee table, and I know the sink is stacked full of dishes and the pan in which Dad cooked his breakfast steak. Since I am practicing being kind, I figure I should at least clean up the family room so Mom won't have to do it. I carry the Bud bottles out to the recycle bucket by the garage and throw away the pizza box in the outside garbage can. Back inside, a few used napkins are on the floor, and when I reach down to pick up the mess, I spot a crumpled ball of paper under the coffee table. I pick up the ball, uncrumple it, and realize it is not one but two pieces of paper. Mom's handwriting emerges. I flatten the papers out on the coffee table. Patrick, I need to tell you I will no longer allow you to disregard the decisions we make together, nor will I allow you to talk down to me any longer – especially in front of others. I have met a new friend who has encouraged me to assert myself more forcefully in an effort to gain your respect. Know that I am doing this to save our marriage. Your options: Return the monstrous television you purchased, and everything will go back to normal. Keep the monstrous television, and you must agree to the following demands: You must eat dinner at the table with Pat and me five nights a week. You must go on a half-hour walk with either Pat or me five nights a week. You must have a daily conversation with Pat, during which you ask him at least five questions and listen to his replies, which you will report to me nightly. You must do one recreational activity a week with Pat and me, such as eating at a restaurant, seeing a movie, going to the mall, shooting baskets in the backyard, etc. Failure to complete either option 1 or 2 will force me to go on strike. I will no longer clean your house, buy or cook your food, launder your clothes, or share your bed. Until you declare which option you wish to take, consider your wife on strike. With best intentions, Jeanie It does not seem like Mom to be so forceful with Dad, and I do wonder if her â€Å"new friend† coached her through the writing of the two-page letter. It is very hard for me to picture Dad returning his new television, especially after watching the Eagles win on the new set. His purchase will be considered good luck for sure, and Dad will want to watch next week's Eagles game on the same television so he will not jinx the Birds, which is understandable. But the demands Mom made – especially the one where Dad has to talk to me every night – also seem incredibly improbable, although I do think it would be nice to eat dinner together as a family and maybe even go out to a restaurant, but not to the movies, since I am now only willing to watch the movie of my own life. Suddenly I need to speak with my brother, but I do not know his phone number. I find the address book in the cabinet above the stove and place a call to Jake's apartment. A woman picks up on the third ring; her voice is beautiful. â€Å"Hello?† she says. I know it is not my brother on the other end, but I still say, â€Å"Jake?† â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"It's Pat Peoples. I'm looking for my brother, Jake. Who are you?† I hear the woman cover the phone with her hand, and then my brother's voice comes through loud and clear: â€Å"Did you see that ninety-eight-yard fumble return? Did you see Patterson run?† I want to ask about the woman who answered my brother's phone, but I am a little afraid of finding out who she is. Maybe I should already know, but forget somehow. So I simply say, â€Å"Yeah, I saw it.† â€Å"Frickin' awesome, dude. I didn't know a defensive tackle could run that far.† â€Å"Why didn't you come over and watch the game with Dad and me?† â€Å"Truthfully?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I can't lie to my brother. Mom called me this morning and told me not to come, so I went to a bar with Scott. She called Ronnie too. I know because Ronnie called me to make sure everything was okay. I told him not to worry.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Should he be worried?† â€Å"No, why did Mom tell you and Ronnie not to come over?† â€Å"She said it would give you a chance to be alone with Dad. She said it would force Dad to talk to you. So did he?† â€Å"A little.† â€Å"Well, that's good, right?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"Okay. What did it say?† â€Å"I'll just read it to you.† â€Å"Go ahead.† I read him the note. â€Å"Shit. Go Mom.† â€Å"You know he won't be taking the television back now, right?† â€Å"Not after the Birds won today.† â€Å"Yeah, and I'm worried that Dad won't be able to meet the demands.† â€Å"Well, he probably won't, but maybe he'll at least try, right? And trying would be good for him – and Mom.† Jake changes the subject by mentioning Baskett's catch in the second quarter, which turned out to be his only catch of the game. My brother doesn't want to talk about our parents anymore. He says, â€Å"Baskett's coming along. He's an undrafted rookie, and he's getting catches. That's huge.