Management Accounting and the Environment Essay

Management Accounting and the Environment - Essay Example There are different approaches which help to identify the future goals of Charity organizations and detect the threats. Accountants' examination of Charity organizations gives useful insights into the nature of strategy itself. Management accountancy in Charity organizations is normally associated with more rational approaches to reporting. Perhaps its greatest contribution lies in providing the management accountant strategist a broad framework for analysing the position of organizations at a particular moment in time. It can also be useful in the development of a number of strategic options which attempt to tackle opportunities and threats, build on corporate strengths and avoid weaknesses. An important consideration is that for most management there is a choice of strategy (Collins, Davies, Weetman, 1992). New environment needs the approach based upon the assumption that information is readily available to the accountants and an accurate assessment can be made of its likely impact on organizations. This is not always the case and the entire process is subject to behavioural influences. The so-called rational techniques have been criticized as 'pseudo-science'. Nonetheless this is the basic approach used by many researchers (Kirkham, Loft, 1993). In the 1980s the emergence of an increasingly complex and turbulent business environment called for modifications in the rational approach. The environment plays an important role for charitable organizations, because there are more groups for whom the financial records are of potential interest. These groups include paid staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, donors (including grant making trusts), institutional and corporate funders, government departments, rating authorities, The Charity Commission, the press and the public as well as the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. As a result of this Charity Accounts can be subject to more requirements than private sector organisations of equivalent size (Parker, 2001). In the light of this it is possible to distinguish three main functions of accountants: the raising of funds or financial management; the contribution of accounting to management control and decision-making; and the function of financial reporting. Accountants in Charitable organizations need to prepare and maintain accounting records. These records must be retained for at least six years (at least three years in the case of charitable companies), and make the accounts available to the public on request. In charitable organizations accounts can be prepared using one of two bases: receipts and payments basis which consists of an account summarising all money received and paid out by the charity in the year in question, and a statement giving details of its assets and liabilities at the end of the year. "Accruals basis contains a balance sheet showing the charity's financial position at the end of the year in question, a statement of financial activities (SOFA) during the year and explanatory notes. They, in accountancy terms, should give a "true and fair view" (Sayer, 1998). Recent years accounting has been seen as a management function which obtains influenced significantly by those who prepare and

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC According to Drucker, the vision answers to the question: what do we want to become?Kraft Foods Mission Statement try to describe the firms vision for the future: Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better. The firm justifies the vision saying that this sentence captures the essence of who the firm is. It shows trough this sentence that the firm cares about customers life and needs facilitating the cook in the daily life in order to offer more time to the customers to do what they want and also to help them to easily eat in a more healthy way. According to Kraft web site: Were constantly looking for fresh ideas to improve our workplace, our partnerships, our communities and our world. To make today delicious, we begin with our consumers. We listen, we watch and we learn. What we do. We make delicious foods you can feel good about. Mission According to Drucker, the mission answers to the question: what is our business? The mission statement consists of three words according to the Kraft Foods Inc. Web site: Make today delicious. Their mission reflects who they are, just like the vision. They refuse to limit the firm to be just a business that sells food and try to meet consumers expectations and making food an easier, healthier, more enjoyable part of life. Kraft Foods underlines the importance of health and wellness and also embodies all the ways we can eat and live better, eating easily and quickly in an environment of safety thanks to the Kraft services. Values and principles: According to Krafts web site, the firm uses values and principles to communicate customers what they can expect of the brand and to demonstrate their leadership, because they want to be recognized as a leading company able to attract customers and workers through ideas like: Innovation   Satisfying real-life needs with unique ideas Quality   Fulfilling a promise to deliver the best Safety   Ensuring high standards in everything we make Respect   Caring for people, communities and the environment Integrity   Doing the right thing Openness   Listening to the ideas of others and encouraging an open dialogue They put consumers first because they want to strength the Brand Value propositions and new product innovations to drive faster top line growth. They work simply, listening to the customers, but act quickly to increase the speed and flexibility in order to reduce costs for reinvesting in making famous the brand finding the right balance between the business and the employees needs to ensure that the work environment is flexible and supportive. Strategies According to Krafts Web site, the firm seeks to become a huge snacks powerhouse  and unrivalled portfolio of brands people love, eat and buy. According to an article of News Bites US Markets, 2010: The brands of the Company span five consumer sectors: snacks, beverages, cheese, grocery and convenient meals As advised by F. David, Kraft focuses its strategy on the complementary nature the companys portfolio which is supposed to lead the brands growth: Delight global snacks consumers.   