Tài liệu bổ trợ môn học Tiếng Anh thương mại – Quyển 2 = EXERCISES ON BUSINESS ENGLISH – BOOK 2 / Nguyễn Quang Nhật, Ngo Thi Hanh Quyen

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF BANKING FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES



EXERCISES ON

BUSINESS ENGLISH – BOOK 2

Compiled and adapted by:

TS NGUYEN QUANG NHAT ThS NGO THI HANH QUYEN

HO CHI MINH CITY, 07/2022

This book is designed and compiled as a supplementary workbook for the subject

“English for Business English 2” at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, HCMC University of

Banking (HUB) It can also be used as a revision for specific terminology and new words of some specialised topics in Business English, including e-marketing, branding, microfinance, corporate social responsibility, and strategic planning Upon the course completion, learners are expected to be able to (1) classify key business-related terms, (2) use these terms appropriately in the relevant contexts, (3) demonstrate their abilities to read and understand business texts, and (4) apply the language skills developed throughout the course to do the assessment activities

effectively Thus, the book could be exploited as a complement to the textbook “Business

Advantage Upper-Intermediate” by Handford, Lisbos, Koester, and Pitt (2011)

How to use the book

The book consists of five chapters devoted to special topics of Business English Each unit introduces theme-based language knowledge practice for specific business-related terms (key term definitions and vocabulary practice), followed by practice for language use in the wider contexts (passage completion and reading comprehension) These collected tasks are chosen from a wide range of materials to provide a structured set of practice which helps course-takers to consolidate the language work covered in the textbook and successfully apply their knowledge to the assessment activities Hence, lecturers could exploit each unit as follows:

+ use the key term definition sections to introduce new words prior to new lessons or use them as pre-reading activities

+ improve and broaden learners’ vocabulary and grammatical range in the vocabulary practice section These exercises cover the main grammatical structures plus key vocabulary and phrases taught in the coursebook; therefore, they could be used as mini-tests, further practice, or consolidated activities

+ boost learners’ deeper understanding of the topics via passage completion and reading comprehension sections These tasks could be used for post-reading activities, discussions, homework, or lesson revision

Hopefully, through their steady practice, learners will be able to do their assignments effectively, thereby enhancing their lexical knowledge significantly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 KEY TERM DEFINITIONS 4

1.2 VOCABULARY PRACTICE ON E-MARKETING AND ADVERTISING 6

1.3 PASSAGE COMPLETION 10

1.4 READING COMPREHENSION 14

CHAPTER 2:BRANDING 232.1 KEY TERM DEFINITIONS 23

2.2 VOCABULARY PRACTICE ON BRANDING 25

2.3 PASSAGE COMPLETION 28

2.4 READING COMPREHENSION 32

CHAPTER 3:MICROFINANCE 413.1 KEY TERM DEFINITIONS 41

3.2 VOCABULARY PRACTICE ON MICROFINANCE 42

CHAPTER 1: E-MARKETING

SECTION 1 THEME-BASED LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

1.1 KEY TERM DEFINITIONS

Task 1: Match the following terms (A-J) with their corresponding definitions (1-10)

A customer cost

B niche market

C mystery shoppers

D customer satisfaction

E customer relationship marketing F web

optimization

G market penetration

H website marketing

I customer’s perception

J market intelligence

1 the knowledge about the people or organizations who buy or will buy a product or service of a company

2 a group of buyers with special needs, which may be profitable to sell to

3 customer’s opinion of a business or a product and how they feel about a brand including every direct or indirect experience

4 the process that companies can best design their website by making it fast and easy to navigate so that the website can become easy to find via search engines

5 one of the 4Cs of marketing which discusses how much the customer has to pay for the product

6 a type of marketing strategy which a company promotes its business web page in order to bring in more visitors

7 the feelings when the customers get what they hope for and their expectations are met

8 a business process in which client relationships, customer loyalty and brand value are built through marketing strategies and activities

9 a marketing strategy for setting a low price to sell a large volume of products and increase the market share

10 the people sent by companies to shops, who pretend to be real consumers to see how the company’s products are displayed, how sales people behave, etc

Task 1: Identify types of marketing and advertising activities based on the given definitions (1-8) and the initial letters

1 a type of marketing which encourages people to buy a product or service in a way that people are not aware of this

marketing strategy

S MARKETING

2 the process of advertising and selling products on the Internet, on a company website, or by email

5 a company which has both online and high-street stores B AND C OPERATOR 6 a computer program which helps consumers find

information about a company on the internet

S E 7 an advertising strategy which is used when a customer buys

one product, and that customer is recommended to buy

another product that may go with it

pass on a marketing message to others, so that the message spreads like a virus to many users

suppliers over the Internet, which is known as business e-commerce

business-to-E

12 a form of direct marketing which uses information of customers to generate personalised communication in order to promote a product or service for marketing purpose

D MARKETING

1.2 VOCABULARY PRACTICE ON E-MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

Task 3: Choose the correct words with suitable verb forms to fill in the blanks

A communicate B promote D broadcast E sustain F adapt G integrate H transmit I comment

1 Many insurance firms have configured their e-commerce platforms to support online searching, online claim processing, and online _, as well as online sales for some products

2 The company plans to roll out an online advertising campaign _ their range of health foods

3 The extraordinary expansion of social media has brought about radical shift in the way companies _ with their customers

4 Producing video advertising offers higher response rates, so it will be more successful in raising and _ brand awareness

5 Television advertising is the best way _ the image of the brand to our target audience 6 Some marketing theorists believe that the 4Ps model is able _ to the changing face of marketing in the digital world.

7 The Board of Directors are aware of the company’s challenge which is to _ Internet technologies into the company’s marketing processes

8 By _ discount alerts on Twitter, Dell has generated more than $1m in sales

Task 4: Fill in the blanks with the correct word forms

1 Web _ allows companies to present visitors with unique experiences tailored to their

needs and desires (person)

2 For cost and efficiency reasons, personal selling is giving the way to telemarketing, call

centers, and _ (market)

3 E-commerce _ are usually developed by large firms whose size enables them to achieve

greater cost savings and efficiency gains (apply)

4 ‘Convenience’ also includes key aspects of website design such as _, layout, and ease of

purchase (navigate)

5 Texas Instruments was able to cut its customer waiting time, which improved customer _

of poor service (perceive)

6 We see our brands as _ of our new range of products – they represent our company in the

marketplace (extent)

7 From a customer’s point of view, brand gives us fast recognition but also an _ of quality

and performance (sure)

8 It’s important to develop a deep understanding of consumer _ for each intended foreign

market (behave)

Task 5: Choose the correct option for each sentence related to e-marketing and advertising

1 There are many _ of online marketing including better brand engagement, more cost and time effectiveness, real-time results, etc

A strategies B achievements C advantages D efficiencies 2 Online retailers try to lure customers away from their _-and-mortar competitors

A traditional B rock C physical D brick 3 As opposed to _, micro-finance is a distinctly low technology business

A e-tailer B e-ballot C e-commerce D e-grocer 4 The Internet service provider has introduced flat-race prices in an attempt to _ customer defections

A boost B increase C stop D delete

5 A lot of people are not happy to receive emails about _ as they just clutter up the inbox A products B promotions C prices D dotcoms 6 has radically changed marketing because it means you can have a much closer relationship with the customer

A Conventional marketing B Traditional marketing C E-marketing D Word of mouth 7 The company’s plan involves choosing their target customers and designing a persuasive _ to get them to buy their products and services

A marketing channel B marketing research C marketing concept D marketing mix 8 The marketing concept of _ answers the question “How are you telling consumers in your target group about your product?”

