Market Research

 Here is my market research conducted on waffles in the school cafeteria. I am posting this on my blog because Mr said :)

Product and Research Purposes -

The product our market research is being conducted on is waffles sold within Hornby High Schools cafeteria. The research purposes are to see if the student population eats waffles (particularly the ones sold by the school currently), if they would like new flavours to be developed, what flavours they would like to see, how much they would be willing to pay for waffles and if additional features (such as heating waffles up and adding toppings) will increase the demand for waffles. This is an effort to see if there is any point in selling waffles at the school cafe and if developing the current waffles more would increase its demand. 

Secondary Research -

We carried out secondary research in order to gather more information about our target market and the competition our product may have. From this we have gathered there are approximately 790 students at this school. We have also been able to identify the competitors of our product, those being other products sold at the school cafe. These include cookie times (sold at $1), popcorn ($1), hash browns ($2), slices ($1.50).  https://hornby.school.nz/

Primary Research - 

We are conducting this primary research to evaluate if people at Hornby High School would be willing to purchase new additional flavours of waffles at the school cafe. We sent out the survey to the whole school (self-selected sample) and from this 170 students replied. This is a good representation of the population as it is 21.5% of it, the equates to just over ⅕ of the school population. 

Survey Results 

Pricing - 

To start our survey we wanted to ask about their opinions on pricing. Here are the results:

Graph 1 depicts how much people are willing to spend on waffles. The graph shows that approximately 80 of those surveyed were only willing to spend $1 on a waffle, this is 50cents lower than the current prices of waffles sold in the current cafe. Selling waffles at this current pricing of $1.50 was what 20 of the surveyed population were willing to pay. At the higher prices of $2 and $2.50 less than 10 people were willing to pay for waffles, this was expected due to it costing more than what waffles currently cost. 

Graphs 2 and 3 show the sampled populations' opinions on prices and whether they currently buy waffles from the school cafeteria. 67.3% of those surveyed said they did not buy waffles from the school cafe. 22% did current;y purchase waffles from the school cafeteria but believed that the pricing was too high and should be lowered. 8.9% thought that the pricing of waffles was reasonable and should not be lowered or higher and a mere 1.8% of the surveyed believed that the price of waffles was too cheap and should be changed to a higher cost. 

Additional Features-

Secondly, we aimed to find if the probability of someone buying waffles would increase if additional features such as toppings were included when waffles were bought: 

Graph 4 shows that 83.3% of the population surveyed would be more willing to buy a waffle if they were to be heated prior to purchase. This tells us that people would prefer their waffles hot rather than cold/at room temperature and that heating them could cause an increase in demand. 

Graph 5 illustrates that 88.1% would be more willing to buy a waffle if toppings (sprinkles, whipped cream, maple syrup, eg) were offered along with the waffles. This indicates that demand would increase significantly if a complimentary item was offered alongside the waffle. 

Rating of Flavours -

Graph 6 informs us that the majority of those surveyed believe that a plain flavoured waffle is mediocre with the average ranking being a 3. This is the lowest ranking of all suggested flavours and indicates that if we were to sell plain flavoured waffles alongside the other options it would not sell as high.

Graph 7 shows the ranking of chocolate chip waffles. The mode (average) of this ranking is a 5. This was the highest rank offered to those surveyed and shows that this is a flavour of high demand that would sell well in the school cafe.

Graph 8 shows the opinions of those surveyed of strawberry flavoured waffles. This flavour shows scattered results and many clusters. However, the average ranking seems to be 3.

Graph 9 shows the white chocolate chip ranking. The population surveyed gave this flavour of waffle a medium ranking of 5. Again, this ranking is the highest rank given in our survey and indicate that it would be a good flavour to sell.

Graph 10 informs us of the surveyed views on cinnamon sugar flavoured waffles. This flavour is not one commonly seen but however got quite a good ranking with over 70% ranking this flavour a 3 or higher.

Finally, Graph 11 shows up the opinions of those surveyed on sprinkle flavoured waffles. The medium ranking of this flavour was a 3, which although isn't bad, is lower than many other of the flavours above and probably wouldn't be worth selling compared to them.