The worlds Consumers are looking for on-the-go options because they are always in late for something in work or just life. Theyre also looking for simple indulgences and healthier options, which is a paradox because people dont have time to cook in a healthy manner but they have to be healthy for the work and thin in the daily life. Thus, Kraft provides delicious snacks to these consumers, like  LU  biscuits or wellness products in order to meet their expectations. These iconic heritage brands are loved by consumers all around the world, according to a Nexis Source: Roughly 80 percent of these heritage brands hold number one or number two positions in their respective categories and are household names. In a leadership state of mind, the firm considers that, to win the market, the brand has to win on every levels of the chain: from the consumers to the suppliers. So, according to Fred David example pg 104, to succeed, the firm counts on its values (explained in the mission statement) like safety, respect or quality and especially on the fact that the brand acts like an owner, open to the discussion but who decide at the end. Through this image, Kraft also entrust the shareholders, and offers them interesting returns on their investment like: Organic revenues growth of 5 percent or moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mid- to high-teens marginsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And EPS growth of 9 to 11 percent, according to the Kraft Foods Web site. According to F. David, Krafts Current Strategy for 2009 planned to evolve trough a turn-around process in order to follow the example of the sustainable growth. The result of the operation was that a lot of savings had been made due to the simplification of organisational structure and some closing. The external and internal audit The PESTLE Political The stability of the political environment According to K. Blanchard, 2009, the decrease in companys results is due to foreign currencies, it could also be linked to the inflation and soaring of raw material and petroleum. Local taxation Kraft in based in Switzerland, in Zoug, this area is appreciated for the low rate of taxation. For example the income tax represents less than 16% of the benefits of the company. (F. Therin, 2010) Government involved Irene Rosenfeld declared in an interview of David Lieberman in 2010, I dont think theres any indication that having the government involved will necessarily make that a more effective process or have the desired outcome. Theres ample evidence that we can in fact work together in a productive way, and thats a more effective way to address the issue. This answer illustrate that the government is neither apart from the policies of the company nor influencing strategies. Social welfare policies According to the Right vision news, 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been buying shares for seven years and now owns a piece of at least 80 companies, including McDonalds and Kraft Foods. It hopes to influence their animal welfare policies on such things as how chickens are slaughtered or buying pork from suppliers that keep pregnant sows in small crates. That means Kraft should take social policies into consideration as it appears to be relevant in people mind and consumer behaviour. Economic Interest rate According to an article of the Business Wire, 2010, Food companies continue to seek acquisitions and organic growth, particularly in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), to boost their overall growth rates. Proactive refinancing of upcoming debt maturities is likely to continue since companies are able to issue new debt at very low interest rates. Debt reduction is not likely except for Kraft and Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., since both companies increased leverage materially for acquisitions in 2010. Level of inflation Northfield-based Kraft and ConAgra, two big pork producers, have both raised their prices in recent months because of the market increase. Janet Kidd Stewart explains this increase in 1996 by the inflation. As a food, bakeries, and biscuits producer Kraft is very sensible to the rate of raw material, corn, milk, flour, eggs. Employment levels According to Ellen Simon, 2006, when Kraft Foods bought Nabisco, 25% department was laid off on the same day in 2004. Long term prospect In a Just Food article, 2009, The Unite union, which represents Cadbury workers in the UK and Ireland, seems to be concerned that Kraft would not sufficiently invest in the long-term prospects of the business and its brands as it looks to reduce costs to service debt. Exchange rate Adapted from what Timothy McLevish (Chief Financial Officer) said in the Earning conference call in November 2010, Kraft Foods has a very complex portfolio of currencies, which explains why they are less impacted by just a decline in the value of the dollar or an appreciation of the dollar because we have a lot of our input costs. Sociocultural Lifestyle trends In this part we have to take into account the issues of obesity, lack of sport, health, organic products, and natural medicine. According to Kristopher J. Blanchard, 2009, the rate of obesity in