Business english writing - Masterclass International School 2020
Activities marketing
Pre-reading activity A
Before reading the article below answer the following question:
What is marketing? __________________________________________________________________________________
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word marketing refers to “the action or business of bringing or sending a product or commodity to market; (now chiefly, Business) the action, business, or process of promoting and selling a product, etc., including market research, advertising, and distribution”.
The marketing mix is a business method employed in marketing and by marketing professionals. It is important as it is the combination of the elements needed to determine a product or brand's offering, and it is often associated with the four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. Can you explain how to use these factors to achieve your profit potential?
Now you should have a more precise idea of what marketing is, so move on to the pre-reading activity. Match the words and phrases on the left with the appropriate definition on the right:
Reading activity A (Vocabulary)
Before reading the article below focus on understanding new vocabulary. Match the words on the left to their definitions on the right:
1.Sticks witha. a kind of march, rigid adherence to
procedure
2.Run of the mill b. connect, link
3.Tie c. to put on display, to present
4.Sleight of handd. ordinary
5.Lock stepe. to gain useful access to sthg.
6.To showcasef. chance, future possibility
7.To tapg. magic trick, quick fingers
8.Prospects h. remains loyal to
Where Has All The Good Marketing Gone?
What You Can Learn From Top Marketers
I don’t know about you, but I feel like there is a scarcity of good marketing today. What do I mean “good marketing?” You know the kind of marketing that sticks with you and drives you to take action. The only marketing that has really moved me in the last couple of years has been from Apple. How do I know? I own 3 ipods.
You might be thinking to yourself that it’s more the product that drives behavior than the marketing, and when it comes to the ipod I don’t necessarily disagree. However, I would argue that in some ways, the marketing has to be even better than it does with your run of the mill product.
Apple has maintained a certain level of success with their marketing and now that marketing must not only tie together with previous marketing campaigns, but convince current customers that their current products are no longer sufficient.
It appears that this is done, not through sleight of hand, but by showing you what you can’t do with your current device. By illustrating this in a manner that is contradictory to your current satisfaction, it does make you feel like your ipod — which was fine until a moment ago — has suddenly become inadequate. To me, that’s really good marketing.
So what can be learned from the tens of millions that Apple spends on advertising every year? I think the answer to that question is to work in lock step with your product development team to showcase developments and tap the emotions of those using your products. When I use my iTouch, I feel empowered, cool, and complete. I wouldn’t have reached that conclusion without the help of marketing to get me there.
The lesson that I’ve learned is that marketing, if done correctly, helps us to define how we feel about a product. Once you have prospects and customers attaching emotions to your products, you develop loyal customers. The next time that you’re thinking about a marketing campaign, consider how you want your customers to feel about your product.
Manage the entire purchase decision process in order to consistently manage the experience to reinforce or produce these desired feelings. Once you’ve been able to do that successfully, your creative, marketing messages and promotions should be relatively easy to produce. Now that’s what I call good marketing.
Notes to the text
✵In the article we find the verb to feel. The basic meaning of the verb is to perceive something by touching or just having a sense, having an emotional conviction. In I feel like there is a scarcity of good marketing today the meaning is that you are convinced there is not good marketing today though you haven’t got any clear evidence for it. It can also be a synonym of to think (in the article how we feel about a product means what we think about a product). When it is followed by like (feel like) it often means that someone is inclined for something or doing something.
✵AmE and BrE have spelling differences: behavior/behaviour (see section at the beginning of the book) but also lexical ones. For example the word vacation is more typically American whereas the British use holiday. In AmE holiday is mainly used for religious days and imply one or more days off from school or work. Common examples of differences in the two varieties are fall (autumn BrE), cookie (biscuit BrE), zucchini (courgette BrE), faucet (tap BrE), sedan car (saloon car BrE). Some American words are also used in Britain but rarely the opposite.
✵Sometimes students mix up the adjectives last and latest. For ex. the last news would refer to the order in a list, whereas the latest news would be used for the most recent news, the most updated.
Post-reading activity A 1 (Comprehension)
Answer the following questions about the article:
1.What is the author’s idea of good marketing?
2.Is the ipod success due to good marketing strategies or to the product itself?
3.How can marketers convince customers that current products are no longer sufficient?
4.What do the millions of dollars spent by Apple on advertising show’
5.How can a company develop loyal customers?
6.Does good marketing have to do with reinforcing and arousing the desired feelings for the product?
Reading activity B (Comprehension/Speaking)
UK olive oil consumption on the increase
Olive oil consumption in the UK has been rising steadily over the last 19 years, according to the Office of National Statistics.
