Influences on consumers

Smart consumers understand the factors that influence their shopping habits. They think about whether they need the product, whether they can afford it, and how they can purchase it carefully. They also know the difference between wanting and needing a prod­uct. Of course, sometimes all consumers splurge and buy things they really don’t need. But smart shoppers don’t spend so much on things they want that they can’t afford what they really need.

Consumers often buy things in response to advertising. A great deal of television, radio, newspaper, and magazine advertising is geared toward specific groups of people. For example, sellers know that teenagers are an extremely important market for their goods and services, and so they develop specific ads for this audience. Ad­vertising to teens has been stepped up as studies have shown that today’s parents make fewer buying decisions for their children. The ads, which are often purchased for shows or publications that partic­ularly appeal to teens, are designed to increase sales of the products advertised. Many ads provide useful information about products or announce the start of a sale. However, ads may also attempt to influ­ence you to purchase a product that you do not need or want or that you cannot afford.

Find the equivalents of the following words and expressions in the text.

Соглашение, определить исход, страдать от последствий, товары низкого качества, условия кредита, вводить в заблуждение, стать жертвой, избежать проблемы, в ответ на рекламу, быть нацеленным на…, увеличивать объем продаж, пытаться повлиять, средство судебной защиты, «пусть покупатель будет бдителен» (покупатель действует на свой риск), пускать пыль в глаза.

Answer the questions:

1. Define the term consumer.

2. How was consumer law characterized for many years?

3. What did it mean?

4. Why is the law more balanced today?

5. What is the best protection for consumers? Why?

6. How can you avoid problems?

7. Do consumers have any responsibilities? Give your examples.

8. What factors influence smart consumers shopping habits? Are you a smart consumer?

9. How does advertising influence consumers?

Problem–solving:

Select an item costing more than $100 that you or your family would like to purchase. What item did you select? Use the library at your school or in your neighborhood to find answers to the following questions:

1. What publications can provide you with information about this product? How else can you get information about it?

2. What specific information is provided about the product?

3. How can this information help you to be a smart consumer?

Problem–solving:

Identify an ad for a product you would consider buying. If the ad ap­peared in a newspaper or magazine, cut it out and bring it to class. If it was aired on the radio or television, either tape (or videotape) the ad or write a description of it and bring it to class. Answer the following questions about your ad:

1. What product or service does the ad promote?

2. Who is the target audience for this product or service?

3. If the ad appeared on radio or television, at what time and dur­ing what program did it appear? If it appeared in print, in what publication did it appear? Why do you think the advertiser chose to run the ad in this way?

4. What information provided in this ad would you need to make a decision to purchase the product? Is there information you would need about the product that is not included in the ad? What is that information? How would you obtain it?

5. What makes this ad effective in encouraging you to buy the item advertised?

Problem–solving:

Create an ad that would encourage a teenager to buy one of the fol­lowing products: a portable compact disc player, new basketball shoes, a meal at a fast–food restaurant, or toothpaste.

1. When you designed your ad, what ideas did you use to appeal to your audience?

2. Do professional advertising people use these ideas?

Read and translate the dialogue:

Narrator: The solicitor explains why he defends people who admit they are guilty, then he gives an example.

Interviewer: It’s your job to defend a person as best as possible…

Solicitor: As best as possible…

Interviewer: Well, I mean how can one do that if one feels that for instance the person is really guilty, for instance.

Solicitor: Oh, well I suppose really, one can put it very simply that my firm has a reputation for successful criminal defence and to some extent one is trying to continue that reputation. But sometimes there is very little that can be said…

Interviewer: What exactly do you mean?

Solicitor: I have a case at the moment actually where I have been told, by the client in no uncertain terms that he committed a particular offence on a particular night in a particular fashion. The police think that they can prove that he did this particular job crime.

Interviewer: Mm….

Solicitor: Our defence is the entirely negative defence that the police are required to prove their case. My client will never go in the witness box. He will never say a word from beginning to end. My duties will be entirely to cross–examine the police on the evidence which they say they have, the things which they say they saw the things they allege were said.

Interviewer: You feel that your duty then to try to prove this man is innocent even though as it happens in this one particular case you really know that he isn’t?

Solicitor: Yes. I am instructed to do a particular defence, in a particular way, and that is what I shall do.

Answer the questions:

1. What reputation does the solicitor’s firm have?

2. Why does the solicitor defend people he knows are guilty?

3. Describe what he has been told in the case he has at the moment.

4. What will his client do in court?

5. What exactly will the solicitor do? What will he ask questions about?

6. How does the solicitor feel about what he has to do?

Retell the dialogue in indirect speech.

Match the words on the left with the correct definition on the right:

Consumer	haggle excessively before agreeing to buy or sell.
Caveat emptor	an illegal act or omission punishable under criminal law.
Remedy	a person who buys goods and services for personal or household purposes from a seller.
Contract	any proceeding, action, cause, lawsuit or controversy initiated through the court system.
Bargain	let the buyer beware.
Geared toward	goods.
Merchandise	aimed at.
Dispute	smth used for putting right what is wrong.
Offence	argue, call into question.
Case	legal agreement.