Canadians boys increased from 11% in 1980s to over 30% in 1990s, and from 4 to 14 in Brazil. Those trends represent an opportunity for Kraft. Demographics With the current population ageing, seniors represent a huge share of the market, they consume healthy and diet products. Unfortunately children stay the target of Krafts bakeries and biscuits. Consumerism popular attitude Kraft interest is following consumers habits and adapt their products e.g. to get concentrated on food conforming the rules of religions. Work and leisure Managers target new segments like snacks, beverages, convenient meals. This strategy fits with the sociological trend that consists in mixing time for work or leisure with meal time. That allows Kraft Foods to get concentrated into quick and healthy food containing fewer calories or more vitamins to suits to any consumers needs. (K. Blanchard, 2009) Technological Level of research In 2007, Alexis Douglas deals with the new research facility of Kraft Food based in Asia and the following strategies engendered. The research center will : serve as its regional hub for food product and development service for its Asia units include a pilot plant and packaging laboratory for testing new products and packaging materials aimed to make the research facility a center for excellence in developing beverages Environmental Environmental issue Jonathan Horrell, corporate affairs director put forward Krafts implication in environmental issue across the cycle journey, which highlights the fact that we are taking a more active attitude towards environmental issues. Ecological The sustainable strategy of Kraft began with the raw material used, the methods use to produce, the transportation and ends with the packaging and rubbish recycling. Lobbies Danny Fortson, 2010, wrote that Greenpeaces war against Golden Agri has been fierce. () Kraft Foods also said that it will no longer buy its palm oil. This can put forward the influence of Greenpeace over firms. Waste disposal Jordan Ammann, 2009, Fifteen months after its launch, Kraft Foods manufacturing plant in Bahrain is making substantial headway towards its sustainability goals. The plant has achieved reductions of 25% in energy consumption, 50% in water consumption and 16% in waste from 2008. In 2009 the plant has targeted a further 5% reduction based on its 2008 average. Legal Legal protections Due to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions affair in which Kraft was sued, the company has agreed to train managers on laws prohibiting age discrimination. (Reuters, 2002) Consumer laws, right to consumers products, components According to Anna May Kinney, 2008, During September 2000, Kraft Foods Inc. scrambled to recall taco shells made from StarLink corn, a type of genetically modified corn unapproved for human consumption. While its true that the EU has approved some GMO crops to be grown and sold, they have stood firm in giving their consumers the right to know what they are eating and the right to choose GMO food or non-GMO. Internet External vendors (European), attracted because of the difference in rates between the dollar and the euro Barriers to entry, low or not The initial investment necessary, entrance fees, patents already in place, standards, protectionist measures, the image Industry and established businesses, U.S are not famous for the wellness of the food, so foreign firms more famous for this type of market like Sweden or China can enter in the market. Cultural barriers, globalization help to erase barriers as food tend to become a more international fashion / trend. Porters five forces model Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Environmental sustainability concern Social responsibility Economic viability Many consumers are cutting back on their spending by switching to store-brand products. The power is strong when : The customers are concentrated :a lot of consumers who want he same thing: The suppliers are numerous and dispersed There are alternative sourcing ; (Conagra) The customer changes suppliers, the cost of transfer is low Conagra, same prices, nearly same products There is a threat of upstream integration from the customer. Suppliers  : BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Rivalry  among competing firms 1st competitor: Nestlà © with international sales whereas Kraft only sales in North America (CON AGRA in the U.S market) HEINZ SARA LEE Restaurant, vending machines, foodservice providers, are competitors too, even if the brand is not strong/famous. (alternative competitors) Weakness: Krafts dont produce beauty or others types of products like Nestlà © or Conagra, whose are diversified (beauty , petcare, ethanol) Changes appareas in the competitors strategy => Conagra focuses now on food, stop ethanol and fertilizer,this is a new threat because Conagra will be even more competitive in the exactly same market. New CEO since 2005 for Conagra, GARY RODKIN, new force =>like a competitive advantage as a rival to ROSENFELD. Foreign rivals: monopoly con Conagra in the U.S but competitors also outside of the country , moreover, the $ become increasingly high which is not good for the market because external products could be seen as cheaper . The high price of petrol which up the value of raw material, give strengh to the suppliers =>bad thing for the industry which have to face a loss. A low number of suppliers : a strong brand Very speficic / diferenciated products are facts that increases the price of the change of suppliers, so increases the suppliers power too. Buyers  : BARGAINING POWER OF CONSUMERS Substitutes  : POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS Wellness  and health / obesity Generic produces Retailer brands Wholesalers Cooperatives When the prices are increasing good for the subsitute because it will be more