Conclusion-

At the beginning of this research, we had the aims of discovering if the student population of Hornby High School, eats waffles if they would like new flavours to be developed, what flavours they would like to see, how much they would be willing to pay for waffles and if additional features will increase the demand for waffles. This research was done in an effort to see if the waffles currently sold by the school cafe could be developed more to gain a higher increase of demand and if there was even a point in continuing to sell waffles at school. To conclude, from this research we were able to find valuable information. Firstly, it was found that 67.3% of those surveyed did not buy waffles from the cafeteria currently, however, this could be due to pricing as 22% of those who did buy waffles believed that the pricing was too high and should be lowered. Adding to this 80+ surveyed thought that the price of waffles should be 1 dollar and not 1.50. Lowering this price could increase the demand for waffles at Hornby High School. Another aim was to find if additional features will increase the demand for waffles at HHS. We were able to easily conclude that adding additional features like toppings and heating it up would cause 88% to be more willing to purchase a waffle. From this, we can conclude that if waffles were to be sold adding these additional features along with the waffles would be beneficial to both the consumer and the cafe. Lastly, we aimed to find out if the student body would like new flavours to be developed and sold in the school cafe and if so what flavours. From the suggested flavours we offered in the survey both chocolate chip and the white chocolate chip was by far the most popular with getting an average ranking of 5. This suggests that these would be the best waffles to sell at the school cafe. Again, from this market research, we were able to come to conclusions on each of our aims and discover what developments would be most essential in increasing the demand for waffles in this school.

Evaluation - 

Strengths -

Sample size - a strength of our marketing research was the sample size. We had a sample size of 170 from a student body of approximately 790. This is 21% or ⅕ of our school’s population and was able to give an accurate representation of the opinions of the school. If there was to be a smaller sample size the results would not be as accurate as a lower amount of opinions would be voiced. 

Survey method - as we sent out an online survey we were able to get our results easily, as well as it is simple for the student population to send out. Choosing to use an online survey, by the means of google forms, we were able to send it out to the whole school, reaching more people than if we were to use another method such as paper sampling. 

Weaknesses - 

Secondary research methods - Our secondary research method was a weakness as we were not able to get much information on how well waffles are currently doing in comparison to its competitors and the demand for waffles at Hornby High School currently. This is considered a weakness as it meant we had to include these questions into our primary research and taking away from possibly finding out unknown information about waffles at our school, this is as if more questions were to be added our survey would become more lengthy and the response rate would go down due to people being less bothered to do it. 

Sampling method - We chose to do a self-select survey as it was easiest seeing we doing an online survey. This meant that we only had to send out the survey to the school and not put much thought into it. However, this could be seen as a weakness as it meant that people who didn't have a strong opinion were less likely to complete the survey. This also meant that we couldn't ensure that we had a range of different people from different groups filling out the survey (for example we may have only got responses from those in years 7 and 8 and not those in years 12 and 13) 

Improvements

sampling method -  Doing a self-select survey meant that only people who have strong opinions filled out the survey. Next time an improvement would be using another method such as stratified random sampling may have produced more accurate results. This would be as it would be able to be disrupted amongst a group of people who belong to different groups but also still be random and unbiased. This way we would be able to gather a mixture of opinions and be sure that it’s coming from people with a range of different backgrounds. 

Asking open-ended questions - although asking open-ended questions and allowing many responses is a good use of qualitative information, the way we went around it in our survey meant that it was difficult to graph and read. This is due to the hundreds of responses we had, with most answering the open-ended questions with the same answers.  An improvement of this struggle would be to give multiple options and then add an “other” option as one of the possible answers. This would improve our market research as it would be easier to analyse and graph, as well as still being able to gather the information we were looking for.

Harmful Effects of Drugs - Jessica

The harmful effects of drugs are made known in public service announcement 'Jessica'. Throughout the video see how negatively Jessica and the people surrounding her are affected by the meth Jessica is taking. For instance, when the audience is informed that Jessica forced her brother to smoke with her we are able to see that drugs can see that her thought process has deteriorated and her actions could lead to her younger brother also become addicted. This would not have happened if Jessica didn't fall down the path of drugs. This was done purposely to make the viewers of this PSA realise that drugs would not only impact them, but also impact their friends and family. The movie 'Walk the Line' also shows how much of a dangerous impact drug could have on the bros. In this movie "Johnny Cash" takes drugs to ease the pain of his brother's death but in doing this it leads to him destroying the relationship with his friends and family. Both Johnny Cash and Jessica

Film aspects, group work

we had to choose a movie trailer and write a SEXXXY paragraph on one of the aspects shown in the trailer. After completing that we had to answer so critical literacy questions. Here is the work I did base on the 'Rocketman' trailer.