† But it doesn't feel huge to me. Jake says he's looking forward to seeing me next Monday night, when the Eagles will play the Green Bay Packers. He asks me to have lunch in the city before we tailgate with Scott and the fat men, and then we hang up. It's getting late, and my mother is still not home. I begin to worry about her, and so I do all the dishes by hand. For a good fifteen minutes – with steel wool – I scrub the pan my father burned. And then I vacuum the family room. Dad had splattered some pizza sauce on the couch, so I find some cleaning spray in the hall cabinet and do my best to remove the stain – dabbing lightly and then wiping a little harder in a circular motion, just like it says on the side of the bottle. My mom comes home as I am on my knees cleaning the couch. â€Å"Did your father tell you to clean up his mess?† Mom asks. â€Å"No,† I say. â€Å"Did he tell you about the letter I wrote him?† â€Å"No – but I found it.† â€Å"Well, then you know. I don't want you to do any cleaning, Pat. We're going to let this place rot until your father gets the message.† I want to tell her I found the â€Å"Pat† box in the attic, how hungry I was today, that I really don't want to live in a filthy house, and I need to take one thing at a time – finding the end of apart time first and foremost – but Mom looks so determined and almost proud. So I agree to help her make the house filthy. She says we will be eating takeout, and when my father is not home, everything will be as it was before she wrote the note, but when my father is home, we will be slovenly. I tell Mom that while she is on strike, she can sleep in my bed, because I want to sleep in the attic anyway. When she says she'll sleep on the couch, I insist she take my bed, and she thanks me. â€Å"Mom?† I say when she turns to leave. She faces me. â€Å"Does Jake have a girlfriend?† I ask. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I called him today, and a woman answered the phone.† â€Å"Maybe he does have a girlfriend,† she says, and then walks away. The indifference Mom shows regarding Jake's love life makes me feel as though I am forgetting something. If Jake had a girl friend Mom did not know about, she would have asked me a million questions. Her lack of interest suggests that Mom is keeping another secret from me, maybe something larger than what I found in the â€Å"Pat† box. Mom must be protecting me, I think, but I still want to know from what.

Marketing analysis of Famous Amos (Singapore) Essay

Famous Amos was established in the year 1983 in Singapore. It is now under Kellog’s Company since it was bought over in year 2001. Famous Amos offers cookies with nine varieties of flavours. It products also includes muffins and brownies. They serve the consumer with its finest and freshly made cookies. They believe in making the chip for the future generation. Famous Amos Cookies are also recognised as the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Their cookies also meet the needs and wants of the audience. Famous Amos is also widely distributed in the island. Famous Amos targets audience are mainly the cookies and chocolate lovers. However, they segment their products Geographically; around the world, Demographic; targeting kids, young adults and adults, Psychographic; interest in chocolate cookies, and Behavioral Segmentation; can be used in any occasion. Famous Amos strength is mostly on its superior quality product and its weakness is mainly on its marketing skills, which is promotion. This is because, they did not advertise as frequent to inform the consumer about its existence. Famous Amos opportunity is having international expansion and threats that it may face is the increase in aging population when its target audience are mostly young adults. Famous Amos competitor is Mrs. Field and Little Jerry’s Place. Mrs. Field is its major competitor as they are selling mostly the same and it is also known. However, Famous Amos still stays competitive by continuing to produce new products and packaging designs to strengthen their competitive positions. Company Profile of Famous AmosFamous Amos was found by Wally Amos. He was a veteran who worked as a talent agent with William Morris Agency. He started with sending home-baked chocolate cookies to celebrities mainly to attract them before opening a store in Los Angeles, California on 10 March 1975. By 1985, his sales had grown to more than $10 million. By then the people around the world could see how â€Å"famous† Famous Amos is. However, between 1985 to 1989, Famous Amos went through four different owners since inception. The President Baking Company bought the brand from the Shansby Group in 1992 before Keebler foods purchased the President Baking Company in 1998. Kellogg’s Company then bought over Keebler in 2001. Thus, Famous Amos is now part of Kellogg’s Company. It was only then Famous Amos came to Singapore. Famous Amos was first established in Singapore in the year 1983. It serves the cookies lovers varieties of cookies flavour to choose from. Famous Amos is categorized as one of the Food and Beverage industry and Bakery sector in Singapore which they specialised in cookies, muffins and brownies. With 13 stores located island wide, their minimum requirements of Corporate Structure for each store are one Service Provider and a Baker. These are number of employees who serve the customers at each branch of the stores. Famous Amos also then came out with a new way in reaching the market. They produce the packed Famous Amos Cookies that is convenient to be sold at Convenient Shop such as NTUC Fairprice and Cheers. These are for the convenience of the cookies to be reached (manufactured) around the world without