attactive. Porters value chain The support activities Profit MarginAdministration means infrastructure(leadership and management)and concerns the important persons of the structure Human Resources management concerns the decisions made concerning employees Technology development concerns the efforts and money invested for the future of the firm Resource procurement concerns the manner to find a product and supply the firm. According to Fred David, this kind of organisation can be explained by the fact that it took time and efforts to follow the Phillip Morris plans, the firm had to know several changes, for example, the New CEO since June 2006 in Irene Rosenfeld which embodies the beginning of the chances in the firm and she is now the chairman of the Board. This change is relevant because she embodies the head of the firm with her position. Thus, the management team is divided into 10 parts. The primary activities Inbound logistics Operation Outbound logistics Marketing sales Services (Kraf Food Inc, 2009) The primary activities help the support activities to make their completion easier, like for example: Inbound logistics The Technology development managed by the segment of Jean Spence can help the Inbound Logistic by finding new raw material, or, according to the Kraft Munich website, improve new products like in Munich, the responsible for Product and Process development where food, Refreshment Beverages, Salted Snacks, Confectionery, Biscuits are always improved; or discovering an alternative to the problem of the rising price of petroleum which increases the cost of the raw materials and also the cost of transportation. Operation Human Resources managed by Karen May can help the Operations establishing a climate of trust and respect between employees in order not to slow down the production or avoiding the sicki effect of a bad climate at work. Outbound logistics The Resource procurement can helps the Outbound logistics negotiating new or more advantageous contracts, for example group rates can be an idea if several subsidiaries like Oreo, Lu etc will be delivered by the same transports firm. Marketing sales In order to be proactive address the evolution of trends like the dining out trend or health food trend, vitamined drinks trend against the obesity, marketing can be supported by the technology development to develop new products or to help selling these products with the internet, because attracting web sites with games for subsidiaries like Oreo and The recipe Box for Kraft itself help the brand to be more human to sale more. Also, according to a News Bites US Markets document of 2010: thanks to the companys annual week of community service (Delicious Difference Week) organized by the Human Resource segment, Krafts employees were a record numbers to participate as volunteers to help the nonprofit project. This kind of action help the marketing and sale segment showing to the customers how social responsibly the firm is. Services The Services segment Focus on the reputation and perceived value among the consumers, thus, the administration can be helpful taking the crucial decisions they have to be respectful, reasonable and ethic. According to F. David example pg 109, customers want the firm to understand them and accept the social responsibility, thus, when the board temporarily shut down because of a risk of contamination, this action reinsure the consumer, enhance the positive image of the brand and support the Service segment. Trough the web site, Kraft tries to come closer to the customers culture and social identity, to show that as the people, the brand is able to evolve and be concerned by the environmental problems. Internal strengths A developed Strategy followed and understood by the employee, whereas Conagra has a vision, but no strategy and depends on operating companies and functional silos which is really risked and it lacks of internal cohesion. So, more segmentation and prioritization than the competitors. A developed Human resource management segment which aloud trust between employees firm with some concepts like: Policy of non discrimination , responsibility Community Involvement Compliance and Integrity People and Diversity Workplace Safety This climate of respect and trust give to the employees the will to work well and to be the height of the firms expectations. A good and dynamic CEO /Chairman which has chosen a good organization and repartition of the support activities. According to elements of the Krafts web site, Mrs. Rosenfeld also helps to improve the corporate Reputation and Responsibility of the firm and thus aloud the firm to receive some prize like: Worlds Most Respected Companies, Reputation Institute 2009 (third consecutive year) Corporate Reputation Top 10 (Canada), Marketing magazine 2009 (second consecutive year) Ozone Layer Protection Award, US Environmental Protection Agency 2009 Banksia Foundation Agriculture and Food Award for sustainability practices, (Australia) 2009 The New York Academy of Medicine awarded Kraft Foods for our long-standing commitment to health and wellness(2009) Adapted from http://www.zonebourse.com/KRAFT-FOODS-A-13256/actualite-analyse/Un-spin-off-a-surveiller-18414/ : International and Tough brands (Cà ´te dOr, Toblerone, Milka, Maxwell, Carte Noire, Tang, Jacques Vabre) Strong advertisement trough years help Krafts food to maintain the competitive advantage: According to F. Davids historic introduction of the firm, A key to the success of Kraft Foods was James Krafts commitment to using innovative advertising methods. Now, this is steel an asset according to an article from the Lab Business Week, 2008: The Krafts Director of Global Interactive Marketing has leaded some of the world most successful and awarded digital branding campaigns for the likes Altoids, Oreo or Planters. Because