Advertising Warming up

Ex. 2. Make a list of seven products (goods or services) that are produced or provided in your city or region.

1. a local brand of drink	____________________
2. a grocery product (breakfast cereal, health food etc.)	____________________
3. an industrial product (machines, consumer goods, vehicles, etc.)	___________________ ___________________
4. a place of entertainment (cinema, club, etc.)	___________________
5. a public service (telephones, mail, transport, etc.)	___________________
6. an educational service (maybe the course you’re doing now?)	___________________ ___________________
7. another well-known local product	___________________

Ex. 3. Work in groups. Discuss these questions about the products you’ve listed:

1. What competition does each product face? (The competition may not be another brand, but another type of product: people may prefer to spend their cash on clothes instead of going to the cinema, for example).

2. What is the image of each product?

3. What is the image of the company that produces it?

4. How strongly or weakly is each of the products marketed?

5. Where is each product advertised?

6. Think of examples of famous brands. What kind of lifestyle do they sell? How do the advertisements promote the image?

Ex. 4. Fill the gaps in the sentences below with words from the list to answer the questions a-f.

Commercials competes design distribution end-users

place hire purchase image labels mail order

materials outlets rival opportunities posters

price product satisfy radio spots weaknesses

promotion threats strength public relations

newspaper advertisements

a) What is “the marketing mix”?

The marketing mix consists of “the four Ps”: providing the customer with the right (1) p______ at the right (2) p______, presented in the most attractive way ((3) p______ ) and available in the easiest way ((4) p______ ).

b) What is “a product”?

A product is not just assembled set of components: it is something customers buy to (5) s_______ the need they feel they have. The (6) i ______ of the product and the (7) d_______ of the product are as important as its specification.

c) What is “price”?

The product must be priced so that it (8) c______ effectively with (9) r______ products in the same market.

d) What is “promotion”?

The product is presented to customers through advertising (e.g. TV (10) c_______, (11) r____ _____ , (12) n _____ ______, (13) p______ ), packaging (e.g. design, (14) l______, (15) m______ ), publicity, P.R. ((16) p ____ ____ ) and personal selling.

e) What is “place”?

Your product must be available to customers through the most cost-effective channels of (17) d______. A consumer product must be offered to (18) e_____ in suitable retail (19) o______, or available on (20) h____ _____ or by (21) m _____ ____.

f) What is “S.W.O.T.”?

A firm must be aware of its (22) s_________ and (23) w_________ and the (24) o______ and (25) t _______ it faces in the market place.

Ex. 5. Look at the list of the opportunities and threats.

a) Which of them do firms in your region face in the next two or three years?

1. Competition from other local firms, or from other regions.

2. Rise or fall in demand.

3. Changes in customers’ tastes and buying habits.

4. Higher wages and salaries.

5. Customers becoming more price-conscious, or more quality-conscious.

6. Cheaper, or better quality, imported goods.

7. New technology.

b) Make a list of the “Strengths and weaknesses” the local firms may have.

Ex. 6. Practice the following dialogue between Janet Barker and an advertising consultant Daisy Rober with your partner.

Janet Barker: This is a new venture for us. Our primary customer base has so far been corporate clients.

Daisy Rober: Who’s your average domestic customer?

Janet Barker: Professionals in their thirties and forties, high disposable income, design conscious, trendy.

Daisy Rober: Have you thought of advertising on the web?

Janet Barker: We haven’t developed our website yet, but it’s a possibility.

Daisy Rober: What about image? How do you want to come across?

Janet Barker: Exclusive, minimalist, bright. Something along these lines.

Daisy Rober: What about media? Where do you want to be seen?

Janet Barker: We’re thinking of a poster and magazine campaign. Now we can’t afford TV or cinema. It’s a question of cost – our budget is not exactly huge.

Daisy Rober: I suspect Trend and Image magazines will be a good starting point. I’ll check their rates. If you give me your catalogue, I’ll draft a couple of suggestions for copy.

