Products and Brands

Exercise 1. Read and learn the following words and word combinations:

brand – марка, бренд;

broad meaning – широке значення;

capable ['keipəbl] – здатний; здібний;

holiday resort [ri'zo:t] – будинок відпочинку;

to augment [o:g'ment] – збільшувати; посилювати;

advice [əd'vais] – порада;

warranty ['worənti] – гарантія, порука, підстава;

maintenance ['meintinəns] – підтримка; збереження;

after-sale service – послуга, що надається після продажу;

soap powder – пральний порошок;

to be famous (for) – бути відомим;

multi-brand strategy – стратегія багатьох брендів;

to compete [kəm'pi:t] – конкурувати;

shelf space – місце на полиці (в магазині);

thereby ['ðεə'bai] – таким чином;

to get some of the custom – виробити деяку звичку;

to give a chance – давати шанс;

brand-switcher ['swit∫ə] – той, хто переходить з одного бренду на інший;

product line – група однакових товарів або товари, призначені для подібних ринків;

to consist of – складатись з;

range [reindʒ] – асортимент;

item ['aitəm]– товар;

to constitute ['konstitju:t] – утворювати, становити;

product mix –асортимент товару;

stable ['steibl] – стабільний;

constant – постійний, тривкий, стійкий;

to re-evaluate ['ri:i'væljueit] – переоцінювати;

objective [ob'dʒektiv] – мета;

to lengthen ['leηθən] over time – подовжуватись з часом;

to cover ['kΛvə] – охоплювати, покривати;

further ['fə:ðə] – наступний, додатковий, подальший;

either…or… ['aiðə] - або…або; однe з двох;

line-filling – заповнення, наповнення лінії;

line-stretching – подовження, розширення лінії;

to carry out – виконувати; розробляти;

in order to – для того щоб;

to enter a market – виходити на ринок;

competitors initiative [i'ni∫iətiv] – ініціатива конкурентів;

to dilute [dai'lju:t] – послабляти, розбавляти;

to convince [kən'vins] – переконувати, запевняти;

dealer –ділер, торговий агент;

niche [nit∫, ni:∫] – ніша, сховище;

to utilize ['ju:tilaiz] – використовувати;

production capacity [kə'pæsiti] – виробнича спроможність;

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text:

Products and Brands

Marketing theorists tend to give the word product a very broad meaning, using it to refer to anything capable of satisfying a need or want. Thus services, activities, people (politicians, athletes, film stars), places (holiday resorts), organizations (hospitals, colleges, political parties), and ideas, as well as physical products can usually be augmented by benefits such as customer advice, delivery, credit facilities, a warranty or guarantee, maintenance, after-sales service, and so on.

Some manufacturers use their name (the “family name”) for all their products, e.g. Phillips, Colgate, and Yamaha. Others, including Unilever and Procter & Gamble, market various products under individual brand names, with the result that many customers are unfamiliar with the name of the manufacturing company. The major producers of soap powders, for example, are famous for their multi-brand strategy which allows them to compete in various market segments, and to fill shelf space in shops, thereby leaving less room for competitors. It also gives them a greater chance of getting some of the custom of brand-switchers.

Most manufacturers produce a large number of products, often divided into product lines. Most product lines consist of several products, often distinguished by brand names, e.g. a range of soap powders, or of toothpastes. Several different items (different sizes or models) may share the same brand name. Together, a company’s items, brands, and products constitute its product mix. Since different products are always at different stages of their life cycles, with growing, stable, or declining sales and profitability, and because markets, opportunities, and resources are in constant evolution, companies are always looking to the future, and re-evaluating their product mix.

Companies whose objectives include high market share and market growth generally have long product lines, i.e. a large number of items. Companies whose objective is high profitability will have shorter lines, including only profitable items. Yet most product lines have a tendency to lengthen over time, as companies produce variations on existing items, or add additional items to cover further market segments. Additions to product lines can be the result of either line-stretching or line-filling. Line-stretching means lengthening a product line by moving either up-market or down-market, i.e. making items of higher or lower quality. This can be carried out in order to reach new customers, to enter growing or more profitable market segments, to react to competitors’ initiatives, and so on. Yet such moves cause image problems: moving to the lower end of a market dilutes a company’s image for quality, while a company at the bottom of a range may not convince dealers and customers that it can produce quality products for the high end. Line-filling – adding further items in that part of a product range which a line already covers – might be done in order to compete in competitors’ niches, or simply to utilize excess production capacity.