of this success the advertising industry has recognized Krafts accomplishment prestigious awards like Gold and Bronze Clio Awards(C), a Webby Award, Silver and Bronze One Show Pencils(R), a Gold EFFIE(R), a Silver ADDY(R), an ANDY Award, and a Cannes Lions. Internal weaknesses A low growth market and the impact of the commodity prices (milk, coffee, cocoa) which made the firm less competitive according to Fred David. The fact that Kraft is a young firm in comparison with the main competitors like ConAgra which was built over several decades and which had made numerous acquisitions. Kraft on the international as a negligible impact in comparison with world competitors like Nestlà ©. More, according to F. David, Kraft is just a food company which is not a competitive advantage in the world market. Strategic capability Because of the current economic conditions, F. David said that some analysts criticized Rosenfeld managerial approach because of the 2008 compensation, however, 2009 results show that she made the good choice. In 2009 the net revenues of the company has soared compared with previous years. Despite the increase of the cost of sales that can be due to the inflation rates, the gross profit is better. To keep and maintain the competitive advantage and moving forward, the firm has to  focus on the coordination. The problem here is that we can notice a lack of connexion between Kraft Foods Europe, Kraft International and Kraft North America. Even if the fact that the support activities are all bounded together is positive, this kind of grouping seems irrelevant if the company is regarded like two separate entities like North America Versus International and not like a single entity. The objectives The generic strategy and competitive advantage Bowmans clock Denise Dollimore, 2010, Slide Business Strategy Generally speaking Kraft Foods is a producer of high value products (organic, healthy and specified). The company is not involved in any low cost strategy. All the brands are well-known and considered as the top of the product on the market. According to Browmans clock the firm is focused on diversification and differentiation. To get concentrated on this diversification Irene Rosenfeld agreed to modify firms strategy, by simplifying the organizational structure. In 2009, savings have been realized, nevertheless it can also be explained by the closing of 36 plants and 19000 positions have been eliminated. Adapted from Kraft Foods Inc., K. Blanchard, 2009. Michael Czinkota, 2010, One can look at Kraft Foods Inc.s recent acquisition of Cadbury PLC as evidence of a U.S. companys recognition that it needs to build both market share and management strength to be successful in global markets. In 2006, approximately one-third of Krafts revenues came from outside North America. Cadbury boosts the international share of the combined companys business more than 50 percent. Otherwise, this strategy illustrates that Kraft intend to differentiate its products and markets to maintain its international presence. We believe scale will be an increasing source of competitive advantage in both the confectionery category and the global food business as a whole, said Rosenfeld, in 2010, who pointed out that the tie-up will allow Kraft to become the worlds leading confectionery company with a market share of 14.8%. (Andrew Clark, 2010) The assess of the strategy As advised by Fred David (108-109), referring to the customer issue, more people are dining out which may adversely affect Kraft Foods as a grocery retailer. Further caused by mobile customers there is less time for preparation of food and therefore declining customer demand. Also the development of health foods e.g. products containing less trans fat or only organic ingredients could be a challenge for the company although Kraft Foods touched on this area in recent years. Whereas there is a paradox between the steady growths of packaged and processed foods because of less time and high demand for healthy foods which is mostly to class with homemade foods. Customers today view food as an expression of their cultural and social identity and therefore asking a lot more from producers than just good quality. David is still talking about that this attitude causes to pay more attention to branding than quality because it can transfer a more emotional positioning, understand your environment and customers unique needs and taste, depending on their culture. Moreover, competition is increasing because the market is attractive and has potential such as the increase of bargain stores or trademarks (Aldi). Therefore it is difficult for Kraft Foods to raise their prices. Further there are strategic issues in the supply chain such as cost efficiency matter. When the costs of petroleum are rising it causes an increase in raw material costs and hence rising production and transportation costs. Furthermore, corporate and brand reputation of a company are gaining more and more in importance which causes raising competition as well. One more strategic issue could be the economic crisis which affects the consumer to spend less money than usually. The issues of rising prices, increasing competition and customers are willing to spend less but want more in health, cultural and social identity cases are difficult to solve. The solution could be to use synergies and identify cost drivers for higher cost efficiency. While offering diverse products, with strong branding fulfilling customer demand and differentiate from competition. Also keeping the brand reputation high by ensuring food safety programs are applied could be a possible approach. The SWOT Matrix of KRAFT FOODS INC. Strengths According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods has a strong brand image and diversified product portfolio. Additionally, it operates