A prices B products C places D promotions 9 The retailer generates _ by selling their advertising space on their website

A services B revenues C transactions D profiles 10 The clicks-and-bricks retailer has a(n) _ store for consumer shopping and also conducts Web-based retail operations through the Internet

A physical B outlet C virtual D critical 11 The _ retailer enables Internet users to participate in retailing activities previously restricted to store – based retailers

A physical B outlet C virtual D critical

12 Retailing through the Internet requires more sophistication than setting up a website and offering _ for sale

A perception B navigation C merchandise D consumption 13 Such advertisement makes a number of _ for the products which have little basis in reality

A claims B truths C facts D profits 14 A _ has become an essential part of doing business with consumers on the Internet

A cyberstore B website C viral marketing D mall

15 For several years, many _ companies didn’t make any money from their online activities A viral B database C cyber D dotcom

16 The promotion variable can be further broken down into advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, publicity, direct marketing and _

A e-marketing B pricing C discount D purchasing 17 _ programs introduce products or companies to social networking services like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Youtube, and blogs

A Multi-channel B Social media marketing C Computerized D Penetration 18 Most web advertising companies provide extensive data which give a _ of all Internet users who have clicked on their adverts

A breakdown B breakout C procurement D penetration 19 Social networking sites provide marketers with an opportunity to _ a huge market of specific consumer groups

A run into B get into C take into D tap into 20 The two main activities that make up _ are mailings and telemarketing

A direct marketing B one-to-one marketing C personal selling D select group 21 Both public and private exchanges are referred to as e-marketplaces, trading hubs, or _

A trading forexes B trading forums C trading platforms D trading houses 22 On the Internet, companies advertise themselves using _ which appear on the web pages and links which link one website to another

A pixels B broadbands C slogans D banners 23 Using a(n) _ will help a company reach new customers and get them onto their website

A online channel B e-procurement C image advertising D mass advertising 24 It’s relatively cheap to produce an exciting well-constructed _ campaign to target a niche audience of web users

A mouth-to-mouth B viral video C viral broadband D viral marketing 25 Social networking sites are often used by companies to communicate with their customers, to solve problems or to defuse a brewing _

A recovery B argument C crisis D profit

26 Some companies have used social media such as Twitter to put out public relations _ before they spread

A fires B extinctions C distinctions D floods 27 Staff of a company should be familiar with social media, which enables them to be attuned to the needs and _ of their customers

A operations B features C wants D requirements 28 Understanding the different motivations and usage _ for a company’s products is vital to getting its marketing right in the digital age

A passions B interests C desires D habits 29 E-marketing is different from conventional marketing because it uses _ to create powerful messages to engage consumers, build brands and drive sales

A digital technologies B social technologies C broadband pages D cartoon images 30 Companies can use pop-ups or banners which are _ used on websites to advertise products or services

A graphic science B technology images C graphic images D photos 31 With over 1 billion websites in existence, it is getting harder for companies to break into the _ of the 20,000 most visited sites

A select group B segmented group C portfolio D objective 32 On the Internet, advertisers can track consumers by following their trail of activities and _

A schemes B enhancements C intermediaries D purchases 33 In the last ten years, the Internet has helped companies to improve the quality and quantity of the work they do in carrying out market _ for their clients

A searching B penetration C research D packages 34 Consumers visiting online stores expect to be able to log on easily and complete transactions at the first _

A meeting B attempt C perception D discussion 35 Today’s more demanding shoppers are looking for higher quality and _ products from all e-tailers

A good range B specific quantity C highest value D better value 36 The company website will offer their customers _ that are informative to help them make informed purchasing decisions

A market survey B quality product C product reviews D result pages 37 _ and pop-up advertisements are more traditional forms of Internet advertising

A Banner B Click C Pixel D Optimization 38 From a _ point of view, the fact that things are branded allows us to recognize the

A retailer’s B manufacturer’s C brand’s D customer’s 39 Our latest marketing _ aims to go beyond the basic features and emphasize the real lifestyle benefits of the product

A strike B campaign C fight D struggle 40 One of the biggest assets is the _ a company has built up through marketing campaigns

A customer thought B customer inspiration C customer behavior D customer base

SECTION 2 LANGUAGE USE IN A WIDER CONTEXT

1.3 PASSAGE COMPLETION

PASSAGE 1

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

Best Buy, the electronics retailer, has become the first leading US retailer to start sending special (1) _ and deals to its customers’ smartphones when they walk into one of its stores Best Buy store in San Francisco has deployed a location-based marketing (2) _ developed by Shopkick

Customers who (3) _ the Shopkick application on their phones will automatically receive “kickbucks” credits just for entering the store that can be traded for benefits including gift cards, computer gaming credits or music downloads Best Buy will also use the system to send participants in its (4) _ promotional offers that can be customized to reflect their shopping (5) _ and interests

Richard Rommel of Best Buy said that “the convergence of location technology and rewards to (6) _.” shopping was at the heart of their business strategy Price (7) _ are then automatically deducted from the bill at the store’s checkouts The Shopkick application responds to an audio signal transmitted in the store It is far more accurate than GPS-based (8) _ which can be off by a few hundred yards, and which raise potential privacy concerns because they are automatically activated

Recent years have seen the emergence of a number of location-based systems with marketing (9) _ for social networks They allow (10) _ to offer credits or local promotions to phone users who actively “check in” to locations such as coffee shops Instore mobile shopping applications are likely to become increasingly important to retailers as they seek to close deals with shoppers equipped with smartphones that can search and compare prices at rival stores and online (Dubicka & O’Keefle, 2011)

1 A discounts B offers C promotions D sales 2 A blogging B commercial C tool D system 3 A activate B open C deploy D apply

4 A consumer group B membership fee C customer service D loyalty scheme

5 A ambitions B hobbies C expectations D likes 6 A personalize B characterize C identify D idealize 7 A conductions B expansions C reductions D increases 8 A changes B alternatives C platforms D options 9 A applications B reviews C tactics D hardwares 10 A retailers B suppliers C creditors D marketers

The majority of multichannel retailer do not design their marketing programs around acquiring new customers that have the best potential to become (9) _ customers and rewarding existing high-value use loyal customers with special treatment in order to retain them Instead, they wrongly focus on market (10) _ as the key measure of success.

(Allison & Emmerson, 2013)

1 A defensive B intrusive C protective D alternative 2 A sincere B junk C direct D express 3 A experience B dissatisfaction C expectation D distraction 4 A friendship B cooperation C partnership D relationship 5 A hobby B demand C loyalty D service 6 A annual B average C contemporary D temporary 7 A living B saving C overhead D offering 8 A referrals B approvals C defections D disposals 9 A temporary B permanent C long-term D lengthy

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

The Marketing Mix has been the golden rule used by marketing managers everywhere to engage customer attention and (1) _ this interest to sales The four Ps of Product, Price, Place and Promotion date back nearly 50 years But this approach to marketing does have its critics, who argue that the true success of sales is completely down to the customer, and what he or she wants is an important decision factor The Product, for example, is not just the (2) _ product or service itself, but a whole host of associated warranties that one attaches to it These are society based and driven Price is usually associated with cost (3) _, and therefore ‘how low can you go’ is the dilemma But cheapest is not necessarily best, as the price should reflect the value for benefits it offers Something that increases social status or sexual magnetism can be considered by some worth more than the literal financial value placed on it

The concept of Place in the Marketing Mix, often referred to as the distribution (4) _, usually represents the locations where the product can be purchased, physical or virtual However, place should refer also to timing, ensuring that the product is there in the right place, supplying customers’ needs to their own personal schedule With e-business this includes visibility in search (5) _, visibility in consumer keywords and knowledge of the search behavior of your (6) _ market Promotion is essential and is typically associated with advertising, but also includes PR, word of mouth and (7) _ of sale Others have suggested that within the knowledge of the benefits of the product and brand awareness comes customer (8) _, which is invaluable as part of the business base

