Members
- Alysa Naqeera Bte Mohd Isa- Celestine Kho
- Wong An Chai
- Wong Jia Xin
date:Sunday, 22 July 2012
time:19:27
title:An Chai's opinion on the fourth article .
Nowadays , more and more Singaporeans are attracted by branded products as the marketing strategies have become better . This results them influencing the type of products that Singaporeans purchases . Brand goods doesn't come cheap and yet still for the sake of holding a very high image, many Singaporeans turn to it to improve their social statues . However , most Singaporean don't realize that they would eventually end up in debt unless they are well to do , like stated in the article. I feel like its quite pointless just to spend on impulse and to buy it for the sake of showing . Yes , having pride is one thing but it doesn't have to set one up to be in debt. In conclusion, I feel that Singaporeans ought to learn to save especially with the rising cost of living and not to spend a lot of money as and when they like .
date:
time:10:53
title:Jia Xin's opinion on the 4th article
In Singapore, everyone wants to live a luxurious life. However, with Singapore’s high cost of living, high standard lifestyle seems to be impossible. Most young Singaporeans do not know the importance of savings as they were well pampered ever since they were born. Like myself, I was given basically anything I wanted ever since I was a child. So now, I feel there is no need for savings as I get whatever I wanted. Therefore, I can relate how I feel when youngsters these days know only to spend and not to save which will affect them in the near future. From the article, I feel that Singaporeans spend exorbitant amount of money on their wants instead of their needs. With fashion also always changing, I feel Singaporeans also spend money on their clothes, hair, etc., which are also wants. As they spend more, Singaporeans seems to borrow more as the salary in Singapore is not very high. To conclude, I feel that Singaporeans needs to wise up on their spending as with Singapore’s high cost of living spending more than what they earn will only lead to heavier debts.
date:Tuesday, 17 July 2012
time:12:14
title:Celestine's opinion on the fourth article
I think that in the society that we are currently living in, spending more
than what we actually earn is common. With low starting pay for Polytechnic
students and University graduates, students will have to work extremely hard in
order to afford any sort of luxury things. However, out of all these graduates
how many will actually be able to make it to the top of the company within 5
years? Not many, in fact only a few will be able to do so based on the fact
that there are many foreign talent now in Singapore fighting for jobs with the
locals.With Singapore's high cost of living, even spending on transport and food alone could cost a bomb if one does not manage his or her finances well. Adding on, with houses and cars becoming increasingly expensive, people will find it hard to cope especially if they are newly-weds and looking for a place of their own. In our society, what many people fail to realise is to manage their finances well in order to be free of debt.
date:
time:11:53
title:4th Article
Why Most Singaporeans Have Debt
The current starting median pay for polytechnic graduates is $2,000, while for University graduates it is about $2,700. The median salary per month for Singaporeans in 2011 is $2,710. I really wonder how Singaporeans can stay out of debt if they continue to spend.
An example of a typical Singaporean couple
Take for example a Singaporean couple who falls in love and decide to settle down. The man is in his thirties and woman in her twenties. They have a combined income of about $8,000. The man buys a proposal ring that costs $7,000 (Larry’s brand as girlfriend likes it). The couple also buy a pair of engagement rings that costs $6,000 (Cartier due to peer pressure). The wedding photo package costs $6,000, wedding dinner costs $7,000, honeymoon to Korea $3,000. They then decide to apply for a DBSS flat after countless tries with HDB’s BTO without success and have to cough up $350,000 (by taking up an HDB loan and wiping out their CPF and savings). They then spend $20,000 on minor renovation and furniture.
The man decides to upgrade his car as he could not resist the latest continental car design and coughs up $100,000 (by taking a car loan). The man likes to collect watches, saw the latest Rolex and could not resist it. He has no cash but buys it for $12,000 with an interest free 24 month installment since it is so cheap per month.
Then the man tells himself that if he loses his job, he is finished. He is stuck in a rat race and saves on food, entertainment and transport cost. He does not drive his continental car to areas with ERP and instead takes the MRT there. The wife is in the finance industry, and with many banks doing cost cutting, she is very concerned now as she realizes she has nothing much to do during office hours.
