Listening comprehension III

Ex.1. A breakfast cereal company is launching a new muesli product. It is intended for adults who want a healthy diet. To maximize sales, the company is considering three promotional gifts. Work with a partner. Look at the three gifts. Which one would you choose to promote the new cereal, and why?

A pedometer	The Calorie Counter	The 'Relax-Max CD'
For people who go running or jogging. Measures speed and distance. Free when you send the coupons from 12 packets of cereal.	A booklet of recipes (with calorie values) for people who want to lose weight. Free in every packet of cereal.	An audio CD with relaxing musk and audio instructions for yoga exercises. Free when you send the coupons from 6 packets of cereal.

Ex. 2. Three managers - Carmen, Anna, and Ned - are discussing the gifts. Listen. Which one do they choose?

Ex. 3. What advantages and disadvantages do they mention for each gift? Fill in the table below with the advantages and disadvantages mentioned in the discussion. Listen again and check.

Promotional gift	Advantages	Disadvantages
A pedometer
The Calorie Counter
The 'Relax-Max CD'

Ex. 4. Work in threes. You all work for an American company which wants to launch a new low-calorie chocolate bar in your country or countries. Hold a meeting to discuss the points on the agenda below, and make a decision for each one.

AGENDA Marketing planning meeting
Low-calorie Chocolate bar
1 Target customer?	– Age – Sex
2 Dimensions?	– 10cmx4cmx3cm – 15cm x 3cm x 3 cm – 8 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm
3 Wrappings?	– sporty – classic – young/sexy
4 Product name?	– Choc’Lite – Athlete’s Friend – Fantasy
5 Price?	– same as other chocolate bars – higher than usual – lower then usual
6 Launch date?	– June – November – January
7 Advertising?	– A famous personality to promote it – A slogan for the advertising campaign

Discussion

Discuss:

• the importance of advertising and promotion for a business. Can a business operate well without advertising?

• the role of advertising for the society. Does advertising help people to choose or only irritate and mislead customers?

• the effect of public service advertising on people. Is it possible to breed a better generation with the help of advertising? Can advertising change people’s behavior?

A Joke

‘Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket’ George Orwell.