in domestic and international markets. His well recognized brands with operations encompassing five core divisions include snacks with 37.2% of the total revenues during 2009, beverages with 19.9%, grocery with 10.1%, cheese with 16.8% and convenient meals with 16%. Replication of its brands is very difficult and only a few firms are able to imitate these. To maintain market leadership position needs launching new products with innovative ingredients. The brand Alpen Gold is very popular and leading chocolate brands in Russia. Kraft Foods pays a great importance to research and development (RD). The RD is rising year after year and reached in FY2009 an expense of $499 million. In addition the company has about 2400 food scientists, chemists and engineers. Therefore RD supports to maintain a strong market position. According to Datamonitor (2009) Kraft Foods has 316 distribution centers and depots worldwide, 303 in North America and 13 outside America in eight countries. Thereby company ´s multi-category distribution and consumer awareness are its major strengths. This boosts the selling efforts through three principal sets of activities: consumer advertising in broadcast, prints, outdoor and on-line media; consumer incentives such as coupons and contests; and trade promotions for supporting price features, displays and other merchandising. Kraft Foods has two distinct distribution operations as follows: warehouse delivery and direct store delivery. This important strength qualifies the company to manage its inventory in a powerful manner. Weaknesses Refer Datamonitor (2009) Product recalling could be one of Kraft ´s weaknesses which were noticed particularly in march 2009. The voluntary recall in the United States of Planters and Back to Nature products containing pistachio nuts is the latest one. The reason was the potential to be contaminated with the Salmonella organism which can cause serious infections. Kraft Foods operating margins, net margin and net profit margin is decreasing in spite of an increase in revenues since FY2006. Further company ´s operating profit fell from $4,154 million in FY2006 to $3,817 million in FY2008. The reasons for the declining include increase in input costs primarily related to higher raw material cost, unrealized losses in hedging activities, to energy derivates heating oil and natural gas contracts. Kraft Foods decreasing margins caused by inefficient cost structure could be a pressure on the company ´s future financial plans. Refer Datamonitor (2010) additionally unfunded post retirement benefits would cause making periodic cash contributions which would reduce cash available for growth plans. Also because of the Cadbury acquisition Kraft Foods debt burden has increased from $5,556 million to $18, 990 million EBITDA. The increasing debt ratio will be a concern for the company ´s solvency and liquidity position. Opportunities Refer Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods new line of low-fat products causes to strengthen the market position of the company. The increased preference for fat-free and healthy food products in the United States drive Kraft Foods tapping into people ´s growing health and wellness concerns by its developing the nutritional profile of its snacks portfolio. For instance, introducing whole-grain versions of snacks, eliminating trans-fat in most of its products, reformulating fat-free cookies (e.g. launching low-fat Oreo) are remarkable opportunities. Moreover the company has four key opportunity areas that meet consumer needs such as weight management, nutrient delivery, performance nutrition, and natural and organic Reducing the sodium in many of his products, launching the South Beach Living line in the US. According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods tries to strengthen its portfolio recently through acquisitions and divestitures such as the flavored water and juice brand assets and similar trademarks. Furthermore, the company decided to sell the Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Panrico which caused an ongoing focus in Spain to grow its portfolio. (Source 1 Datamonitor) Moreover the US coffee sector grew in the recent years and accounts for 70.8% of the total US drinks. K

Fight Club: The Destruction of Society Essay -- essays research papers

Fight Club is a social satire directed by the talented David Fincher and was adapted from the book of the same title written by Chuck Palahniuk. The film attempts to show the despair involved in living in a consumer driven society and the emptiness that fills people when commercialism takes over their lives. As well done as the movie is, when watching the film you can not help but feel the irony involved that Brad Pitt delivers the most biting lines in the film. Brad Pitt plays Tyler Durden whose Unabomber philosophy on life completely contradicts Brad Pitt’s image as a poster child for the new young pretty boy Hollywood star. Interestingly enough Edward Norton and Brad Pitt play the same schizophrenic character; though this is not evident until the end of the film. Every scene in the movie is some form of social commentary, because of this it is necessary to limit the scope to the most interesting scenes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"narrator† played by Edward Norton is as he describes himself: â€Å"I was the warm little center of the universe that the delight of this world crowded around.† He has it all, a good job, nice clothes and even a nice place to live. Despite all the things the narrator has, he still feels hollow and incomplete. In the beginning he believes that this emptiness can be filled with personal possessions, but eventually through his relationship with Tyler Durden he learns that his emptiness is something deeper. The narrator was looking for a way to c...