A further concept which some people argue is missing is P for People The people who represent a product become that product While average to good (9) _ service is little remarked upon, what image is left when you have to deal with very poor service? Many people will say nothing if their sales (10) _ was positive – this is what they expect – but how many people will you tell if you have a negative encounter? Customer staff, in both appearance and attitude, have the power to create an image of your company How important is that? Priceless

(Dubicka & O’Keefle, 2011)

1 A change B convert C alter D broadcast 2 A real B authentic C brewing D tangible 3 A competitiveness B economy C broadband D entity 4 A canal B channel C outlet D relation 5 A mechanisms B devices C engines D pixels 6 A intention B openness C target D capital 7 A place B point C end D position

8 A reliability B devotion C care D loyalty 9 A client B consumer C customer D shopper 10 A knowledge B understanding C experience D review

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

The effectiveness of advertising

People still enjoy the ads that are creative and entertaining But it raises an awkward question: does it actually sell any more chocolates or cars? Although TV viewers tend to be able to (1) _ a particularly good commercial, many cannot remember the product it featured And for the most (2) _, they try to avoid the rising barrage of ads Getting their attention is becoming increasingly difficult, because audiences are splintering as people use different kinds of media, such as cable television and the Internet The choice of products and services available is multiplying, but at the same time, consumers have become more skeptical about (3) _ made for products In today’s marketplace, consumers have the power (4) _ and choose as never before

This new consumer power is changing the way the world shops The ability to get information about whatever you want, whenever you want, has given shoppers (5) _ strength In markets with highly transparent prices, they are kings The (6) _ for business are enormous For instance, the huge increase in choice makes certain brands more (7) _, not less And as old business divisions crumble, a strong brand in one sector can provide the (8) _ to enter another Hence Apple has used its iPod to take away business for portable music players from Sony; Starbucks is (9) _ to become a big noise in the music business by installing CD-burners in its cafes; and Dell is moving from computers into consumer electronics “I am constantly amazed at the (10) _ level and sophistication of the average consumer,” says Mike George, Dell’s chief marketing officer If Dell changes prices on its website, its customers’ buying patterns change literally within a minute

(Allison & Emmerson, 2013)

1 A remind B memorize C recall D bypass 2 A part B time C way D place 3 A messages B suggestions C proposals D claims 4 A catch B pick C hold D take 5 A just B unique C unprecedented D inbound 6 A meanings B suggestions C reviews D implications 7 A valuable B worthwhile C worthy D essential 8 A trust B credibility C belief D penetration

1.4 READING COMPREHENSION

PASSAGE 1

Read the passage and do the tasks below

The AXE Effect

When Unilever wanted to launch its AXE deodorant spray for men in the United States, it combined young men’s natural interest in pretty girls with the attraction of a great house party The idea was simple: boys buy AXE, boy meets girl, boy smells nice, girl likes boy

The product, which was already popular in other parts of the world, was launched in the Unites States with a powerful promotional plan to make it appeal to American male youth culture Using the slogan “the AXE effect”, the company used a number of marketing ploys to bring the product to the attention of the public These included an online game, free samples of deodorant, often given by attractive female models, in retail stores, point-of-sales displays, media advertising and public relations (PR), all of which hyped the centerpiece of the promotion: a once-in-a-lifetime party at a Florida mansion

Unilever began the December before by direct-mailing millions of college students and young males aged between 11 and 24, who received free samples and information about the event, which was advertised as the AXE House Party: lots of girls, rock stars and a beach house A radio advertising campaign and online publicity called for young men to log on to the Internet to play a video game on the AXE website Participants had to apply their dating skills to score points If the player reached a certain level, he entered a lottery to win a trip to the party

AXE focused on the intrigue and discovery of the party Leaflets similar to ones made for a party by a group of college students were posted in relevant locations such as men’s toilets at nightclubs There were also print ads in Rolling Stone and Spin magazines

“It was all about getting into the mind of the 20-something guy”, says Mary Drapp, manager for strategic alliances and sponsorships for Unilever And they succeeded in doing that Their website received more than 943,000 hits, 20% more than the goal Some 100 lucky young man were flown in to attend the party Girls were invited to dance and enjoy musical acts from their favorite singers

The party was filmed and edited into an hour-long show broadcast on TNN in April “To our knowledge, nobody has ever taken a consumer promotion and turned it into a television show,” says Steve Jarvis, the marketing consultant for AXE

Following the promotion, results included a 22% increase in general brand awareness among males aged 11 and 24 and a 3% to 3.7% increase in antiperspirant and deodorant market share

(Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English 3, 2009)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 Who were the target audience in Unilever’s promotional campaign?

A Young women B Young men C Men off all ages D Men and women 2 How did people get an invitation to the house party?

A By receiving direct email B By answering an advertisement C By applying through an Internet site D By participating in a game 3 What was the aim of the publicity for the house party?

A To show an exotic location B To improve men’s dating skills C To excite people’s curiosity D To show people they needed AXE 4 According to May Drapp, what was the aim of the promotional campaign?

A To increase brand awareness

B To encourage people to visit the website

C To encourage a different type of customer to buy the product D To show the effectiveness of the product

5 What was unique about the promotion of AXE?

A The house party B The television programme C The free disc D The use of the Internet

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 1? Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6 Nichols considers working with management consulting firms from day one to be her role

7 When it comes to choosing the type of consultation, there should be right or wrong in the absolute sense

8 According to Paul Eden, customers may not know the process well when buying from larger firms 9 Carol Nichols thinks she doesn't need to form partnerships to grow the department and the company

10 The option between large and small consultancies is becoming increasingly mutually incompatible

PASSAGE 2

Read the passage and do the tasks below

Not long ago, innovation was The Big Idea in marketing circles Now, however, it's hard to see the benefits of this rush to innovate Indeed, if anything, companies seem to be drawing back from innovation, not charging ahead But just a few years ago many companies were combining a commitment to create entirely new product categories through innovative technologies - working to hugely ambitious growth targets - with a root-and-branch organizational overhaul designed to free up creativity and speed new product roll-outs

The result was that as resources were shifted away from core businesses, sales and profits faltered, share prices slumped and CEOS were ousted Now the mantra is a more conservative focus on the top brands, the top retail customers and the top markets It's being rewarded in many cases by healthier share prices This sustained effort to cut long tails of smaller brands and focus marketing resource on existing leaders seems to be paying off

So, were we wrong to pinpoint key innovation as key to long-term market success? Surely not But we might have underestimated the enormous complexity of this beast The term ‘innovation’ may be simple enough but it spans a vast landscape, including the type and degree of innovation, marketing purpose, management process and market circumstance - not all of which are well understood

Take ‘type’ of innovation Are we talking about new products only? Or new processes, new channels, underlying technologies, organizational structures and business models? When should the innovation involve a new brand? Or take 'degree' Are we aiming for blue-sky inventions that will transform markets and create new categories? Or marginal tweaks in, say, formulation or packaging that give us an excuse to advertise something ‘New! Improved!’? Likewise, is the marketing purpose of the project to steal a march on competitors and drive incremental growth, or to update an obsolete product line and play catch-up to competitors? As

one business news editorial complained, innovation’ is often just ‘simple proliferation of similar

products' Then there's process What is the best way to manage this particular innovation? Is it

to employ creative revolutionaries and set them free, or is disciplined risk management, requiring the careful testing and sifting of options to pick winners, a better approach? In larger organizations, has senior management really made time spent in cross-functional teams a recognized element of successful career paths? What time frames (e.g., payback periods) and degrees of risk is senior management comfortable with? And does the organization have a culture that fits the chosen approach? Does it ‘celebrate failure’, for example, or is it actually a risk-averse blame culture (despite what the CEO says in the annual report)?