Janet Barker: We can get those to you later today. The design team is just putting the final touches to the catalogue.

Ex. 7. Produce a dialogue based on the suggested topic.

You are an advertising consultant. The new airline which has been founded recently wants you to help them with their advertising campaign. Give the advice of better advertising campaign.

Ex. 8. a) Read the text and learn the given information.

Packaging is also a part of promotion. It has a twofold function – to protect product and to attract the attention of the consumer. But sometimes package can bring a lot of problems to a customer. Surveys show that intense frustration and even injury caused by modern packaging is on the increase, especially amongst seniors. Seventy per cent of over 50s admit to suffering cuts, sprains and bruises to fingers, hands and shoulders as a result of ‘wrap rage’, a new term used to describe the irritation and loss of self-control experienced when struggling to open wrapping.

b) Imagine you have invented a new children’s radio control flying airplane. In small groups, discuss how you will package it. Think about the questions below.

1. What different materials could you use? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

2. What design elements will you incorporate? Think about the model, size, color, photos, logos and text.

3. How will your packaging make your product look different from other electronic toys?

c) Present your packaging solution to another group.

Ex. 9. a) Read the text and study the given information about.

Promoting a product involves developing a “Unique Selling Proposition” (USP). The features and benefits which make it unlike any of the competing products. There are for stages in promoting a product (“AIDA”):

1. Attract the ATTENTION of potential customers.

2. Arouse INTEREST in the product.

3. Create a DESIRE for its benefits.

4. Encourage customers to take prompt ACTION.

b) Cut out two of your favorite advertisements from a magazine or newspaper – you might like to cut out one ad you hate as well, perhaps.

Study the advertisements and discuss the questions below.

1. What exactly is the product being “sold”?

2. How well does each ad succeed in the four stages of “AIDA”?

3. What kind of customers is each advertisement directed at?

4. What is the “Unique Selling Proposition” of each product?”

5. What changes would have to be made to the style or tone of the ads to make them suitable for your country?

6. Which is the “best” ad, do you think? Why?

Ex. 10. Show the ads you have cut from magazines and newspapers to the members of your group. Present each one to the group covering these points:

1. Target customers.

2. The USP of the product: its features and benefits.

3. How the ad works in terms of the four stages of AIDA.

4. How the style would have to be changed for other markets?

The following phrases will help to present the advertisements:

I’d like to show you an ad that really impressed me. What do you think of this ad? It shows … . This aid seems to be aimed at … . According to this ad, the USP of this product is … . What I don’t like about this ad is … .

Ex. 11. Discuss the following questions:

1. What is your favorite TV commercial? Why do you like it?

2. Can you think of any good slogans? Discuss them with partners.

3. Think of a slogan for a school you are studying in.

Ex. 12. Read the text and discuss the questions after it.

The founder of the Citroën was always aware of the importance of publicity. His company symbol is still used today and is instantly recognizable. In 1922, to increase public awareness of this symbol, and as a public service, he offered the French government 150,000 new road signs. The following year he started manufacturing toy versions of his cars. Soon after he got another brilliant idea – he paid to have the company name written in lights on the Eiffel Tower. So when Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic ocean in 1927, the name Citroën was the first thing he saw when he landed in Paris. In front of the press from all over the world Citroën gave the famous pilot a tour of his factory.

1. What advertising campaign made by Citroën impressed you most?

2. Do you know any examples of brilliant advertising campaigns abroad and in your country? Discuss them with your partners.

Ex. 13. The following sales promotion techniques are often used to stimulate sales. Give the examples of these techniques.

1. BOGOF: buy one get one free.

2. Loss leaders: products sold at a low price to encourage sale of another product.

3. Tying: making sales of one product depend on the customer buying another.

4. Cashback: money returned after the customer has paid for something.

5. Bundling: selling several products together as one combined product