The above is a real life story.
The only way the couple could afford all that is if they belong to the high earners group, if they have financial assistance from their parents or if they are born rich. Unfortunately, they are not.
We have not even talked about Singaporeans with lower earnings.
How Singaporeans get themselves in debt
Most Singaporeans will be in debt if they do the following:
1) Earn less than what they spend
2) Have no savings
3) Lose their jobs
4) Stay in a company for too long without promotion and their company pay them pathetic bonuses
5) Spend on liabilities
6) Do not delay gratification
7) Marries somebody that likes Cartier or Larry’s
8 ) Do not invest
To avoid racking up debt and getting stuck in the rat race, don’t do any of the above!
date:Tuesday, 10 July 2012
time:00:48
title:An Chai's views on the third article
I am astounded with the courageousness and determination of Ms. Rae Heim after i read the article. There isn't a lot of other teenagers who would do what she did , to run for charity . Clearly , looking at ourselves and asking ourselves how often do we do charity work already shows a lot . Ms. Rae Heim is truly an inspirational teenager.
From the article , Ms Rae Heim also faced many setbacks but she managed to pull through with the thought of the people that she would helped. At such a young age , she shows a lot of determination . She doesn't believe in running with the aid of shoes which appalled me initially . But after reading , i realized that she does have a point. That , we human are meant to run. I am also shocked yet relief that her family and friends are in favor of what she is doing . After all , support is important for her to endure such a journey.
In conclusion , I feel that Ms. Rae Heim is an inspirational and motivational teenager that speaks out to the public to do more charity work. What she does is truly commendable.
date:
time:00:47
title:Jia Xin's opinion on the third article
After reading this article, I feel that Ms Rae Heim is really a brave and kind girl with a strong spirit. Despite much suffers and injuries from the run, her will of helping the needy children threw away the thoughts of giving up. I am very touched by her actions but at the same time, feeling guilty as I have never done something so meaningful although we are at the same age. Other than helping the children in needs to raise fund, she also let people realised how fortunate they are to have a pair of shoe and allow them to cherish things around them more. To conclude, I think that her actions is a good inspiration for people to care for others as well as letting them know how blessed they are.
date:Sunday, 8 July 2012
time:18:32
title:Celestine's opinion on the Third Article
I think that this movement by Ms Rae Heim is extremely commendable. She being just 18 years old is living a life full of purpose and meaning. She has the heart for the needy children unlike most 18 year olds who spend their time on less meaningful things like shopping and gaming.
During the caveman era, man did not have the luxury of having shoes; instead they roam around the Earth barefoot. This movement really brings us back to our primitive nature where we did not have such ‘protective gears’ such as shoes that is commonly used today. I respect her actions, for she dares to be different in the society of ours where we think that running without shoes is utterly mad. She is not afraid of public humiliation, wanting to make the world aware of the needy kids that cannot even afford to buy shoes. Since the article has been posted, it lets others be aware of courageous actions and hopefully encourage more people to join her in the movement and raise more money for the children in need.
All in all, I think that such a movement is good as it triggers our heart to care for those in need.
date:
time:16:55
title:Third Article
Teenager runs barefoot for charity
DES MOINES (Iowa) - An Iowa woman is running barefoot across the United States to raise money to provide shoes for needy children.
Ms Rae Heim, 18, of Carroll, started her cross-country trek in Boston in April and hopes to reach Huntington Beach, California, in October.
The Des Moines Register caught up with her this week in Iowa as she crested a hill near Victor in 91-degree heat.
Ms Heim stopped to talk but was not out of breath. She said she started running barefoot after breaking a toe last year and shedding her running shoes for comfort. Shoes now feel like dead weight to her, although she wore them through New Jersey, where broken glass and nails littered the highway, and dons them on gravel roads.
The bottoms of her feet are like slabs of leather. When they start burning in the heat, she puts on toe socks.
"We are born to run barefoot," Ms Heim said.
She told the newspaper that she hated to run and even dreaded rounding the bases while playing softball.
"It was like a punishment," she said. But then Ms Heim realised that people thought she could not run, and she set out to prove them wrong.
She entered road races and last summer met a middle-aged man who ran across America, which inspired her.
