12/10/2011
SMH.com.au
Today the Australian share market has closed lower for the first time in a week as Australian investors turns its attention to the European debt crisis and the US economy. This is not good for the future of the stock market as these are the two largest economies in the world and if they are affected by a possible downturn or recession it may translate to a lot of worldwide panic across the world especially as they are just recovering from the GFC.
In the last week the Australian dollar was very close to parity again with the US dollar, showing instability overseas but also how Australia has been riding out the recent economic times. Shares (also shown by the analysis of the share market game) have also risen but analysts have said that the market was due for a fall especially after the unprecedented run of good form.
‘‘Throughout the day, I noticed that every time we saw a bit of weakness, we’d gravitate back to the 4200 level; that tells me that there is a lot of conviction in the rally which we’ve seen over the last week,’’ he said. ‘‘Certainly we’ve got the catalyst for a sustained rally to year end.’’
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Myer doubles its oursourcing from China
SMH.com.au
16/5/2011
http://www.smh.com.au/business/myer-doubles-its-outsourcing-from-china-20110515-1eo8n.html
In Commerce we have learnt that outsourcing can help businesses cut costs but in the long run it may cause backlash from many people who are asking questions at why their jobs are being moved overseas instead of stimulating the Australian economy.
In this case Myer are hoping to increase their profits by outsourcing fashion to China where it has originally been cheap to send jobs there but due to working conditions and concerns of recent times it may increase prices in the stores. This is due to the Chinese economy being stronger than ever and as a result China is being 'Westernised', and their workers are now 'seeing people work 44 hours a week as the sort of mandatory hours, seeing people earn rates that have double and triple time when they work over the 44 hours and have Sunday shifts where they get double and triple time.'.
This can translate to good and bad outcomes for the consumers that may be pleased that there are better working conditions overseas but may also be distressed at seeing prices rise as a result. It may also question outsourcing strategies in the future as companies may now need to seek new countries in which to outsource from, or to stop this practice altogether as it may become difficult to find a good deal in China in the near future.
16/5/2011
http://www.smh.com.au/business/myer-doubles-its-outsourcing-from-china-20110515-1eo8n.html
In Commerce we have learnt that outsourcing can help businesses cut costs but in the long run it may cause backlash from many people who are asking questions at why their jobs are being moved overseas instead of stimulating the Australian economy.
In this case Myer are hoping to increase their profits by outsourcing fashion to China where it has originally been cheap to send jobs there but due to working conditions and concerns of recent times it may increase prices in the stores. This is due to the Chinese economy being stronger than ever and as a result China is being 'Westernised', and their workers are now 'seeing people work 44 hours a week as the sort of mandatory hours, seeing people earn rates that have double and triple time when they work over the 44 hours and have Sunday shifts where they get double and triple time.'.
This can translate to good and bad outcomes for the consumers that may be pleased that there are better working conditions overseas but may also be distressed at seeing prices rise as a result. It may also question outsourcing strategies in the future as companies may now need to seek new countries in which to outsource from, or to stop this practice altogether as it may become difficult to find a good deal in China in the near future.
Samsung ambushes Apple's iPhone 4S launch in Sydney
12/10/2011
SMH.com.au
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/samsung-ambushes-apples-iphone-4s-launch-in-sydney-20111012-1lk0d.html
In Commerce we have been learning at how consumers are able to make choices and they are usually influenced by price. As Samsung are offering their new smart phone for $2 people are exercising their right to comparison shop and it is working, as this time the line is longer than the line outside the nearby Apple store, where people are waiting for the release of the iPhone 4S.
In some ways the decision to camp outside the Samsung (or the Apple store) is an example of consumer decisions as they are able to get the new product first, and cheaply in the case of the Samsung store. In the news article there is a story of two people waiting in line so they could sell their new Tablets and go on a trip to India.
In the news article there is also an example of impulse buying as two teenagers are waiting in line for the Apple iPhone 4S. It may not be necessarily be getting the best deal money can buy but they are approached if they want to line up for the Samsung product, in which they decline because they believe that an iPhone is better.
SMH.com.au
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/samsung-ambushes-apples-iphone-4s-launch-in-sydney-20111012-1lk0d.html
In Commerce we have been learning at how consumers are able to make choices and they are usually influenced by price. As Samsung are offering their new smart phone for $2 people are exercising their right to comparison shop and it is working, as this time the line is longer than the line outside the nearby Apple store, where people are waiting for the release of the iPhone 4S.