Successful innovation requires clearing two hurdles First, it needs the right project with the right degree of innovation to fit with the right marketing purpose, the right innovation process,

corporate culture and market circumstance Second, it needs senior managers that understand the interplay between these different factors, so that rather than coming together simply by chance, they are deliberately brought together in different ways to meet different circumstances

(Gore, 2010)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 According to the first paragraph, a few years ago companies _ A trusted in technology to improve existing products

B chose to focus heavily on marketing activities C expected that growth would increase steadily D believed they needed to produce new goods 2 What problem is indicated in the second paragraph?

A Insufficient attention to brand identity damages company profits B A lack of product diversity reduces a company's appeal

C Business leaders are not attracted to slow-performing companies D Slow reactions to business trends reduce investors' interest 3 According to the third paragraph, it would be a mistake to _

A rely on future benefits in business planning B deny the benefits of pursuing innovation C neglect the importance of strategic issues D predict the outcomes of innovations

4 According to the fourth paragraph, companies should ensure that _ A their approach to risk management is fully new

B the progress of an innovation is as speedy as possible

C their new products are radically different from competitors’ D the benefits of participating in teamwork are fully acknowledged 5 Which statement could be best summarized the fifth paragraph?

A The steps involved in innovation must be tackled in sequence B Market forces should be a company's primary consideration

C The types of innovation sought must be appropriate to a company D Elements of chance should be assumed in decision-making

Fill in the summary with ONE WORD taken from Passage 2 for each blank

Innovation used to be The Big Idea in marketing (6) _not long ago Now the mantra is a more (7) _focus on the top brands, the top retail customers, and the top markets This sustained effort to cut long (8) _ of smaller brands and focus marketing

enormous (10) of this beast, including the type and degree of innovation, marketing purpose, management process, and market circumstance Is the marketing purpose of the project to (11) _a march on competitors and drive incremental growth, or to update an obsolete product line and play catch-up to (12) _? What is the best way to (13) _ this particular innovation? Is it to employ creative revolutionaries and set them free, or is disciplined risk management a better approach? And does the organization have a (14) that fits the chosen approach? Successful innovation requires clearing two hurdles It needs the right project with the right degree of innovation to fit with its marketing purpose, the right innovation process, corporate culture, and market circumstance Second, it needs senior managers that understand the (15) between these different factors, so that rather than coming together simply by chance, they are deliberately brought together in different ways to meet different circumstances

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage and do the tasks below

How will advertiser reach us?

The commercials on screen are far better than they are now Directors make sure they are moving, exciting, entertaining and technicians make sure the effects are breathtaking It's not the commercials on screen that are the most interesting part, though: the really crucial advertising is hiding in plain sight on the field Brand names blaze from each player's shirt Corporations will pay big money for the right to digitize logos onto the T-shirts of the fans in the stands Logos of sponsors won't be painted on stadium signs or on the field any more Thanks to technology that is already emerging, logos of sponsors will be digitally embedded in the image on your screen Advertising will change profoundly over the next couple of decades, although there's a good chance you won't notice the difference, since the most meaningful changes won't be visible to the casual observer Advertising in the future will be stealthily and eerily targeted, disturbingly omnipresent and inescapable

Internet viewing habits in minute detail- and crosses it with your purchasing history In fact, this technology already exists Refined with data that track what kinds of online ads you tend to click on - funny, sentimental, fact-laden -every commercial will hit In the future, people won't be bothered with advertising messages irrelevant to them They'll tend to like advertising better because it's so carefully tailored to their tastes and will begin to feel less like an intrusion This works for the advertiser too because fewer dollars will be wasted While it's a little dispiriting to think we can be so predictably manipulated, maybe that's a fair price to pay to avoid the pollution of messages you don't care about Nevertheless, it seems clear that the advertising outlets that exist today -TV and radio commercials, prints ads, billboards and taxi tops -will be inadequate for accommodating all the commercial messages that are agitating to get

out You can glimpse the future now Product placement in movies is an obvious instance of where advertising has slipped outside its traditional container into entertainment The music channels which are an entertainment medium designed expressly to sell records are another classic example Every time an artist mentions a brand in their lyrics, advertising slips into art Eventually, every surface that can display a message will be appropriated for advertising A backlash is inevitable Perhaps people will pay a premium to live in advertising-free zones

People get very nervous when they see the line blurring between advertising and other forms of content; think advertising is some kind of infection that pollutes the purity of art, ruins objectivity and distracts from the pleasure of entertainment Yet this is missing the point Surely consumers are smart and perfectly aware when they're being sold something; surely people who go to company websites are happy to find worthwhile information there and are capable of distinguishing between a commercial message and an editorial one? The genuinely disturbing aspect of the ubiquity of advertising is that it has begun to supplant what was formally civic Even the parks are gradually being renamed after corporations A little town in the Pacific Northwest just renamed itself after a dotcom company in return for a generous donation I won't mention the name here, since I figure advertising should be paid for That's when advertising has gone too far: when it's become something we are, rather than something we see

(CAE Testbuilder, 2009)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 The writer suggests that over the next couple of decades, viewers will probably _ A be unaware of the effect that advertising has on them

B fail to realize how advertisers are promoting products C resent the lack of privacy they have in their own homes D feel pressurized to consume more disposable products

2 What does the writer feel about the consumer being 'predictably manipulated'?

A He condemns it as a form of deception

B He believes people will be indignant at the removal of choice C He suggests that this is a cost-effective approach for the consumer D He states that consumers will appreciate the precision of this approach 3 What does the writer state about the future of advertising outlets?

A Current outlet will no longer be used for promotional purposes B Advertisements will take on a globally similar style and approach

C Advertising will overtake the importance of artistic value in music channels D The high level of outlets will result in some people turning against advertising

4 According to the third paragraph, the writer warns that _

A artists have always depended on the financial support of people aiming to make a profit B some consumers are not able to discriminate between truth and subjectivity

C it is not always clear what some commercials are advertising

D people should be more wary about the invasion of advertising into art 5 In writing this article, the writer's aim is to _

A highlight which consumers will be most vulnerable B dispel unnecessary fear about the impact of advertising C warn people against becoming part of an advertising culture D attack certain companies for being unethical

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 3? Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6 In the coming years, advertising will not change much, but it will be clearly recognizable to the casual viewer

7 Corporations will spend a lot of money on athletes to promote business 8 More adverts tailored to everyone's demands will come in the future years

9 Most people regard advertising as a disease that contaminates the purity of art and diverts attention away from entertainment

10 Perhaps being manipulated doesn't prevent contamination of messages you don't care about

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage and do the tasks below

How can a company produce good salespeople? Surely if the product is what people want, it will sell itself? In fact, though, there is a multi-million-dollar industry out there, and everyone is in competition, all chasing the same targets Suddenly it is not so easy after all For the long-term growth and profitability of a company, building a high-performing team of salespeople is crucial

What does the recruitment officer have to consider when interviewing a potential salesperson? He might ask, for example, how much energy the individual has, and how efficient they can be Crucially, how will they deal with rejection that is part and parcel of a salesperson’s life? Will they persist or will they turn tail and quit? How motivated are they by the hunt for new customers, and how much attention will they give to the maintenance of the current ones? Are

they likely to share information, or hoard secrets? What is their attitude to risk-taking? And just how much sheer effort will they put in to be successful?

But it is not just the responsibility of finding the right person That is an essential, and cost incurring process in itself, but having found that winning personality, it is crucial that they stay with the company If, after the company has recruited, trained and groomed the right person, they then leave to work for the competition, how much wasted profit does that represent for the company, which then has to embark on the whole costly process again?

