Analysis of the UK Confectionery Industry: Thorntons

Analysis of the UK Confectionery Industry: Thorntons Confectionery Industry In The UK Contributes A Major Amount Of Revenue To The Countrys Economy Chapter 1: Introduction Confectionery industry in the UK contributes a major amount of revenue to the countrys economy. Repeated case studies have revealed that the confectionery industry is ever growing and the demand for creativity and innovation in the products in increasingly demanded by the consumers in the UK market. Alongside, the growth in the confectionery industry has also resulted in the stiff competition among the players in the market with many global competitors like Cadbury and Nestle. The growth of more focused and niche market targeting companies have also grown tremendously in the UK, which includes companies like Thorntons, Ferroro UK ltd, etc. The stiff competition in the market and the increased penetration of the big players into various market segments has further disturbed the position of companies like Thorntons. This report is focused on the analysis of the marketing strategies for Thorntons Plc and provides valuable suggestions for future expansion and strategies to gain competiti ve advantage in the UK chocolate market. The report aims to achieve the following objectives To effectively segment the target market for Thorntons and identify those segment(s) here the company can effectively develop its business. To identify the importance of buyer behaviour and establish that the effective deployment of buyer behaviour would help the company understand its target market in detail so as to gain market share. Provide recommendation for an appropriate short-term promotional campaign in the UK for increasing the awareness on the companys products in the target market. Devise a sales or promotion campaign for the company in order to increase its sales through focusing on establishing the brand of Thorntons in the market as a strong competitor. Present a critical analysis of the advertising strategy mentioned in the case study for Thorntons and device a new advertising strategy that would include a creative media based plan in order to increase the awareness among the customers in the target market Also device a critical structure for the direct marketing plans in order to reach the over 50 years segment of customers in the UK market. Chapter Overview Chapter 1: Introduction This is the current chapter that introduces the reader to the objectives of the report and the flow of the report text. Chapter 2: Market Segmentation and buyer behaviour This chapter first presents an analysis on the market segmentation and identifies those segments that the company should target upon for further market expansion. This is then followed by the overview of the buyer behaviour and the use of buyer behaviour by the company in order to gain competitive advantage in its target market. Chapter 3: Advertising and Promotion This chapter first presents a discussion on a short-term promotional campaign for the company in order to increase the awareness of the products in the existing target market. This is then followed by a detailed overview of the advertising plan incorporating creative plans in the media based advertising in order to promote the products of the company. This is then followed by a critical analysis on the direct marketing strategy for over 50 years segment of customers in the UK in order to effectively reach that segment of the market so as to increase the sales as well as the market share. Chapter 4: Conclusion The objectives of the chapter are reviewed against the research and analysis conducted in the previous chapters and then a conclusion is derived based on the results of the analysis. Chapter 2: Market Segmentation and Buyer Behaviour 2.1: Market Segmentation From the case study of the company it is evident that the major segments in the Chocolate market include Count lines Moulded Bars Boxed Chocolates Seasonal Products and Bagged Self lines It is also evident that the company under debate i.e. Thorntons Plc specialize in the manufacture and sale of Boxed continental chocolates in the UK and global market. Hence the market segment that the company primarily operates is under the sub sector of the Boxed chocolates in the Chocolates industry of the UK. A further segmentation of the Boxed Chocolates market in the UK based on the price and quality is presented below The thousand and One Nights: Gender and Power Dynamics The thousand and One Nights: Gender and Power Dynamics GENDER/POWER dynamics as seen in The thousand and one nights The Thousand and one Nights are a collection of stories in the middle east/south asia in the golden Islamic age. The tales are centered around the people Shahrayar and Shahrazad. Sharazad uses her power of storytelling to King sharayar to keep her and others protected from being executed. Throughout the story we see that women are only seen as objects of pleasure as women only can hold onto their power through sex,desire and beauty. Women in the stories in the thousand and one nights The thousand and one nights uses Sharazad to represent feminism as with her wisdom and her way of storytelling we see how she overpowers herself and change Shahrayar.This juxtaposing idea of womens role in society and Shahrazad shows us the actual value that women possess as they are just equal to men. There is also an interesting correlation with gender/power dynamic and with class that is present in the thousand and one nights. There is this common theme in the stories Shahrazad tells sharayar the stories can be labeled as misogynistic as some of the stories told feature men who cause the downfall of women. An example being the short story The merchant and his wife. When reading this story readers might be quite surprised on the message the story is trying to convey that men should be able to beat their wives in order to control them. At first I was quite confused on why Shahrazad tells this specific story in order to change shahrayar but then I found that she tells this story in order to show a reflection of him and his actions. The actual intended message was to show that beating women wont force obedience. Telling this story surprisingly actually worked as she didnt get killed by the king the day after. In the Fisherman and the Jinni we are introduced to a Jinni and Fisherman as this story concerns on this idea of this power dynamic. In the story we are first introduced to this fisherman who we see that this fisherman is near the shores trying to catch fish for his family. We then see the fisherman reels in a golden jar which then a Jinni comes out of. The Jinni then tries to kill the fisherman but fails to do so as the fisherman is then tricked to go back into the jar. We see this idea embedded in the quote Since I must die, he said, before I choose the manner of my death, I conjure you on your honour to tell me if you really were in that vase?' This quote itself makes readers question the validity of status in society as this reveals us how a fisherman is trying/planning to outsmart a Jinni. The fisherman is considered as a person of such low status and him being able to outsmart such a powerful creature must mean something . Status is just a social construct created by society an d Shahrazad telling this story shows this.There is also this strong relation with Allah the story revolves around this idea that if you trust and believe in allah good will always come to you. In one of the stories The Woman Whose Hands Were Cut Off For that She Gave Alms to the Poorwe see an interesting point regarding the gender dynamic commonly seen in the thousand and one nights. We see here a clear portrayal of how women can hold on their power other than things like sex,beauty and desire. Instead we see the women holding onto her power with her generosity. In the story we see here that a womans hand is cut off after giving food to a poor man. Later in the story this act of generosity is what saves her as the scene when she tries to save a baby from drowning the food that she gave to the old man comes and restores her hands. Seen in the story the power of generosity helps her retain her power as a woman. We see this similar concept in another story in the thousand and one nights named The Miller and his Wife . Where the wife used her intelligence to retain her power. The wife in the story after finding out the millers dream about the treasure uses this to try to attra ct the attention of her real lover which is their neighbor. Having this attribute helps her both gain her actual lover and getting rid of her husband. But the exact thing women were valued during this time overcomes her and she fails to get what she wants. Instead of holding onto her power with her intelligence she lets her love and sexual desire for the neighbor get the best of her thus leading her both to lose her love and the treasure. In the Tale of Ala-al din and the wonderful lamp we see this aspect of gender/Power dynamic. Women are rarely given voices and are only to be desired by men. We are introduced to this character named Ala-al-din even is considered the protagonist is actually a character that is filled with greed. When Ala-al-din first meets with the genie and turns ala-al-din who is considered a low-life into a well-respected man only for his riches. When Ala-al din was transformed into this new man we see his undeniable greed as he only wanted to flaunt with what he wanted. His main desire was getting the sultans daughter despite her already being married he makes a plan to her. This idea shows one of the framings of women in the thousand and one nights as in this case we see the daughter acting as a desirable object. At the end of the story we are given this closing which states Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing. He was made captain of the Sultans armies, and won several battles for him, but remained as courteous as before, and lived thus in peace and content for several years. When reading this quote readers get a sense of this feeling of greed. The theme of Aladdin seems to focus on this idea that the whole rag to riches theme can be only achieved by the feeling of greed. That if you want a better life for yourself you will have to be greedy. Ala Al-Din also shows his power by outsmarting the genie Before meeting the genie Ala al din is seen as a low life as he is very poor but we see this quickly turn around when he meets the genie and is then transformed into a wealthy respectable man. We see this interesting connection also within The fisherman and the Jinni how a person with low status is able to outsmart a being who is considered powerful. This shows how this idea of status is imaginary and means nothing. Ala-al din is actually powerful in his own terms and doesnt need society labelling him of such low status. Conclusively The thousand and one nights in a larger frame actually shows us the power and value that women possess regardless of the fact that the stories were labelled as misogynistic by many and the morals and virtues believed when the stories were made.. Women possess this power of intelligence that helps them retain their power which is clearly seen in numerous stories in the thousand and one nights. The thousand and one nights clearly act as a symbol of feministic literature pieces from many years to come.