In some ways the decision to camp outside the Samsung (or the Apple store) is an example of consumer decisions as they are able to get the new product first, and cheaply in the case of the Samsung store. In the news article there is a story of two people waiting in line so they could sell their new Tablets and go on a trip to India.
In the news article there is also an example of impulse buying as two teenagers are waiting in line for the Apple iPhone 4S. It may not be necessarily be getting the best deal money can buy but they are approached if they want to line up for the Samsung product, in which they decline because they believe that an iPhone is better.
Stock Market Game Reflection: No2
This game does not officially end until the 26th of October 2011, 13 days after the assessment task is due. As a result all opinion and facts stated will be up until the 12th of October 2011.
All shares bought summary and very honest opinion:
If I could have had a decision I would not have bought any shares in August-September due to the fact that the US economy was shaky as it was just downgraded a credit rating by Standard and Poors, down to AA+. However this game could not be played without buying shares and I decided to buy shares from trusted companies that usually performed well. Also the current economic situation in Europe did not help Australian shares; except for a very recent surge in the stock market that meant that I did not lose as much money as originally thought.
I had thought of not buying any shares until the last minute but I did not trust myself in remembering to log on and buy some shares.
Due to this downturn I did not like the thought of logging onto the game and seeing how badly I was doing. I maintain my decision in not buying more shares however as it may have worsened my losses. By looking at the current Arden rankings however I don't think I could have done much worse than my current position.
Shares bought and reason:
BHP: I bought these shares as they are mining stocks and they usually perform well. However they are better for long term investment as the current economic climate does not tend well to short term investing.
RIO: These are also good shares for investing in the long term, and they usually perform well like BHP. However the current economic situation in the US and Europe affect Australia and it means that shares all round usually tumble. The recent recovery has improved my shares but it has not improved the fact that I lost a lot of money.
MQG: After buying RIO and BHP I felt that I needed another share in the pot in order to not just put all my money into the mining sector. Otherwise I cannot remember another reason in which I bought Macquarie shares. As stated earlier if I could play the game without buying shares I would have done it due to the economic situation in August.
Share performance:
BHP: It was steadily recovering from the news of the US credit rating decrease but by the beginning of September it declined due to news that Greece may not be bailed out. It declined to about 34 dollars a share until the October recovery where it is at approximately 37 dollars per share.
RIO: Like BHP it decreased in September but a steady but sharp decrease was not noted until the middle of September where its share price fell about 12 dollars in a matter of days. It has since recovered to just under 68 dollars.
MQG: The October increase was one of the only highlights for the Macquarie share price this year as it has fallen for the best part of this year before recovering in October. Like the other shares it fell dueing September and rose again in October, the rise nearly compensating for the losses it sustained in September.
All shares bought summary and very honest opinion:
If I could have had a decision I would not have bought any shares in August-September due to the fact that the US economy was shaky as it was just downgraded a credit rating by Standard and Poors, down to AA+. However this game could not be played without buying shares and I decided to buy shares from trusted companies that usually performed well. Also the current economic situation in Europe did not help Australian shares; except for a very recent surge in the stock market that meant that I did not lose as much money as originally thought.
I had thought of not buying any shares until the last minute but I did not trust myself in remembering to log on and buy some shares.
Due to this downturn I did not like the thought of logging onto the game and seeing how badly I was doing. I maintain my decision in not buying more shares however as it may have worsened my losses. By looking at the current Arden rankings however I don't think I could have done much worse than my current position.
Shares bought and reason:
BHP: I bought these shares as they are mining stocks and they usually perform well. However they are better for long term investment as the current economic climate does not tend well to short term investing.
RIO: These are also good shares for investing in the long term, and they usually perform well like BHP. However the current economic situation in the US and Europe affect Australia and it means that shares all round usually tumble. The recent recovery has improved my shares but it has not improved the fact that I lost a lot of money.
MQG: After buying RIO and BHP I felt that I needed another share in the pot in order to not just put all my money into the mining sector. Otherwise I cannot remember another reason in which I bought Macquarie shares. As stated earlier if I could play the game without buying shares I would have done it due to the economic situation in August.
Share performance:
BHP: It was steadily recovering from the news of the US credit rating decrease but by the beginning of September it declined due to news that Greece may not be bailed out. It declined to about 34 dollars a share until the October recovery where it is at approximately 37 dollars per share.