It is therefore important to identify factors that help drive a successful salesperson The first and perhaps most obvious is money Sales effectiveness is measured by money If you sell, you get paid Often, if you don’t sell there is no financial reward at all, as many such jobs are performance-based This establishes the competitive nature of the job However, the competition is an internal one, where the person is actually in competition with themselves This is where targets are essential, as the successful salesperson is constantly trying to improve their previous records It is a powerful desire to excel which motivates them to succeed A successful demonstration of this acts as a positive influence on their morale, and ultimately the sense of fulfilment they get from the job

(Cotton, Falvey, & Kent, 2022)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 The writer suggests that over the next couple of decades, viewers will probably _ A be unaware of the effect that advertising has on them

B fail to realize how advertisers are promoting products C resent the lack of privacy they have in their own homes D feel pressurized to consume more disposable products

2 What does the writer feel about the consumer being 'predictably manipulated'?

A He condemns it as a form of deception

B He believes people will be indignant at the removal of choice C He suggests that this is a cost-effective approach for the consumer D He states that consumers will appreciate the precision of this approach 3 What does the writer state about the future of advertising outlets?

A Current outlet will no longer be used for promotional purposes B Advertisements will take on a globally similar style and approach

C Advertising will overtake the importance of artistic value in music channels D The high level of outlets will result in some people turning against advertising 4 According to the third paragraph, the writer warns that _

A artists have always depended on the financial support of people aiming to make a profit

C it is not always clear what some commercials are advertising

D people should be more wary about the invasion of advertising into art 5 In writing this article, the writer's aim is to _

A highlight which consumers will be most vulnerable B dispel unnecessary fear about the impact of advertising C warn people against becoming part of an advertising culture D attack certain companies for being unethical

Fill in the summary with ONE WORD taken from Passage 4 for each blank

In order to achieve the long - term growth and profitability of a company, it is essential to build a (6) _ group of salespeople The question is their motivation to search for new customers, and their (7) _ to maintain the current ones That is crucial, and cost incurring process in itself, but having found that winning personality, it is crucial that they stay with the company If, after the company has recruited, trained and groomed the right person, they then leave to work for the competition, how much wasted profit does that represent for the company, which then has to (8) _ on the whole costly process again It is therefore important to identify factors that help drive a successful salesperson

If salespeople don't sell, there is no financial reward at all Therefore, these kinds of jobs are (9) _, and this establishes the competitive nature of the job Consequently, targets play a pivotal role because sales people have to constantly manage to improve their previous (10) _

CHAPTER 2: BRANDING

SECTION 1 THEME-BASED LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

2.1 KEY TERM DEFINITIONS

Task 1: Match the terms (A-J) with their corresponding definitions (1-10)

A brand positioning

B brand extension C brand loyalty D own brand E branding

F brand repositioning

G brand essence H brand image I flagship brand J brand promise

1 the activity of connecting a product with a particular name, symbol, or with particular features or ideas, in order to make people recognise and want to buy it

2 how consumers see a brand, i.e., the values associated with such brand 3 the legal protection for the brand, its logo, and its brand name

4 a change in the brand’s status to keep up with consumer’s wants and needs

5 a statement made by a company to its customers stating that the company guarantees the quality and the use of their brand

6 a private label brand that is made exclusively for the retailer that sells it 7 when a company uses an existing brand name for new types of products

8 a brand for which a business is best known and which represents its image most appropriately

9 the extent to how consistent customers are in buying a company’s brand, how long they have been buying, and how long they may buy

10 when a company emphasizes its characteristics and benefits in relation to other

Task 2: Match the terms of branding (1-10) in column A with the corresponding definitions (A-I) in column B

1 brand equity 2 brand recognition 3 brand leader 4 brand identity 5 corporate branding 6 brand experience 7 brand management

8 brand strategy

9 brand leverage

10 brand awareness

11 brand differentiation 12 brand platform

13 manufacturer’s brand 14 licensed brand

15 premium brand

A the best-selling brand in a product category

B a document including brand vision, brand mission, brand values, brand personality and brand tone of voice

C the value of a brand to its owner which is presumed to be a leading indicator of a business’s future

D when consumers automatically associate a product name with a certain slogan or attribute

E the sum of the words, images and ideas that a consumer associates with a brand

F all the products are attached with the company’s name G a long-term plan for the development of a successful brand

in order to achieve specific goals

H the exposure and interaction that a consumer has with a brand

I the application of marketing techniques to a brand to increase the perceived value of a product line

J when a company uses the power of a brand name or part of a brand identity (color, similar name, typeface, etc.) to build or launch another brand

K a high-quality brand which is usually more expensive than its competitors

L the process of pointing out advantages of a product by highlighting how it is different

M the extent to how much customers know the brand

N a brand that is leased to a manufacturer, who then makes the product under that name

O the brand that is used by the company that developed and produced the product

2.2 VOCABULARY PRACTICE ON BRANDING

Task 3: Choose the correct words with suitable verb forms to fill in the blanks

A distinguish B dilute D exist E manage G boost H commit I damage J launch

1 In the late 90s, Nike faced criticism about poor working conditions in its supplier factories in Asia which severely _ its brand

2 Google has _ to brand itself as the search engine of choice for the Internet

3 The best way to develop and sustain brand commitment among consumers is to _ your brand from others through quality and reliability

4 We managed to _ the product on the market within six months of identifying consumer demand

5 Many companies may _ or even completely destroy a brand by overusing its logo on unsuitable products

6 A company should be _ to build its brand and image among its clients

7 The successful branding and marketing of the new product has already _ sales and increased profits

8 A brand extension which is developed in response to real consumer demand can strengthen the _ brand

Task 4: Fill in the blanks with the correct word forms

1 _ is the process of pointing out advantages of a product by highlighting how it is

different (different)

2 Consumers usually expect to pay less for products that are _ (brand)

3 For many companies, the relationship between brand awareness and sales is so acute that they

follow consumers' purchasing _ and brand loyalty levels via surveys (intend) 4 It is not always easy to set yourself apart from a(n) _ brand (compete)

5 Although they buy the supermarket’s own brand of coffee, their brand _ is always

Starbucks (prefer)

6 The company decided that the objective was to develop positive attitudes and build brand

_ among the consumers in order to induce them to purchase (aware) 7 Brand value is the _ worth of your brand, if you have to sell it (money)

8 Such _ brands as Levi and Harley-Davidson have a timeless and mythical status (icon)

Task 5: Choose the correct answer for each sentence

1 _ describes the exposure and interaction that a consumer has with the brand

A Brand experience B Brand memory C Brand knowledge D Brand identity 2 _ is the application of marketing techniques to a brand to increase the perceived value of a product line

A Brand extension B Brand management C Brand enhancement D Brand dilution 3 _ occurs when consumers consider buying your brand

A Brand corporation B Brand consideration C Brand extension D Brand behavior 4 _ refers to a high-quality brand which is usually more expensive than its competitors

A Diluted brand B Flagship brand C Economy brand D Premium brand 5 _ is one that is leased to a manufacturer, who then makes the product under that name

A Targeted brand B Diluted brand C Licensed brand D Own brand 6 The brand that is used by the company that developed and produced the product is called _

A licensed brand B manufacturer’s brand C own-label brand D local brand 7 _ is something which is very famous or popular and represents particular opinions, cultures or a particular time

A An item B A label C An icon D A heritage 8 _ refers to a measurement of the number of people who know the brand

A Brand awareness B Brand license C Brand value D Brand leader 9 The brand’s _ can be attributed to the traditional values and luxury lifestyle that it presents

A dividend B contribution C strength D division 10 One of the biggest challenges that pharmaceutical brands face is the competition from _ products

A dishonest B unreal C generic D fake

11 Brands are a mark of quality, and it is the brand name that distinguishes a product from other similar products and give it a brand _

A position B authenticity C identity D recognition 12 _ brands have the ability to cross both geographical and cultural boundaries, building international reputations of quality