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What is product?

2. What are physical products?

3. Why do some manufacturers use their “family name”?

4. Why do the major soap powder producers have a multi-brand strategy?

5. What does product line consist of?

6. Why are companies’ product mixes regularly changed?

7. Why are companies always looking to the future and re-evaluating their product mix?

8. What constitutes product mix?

9. What does line-stretching mean?

10. Why might companies undertake line-filling?

Exercise 4. Give Ukrainian equivalents of the following:

broad meaning, capable, to satisfy needs or wants, holiday resort, physical object, to augment, credit facilities, warranty, to compete, manufacturing company, shelf space, multi-brand strategy, brand-switchers, toothpaste, to distinguish, life cycle, declining sales, market growth, market segments, to utilize.

Exercise 5. Give English equivalents of the following:

гарантія, підтримка, послуга після продажу, пропонувати, надавати шанс, посередник, компанія-виробник, асортимент товару, розрізняти, дивитись у майбутнє, прибутковість, можливості, виробнича спроможність, переоцінювати, додаткові одиниці товару, для того щоб, досягати, виконувати, імідж компанії, ніша конкурента, надлишковий.

Exercise 6. Match and learn the synonyms:

A: warranty, product, want, producer, a large number of, stage, to mean, product range, to utilize, stable;

B: item, manufacturer, to refer to, level, a lot of, wish, constant, product mix, to use, guarantee.

Exercise 7. Match and learn the opposites:

A: to dilute, broad, declining, to allow, familiar, profitable, excess, up-market, retailer, stable;

B: scarce, nonprofit, increasing (growing), to strengthen, narrow, unfamiliar, wholesaler, to prohibit, unstable, down-market.

Exercise 8. Complete the sentences using the proper words from the list below:

multi-brand strategy, convince, be augmented, life cycles, theorists, tendency, family name, produce

1. Marketing … tends to give the word product a very broad meaning. 2. A company at the bottom of a range may not … dealers and customers that it can ... quality products for the high end. 3. Most product lines have a … to lengthen over time. 4. Different products are always at different stages of their … . 5. The major producers of soap powders, for example, are famous for their … . 6. Physical products can usually … by benefits such as customer advice, delivery credit facilities etc. 7. Some manufacturers use their … for all their products.

Exercise 9. Put questions to the bold part of the sentence:

1. Marketing means that you don’t have to worry about selling your product, because you know it satisfies a need. 2. Once a product concept has been established, marketers regularly have to change the marketing mix. 3. Market opportunities are generally isolated by market segmentation. 4. Most manufacturers produce a large number of items, often divided into product lines. 5. Line-stretching means lengthening a product line by moving either up-market or down-market. 6. Services, activities, people, places, organizations and ideas, as well as physical objects offered for sale by retailers, can be considered as products. 7. Most management and marketing writers now distinguish between selling and marketing.

Exercise 10. Find words or expressions in the text which mean the following:

1. a company’s items, brands, and products

2. a promise by a manufacturer or seller to repair or replace defective goods during a certain period of time.

3. a surface in a store on which goods are displayed.

4. means lengthening a product line by moving either up-market or down-market, i.e. making items of higher or lower quality.

5. adding further items in that part of a product range which a line already covers.

6. a production of a large number of products.

Exercise 11. Translate into English:

1. Багато виробників, сьогодні, використовують своє ім’я або прізвище, щоб дати продукту назву. 2. Компанії виробляють велику кількість варіантів на вже існуючий товар. 3. Які чинники впливають на подовження виробничих ліній компанії? 4. Компанія з низьким асортиментом не може запевняти споживачів або дилерів, що вона виробляє високоякісний товар. 5. Споживачі не завжди знають ім’я виробника, товар якого вони купляють. 6. Які чинники можуть завадити іміджу компанії? 7. Теоретики з маркетингу надають терміну вживання продукту досить широкого значення. 7. Компанії повинні завжди дивитись в майбутнє та переглядати свій асортимент. 8. Кредит дає можливість сплачувати за товар протягом тривалого періоду часу. 9. Більшість груп однакових товарів складаються з декількох продуктів, але відрізняються назвою марки. 10. Виробнича потужність нашої компанії постійно зростає.

Grammar: Appendix 17