What started as a personal adventure has become a fundraiser for Soles4Souls, a charity that supplies shoes to needy kids.
"When I feel like quitting, I think of the US$2,900 (S$3,700) I have raised," Ms Heim said. "That's 2,900 pairs of shoes."
There have been a few bumps during her trek.
After the first week of 40-plus mile days, she had a twisted ankle, painful Achilles tendon and sore knee. She sat on the side of the road, crying, and then called her mom.
"My parents taught us that you set your goals and don't give up," Ms Heim said.
Now, she's averaging 32.2km a day. She carries her belongings in a backpack. Her mom watches her every move with a GPS and has friends set up along the route to check on her.
Ms Heim said most of her journey has been pleasant.
"The kindness I've seen in people surprised me. You always hear all the wrong with the world," she said. "But I've seen nothing but good in the world." AP
http://www.todayonline.com/Focus/Education/EDC120624-0000056/Teenager-runs-barefoot-for-charity#.T-k31svag-Q.facebook
date:Tuesday, 5 June 2012
time:09:31
title:Aly's opinion
I strongly agree with the author’s perspective in keeping
customers. With the latest technologies available for us, as a consumer myself,
I would rather do online shopping than heading down to shop itself. I feel that
it is easier and not only does it saves cost, but time too. I too feel that
consumers would rather purchase a product that they have more understanding and
information on as compared to products that provide little information. I
believe that by aiding navigation, building trust and making it easier to weigh
options would definitely help a company in keeping their customers. By doing
so, not only are consumers able to navigate through the website easily, they
can also make better decisions in purchasing the products. With this, I feel
that managers should keep it simple. By keeping things simple, consumers have
easy access to the information of the product, and would buy more products from
them.
-Alysa Naqeera Bte Mohd Isa
date:Sunday, 3 June 2012
time:21:07
title:Jia Xin's opinion on the second article
I agree wholeheartedly to what the article said about us customers wanting simplicity and how marketers are moving towards that vision. In this modern age, I myself also want things to be kept simple whenever I go shopping online. I feel that the marketing style is well-planned. Nowadays, more and more people like me choose to shop online rather than going down to the boutique. I feel that it’s much easier to do shopping online. And which such well-organized website like stated in the article, its smooth sailing for online shoppers. The website also neatly organizing their stuff which make searching for the item I want easier. I can also compare between items which I feel it’s good, as what the article said. In conclusion, I strongly agree that marketers should lean towards simplicity as that’s what I believe us customers want, and thus making more purchases.
-Wong Jia Xin
date:
time:19:05
title:Celestine's opinion on the Second article
After reading the article, I do agree with what the authors has written in their perspective in keeping customers. In this rapid moving society, simplicity would be the exact marketing style to keep the customers.
With technology changing every single day, customers will no longer take effort in going down to the physical store itself but rather choose to do online shopping. Online shopping is a quick and simple way to shop. It not only saves time but also money. Customers are able to navigate on the website easily and get their products exactly the way it has been described. Not only so, the website is neatly categorized allowing shoppers to easily browse through the website. Websites offering shoppers the tool to compare products allows shoppers to have a better decision in their choices of products. With so many features, customers can develop the trust they have in the website after a few buys knowing that the product that they bought are of certain quality.
All in all, I feel that simplicity is the new trend in keeping customers. Making things simple for customers will allow them to feel comfortable and hence allowing customers to buy more products from them.
-Celestine Kho
date:
time:15:46
title:An Chai's opinion on the second article
After reading the article, I strongly agree with what the authors have written. They truly hit the mark about us customers wanting things simple in this technology-savvy age. Only by this way, customers will be more loyal to the brands and support them as shown in the article. I also believe that marketers are doing it right by aiding us with navigations when for example, shopping online. It gives customers an idea of the product which I feel is needed. What’s better is that all of the information that’s written on the online shopping website is usually true. This means that what you see and read online is what you will get, which I find it fantastic. It’s also easier for easier to find the products since it’s neatly organize. I find this a good point which the marketers have done well. All in all, in the technological age, shopping online can be quite a hassle if the marketing is done wrong. But with a well-planned one, it will be an advantage to the customers.