Freedom: Meaning of Life and Br Essay

Freedom is often spoken of in what can be referred to as a â€Å"loose sense†. One country has more freedom than another; a twenty-one year old has more freedom than a fifteen year old, but what exactly does this word, which is so often flippantly used, mean? Or, if this conclusion cannot be reached, what does it not mean? For different people it may mean different things, but there has to be an equilibrium that can be reached in order to determine the meaning of freedom itself. In one form, freedom can mean that a person has â€Å"exemption from an obligation.†* If only the root (free) is looked at, it can be interpreted that one is â€Å"not under the control or power of another.†* However often the latter definition is used, it is also disagreed with, and for good reason: there is always a ruler, although the ruler may not necessarily be in the form of a person or group of persons. Take, for instance, the human body. It consists of basically three things, as far as ruling powers are concerned: prudence, will, and raw appetite. Raw appetite can be looked at as what we have without reason, will is what can control raw appetite (or desires that we have without reason), and prudence is that which provides a choice between will and raw appetite. Prudence has the ability to choose between the two options. This is just one example of how a ruler must always exist, although it may not have a physical form. Taking this into consideration, the meaning of freedom can further be explored. Perhaps it can be defined as having the liberty to choose who/what the ruler is to be. For, since nothing can exist without having some form of rule, if people are not permitted to choose what the ruling factor is, then that would not be considered having freedom. Through this, it can be concluded that freedom, possibly, is not simply the ability to be able to do whatever it is that you want, and it is not simply being liberated from the power of another. It can also be concluded that one of the definitions of freedom could possibly be the liberty to choose the ruler. However, it is possible that it is unfeasible to ever obtain the exact definition of freedom.