SEXXY paragraph:

Music is used effectively in the rocketman trailer. For example, the trailer begins with soft music symbolising Elton to be soft and introverted but as the trailer goes on the music intensifies and dramatic, as does Elton and his career. This makes the audience understand how his career and life is going due to the beat of the music relaxing or becoming more upbeat, the slow, soothing music showing the good and easy parts, while the fast opening up his struggles in his life. The director purpose was to help show his journey as well as also giving light to the difficult things he has faced when pursuing his career in music. Coinciding with telling Elton's story through different types of music is tone. The tone in the trailer is dark and gloomy giving the audience a sad feeling when combined with the slow music. When the tone is bright, loud, upbeat music is often played with it, giving a more positive impression. The intensity of the music can be compared to Elton's life itself. As mentioned previously, Elton's life started out light and soft, and as his music career rocketed out of control, so did the music. While he began to accomplish more and more, the music became more celebratory.

Critical literacy:

Why is the text written the way it is? This trailer is written/filmed this way to help capture the audience into watching and viewing this movie. The director wanted to grab the attention of the potential viewers and pull them into Elton’s life. 

What views of the world is this presenting?  In this trailer, we can see the world of celebrities and music enthusiasts and how they live their life. The trailer doesn’t show us the less advanced world or the world of others, only really the artist, family, and the famous. We see the view of the music world and how easily it can change peoples lives, in both positive and negative ways. 

How would the text be different if it were told in another time, place or culture? If this text was told in another time place or culture the whole story would be different. If told in another time period, such as in the one we are currently in, music would be a much easier career, meaning Elton wouldn’t have to face as many struggles. The world now is also much more accepting of new things so he wouldn’t get judged as much. If Elton lived in a different place or culture than where the film is set, the text might become less advanced and less accepting as Elton wouldn't've had the equipment and in some cultures the music style shown isn’t  as popular, meaning Elton's career might not have rocketed

Film Aspects

How does tone work in a film? The tone is the brightness in a film. there are 3 things that affect visual tone; lighting, exposure, art direction. Lighting is how you choose to light the scene, Exposure is how much light you let into a camera and art direction is how much tonal difference there is in set dressing, props and wardrobe. All these things can help show the mood in a scene. In a scene from the movie, 'The Godfather' tone is used by making a dark and shadowy setting inside an office where the actors discuss death and stuff while outside where a wedding is taking place it's brightly lit giving us a much happier mood. Directors are able to control the feeling of a scene by using tone.
How does the over-the-shoulder shot work? An over the shoulder shot can show a connection between characters. While and over-the-shoulder shot gives viewers a subconscious sense of connection, single shots create an emotional disconnection. In a scene I watched (forgot what movie it was from) a dolly shot is used to visually show the disconnection happening. The ending of this scene ends with the man in the scene sharing the camera with a waiter showing he has a connection whereas the lady in the scene is shown in a single shot close up giving the audience the impression that she is alone.
How does film blocking work in film? Film blocking is the precision staging of actors in a performance. When it comes to blocking there are three aspects used. These aspects being space, shapes and lines. When film blocking using shapes there are 3 main shapes used, circles, squares and triangles. Circles can make the audience feel safer, Squares create limited space making it seem like someone is boxed in while triangles are sharp giving a more aggressive feel. Film blocking can be used to make things, such as a conversation between to characters, more interesting. It can also be used to tell us what is really going on.
How does camera movement work in film? Camera movement is how a camera is directed. A whip pan is when the camera quickly flips (it's like quickly turning your head) and it creates a jolt of energy where a slow pan is the same but done at a slower pace giving the viewers time to take in the landscape of a scene A tilt shot is when a shot tilts (shocking) and is used to reveal something to the audience or to grab our attention. Dolly zoom is when a camera slowly zooms in and is used to show an intense internal experience of a charterer. A Steadicam shot is different from a dolly shot as the camera is stabilised on the camera operated it gracefully glides within a space. A hand-held shot is similar to a Steadicam shot but is shakier creating more anxiety for the viewer.
How is the contrast used in the film?  Contrast can be used to turn a good script into a good visual. In Spike Jonze's apple home pod ad contrast is used as at the beginning darkness is the overpowering visual effect until the character interacts with the home pod and it then becomes a bright and colourful scene. He does this to show us how someone restricted breaks free.
How is the dutch tilt used? A dutch tilt can create an uneasy and disturbing feeling, signalling to the viewer that something is wrong. A Dutch tilt is where the camera has a noticeable tilt on the x-axis of the screen. This tilt was created by the german expressionist in the early 1900s. When using a dutch tilt you need to identify, consider and enhance the moment. To enhance your shot you consider how tilted your camera is, the angle used your lens focal length and your depth of field.
How do visual motifs work in film? A motif is any reoccurring elements that have a symbolic significance in a story. They are important as they ensure the story is able to operate on more than one level. According to the video I watch great work of art is made if you can keep coming back to it and still find greater depth.
How does a POV or POT shot work? A POV shot is a shot where the audience has the point of view of the character. This hooks viewers in as we are able to see key moments through the eyes of the actors. A POT is when is similar to POV but instead of seeing what he sees we get a sense of a thought they are having. Point of thought shows can allow the viewers to share a moment with the character as we can feel their thoughts. These are important to grabbing and drawing the audience in making the movie makes more meaningful and personal.
How does the insert shot work in film?  An insert shot is an isolated shot that focuses on a specific detail. this shows critical information to the viewer. The three main aspects of an insert shot are colour, composition and timing. Composition helps the viewer get the feeling. Colour is used to draw the audience into specific points within the insert shot. The length you dwell on an insert shot helps show the meaning.
How does production design work in the film? The overall visual look of the scene. Production design sets the movie mood, character and themes.
How does colour work in film? Colours can have a psychological effect on the audience. There are three factors that determine the colour. The first one being Hue, this is the colour itself. The second factor is saturation which is the intensity of the colour and Brightness being the last factor, this is how light or dark a colour is. In the movie 'The Matrix' the hue is mostly green due to it being set in digital matrix and viewers often associate green with coding and hacking.  The green in this movie also gives us a sickly feel matching the world the movie is set in. Some movies desaturate the colour out of them. This gives a cold, raw and gritty look. Brightness can create a contrast within the film.
How does establish shot work in film? An establishing shot establishes the scene of the movie. This hot can be used to show the relationship between the subject and the location. As well as establishing a location, they also establish the tone of the movie. Establishing shots can be expensive due to the fact that it shows the viewer everything