- Wong An Chai
date:Tuesday, 29 May 2012
time:12:41
title:2nd Article
To keep your customers, keep it simple
by Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman 04:45 AM May 29, 2012
Marketers see today's consumers as Web-savvy, mobile-enabled data sifters who pounce on whichever brand or store offers the best deal. Brand loyalty, the thinking goes, is vanishing. Firms have ramped up their messaging, expecting that the more information they offer, the better the chances of holding on to customers.
But, for many consumers, the rising volume of marketing messages is overwhelming. Marketers are pushing customers away with relentless, ill-conceived efforts to engage.
This is a key finding of Corporate Executive Board's surveys of more than 7,000 consumers and interviews with hundreds of marketing executives and other experts around the world.
Our study bored in on what makes consumers "sticky" - likely to follow through on an intended purchase, buy the product repeatedly and recommend it to others. We looked at more than 40 variables, including price and customers' perceptions of a brand. The biggest driver was "decision simplicity" - the ease with which consumers can gather trustworthy information about a product and confidently and efficiently weigh their purchase options.
Our study found that the best tool for measuring consumer-engagement efforts is the "decision simplicity index" - how easy it is for consumers to gather and understand information about a brand, how much they can trust the information, and how readily they can weigh their options.
Brands scoring in the top quarter in our study were 86 per cent more likely than those in the bottom quarter to be bought by consumers considering them. They were 9 per cent more likely to be repurchased and 115 per cent more likely to be recommended to others.
Shifting towards decision simplicity and helping consumers confidently complete the purchase journey is a profound change, one that typically requires marketers to rethink how they craft their communications.
Some lessons can be learnt from brands that are leading the way. The processes of aiding navigation, building trust and making it easier to weigh options often happen simultaneously, or at least are not strictly linear.
AIDING NAVIGATION
Creating a more efficient path means minimising the number of information sources consumers must touch before making a purchase. The savviest brands personalise the route.
This is foreign to marketers because in many cases the simplest, most confidence-inspiring learning path involves touchpoints outside a brand's control. Often what a consumer needs is a detailed exchange with users about the pros and cons of the product, and how it would fit the consumer.
BUILDING TRUST
In this case, "trust" is not about trusting the brand; it is about trusting the information gathered. Consumers also need information about an adviser's decision criteria and brand usage.
Consider the current "haul video" phenomenon. After shopping, many girls upload YouTube videos of themselves talking about their haul (purchases). They discuss not just what they bought but why, and how they plan to mix their new items with their wardrobe. This simplifies the complex world of teen clothing and accessories by showcasing fashionable peers who offer trustworthy guidance.
J C Penney and American Eagle have capitalised on this by hosting unbiased haulers on their sites and in their digital communications. Neither retailer requires that the haulers show only brands bought at its store, and the haulers are transparent about their links to the companies.
Cutting out clutter
To help consumers evaluate choices, most brands describe their differentiating features and benefits. Some offer guides containing side-by-side brand or product comparisons. These provide lots of information, but not much guidance, leaving the consumer still confused about the "best" choice.
Except in cases of low-value products, consumers increasingly spend most of their effort learning about and weighing their choices. For items costing more than US$50 (S$63), a quarter of customers report that most of their effort is spent on product research. About 20 per cent say that most of their effort is spent on comparison shopping.
Marketers need to provide tools that allow customers to identify and weigh the features that are most relevant to them. A classic example is De Beers' use of the "4 Cs" (cut, colour, clarity and carat) to frame the complex comparison of diamonds.
Technology can also address consumers' woes by allowing them to sidestep the process altogether. Consumers are likely to feel confident about recommendations based on their own purchasing data or past behaviour, because those things are typically accurate gauges of preference.
ShoeDazzle.com and JustFab.com - clubs for shoe lovers - collect "personality" information on each member, such as favourite fashion icons and general shoe preferences and tailor suggestions accordingly.