Advertising Analysis

Advertisements often find ways to sell their products by psychologically manipulating people. The advertising industry makes us envious of others and convinces us to be unhappy with what we have (Valko). Steve Madden ads usually feature women with absurdly large heads and hourglass bodies which try to force the audience to wonder what the ad is about. One of these odd ads appears in the March/April 2001 issue of Twist Magazine. It features a young woman with a big head helplessly running, as an airplane zooms over her at an abandoned airport. There are three characteristics within the ad that contribute the whole idea that Steve Madden shoes, clothes and accessories will improve your self image. The main purpose of Steve Madden ads is to suggest to its viewers that they will feel good about themselves by wearing his products. The model’s big head conveys self-esteem and self-pride and she challenges the consumer to look as good as she does. The young woman wears a face of apprehension and is running away from her old self to start her new confident life with Steve Madden products. The sleek black leather jacket on top of a sexy white shirt, short enough to reveal her stomach and curvaceous hips together with her tight low rider blue jeans, black pointy high boots, and trendy black bag complete her fashionable outfit. The embellished woman’s physique is aimed to appeal to women and girls between the ages of 16 through 25 in search of funky, hip, sexy clothes. Steve Madden likes to think of his clothes of as being distinctive and he illustrates his idea by setting an abandoned airport as the background for the ad. There is not a body in sight as the model runs across the old gum stained pavement. This calls attention to the idea that by wearing Steve Madden buyers isolate themselves from everyone else. She is too proud and conceited and cannot imagine being compared to anyone else. The Steve Madden logo in the ad also contributes to the main idea of the ad. It could have been anywhere on the page, why the sky. Steve Madden ads always have their logos imprinted on the sky to imply that the â€Å"sky is the limit† with Steve madden products (Liza). Steve Madden’s use of the airplane flying across the model’s head are to let his consumers know that the only thing to stop them from accomplishing the look they have in mind is the limit the set upon themselves. Steve Madden will help its buyers attain the appearance they have always envisioned. Furthermore, it can be said, in Bertrand Russell’s words that â€Å"Good advertisements will either make the audience envious of the lifestyle being advertised, or will generate within the audience the desire to be envied by others† (Harris). Many advertisers aren’t as successful but Steve Madden manages to persuade his buyers to buy his products through his eccentric ads.

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan Essay

â€Å"I am a drifter, and as lonely as that can be, it is also remarkably freeing. I will never define myself in terms of anyone else. I will never feel the pressure of peers or the burden of parental expectation. I can view everyone as pieces of a whole, and focus on the whole, not the pieces. I have learned how to observe, far better than most people observe. I am not blinded by the past or motivated by the future. I focus on the present, because that’s where I am destined to live.†(pg.7) Every day, A wakes up in a new body: different race, different size, different gender†¦ A is not defined by any of these characteristics and tries to respect the host body as much as possible during the time spent in it. Then A, in the body of Justin, meets Rhiannon and everything changes. A feels a connection that has never happened before and A can’t let go of that feeling. From then on, each day as someone new, A and Rhiannon form a bond that gives a new meaning to love without restriction. David Levithan brilliantly brought real feelings into a imposable sounding book. A and Rhiannon have real chemistry; their love is not based on gender, race, or size. Every Day is the type of book that will stick with me and I’m thankful that David Levithan came up with such an ambitious concept. With his beautiful writing, I can only hope that it will open the eyes of people who may have a more restricted definition of what makes love true.