RIO: Like BHP it decreased in September but a steady but sharp decrease was not noted until the middle of September where its share price fell about 12 dollars in a matter of days. It has since recovered to just under 68 dollars.
MQG: The October increase was one of the only highlights for the Macquarie share price this year as it has fallen for the best part of this year before recovering in October. Like the other shares it fell dueing September and rose again in October, the rise nearly compensating for the losses it sustained in September.
Advertising Campaign Analysis No.2
Tooheys New- The official currency of the Beer Economy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT120JBL4yo
*The following analysis refers to different parts of the Youtube link, please click and follow to the suggested areas.
This advertisement is another witty beer advertisement possibly produced in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. It incorporates humour aimed at young males and it places a person faced with several scenarios and what his 'mate' should pay him in beer.
The scenarios the people are placed in will only be humourous to males with a fairly extensive Australian background from 13 up to around 40 years of age- the age in which people are either interested in or are drinking beer. People watching from other age groups may not get the humour or jargon expressed in these advertisements or may also get offended- primarily females of the same age group as these advertisements usually poke fun at this group.
The fact that they are using beer to buy services or products is also humourous as this economy is claimed to be better than the normal, or 'rich mans' economy of money. This is shown through comparisons to the global and Australian economies and how effective the beer economy is, and the fictional graph of the differences between 'when the world economy s**t itself' and when the beer economy was growing.
This advertising campaign is mainly getting the product out in the public through slightly contraversial methods, and through this to also increase sales. However I believe these types of advertisements is to just put the company name out there and to just have a laugh (for males anyway) at the humour presented. Usually Australian beer ads are done for these purposes and the aim of the advertisement is to not actually receive beer for actions but to laugh at the scenarios the person is faced with and the amount of beer that he is paid.
This advertising campaign I think reflects well on the current times Australia is going through right now as we are just coming out of the Global Financial Crisis and it also shows one of the many ways in which humour is incorporated into mainly beer advertisements in order for it to be effective. These commercials are also shown on television at major sporting events which increases its exposure and can therefore increase its sales.
The YouTube video shown here is stating the fictional impacts and aftermath of the beer economy being introduced, the individual advertisements are after 0:45 to 1:40.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT120JBL4yo
*The following analysis refers to different parts of the Youtube link, please click and follow to the suggested areas.
This advertisement is another witty beer advertisement possibly produced in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. It incorporates humour aimed at young males and it places a person faced with several scenarios and what his 'mate' should pay him in beer.
The scenarios the people are placed in will only be humourous to males with a fairly extensive Australian background from 13 up to around 40 years of age- the age in which people are either interested in or are drinking beer. People watching from other age groups may not get the humour or jargon expressed in these advertisements or may also get offended- primarily females of the same age group as these advertisements usually poke fun at this group.
The fact that they are using beer to buy services or products is also humourous as this economy is claimed to be better than the normal, or 'rich mans' economy of money. This is shown through comparisons to the global and Australian economies and how effective the beer economy is, and the fictional graph of the differences between 'when the world economy s**t itself' and when the beer economy was growing.
This advertising campaign is mainly getting the product out in the public through slightly contraversial methods, and through this to also increase sales. However I believe these types of advertisements is to just put the company name out there and to just have a laugh (for males anyway) at the humour presented. Usually Australian beer ads are done for these purposes and the aim of the advertisement is to not actually receive beer for actions but to laugh at the scenarios the person is faced with and the amount of beer that he is paid.
This advertising campaign I think reflects well on the current times Australia is going through right now as we are just coming out of the Global Financial Crisis and it also shows one of the many ways in which humour is incorporated into mainly beer advertisements in order for it to be effective. These commercials are also shown on television at major sporting events which increases its exposure and can therefore increase its sales.
The YouTube video shown here is stating the fictional impacts and aftermath of the beer economy being introduced, the individual advertisements are after 0:45 to 1:40.
Advertising Campaign Analysis
Advertising Campaign No 1: That's my Woolies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=L43yqIVy24U&gl=US
*The following analysis refers to different parts of the Youtube link, please click and follow to the suggested areas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=L43yqIVy24U&gl=US
*The following analysis refers to different parts of the Youtube link, please click and follow to the suggested areas.