Creative Writing Goals

Step 1- I am/am not ready to learn because…

I am ready to learn because I understand what I am meant to be doing and I have all the equipment needed. 

Step 2- My learning goals are …

My goal is to complete the tasks and hopefully further my knowledge in these writing features 

Step 3- To engage in the connectivist learning process, I will need …

To engage in the connectivist learning process I will need my brain, a Chromebook, a blog,

Business Studies Reflection

Over this term of Business studies, we organised a business that could sell food to our school community. I think that it went really well and I enjoyed doing this part of the business. We had to write a reflection on how we thought the day went. Here is my reflection:

Personally, I think our group worked extremely well together which really helped us as that meant there wasn’t any drama between us. I think that our group did a good job with organising our business plan and managing our time to make sure that everything was completed in a reasonable amount of time. Actually selling our product went good as we sold all of our burritos and ended up making $123.5 which surprised me. 

I think that advertising could have been done earlier as it would have given people more aware that we were selling burritos, even though we sold out I think it would have given it more publicity within the school. Our group could have improved with the organisation of our shopping as we completely forgot some products we needed and purchased extra things than we needed (such as too much cheese). The wrapping of our burritos to start with could have been more efficient as it took a lot of our serving time up. 

Next time I would make a time management plan for the day so we wouldn’t be rushed and stressed on the day. If we did something like this again I would measure our quantities out more as in the end, we had too much cheese and taco seasoning. I would also prepare a proper recipe as our group justed winged it a hoped for the best. 

What did the Treaty of Waitangi say?

In social studies, we had to read the Maori version of the treaty of Waitangi and the English version and then compare both versions to find the key differences.

Article 1:

Key differences: The English version says that the European have complete control over everything in NZ whereas the Maori version says that the European only have control of the land and not the people.

Perspectives causing conflicts: Maori could feel cheated. Europeans could feel like the Maori are disobeying them.

Article 2:

Key differences: The British one states the Maori can only sell land to them whereas the Maori one says that if they offer land to the British and they refuse they can then sell it to anyone.


Perspectives causing conflicts: Maori could sell land to a non-british person & the Europeans could get mad.

Article 3:

Key differences: There are no major differences


Perspectives causing conflicts: The Maori may not get treated the same as the British like it states will happen in the treaty.