having the physical stores at a country or region. Famous Amos does not have any specific mission and vision since it is now part of the Kellogg’s Company. However, they have a tag line, which states that Famous Amos is â€Å"Truly the Chip Made for the Next Generation†. This shows that they want to serve its original and the best cookies made from generation to generation. Overall, Famous Amos has gone through around the world. They served the people around the world with its finest and freshly made cookies. With these, Wally Amos is now known as the father of gourmet cookie industry. Marketing PhilosophyFamous Amos adopts the Product Concept. The product concept holds that consumers will favour those products that offer the most quality, performance, or innovative features. They focus on making superior  products and improving them over time. Thus, based on Famous Amos, we can see that it offer the most quality, which are their finest and freshly baked cookies. They bake their cookies at their each stores everyday to make sure that its cookies are always fresh. Famous Amos also produced the packets one without changing its concept in serving quality cookies. They make sure that the taste of their cookies stays the same. This is to make sure that their performances meet the standard of the consumers. Marketing OfferFamous Amos is a Profit Organization. It offers mainly Cookies. It serves the finest in freshly baked cookies. It satisfies the wants of its customer due to its freshness of products. They offer nine flavours such as â€Å"No Nut Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Pecan†. Their product includes Cookies, Speciality Cookies, Soft â€Å"N† Chewy Cookies and Cookies Cakes. It also includes a wide range of Muffins and Brownies. However, the core benefits that customer received is actually the exceptional taste of Famous Amos Cookies. SWOT AnalysisInternal Environment (Strengths & Weaknesses)Famous Amos brand is the ultimate strength for the company. Its brand â€Å"Famous Amos† shows it all about them being a â€Å"famous† cookie company. To add with it, Famous Amos received an International Brand Recognition, which is widely recommended and recognised. Famous Amos also has the reputation for its homemade cookies. It has a unique taste that would always attract buyers and especially chocolate cookies lover. Being a product company that is Halal Certified is also strength as it does not limit its product to only non-Muslim but to Muslim people too. Its product that is well distributed in Singapore is also a strength to Famous Amos as it reached its target audience easily. Its packed cookies are also convenient that people can purchase almost everywhere. Famous Amos also provides delivery service that makes it easier and convenience for the customer who bought it online. Its Research and Development (R&D) department also make sure that they always improve on its products and packaging design so that they remain competitive company.  Famous Amos also provides training for its employee to provide good services to the customer. Famous Amos does not need experience bakers and only required a minimal space for its store to operate. Therefore, it is cost effective for Famous Amos and act as a strength to the company. Famous Amos main weakness is in its marketing and promoting as it does not advertise its product as frequent that would inform consumer about its new product or its new stores. These will not create a want for consumer to consume its products as advertisement usually attracts the public and advertisement help to reach the public geographically. It also shows that the public are lack of information about its products. External Environment (Opportunities & Threats)Famous Amos operates stores world wide and it has successfully grow in every market it operates. This shows that Famous Amos has the opportunities in its international expansion. It is the best way in expanding its market. Famous Amos also has the opportunity to develop new strategic ways to increase their profitability. They may ask customer for suggestions or they can give suggestions and ask customer to give opinion. For example, Famous Amos can ask consumers for suggestion if they might want to produce other food products besides cookies to be sold in its stores. However, reports have shown that there is more aging population in Singapore. This will thus be a threat to Famous Amos Cookies as their target audience are mostly kids, young adults and adults. Cookies are also considered bad for health, especially when it contains a lot of sugar. This can also be a threat to the company as government has been encouraging the public to have a healthy lifestyle. Consumers will then avoid consuming something that they might consider unhealthy for them. Target Customer SegmentsFamous Amos basically targets those Cookies and Chocolate Lovers. These are their main customer they are targeting at. However, to be specific, Famous Amos segments their products through marketing segmentation. They are Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic and  Behavioural Segmentation. Famous Amos segments their product geographically generally to attract Cookies Lovers around the world such as the one in Melbourne Shopping Centre in Australia. In Singapore, Famous Amos scattered its stores island wide