A National B Domestic C Internationalized D Local 13 We can consider a brand as the idea or _ people have in mind when thinking about specific products, services and activities of a company

A suggestion B solution C reference D image

14 Fun, style, and simplicity are some of Apple’s brand _

A behaviors B attitudes C optimum D reactions 15 Such _ brands as Levi and Harley-Davidson have a timeless and mythical status

A own-label B private C enhanced D iconic 16 The study of consumer behaviors is a social science discipline that attempts to model and understand the behavior of humans in the _

A platform B marketplace C equity D markethouse 17 Although our handling of complaints has improved greatly, it continues to be a significant problem in terms of public _

A decision B vision C view D perception 18 If all consumers were to have a sudden lapse of memory and forget everything related to a company, the company would go _

A into business B under business C out of business D on business 19 It is estimated that about 85% of all sporting goods are sold under a(n) _ brand

A company’s B business’s C own D manufacturer’s 20 If you consistently meet or exceed customer expectations, you will develop strong _

A brand awareness B consumer perception C customer loyalty D brand extension 21 Our local supermarkets have made a lot of profit on their _ products

A trademark B own-label brand C generic brand D logo

22 From a _ point of view, obviously the branding process increases profitability quite substantially

A consumer’s B firm’s C customer’s D brand’s 23 Although products are manufactured, brands are sold and constitute important elements that guide _

A customer profile B customer point of view C consumer behavior D retailer behavior 24 Brands are at the center of being perceived by the customer as better or more relevant and are a company's most strategic _

A earnings B benefits C savings D assets 25 Consumers are often prepared to pay a high price for a(n) _ brand which they believe represents high quality

A premium B economical C contemporary D generic 26 Brands allow companies to influence the _ for a product by manipulating factors other than price

A preference B consideration C demand D wanting

27 When referring to a brand, _ would be seen as a part of its identity defined by its track record, longevity, and core values

A icon B heritage C differentiation D image 28 If you want to make sure that your brand is seen as being different from your competitor’s brand, you need to make sure that the positioning strategy you are using is the _ one

A own B promising C only D optimal 29 There are consumers who buy _ products in order to make a statement about who they are

A long-life B long-term C lifestyle D fast-growing 30 The report claims that more than 20 percent of typical “British” brands are owned by foreign _

A concepts B entries C entities D loyalty

SECTION 2 LANGUAGE USE IN A WIDER CONTEXT

2.3 PASSAGE COMPLETION

PASSAGE 1

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

Building a luxury brand is a journey

Indeed, building a luxury brand today amidst other (1) _ brands in the current market landscape may seem daunting However, with a clear plan to identify a niche customer (2) _ and emphasize the brand’s symbolic value, there is huge potential for brand managers in Asia to differentiate and position new, (3) _ luxury brands in the market Some recent examples are Shang Xia, a Chinese luxury fashion brand offering high-quality products with a contemporary (4) _ on traditional Chinese aesthetics and crafts In addition, another challenge that luxury brand managers need to deeply consider is how to make digital and technology a key business enabler The purchase (5) _ of luxury consumers go much more beyond just financial extravagance; but instead allows them to pursue a passion or associate themselves with the brand’s (6) _ and aspiration In such a digitalized and commoditized world, brands need to be able to express the same (7) _ that can resonate with luxury consumers Digital disruption and emotional engagement, although seemingly opposite, can actually be combined to enable companies to reap the most out of their luxury branding (8) _

Aspirational CEOs and brand managers seeking to create luxury brands should make the above elements (9) _ to their corporate strategies With digital disruption being the (10) _ in the industry, it will be exciting to see what new luxury brands will be discovered in the coming 5 years and how they will find new ways to engage consumers

(Dubicka & O’Keefle, 2011)

1 A own B longstanding C image D manufacturer’s 2 A segment B target C aim D provision 3 A identity B cartoon C iconic D unbranded 4 A turn B note C dance D twist 5 A expectation B decision C dissatisfaction D demand 6 A image B loyalty C appeal D passion 7 A reaction B emotion C sense D affection 8 A forces B attempts C intentions D efforts 9 A core B basic C root D clear 10 A measure B mean C norm D rule

PASSAGE 2

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

Branding often seems something in which large companies invest huge amounts of time and money but which is (1) _to small companies who have to focus on the day-to-day task of keeping the revenue coming in Even if a small company accepts the (2) _ of branding, it is still often something which is not given a high priority The truth is, however, that branding is not just something which carried out through high profile (3) _ Rather, it is about the customer (4) _ and overall image of the company In this sense, it is not possible for a company not to have a brand

Indeed, it could be argued that branding is easier for small companies Big names have to invest heavily in (5) in order to create and maintain their relationship with customers Smaller brands that are physically closer to them can do this via personal (6) _ Of course, a customer who approaches the local brand of a large company will have dealings with the staff there, but how (7) _ of the brand will they be? Finding ways to push the brand experience down to local branches is a continual headache Just how difficult this is to achieve can be seen by the array of checks that large companies have to carry out (8) _ shoppers, customer feedback forms, and continual staff training, are all strategies to keep the brand on track from a distance

Branding for small companies can take place through inexpensive means, most obviously by creating a company (9) _ and using it on all business cards and written communications Likewise, these should be a user-friendly website displaying it Consistent use of such visuals as these gives an impression of consistency of service They are not just frills but convey the message that the customers are (10) _ with a professional company On top of this, there are more intangible aspects of branding such as how phones are answered or how

reputation Indeed, these day-to-day dealings with customers are especially important because brands are more affected by what customers say than by top-down management

(Cambridge English Business Benchmark Progress Tests, 2016)

1 A irrelevant B appropriate C suitable D generic 2 A notice B agreement C point D notion 3 A portfolio B advertising C campaign D discount 4 A desire B conception C experience D turnover 5 A articles B media C plans D displays 6 A idea B characteristic C contact D asset 7 A representative B symbolic C versatile D affordable 8 A Intangible B Mystery C Database D Diverse 9 A face B building C challenge D logo 10 A dealing B enhancing C brewing D acting

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

Companies spend large amounts of money researching (1) _ markets and developing their brand image but once the product has entered the marketplace, the (2) _ can happen The company’s advertising may target one type of user, but this might not (3) _ the people actually seen with the brand A recent example of this occurred with Burberry, the clothing label It was marketed as a luxury brand but became (4) _ with working class Britons ‘

Clashes of this kind are not easy to (5) _ Occasionally the company may try to welcome the unexpected customers by changing the brand’s image However, this can have far reaching (6) _ on everything the company sells Most companies are not willing to risk their whole product range like this Another strategy is to raise the price in order to (7) _ unwanted users Or they may even decide to discontinue product lines where there is this clash This last solution was (8) _ by Burberry when they stopped selling their baseball caps

Globalization is likely to both help and exacerbate the problem On the one hand, a local clash might not matter much if you are selling in many different markets But at the same time, (9) _ like these are likely to become more common when a product is marketed across different societies

It is probably best for companies to anticipate the problems before it occurs One way to do this is to (10) _ the brand so that different groups are targeted Armani, for example, offers both premium and more commercial products under the same brand name In addition, a

brand needs to manage its retail outlets carefully and check that the point of sale is in harmony with the product image Any stockist who does not fit this should probably be dropped

(Cambridge English Business Benchmark Progress Tests, 2016)

1 A purpose B target C mark D destination 2 A unknown B underestimated C unexpected D undesired 3 A match B suit C connect D link 4 A combined B separated C diluted D associated 5 A deal B work C manage D achieve 6 A effects B affairs C commitments D displays 7 A reject B discourage C protect D refuse 8 A adapted B ensured C assured D adopted 9 A relations B revenues C mismatches D connections 10 A split B break C disconnect D divide