Synchronic Dimension in Study of Languages - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 550 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Introduction Synchronic dimension in study of languages is the most compelling concept discussed by this writer. The writer generally introduces the structuralist point of view into linguistics and this is initially marked by giving a special relief to the use of synchronic dimension while studying a language (Saussure, 1913). This dimension is considered to be totally different from diachronic, which refers to historic (Saussure, 1913). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Synchronic Dimension in Study of Languages" essay for you Create order The main argument is that the present meaning of both words as well as sentences cannot be reduced down to just a historical study. This may be considered to be obvious but according to Saussure, linguistic had been seen to be historical through considerations of the largest limited structure as well as grammar (Saussure, 1913). The main point is that significance depends on the nature of a system of language being used which is giving by a number of different equilibrium laws which mainly constituents of the relative stability of the linguistic system meaning at the present time in consideration of this system. Many people tend to refer to language when reduced to its simpler elements to be a naming process only. But at some point, this conception is highly criticized. This is due to its assumptions that ready-made ideas exist before words themselves (Saussure, 1913), that is, it does not distinguish if a given name is either vocal or psychological in its nature. It also forces us to make an assumption that linking both names as well as its object is a very simple process, something that is generally true (Saussure, 1913). This shows that linguistic unit is a double entity which is formed through association of two terms. This has been seen with consideration to the speaking-circuits that both of all the terms that are involved in linguistics signs are psychological and are usually united in the brain through use of an associated bond (Saussure, 1913). Linguistic sign is said to unite not only a thing and its name but also a concept and its sound-image too. This is not only material sound or just purely a physical thing but also psychological imprint of the sound, that is, the impression that it makes on our senses (Saussure, 1913). The sound-image is seen to be sensory and it only exists as material just in sense, and also as a by way of opposing it to other terms that associates it (Saussure, 1913). The psychological character of the sound-images that are generally used in our communication become apparent after we observe our own speeches that we make. We are able to recite or speak to ourselves without even moving our lips or tongue through mentally selecting a verse (Saussure, 1913). Since the words of our language are regarded as sound-image, we have to avoid the use of phonemes that make up those words. In conclusion, a linguistic sign can be said to be a two-sided psychological entity. Both concept, as well as sound-image, are intimately united and each of the two words depends on each other. Despite where we find the meaning of the Latin word, â€Å"Arbor† or the word that is designated by Latin to mean a tree, it will be clear that only the associations that are sanctioned by this language will appeal to us so that we can conform to this reality and thus ignore what others may be imagining of

The American Dream The American Dream - 1106 Words

Work. It seems like an insignificant part of our day. You clock in, then clock out. But on average, Americans work 43 hours per week out of a total of 120 hours, take out the recommended sleep time and we work 43 out of 80 total hours. Therefore we work more than half the time in our daily lives. The larger part of Americans believe in The American Dream. so employees believe in working excessively for the chance of being rich, having expensive objects and being successful. The problem The American Dream is getting less and less possible each and everyday. The American Dream is central of what defines America how it is today. America, as a capitalistic society, depends on The American Dream and the tough workers who believe in it.†¦show more content†¦So as more people want jobs, they find those jobs are out of reach or they find other problems that are more important to them, leading to less and less jobs are filled every day. And the result leads to more unemployment. the unemployment rate is currently heading down slowly but the hire rate of people under the age of 50 to find jobs has stayed roughly the same over the years. So if the 41% of people cannot contribute to the cycle, leaving 59% of Americans to pick up the pace for everyone. But According to David Akadjian in the past 50 years, Americans have to work up to three times as much for the exact amount of pay, in 2013 the median wage was $27,851 and in 2017 it has only moved up 3 percent higher. so if you had a family of 5 or more you would be under the poverty line. But to look back to the median wage, it is a livable pay for a majority, and there a certain ways to deal with this without getting into poverty. but the problem is if fewer people keep getting jobs and the people with jobs on average, they are getting paid less and less for work. America will begin to topple on top of itself. As long as America has shown it has no common sense in its decisions there has always been smart people t o call out our systems and choices to put it into perspective. One such person is renowned American book writer John Steinbeck. Steinbeck’s piece â€Å"America and Americans, is the American dream even possible?† puts his opinionated viewShow MoreRelatedImmigrants And The American Dream1362 Words   |  6 PagesImmigrants and the American Dream In the article â€Å"The American Dream†, by James Truslow Adams in The Sundance Reader book, he stated that the American dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. 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