and it is usually at places that is at convenient to the consumers. For example, they have a store in Compasspoint located in Sengkang which caters the needs for the North-East people and Tampines for the convenient of the East people. Demographic Segmentation segment markets by age, gender, income, education, occupation, religion and race, ethnic background and family life-cycle or size. Famous Amos segments their products within most of these parameters such as the age, income and family size. Age is actually concerning anyone above 3 years old but specifically teenagers and adults of both genders. Their price is relatively affordable for consumers to buy it. They also provide packaging for immediate consumptions and as well as larger family size packs. This means that they do cater to these markets segments to attract buyers with large family size. Psychographic Segmentation consists of social class, lifestyle and personality. Famous Amos mostly segments its market through lifestyle. Lifestyle is a person’s pattern of living as expressed in his or her activities, interests and opinions. When a person bought the Cookies, this may show their interest in consuming the chocolate cookies. Lastly, Famous Amos segments their products through Behavioural Segmentations which segment markets through occasions, benefits sought, user status, usage rate and loyalty status. However, in Famous Amos case, they markets through occasions and target the gift giving market. They provide special promotions and labels for special occasion. For example, they provide hampers and gifts that customer can give at any occasion. Famous Amos also offer benefit sought to the customer from its appealing gift designs. Their gift tins, hampers and products have since to become a gift to be treasured by the person who receives it and a pleasure for the one who gives it. This is the benefits sought a customer may receive. Needs and DemandsTherefore, Famous Amos target audience needs are basically to eat or to have a snack. However, the consumer wants Famous Amos Cookies to satisfy their need. Thus, when the consumer finds a need and has the purchasing power, they will then demand for high quality Famous Amos Cookies. Competitor AnalysisFamous Amos competitors are Mrs. Field and Little Jerry’s Place. Mrs. Field is Famous Amos major competitor as it sells exactly the same as Famous Amos which is cookies, brownies and muffins. Mrs. Field are also its competitor as Mrs. Field is also well-known food and beverages products. Little Jerry’s Place is also a competitor to Famous Amos as it sell cookies and muffins too. Mrs. Field products are slightly the same as Famous Amos as they provide a range of products from cookies, nibblers, cookie cakes, brownies to muffins with a wide range of flavours. In Little Jerry’s Place, they sell only cookies but claim to offer slightly more varieties than Famous Amos and they differ by the taste as Little Jerry’s Place contains more milk, thus the rich milky taste. Mrs. Field prices are considerably the same as Famous Amos whereas Little Jerry’s Place cookies prices are cheaper as compared to Famous Amos. This is a way for Little Jerry’s Place to attract customer, which is to provide good products with low price. Mrs. Field has 8 stores located mainly around the town area and at Singapore Changi Airport. Little Jerry’s Place have 3 stores, located in West Mall, Square 2 and Ang Mo Kio Hub. This shows that Famous Amos has the advantage over its competitors for its distribution area. Mrs. Field offers 10 percent discounts vouchers and season’s offer through its website. Thus, those internets savvy might have the chance to get  discount if they came across the website. Mrs. Field also have Students Special promotion, which is free flow of drinks when dining-in before 6 in the afternoon. Little Jerry’s Place also have a current promotion. They offer one free Muffin if the customer buy four of its Muffin. Both Mrs. Field and Little Jerry’s Place promotions are to attract more customers to buy their products. However, in this case, Mrs. Field has an advantage over Little Jerry’s Place as they target the students which can be the main consumers of cookies industry. Famous Amos is definitely the market leader as it is widely known and recognised around the world. Mrs. Field main strength over Famous Amos is the promotion. Mrs. Field promotions are always up to date as compared to Famous Amos. Mrs. Field shop is also attractive. However, another factor besides being a known brand, Famous Amos has an irresistible aroma that other shops like Mrs. Field and Little Jerry’s Place does not have. Little Jerry’s Place weakness to Famous Amos is its new entry to the market. It is still unknown and does not have any official websites for the consumers to check out their details. Thus, Famous Amos has advantages over Little Jerry’s Place due to Little Jerry’s Place weakness. With these, Little Jerry’s Place could not challenge the Famous Amos high quality, freshly baked and irresistible taste of its chocolate chip cookies. Famous Amos continues to provide its customer with the delicious sweet treats. They make sure that they always meet the standard of its customer by their performance in providing the finest in freshly baked cookies. They also continuously rolls-out new products and packaging