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks

Fashion brands today

With a (1 _ client base and copies rapidly available from clothes chains with quick production (2) _, it has become almost impossible to make money out of (3) _ custom-made garments The Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent brands are all making losses, as are Versace and Valentino Only Chanel is thought to make money After (4) to make a profit for years, Ungaro is on the market On January 25th, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), a luxury-goods firm, sold Christian Lacroix, another (5) _ brand, to American duty-free retailers for a "symbolic" price Prada has parted company with Helmut Lang after (6) _ losses Ten years ago, more than 20 houses held Paris shows Today only a handful can afford to carry on

Europe's rag trade has been in (7) _ now for more than five years Luxury-goods groups (8) _ on glamorous name keep high fashion alive Valentino, for example, is owned by Marzotto, Italy's biggest clothing and textile group; Yves Saint Laurent belongs to Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, a French rival to LVMH

Further down the fashion chain things are equally dire (9) _ producers cannot afford sustained losses Medium-sized and small companies in France, Italy and Spain are cutting production or moving it abroad Some have merged or tried to cut costs by lowering the quality of their products Dozens have already gone under Many more are streamlining operations and fighting for survival

the Federation Francaise de la Couture, France’s main fashion association And it can only get worse

(Gore, 2010) 1 A dwindling B growing C increasing D downturning 2 A interactions B strategies C cycles D treatments 3 A unlimited B open C inferior D exclusive 4 A dropping B failing C falling D losing 5 A loss-consuming B loss-making C loss-effective D loss-saving 6 A unsteady B temporary C instant D persistent 7 A trouble B progress C production D competition 8 A dependent B belonging C reliant D relative

9 A Huge-market B Large-market C Mass-market D Minimize-market 10 A labour B overheads C operating D administrative

2.4 READING COMPREHENSION

PASSAGE 1

Read the passage and do the tasks below

A manufacturer of sports shoes starts selling consumer electronics A soft drink lends its name to a range of urban clothing What’s going on? In simpler times, you knew where you were with brands One brand name meant good- quality sports shoes, another a soft drink No confusion Today, however, big companies try to redefine brands as not so much a product, more a way of life, and stretch them into new areas In the early years of the consumer society, a brand name on a box simply identified what was inside People were looking for products that would improve their quality of life, and chose brands most likely to achieve that purpose But as people in industrialised nations became more affluent and fulfilled their basic needs, brands acquired other attributes The functionality of the product was still important, but people also started using brands to say something about themselves, for example, choosing a brand of cosmetics which would suggest that they were sophisticated jetsetters

Now, we have entered a third age of branding, in which so many companies are making roughly the same product at roughly the same price that functionality rarely succeeds as a point of differentiation Instead, companies are trying to make their brands stand out by emphasizing their emotional aspects, hoping consumers will identify with the set of values the brand represents

One disadvantage of a product-based brand is that if the product goes out of fashion, the brand goes with it This is a serious concern for manufacturers of breakfast cereals, who are struggling to counter weak demand for the products that bear their names So far, their marketing

efforts seem to be having little effect The advantage for emotional brands is that companies can transfer their brand strength into other areas, increasing revenues and reducing their exposure to the lifespan of a single product

The elasticity of brands seems to be related to their position on a spectrum ranging from those rooted in solid, tangible assets to those with highly intangible, emotional qualities At the one end, you have train companies that tend to associate themselves with infrastructure and their ability to get you from A to B, and at the other end would be a leisure brand that positions itself on dreams and making people have fun It is the latter which has the maximum potential for stretch

But even emotional brands have a limit to their elasticity The merchandise has to be consistent with the brand promise Just to sell merchandise with your logo on it is a short-term, mistaken idea From this viewpoint, the decision to move from sports shoes into consumer electronics makes sense Most items in the range, such as the two-way radio for hikers, are sports-focused, even though the products may be adopted as fashion accessories, and the sports shoe customers will probably snap them up

(Cambridge BEC 4 Higher, 2016)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 What led to a change in attitudes to brands? A The influence of consumers on each other B The personal circumstances of consumers C More sophisticated marketing

D Greater choice of products

2 According to the writer, an attribute of the third age of branding is that _ A competing products may serve their purpose equally well

B the range of products available is too large for all to survive C consumers are becoming confused about the products available D price has become a key factor in consumers’ choice of products 3 What can be inferred about Form 12?

A Competition can have an impact on a product

B A brand can lose its popularity despite a strong market for the product C Advertising can affect sales of a product

D Changes in the popularity of products can cause difficulties 4 The writer refers to railways to show that brands like this _

A do not recognize the value of stretching B suffer from having an unattractive image

D are notoriously difficult to advertise

5 The writer argues that the stretch from sports shoes into consumer electronics is likely to be successful because _

A existing customers have demanded the new products B they will be sold in the same outlets

C the new lines will expand the manufacturer’s market D there is a connection in the way that the goods can be used

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 1? Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6 In the past, a brand name meant only a product

7 Now customers choose a brand because it improves their quality of life

8 Now a product’s functionality is less important than the feelings its brand gives to customers

9 Companies attempt to differentiate their brands by focusing on emotional aspects 10 Breakfast cereals manufacturers have difficulty competing with emotional brands 11 Emotional brands can draw customers’ attention to their products’ lifespan

12 Customers may spend more money on emotional brands if their products meet their demands

13 Train companies have more risk of breakdown than leisure brands 14 Other products of a brand should always be related to its premise 15 Customers of a shoe brand may quickly buy a two-way radio for hikers

PASSAGE 2

Read the passage and do the tasks below

Big brands turning to Big Brother

Innovation is the norm in our fast-moving consumer culture But launching new products or repositioning faded brands is increasingly the subject of scientific scrutiny Global brands want to make sure their products succeed across national boundaries and are turning for help to a new kind of market testing – ethnographic research

In less than a decade ethnographic research – detailed observations of the day-to-day behaviors of a small sample from a target group of consumers to shed light on how they use, choose or buy products – has established itself alongside consumer surveys and focus groups as a leading tool of market research

Siamack Salari is a boss of one firm specializing in this field Salari’s researchers follow paid volunteers for days filming their every move with a hand-held camcorder to uncover hidden truths about the way they lead their lives Usually towards the end of the first day, the novelty of being filmed will wear off and unselfconscious behaviors will start to emerge The best insights come when people are feeling relaxed and off their guard Hours and hours of video are analyzed for key behaviors before being finally edited down to around an hour of film that can be played back to the subject and shared with the client

Salari explains, the hard work begins – analyzing and interpreting behaviors Film has the advantage over questionnaires because the camera doesn’t lie People are often unaware of how they appear when feeding the cat

Describing his own brand of ethnography as “observational research with common sense and lateral thinking thrown in”, Salari points out that only this type of qualitative research offers unexpected insights While supermarkets mine data from micro-chipped loyalty cards to segment markets and target special offers, this kind of number-crunching misses the bigger picture of how products are chosen and how they could be improved

Salari points out: “Ethnographic research is totally opposed to other forms of research and its big benefit is that it generates insights.” Sometimes ethnographic research suggests small changes that can make the difference between a product succeeding in its market or falling flat

(Cambridge BEC 1 Higher, 2012)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 What does the writer say about new products in the first paragraph? A Detailed research will ensure that new products are successful B New products have to be available worldwide nowadays C Companies are more reluctant to take risks than previously D Consumers will stop buying brands that fail to innovate

2 In the second paragraph we learn that the advantage of ethnographic research is that _ A other people can watch participants' behaviours

B people are unaware that they are being filmed C it is easy to gather large amounts of data D it can capture previously unknown information 3 What does Solari say is the advantage of using a camera?