How and why the definition of development has changed Essays

How and why the definition of development has changed Essays How and why the definition of development has changed Essay How and why the definition of development has changed Essay How and why the definition of development has changed The definition of development has changed radically, and was first only characterized by using economic indicators as its primary factor. Predominantly, economic Is the mall contributing factor, however, in modern times, living conditions, and other contributing factors to the well-being of a population has helped manipulate whether a country is developed or not. Basing development on the economic status was commonly used decades ago; however the deflation of It has become less narrow In the 21 SST century, with broader concepts other than the wealth of a country being seed. This Is mainly because as times have changed, so have peoples pollens on the significance of certain Indicators, with less focus aimed at how much Different factors can help determine what development means, with social, environmental, political and sustainability all being used Communication and travel networks have developed over the past few decades, with the first electronic computers introduced in the 1 sass. This has provided people with the Web, and thus an extensive source of information that people can utilize it make them aware of global affairs and the tuitions of other foreign countries. This has helped people become aware of how to differentiate between different levels of development, as they can identify strengths and weaknesses from current affairs either through social networking, or other forms of media. Sociability is a significant factor as a lack of community spirit or unity can help show that even if a country is producing a vast output, that relationships between people may be mixed. Subsequently a countrys development needs to help reflect the extent of social well-being. Environmental and sustainability are closely interlinked when defining development, as a country shouldnt be regarded as developed if the environment is being neglected for a countrys growth in wealth. In addition, if resources are being depleted for this necessary short term development then it is going to effect the future generations ability to grow, so development has had to take into consideration the sustainability of these countries. If future generations have a limited opportunity to utilize resources then a country is not truly developed, so In addition, there was a very vague generalization that the Brandt line presented a split in development of countries. The Brandt line has adapted Its shape In recent times, with some southern hemisphere countries developing at such a rate they cannot be regarded as Inferior to some northern counterparts. Despite the anomalies, the Brandt line Is still used to represent a North/ South divide between those countries who are developed and those who are not. Even though It remains quite true even today with the revised definition, It Is still vague and Is often disputed. Another reason that the definition may have changed Is the Improvement f the ethics and morals of people In modern society. Many people now have an ethos of equality between social classes and because of this; It has been seen as quite offensive to label something as third world. Using the notion of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd world hierarchy system has meant its very difficult to escape from it as there is class an hence less developed is something of the past, with each country developed within their own right. The main reason, as aforementioned, that the definition of development has changed, is because the concept has evolved further from Just economically developed. Before, acronyms such as LED and MED (Less Economically Developed Country and More Economically Developed Country respectively) were used but in recent times, they have been scrapped and OLD and MAD have been replaced for them instead. This represents a huge shift from the idea that economic prowess was the only factor that contributed to whether a country was developed or not. Economics Just shows the wealth of a country and how many goods or services it can produce within a year. Whilst the level of production and standards of living can be closely linked, it cannot be proven that welfare increases in all cases where there is economic growth. As a result, other factors have been used in collaboration with economics so a more even and fair definition of development could be used. Literacy has been conceptualized traditionally as having a major role in developing a nation. Literacy helps to spread awareness among the people of their rights. People with good literacy skills enjoy a higher standard of living, have better opportunities of finding Jobs, and are able to continue to learn new skills that will help them in the workplace. A nation with high literacy rate is more keel to attract a large pool of investors and entrepreneurs as well as the inflow of money which in turn have a great impact on the nations economy. A societys economic prosperity and literacy have great influence on each other as they Jointly grow together. As a result of this, more people are sharing opinions on how development should be characterized, which has led to a shift away from economic toward a more diverse spread of criteria. Only those who are narrow-minded have allowed development to be branded in such a simplistic fashion, but with the increase in education, there are less people who share that narrow-minded view.

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