design to strengthen their competitive position. Marketing Strategies (4Ps)ProductFamous Amos is classified as a Convenient Product. Convenient Products are products that are purchased frequently and immediately, sold at a lower price, mass advertising and many purchase locations. Thus, based on Famous Amos Singapore, Famous Amos is actually purchased frequently and immediately since it has many purchase locations. It can found mostly in shopping centres that are convenient to the markets. It has 13 stores located around Singapore such as in Cineleisure Orchard,  Tampines Mall and Marina Square. Famous Amos offers wide varieties of flavour for just its Cookies. This is to cater to different markets. For example, Double Chocolate Chip with Pecan targets those who really love chocolate as they offer twice the amount of chocolate chips than a normal favour such as Chocolate Chip with Pecan. Its cookies include the brand name, Famous Amos, quality level which they are known as the world’s best chocolate chip cookies and providing appealing gifts designs. It is nicely package even for own consumptions as it has its own packaging (Appendices: Pictures). PricingFamous Amos uses the Market-Skimming under the New Pricing Strategies. Market-Skimming states that company set a high price for a new product to â€Å"skim† revenues layer by layer from the market and make fewer, but more profitable sales. It is used when a product’s and image support the high price. Its costs of smaller volume could not be so high that they cancel the advantage of charging more. Market-Skimming strategies also make sure that competitors are not able to enter the market easily and undercut the high price. Famous Amos adopts these pricing strategies as it is a product of value. Their product and image thus supports the high price they are selling. The consumers are willing to pay as high as $4.20 for only 100 grams of Famous Amos Cookies that they purchased at the available stores. Competitors are also unable to enter the market easily and undercut the high price. This is due to its known brand and quality of its Cookies around the world for ages. DistributionFamous Amos has a Direct Marketing Channel. Direct Marketing Channel is a marketing channel that has no intermediaries. Famous Amos is a direct marketing channel as the cookies are baked freshly at its own stores that are located island wide in Singapore. This shows that it does not went through a number of intermediaries. However, the packed Famous Amos Cookies went through a number of  intermediaries. It has the Intensive Distribution as it aimed at having a product available in every outlet in where consumers might want it. This is to cater and meet those beyond reached of the cookies. PromotionsFamous Amos does not do any mass advertising for its product. However, Famous Amos has done a rapport with its consumers when they won the international acclaim as the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. It is so unique that it spun the birth of an entire new industry. Its cookies are special with a crisp, nutty and richly flavoured at just the right size. This is the public relations that the brand has done over the years. Famous Amos had also made contributing in helping the needy people by partnering with Community Chest in March 2006 (Appendix: Famous Amos Public Relations). This is to promote their cookies to the public. Famous Amos Website is also a public relation as it is a form of reaching and communicating with its audience through internet. Famous Amos provides Sales Promotion on its Cookies in Gift Tins, Gift Sets and Cookies in Gift Boxes. These are all the premium items that Famous Amos offers at lower prices as an incentive to buy their cookies. Strengths & Weakness of Marketing StrategiesFamous Amos products are definitely strength to the organization. Its product is well-known to the public due to its quality of cookies that always meet the standard of the consumers. It is strength as it can be a perfect choice for midmorning snacks or at any time of the day. It is so handy that it can also be brought for picnics or birthday parties. The same goes for the Packed Famous Amos Cookies. Packed Famous Amos Cookies that is usually manufactured to the convenient chop is strength too as it can easily reached its target audience. This is because convenient shops can be found easily and mostly everywhere. Thus consumers can purchase Famous at their convenient. Being well-located throughout the island is also strength for the organization because having stores island wide shows that consumers can easily purchase the products wherever they are. Famous Amos brand name is known that its pricing strategies are strength to them too. Competitors will be unable to challenge its cookies due to the product quality n well-known brand. Competitors have to make sure that their products are better than Famous Amos Cookies to compete with them. The original cookie that is being sold at the stores is strength as they do not have to go through a lot of intermediaries. These thus save the cost of the organization and eventually save cost for the customer. This is because each intermediary that the organization went through, they will usually tax the products and it will then increase the selling price. Famous Amos weakness is mainly on its promotion. It