A It allows for more accurate data to be collected B Participants don't need to complete any paperwork C Several people can be filmed at the same time D Data can be collected over a short period

4 In the fifth paragraph, Solari says the disadvantage of supermarket loyalty cards is that _

A the data they deliver is predictable

B they are only useful for certain specific purposes C they don't allow for human interpretation of data D they need to be improved to deliver more information

5 In the sixth paragraph, how does Solari say ethnographic research can improve products? A Although expensive to begin with, it can reduce costs in the long term

B It offers objective information on how a product will perform

C It selects a small range of participants that are likely to buy the product D It can highlight a key issue before the product is launched

Fill in the summary with ONE WORD taken from Passage 2 for each blank

In less than a decade, ethnographic research - thorough (6) _ of a small sample of a target set of customers' day-to-day activities to throw light on how they (7) _ or buy items - has established itself as a key instrument of (8) _, alongside consumer surveys and focus groups Salari defines (9) _ as "observational study with a dash of common sense and lateral thinking tossed in," pointing out that only this sort of yields unexpected results "Ethnographic research is very different from other types of study, and its (10) _ is that it provides insights," says Salari To ensure that their goods flourish beyond national borders, global firms are turning to (11) _, a new type of market testing While supermarkets use data from (12) _ loyalty cards to (13) _ and target special offers, they overlook the wider picture of how items are chosen and how they may be improved Small modifications can often be the difference between a product succeeding or (14) _ in its market

PASSAGE 3

Read the passage and do the tasks below

The beginnings of the Gucci empire go back to Florence, Italy, in 1921, when Guccio Gucci opened an exclusive leather shop He understood the importance of building a reputation for his brand and did so by putting an identifier on his special edition creations He concentrated on producing fabulously high-quality products, making them status symbols synonymous with luxury

After Gucci died, his sons Aldo and Rodolfo took over the management and led the brand to iconic status in the 1950s They succeeded extremely well in promoting the brand to the rich and famous Fashionable celebrities such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn were counted among the enthusiastic collectors The Gucci took note of this popularity and expanded

aggressively, opening stores in glamorous locations such as London, Paris and Palm Beach However, for all the glamour Gucci represented externally, there were increasing disagreements within the family Aldo and Rodolfo each had two sons who began pulling the brand in different directions in the eighties, and decisions made about product distribution affected the brand's reputation A strategy to increase distribution expanded the market to thousands of retailers, detracting from the brand's essence of exclusivity Eventually, retailers were selected more judiciously and the brand's reputation returned However, during this period of disagreement over distribution the brand went from headlines to sidelines, perceived as an old standard in the fashion world

Since then, smart leadership has driven the Gucci brand to more visibility and success than ever before The two men responsible for this revival were the creative director Tom Ford and the president/CEO Domenico De Sole Tom Ford was responsible for the design of all product lines from clothing to perfumes and for the group's corporate image, advertising campaigns and store design from 1994 to 2004 It was his elegant vision that placed this once staid brand back on the backs of the wealthy Italian-born attorney Domenico De Sole was the other half of this dynamic duo By integrating elaborate advertising and communication campaigns with a marketing strategy that placed the focus on Gucci's core leather products and ready-to-wear, De Sole brought the much-needed attention back to the quality of the brand while streamlining the back-end of the business and expanding the network of directly operated stores Strong leadership and an image revamp literally breathed life back into the Gucci brand

(Cambridge BEC 5 Higher, 2022)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 How did Gucci's founder establish a reputation for quality? A He focuses all his resources on product quality

B He concentrated on high-quality goods and stamped an identifier on special edition creations

C He concentrated on promoting the brand to the rich and famous D He planned a strategy to increase product distributions

2 According the text, Gucci’s target customers included _

A middle class B the enthusiastic collectors C primarily celebrities, the wealthy D all walks of life

3 The company's reputation began to decline when _

A there was disagreement in the family over running the company B after Gucci died over running the company

C as soon as Gucci’s grandsons took over the management of the company

4 Why did the brand's image need renewing? A It was losing its reputation for exclusivity

B If successful, they would prevent Gucci from disagreement C It was time for the company to renew its brand image D It was necessary to increase product distribution 5 How was an image revamp achieved?

A Tom Ford planned to design all product lines from clothing to perfumes and corporate images

B The strategy of increasing distribution has expanded the market to thousands of retailers, reducing the exclusive nature of the brand

C new image campaign was conducted through marketing, diligence on quality, choosing retailers more carefully, creative director and president

D The company focuses on advertising and communication campaigns with a marketing strategy

PASSAGE 4

Read the passage and do the tasks below

I was skeptical when McDonald’s started altering its menus and playing around with greener options I thought it was a temporary blip, but they've hardwired it into their system There is another problem, however - will they be able to maintain this commitment to more sustainable foods? And will they be able to maintain their prices? The fundamentals of the food supply chain are going in an awesome direction - energy, oil, water and food commodity prices are all rising

McDonald’s is no longer in denial mode They are more engaged, but will they be able to engage with these fundamentals? They will not be alone All big food companies are facing these changes But as a meat purveyor, McDonald’s is going to be very exposed What seems to have changed, and what is most noticeable among the customers’ meet, is an absence of embarrassment or defensiveness about dining under the golden arches There is an acute awareness of the health perils of junk food and a healthy cynicism about the corporate food industry, but it no longer seems to affect McDonald’s sales Giles Gibbons,

Managing Director of Good Business, the corporate responsibility consultancy created by Steve Hilton (the man who rebranded the Conservatives) , believes that customers are still not completely convinced by its revamp McDonald’s comes bottom of Good Business's `concerned consumer index', which suggests that people remain suspicious of its brand The business has regenerated itself, but the brand is lagging behind It's a very long road You can't win people's trust back overnight You've got to continue to take leadership decisions that people are delighted

and surprised by, and over time that will lead to people feeling more trusting and happier to associate themselves with you

Why McDonald’s is thriving despite this enduring cynicism is because people have realized that their concerns about obesity, industrial food production and environmental degradation cannot be the fault of one brand, argues Gibbons Or, to put it a different way, if all global food corporations are as bad as each other, why worry unduly about McDonald’s? `Companies have responded, but people also understand the issue of obesity better,' says Gibbons (It's only Prince Charles who makes crotchety statements about banning McDonald’s these days.) The debate is more grown-up at the same time as McDonald’s has evolved The combination of these two factors means that people are less embarrassed to be associated with it

(Cambridge BEC 5 Higher, 2022)

Choose the correct answer for each case

1 The author believes that the McDonald’s new concern for the environment is _ A greenwashing B temporary C genuine D noticeable 2 McDonald’s have demonstrated a greater concern for the environment by _

A maintaining their prices

B committing to more sustainable food sources C reducing the amount of meat on their menus D showing their understanding about obesity

3 Rises in energy, oil, water and food commodity prices _ A don’t have much effect on the big food companies

B will affect everyone in the food supply chain C will only really affect fast food companies D will only affect McDonald’s

4 The consultancy team responsible for the rebranding of McDonald’s in the UK _ A is supported by Prince Charles

B was responsible for rebranding Good Business C was created by the Conservative party

D was responsible for rebranding the Conservative party 5 McDonald’s is thriving because _

A people no longer care about the causes of obesity and environmental degradation

B people have understood that obesity and environmental degradation are not the fault of the fast-food industry

C people have understood that all fast-food companies share equal responsibility for the problems associated with the industry

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 4? Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6 McDonald's began experimenting with greener choices and changing its menus 7 As a meat purveyor, McDonald’s is going to be very protected

8 Customers are still skeptical of McDonald's renovation, according to the Managing Director of Good Business

9 Gibbons said that MC didn’t need to worry about customer trust because it was not necessary 10 People have understood that their concerns about obesity, industrial food production, and environmental degradation cannot be blamed on a single brand