Given the rapid expansion of social and mobile technologies, marketers will have ever-increasing opportunities to bombard consumers. And if history is any guide, that is exactly what they will do. But marketers who focus on simplifying consumers' decision-making will rise above the din, and their customers will stick by them as a result. © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate
date:Friday, 11 May 2012
time:11:03
title:Jia Xin's opinion
Initially, i felt unconvinced. I feel that this is very shocking because I thought that KFC had high level of hygiene. However for this case, it didn't seems so. I am disappointed of KFC for their lack of quality control over their food and it lowers down my confidence towards KFC.
Regarding the victims, Monika Samaan and her family, I feel that they are very pitiful and unlucky. I am appalled by the fact that KFC wanted to appeal against the court case of compensating them. I strongly feel that they deserve the compensation of the money as it will relieve her family financial burden. Their family definitely requires the monetary boost and only this can improve their standard of living and probably give Monika a better environment to grow up in.
In conclusion, I strongly feel that KFC should not appeal against the case and should compensate the family.
-Wong Jia Xin
date:Sunday, 6 May 2012
time:23:26
title:Aly's opinion :-)
I was shocked when I came across this article as this shows that the hygiene of the KFC restaurant is really poor. Some causes of salmonella poisoning is said to be food that are contaminated during food handling or food that may have become contaminated by the unwashed hands of an infected food handler. I feel that KFC should improve their hygiene and that they should educate the workers to practice proper hygiene. Some examples would be to wash their hands before coming into contact with the food and using gloves when handling food.
Taking
such steps to improve their hygiene, would help to minimize such incidents from
recurring.
Also,I strongly disagree with KFC's decision to appeal as they
were the root cause to Monika's condition. Furthermore, Monika's family had to
bear the financial burden as well as accept her condition after the incident.
KFC's appeal shows that they are not willing to take responsibility for what
have happened.
-Alysa Naqeera Bte Mohd Isa
date:
time:21:28
title:An Chai's opinion.
I feel that this matter has been drag over too long a period as it happened in 2005. Monika Samaan and her family are only getting compensated now, in 2012. I can only imagine how her family must have suffered over the span of 7 years and the difficulties they faced raising a disabled child.
KFC appeal shocked me as they claim that they are surprised by the court verdict. As a Multinational Corporation (MNC), KFC ought to know better that there are watchdogs out there and such things like this can be circulated easily. Them appealing against the case might eventually backlash against with a loss of patrons and drop in revenue.
In conclusion, I do feel that the compensation must be made as it is only the rightful thing to do .The AU$8 million (S$10.3 million) will ease the financial burden for the family.
-Wong An Chai
date:
time:21:11
title:Celestine's Opinion
I am appalled by
KFC appeal towards the situation. I do not think that it is right for them to
appeal as after causing such damage to Monika Samaan in addition to the
financial and mental burden to her family. Without the compensation from KFC,
Monika Samaan’s family may find it even harder to cope with her disabilities.
With her growing
everyday, her family not only has to look after basic needs but also her
younger siblings. The compensation is not enough for her family to cover the
burden of their once healthy daughter who now has problems to even take care of
herself, and have to be pushed everywhere she goes by her parents.
All in all, I think
that the compensation should be made to Monika Samaan’s family and the appeal
by KFC should be withdrawn.
-Celestine Kho
date:Tuesday, 1 May 2012
time:01:10
title:Article Chosen
KFC ordered to pay brain-damaged Australian girl $8 million
Sydney, April 27, 2012
Fast-food chain KFC has been ordered to pay A$8 million (S$10.3 million) in damages to the family of an Australian girl who was left severely brain damaged and in a wheelchair after being poisoned by a chicken meal.
In 2005, Monika Samaan, then aged seven, her parents and her brother were hospitalised with salmonella poisoning after eating a "Twister" chicken wrap at a KFC restaurant near Sydney.
KFC, owned by Yum! Brands, said it was a tragic case but was "deeply disappointed and surprised by the decision" and would appeal against it.
Last week, a New South Wales Supreme Court judge ruled in favour of the family, saying KFC had breached its duty of care to the girl. On Friday, it awarded the family A$8 million in damages, as well as court costs.
Australian media quoted their lawyer, George Vlahakis, as saying the girl's illness had "exhausted the very limited resources of the family".
"The compensation ordered is very much needed," Vlahakis said.