does not have mass advertising that will subsequently inform its consumer about their existence or that they are still there to offer them the delicious sweet treats, their Cookies. They also do not have any con-current sales promotions that usually attract the consumer attention. This will eventually go back to its product. Its irresistible aroma produced at its stores will be the only factor that shows Famous Amos is still alive. This will be its weakness as for those areas without the stores will then cause the consumer to forget about it. Even so, their products are still at advantage as its quality products are irresistible by most Chocolate Lovers. However, Famous Amos could not base on its products and do not make any changes to them. This is because they will soon be forgotten when a new brand arises. They have to make sure they did some activities to increase the relationship with the customer. Recommendations and SuggestionsFamous Amos promotion has always been its key weakness to its competitor such as Mrs. Field. Thus, they should improve its marketing, especially public relations. This is an important factor as they must communicate with the customer to show them that they are vulnerable to the company and they treasure them for consuming their products. Advertising  is equally important as advertisement helps in reminding customer about their existence. Distributing flyers or their pamphlet can also be done. Famous Amos may also like to offer financial benefits to its regular customer by having Frequency Programs. This will help its consumer to enjoy benefits that the company provide. They may also like to give out its pamphlet when they produce new products. This is also a form of promoting its products. Famous Amos may also want to wider their product varieties like providing Famous Amos may also like to make its place for the consumer to dine-in. This means that consumer can dine-in while enjoying the cookies and aroma of Famous Amos cookies. Famous Amos may also like to produce something new that target the older generation since Singapore is having more aging population. This also helps in widening its audience thus generate more profit. ConclusionFamous Amos is widely known in the world. However, it is always good for the company to improve any of its weakness, grab any chances, and be prepared in challenges that they will face and always be innovative that will strengthen their competitive position. In my findings, I found that Famous Amos is preferred as compared to its major competitor, Mrs. Field. This is so as when I consulted some people about cookies company in Singapore, some does not realise the existence of Mrs. Field. Even so, Famous Amos has to really improve on its marketing strategies to attract the consumers. It is because, Famous Amos has the opportunities in doing more than what they are doing currently. They should really inform the public about their new products if there is any. This is because, I did not know they produce a new product until I visited a Famous Amos store located in Tampines. There is a sign that shows that there is new Fudge Cake. When I asked one of the salesperson, they mentioned that it has been out for quite sometime. That is why it is important for Famous Amos to promote their products as to generate more profit to the company. However, one most important factor that Famous Amos has is its cookies fragrance. It  is strong and attract consumer to crave for their cookies. I also visited both Famous Amos competitor stores, Mrs. Field located in Changi Airport Terminal 3 and Little Jerry’s Place located in Ang Mo Kio Hub. Mrs. Field stores are so attractive. It has a good sense of attracting consumer by using bright metallic red as a theme to their store. Little Jerry’s Place does not really attract the public with its appearance. However, it use the strategy of promotion such as â€Å"Buy 4 get 1 free† to attract consumers to buy their product. Thus, I find that it is important for company to plan on its marketing strategies. This will help in their profit maximisation. I also realised that it is important for the company to be attractive in attracting the public attention. However, as a whole, I can say that Famous Amos has done a great job in its effectiveness of providing standard and superior quality products. Famous Amos has also stays competitive and innovative in managing its products. Websites Famous Amoshttp://www.famous-amos.com.sg/Main website of Famous Amoshttp://www.speakers.ca/amos_wally.aspxFounder of Famous Amoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famous_amosHistory of Famous Amoshttp://www.sugarstand.com/sc/sc0073-famous-amos-cookies.htmhttp://www.instaoffice.com/famous-amos-chocolate-chip-chocolate-chip-cookie-cookies-famous-amos-food-keebler-snack-snack-food-s.keb98067.0.7.htmInformation on Packet Famous Amoshttp://www.ncss.org.sg/about_ncss/press_release_archives.aspPress Release of Famous AmosMrs. Fieldhttp://www.mrsfields.com.sg/index.htmlMain Website of Mrs. Fieldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._FieldsHistory of Mrs. Fieldhttp://www.asiacase.com/ecatalog/NO_FILTERS/page-GLOBIZ-653127.htmlInformation of Mrs. Field (e.g. Industry)Little Jerry’s Placehttp://www.timelessfacade.com/2007/04/amk-hub.htmlhttp://www.soshiok.com/print/9256Information websites