This advertisement slogan replaces 'Woolworths, the Fresh Food People' and capitalises on the Australian 'nickname' for Woolworths- Woolies. This gives it a more community feel as it sends a message that Woolworths is compatible with the times that Australia lives in.
The advertisement consists of people of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, livelihoods, genders all saying 'That's my Woolies', which implies that they are united under one Woolworths. This is backed up by the conversation at 0:29 where the two people say 'That's my Woolies', 'No, that's my Woolies', and then the man saying that 'Okay, we can share' means that both people are in the 'That's my Woolies' experience. It also repeats the slogan which, throughout the course of the advertisement, imprints it into the buyers brain so that when they see the symbol of Woolworths they immediately think of the slogan.
The advertisement consists of people of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, livelihoods, genders all saying 'That's my Woolies', which implies that they are united under one Woolworths. This is backed up by the conversation at 0:29 where the two people say 'That's my Woolies', 'No, that's my Woolies', and then the man saying that 'Okay, we can share' means that both people are in the 'That's my Woolies' experience. It also repeats the slogan which, throughout the course of the advertisement, imprints it into the buyers brain so that when they see the symbol of Woolworths they immediately think of the slogan.
This advertising campaign will be mainly aimed at people anywhere from a 20 to 65 age group from both genders as they are the age range of people appearing in the advertisement- usually families or people around that age, and this is true of the company as a large supermarket chain it wants to attract everyone that has the monetary means to buy their products.
The children in the advertisement implies that children, while shopping with their parents, will find a place to fit into the Woolworths system and therefore are welcome here along with their parents to shop at Woolworths.
It also has reasons why people shop at Woolies, which adds to the community feel of the supermarket chain as people will be able to relate to it. It is also incited to create humour within the advertisement that also draws people from younger age groups.
The fact that very different people all appear in the advertisement is why this advertising campaign is successful as it reinforces the fact that everyone is welcome at Woolworths, and it can also reveal the prices of their product range, as it can cater for everyone- people with different socio-economic backgrounds are shown, with young families, surfers, and even Woolworths staff making an appearance to show that they are all connected. I think that this campaign is successful mainly because of that reason, and also that they are all saying the slogan backs up that statement.
The children in the advertisement implies that children, while shopping with their parents, will find a place to fit into the Woolworths system and therefore are welcome here along with their parents to shop at Woolworths.
It also has reasons why people shop at Woolies, which adds to the community feel of the supermarket chain as people will be able to relate to it. It is also incited to create humour within the advertisement that also draws people from younger age groups.
The fact that very different people all appear in the advertisement is why this advertising campaign is successful as it reinforces the fact that everyone is welcome at Woolworths, and it can also reveal the prices of their product range, as it can cater for everyone- people with different socio-economic backgrounds are shown, with young families, surfers, and even Woolworths staff making an appearance to show that they are all connected. I think that this campaign is successful mainly because of that reason, and also that they are all saying the slogan backs up that statement.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Australia Post upgrades its parcel operation
TheAustralian.com.au
11/10/2011
With the recent surge in email usage there are increasingly less letters sent across Australia, but according to Australia Post 'E-commerce is the new core of our business', as parcel deliveries increased by 10.9% over 2011, and a massive 57% in increase in parcels sent from overseas. This is due to the increasing demand of websites such as eBay and Amazon.
This new venture by Australia Post would be of more value to the customer and increase the amount of jobs, as it adds more services and therefore convenience to the public.
This change therefore reflects the changing times of Australia as it continues to look abroad, but also to the internet as an increasing destination for their shopping and their needs.
Australian Court Overturns Gillard Plan to send refugees to Malaysia
Bloomberg.com
31/8/2011
This article is stating at how the Malaysia deal was overturned by the High Court of Australia as it does not meet the criteria for dealing with refugees, as Australia is part of the UNHCR, and also from public backfire under this plan for the same reasons. At the time of the overturning of the Malaysia deal Gillard's approval rating was 33% and she was the most unpopular Labor leader of all time due to this asylum seeker deal and the carbon tax.
In Commerce we have learnt that laws reflect change in society- this reflects the change of the Labor Party's current popularity and how serious Australia is in its protection of asylum seeker policy, or possibly how desperate Australia is to get into the UN Security Council from this ruling. Through this it also shows the Australian people and their dislike for this Malaysia deal as it does not give protection from asylum seekers, who are attempting to get into Australia for its good human rights record and protection.