The UK share of the world consumption of olive oil has risen from 1.9% to 2.9% between 1990 and 2009. The UK now consumes 28m litres of olive oil per annum, all of which is imported, and sales topped £150m a year for the first time in 2008. This is double the amount sold eight years ago and significantly more than the £90m spent on vegetable oil. Half of UK homes now use olive oil compared with just 35% in 2001.
In recognition of this, one quarter of the total budget for the biggest promotional campaign for olive oil undertaken to date in the European Union, will be spent in the UK. …
Launching a product in a foreign market can be one of the most profitable and rewarding activities that any entrepreneur can do. But it can also be very difficult and stressful as well. You make a very high quality extra virgin olive oil in Italy called Tuscania and you want to market it in Britain because data show that this product is increasingly valued there. By following the seven steps below work in groups and prepare a good launch of the product. Discuss ideas with your classmates:
✵Study your competitors
✵Target your ideal customer
✵Create your unique value offer
✵Decide your marketing strategy
✵Test product and marketing
✵Present your campaign
Post-reading activity B 1 (Writing)
Choose the proverb that would best fit the article about British olive oil:
“Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” — Richard Branson, British industrialist
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter
Grammar revision
-ING FORM
The —ing form can be used like a noun, an adjective or a verb:
Feeding the animals is forbidden
Fortunately, I have a short working day
If you're accustomed to working alone this may be difficult
When used like a noun it may or may not be preceded by an article:
Marketing is a waste of time
The marketing of the product was a waste of time
In formal English, we may use a possessive with the —ing form. In informal English, many speakers do not:
Despite wanting to stay local, they will go global
Despite their wanting to stay local, they will go global
When used as an adjective, the —ing form can precede a noun:
We have been granted a brief rest after the preceding months of such an intense work
The —ing form is needed after a preposition:
Despite wanting to stay local, they will go global
If you're accustomed to working alone this may be difficult
It's a time for nurturing connections with customers
Your efforts will also have a greater chance of being noticed
Many verbs are normally followed by -ing forms. Here is a list of the most common ones:
Admit (to) — appreciate — avoid — be accustomed to — be used to — can’t help — consider — delay — discuss — dislike — enjoy — finish — imagine — mind — miss — postpone — recommend — regret — resist — risk — stop — suggest — understand
Other verbs can be followed by either the infinitive or —ing form but the meaning may vary. Here is a list of the most common ones:
Attempt — begin — continue — hate — like — love — neglect — prefer — remember — start — try -
For example, remember is followed by —ing form when it refers to a past event and by the infinitive when it refers to an action which is still to come:
1.I remember meeting John at a job interview.
2.I must remember to call John before 8.
In sentence 1 the action of ’meeting’ precedes the action of ’remembering’, whereas in sentence 2 the action of ’remembering’ precedes the action of ’calling’.
Grammar exercises
1. Fill in the gaps with the right form of the verb:
a) I can't afford __________(miss) this deadline. My boss has great expectations for it.
b) If you happen ________(meet) Mr Sheen this week, please give me a ring!
c) They don't mind (help)___________ us with the backlog of work.
d) Lisa enjoys (arrive)__________ at work early in the morning.
e) We could have lunch when you finish (print)___________ those documents.
f) We shouldn't forget (call)__________ him when we leave for Berlin.
g) I would avoid (leave) __________my office unless absolutely necessary.
h) You can't stand (sell)__________! Let’s be honest! If you loved it you would be more successful in your job
i) Do you appreciate (be told) __________that you deserve a promotion?
j) Paul and Sally decided (spend)_____________ their lunch break in the office.
k) She regrets (not go) ____________to the university two years ago when she had the chance.
l) You should remember (buy) _____________some stamps in the afternoon. We have to send some letters.
m) About one in five consumers considered (move)_________ their checking accounts to another bank.
2. Fill in the gaps with the right form of the verb:
a) After (work) ____________so hard, we decided have a snack.
b) What about (have) __________a break? It’s 4 pm and I feel a little hungry.
c) Thanks for (call)_____________. I really needed some friendly advice.
d) A nutcracker is essential for (remove) ____________nuts from the shell.
e) I'm looking forward to (hear) ______________from them!
f) Why can't you have a coffee without (smoke)__________? I don’t like sitting alone at the bar!
g) I feel completely relaxed after (sleep) __________9 hours!
h) I am interested in (start) ______________a career in software engineering
i) He succeeded in (run)________________ a new business! Would you have expected this?
3. Each of the word below is written in BrE. Give the American equivalent:
Behaviour ______________________
Labour ______________________
Metre______________________
Centre______________________
Organise______________________
Catalogue______________________
Anaesthesia______________________
Enrol ______________________
Sizeable______________________