It also shows the power that the Australian High Court has over the Government to keep it in check and to only let through policy that is constitutional.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Reflection on Assessment Task No 4
Mark awarded: N/A, not received yet
I believed I did a good job in editing the video and organising times where our group was able to record the video, and also writing the script- it was difficult finding case studies for Unfair Dismissal and also attempting to find ones without swearing- in the end I couldn't so I had to make do with what I had.
In initial filming the film audio was hampered by background noise, this was a weakness as I was not able to hear this noise and I ended up having to film it again the night before this was handed in.
As this assessment task was not handed back yet I cannot comment on the areas I need to improve on but possibly organising my group to do more work as I seemed to be doing most of it.
Comments: I would have preferred the assessment task to have a longer duration of video but looking at the other assessment tasks this comment may not be true of the other workplace scenarios.
Reflection on Stock Market Game Assessment
Mark awarded: 15/20
Strengths: I believe I adhered to the word count well and still was able to write about my strengths and weaknesses I showed in the stock market game. I think I also wrote a good reflection while adhering to the word count which was very restrictive of the level of detail that I was able to write.
Weaknesses: I did not think that I wrote a very good spreadsheet and more research is needed before I do another one.
Areas to improve: Most probably the spreadsheets as it brought my mark down from a possible Excellent category.
Information learnt: It is very hard to write such an assessment task within 500 words as I could have been able to elaborate about many of the shares but I could not because of the word count.
My only comment is that in the future make the word count at least +-1000 words as I could have easily written that much as well and I had to stick to making one sentence answers to why I bought my shares and also possibly one statement for the reflection on how each of my stocks went.
Marketing Plan- Reflection
Mark awarded: 21/30
Strengths I believe I demonstrated in doing this task:
I believe I wrote a good Marketing Objectives and Goals area as the goals were realistic and also logical to what I believed would happen in the future if another Cafe was to be set up in the Oxford St area. I also believe that I made a good analysis of the surrounding competition and their strengths and weaknesses despite not having visited any of the precincts that I had described as competitors, and only using online reviews as my source of information. Since I am not a coffee drinker I probably did not do as well as others for the Target Market area of the assignment but I think I was able to target a realistic demographic for the coffee shop. I also think that I set this report out logically, which was a comment written by the marker.
Weaknesses I believe I demonstrated in doing this task:
I think that I could have written more under marketing strategies (especially under Place and Promotion) but that was hampered by the word count in which I had to summarise in some areas as I had previously written too much. I could also have written a shorter Executive summary as there was a comment stating that it was too long and some parts were irrelevant. I also think that I could have written a more detailed SWOT analysis but I could not think of too many relevant points.
In this assessment task I could have improved my SWOT analysis and marketing strategies as those are the main areas of my assignment that hampered me from achieving a higher mark. I also could have written a shorter Executive Summary as that could have helped me with the word count and therefore given more words to write in separate areas of the assignment.
I learnt that this particular marker (who is not from Arden) is probably marking this assignment at a much higher level than what we are used to and it is good preparation for the future if I decide to do any more marketing plans for my studies in Year 11 and 12. I also learnt that the SWOT analysis and Marketing Strategies are pivotal areas of a Business plan and I needed to include more detail in those areas.
No other comments, but however some practice in writing a Business Plan prior to doing this assessment could be good.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Dollar jumps in relief rally
SMH.com.au
9/10/2011
As the Eurozone attempted to reach an agreement over their debt crisis the Australian dollar was affected as it rose to nearly 98 US cents, up from 96.56 cents on Thursday. The Australian dollar is influenced by global economic news which makes the dollar rise and fall depending on other currencies around the globe, and the influence that those economies have on Australia's- mostly the European and US economies and markets.
As the dollar had appreciated (then depreciated) against the US dollar in recent times it has pushed up the price of imports as the United States is one of Australia's largest trading partners and they are not as willing to import here as it would cost more for the business and supplier. As the Australian dollar had also risen against other currencies it also would affect trading in their countries, meaning that it would cost less for buyers in Australia, therefore more overseas.
Meanwhile the current depreciation of the Australian dollar against the US dollar has pushed it below parity meaning that Australian products are more profitable for overseas buyers, but overseas products are more expensive for Australian consumers. The rise of the US dollar is now better for investors as it is mainly a stable currency against Australia's, except for the recent GFC which meant that Australia was better off against America which was reflected in the currency exchange rate.
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