Practice Listening Business English Exercises for A2 – Advertising

1

Office supplies 2

Health clubs 3

Internet service providers 1

2

Possible answers

Speaker 1: Everybody offers the same services for the same price. They are trying to attract sports lovers with a special offer for sports channels.

Speaker 2: People think they are expensive because it’s a small independent shop. So they offer big discounts on 50 different products every month.

Speaker 3: They opened in a town where nobody knew them. They’re offering a free month of classes to people who bring new customers.

Audioscript

1

Our problem is that it’s very difficult to attract new customers. All the other providers are offering the same services at about the same price: Internet, free phone calls and TV access. With our new offer, we’re trying to reach sports lovers. We’re offering access to specialized sports channels for just €1 per day. So you pay for that day, and you don’t have to pay for the whole month.

2

We are a small independent shop, so many people think we are expensive and don’t offer much choice, compared with our main competitor. They are part of a national chain that has a big store in the same street as us. So every month we offer big discounts on 50 different products, like photocopier paper, printer ink or pens. We lose money on these, but it’s a good way to attract people into the shop and increase awareness of our product range and prices.

3

We started our business two years ago. I think it was a mistake to open in a town where nobody knows us. But we now have about 90 people doing exercise classes. To attract more people we’re offering our present customers one free month of classes for every new person they bring to us. And that word of mouth has started to work: last month, ten new people signed up.

1

Possible answers

All methods could be used, however, the following might be best:

Office supplies: click ads, targeted emails, search engines

Health clubs: social media (connecting through ‘friends’/ contacts), click ads, advertising boards on location, search engines, promotional events, (to be able to offer something, and ‘take a friend’)

Internet service providers: social media, click ads, targeted emails, search engines (all online spaces)

2

Speaker 1: digital advertising boards at sports stadiums, click ads in online sports magazines

Speaker 2: targeted email campaign twice a year, getting website onto first page of search engine

Speaker 3: promote company on Facebook and Twitter. Free outdoor exercise class once a month in the summer

Audioscript

1

We are promoting our sports channel service with digital advertising boards at football and rugby stadiums. We also have a lot of click ads on the home pages of online sports magazines.

2

To boost sales in our shop, we do a targeted email campaign to companies in the area twice a year. And we have a webmaster who’s done a great job getting our website on to the first page of Google.

3

We promote our club on Facebook and Twitter and we invite comments from people who are already members. And once a month, in the summer, we run a free exercise class outside in the local park, where everybody can see us.

1   a 3   b 4   c 1   d 2

2

1 have to   2 don’t need to   3 need to

4 have to   5 aren’t allowed to

6 are allowed to, can’t   7 don’t have to

8 can   9 don’t have to

Audioscript

1

I know that companies have to advertise to sell their products, but you don’t need to have big billboards everywhere. They’re really horrible and they get bigger and bigger every year. I think the mayor of Grenoble was right to do what he did.

2

I think you need to have laws on advertising. You have to stop companies advertising products which are bad for you. In some countries, you aren’t allowed to advertise cigarettes, for example.

3

I think some advertising laws are really stupid. In some countries, you are allowed to advertise alcohol on TV, but you can’t do it before 8 p.m. The idea is to protect children, but most children watch TV until at least 10 p.m.

4

Some people say there’s too much advertising online. But when we use the Internet, we usually don’t have to pay to get the information we need. That’s because many website owners make their profits from advertising, so we can use their websites for free. I agree that there are a lot of ads online, but you don’t have to look at them.

1

Suggested answers

1   They’re talking about targeted advertising on the Internet and ‘cookies’.

2   They don’t agree.

2   a 4   b 5   c 3   d 2   e 1

Audioscript

A   No, I don’t see that at all. I think it’s very useful to get targeted adverts about products that interest us.

B   Sorry, but they store all that information on their website and we don’t know –

A   Can I just finish? This is an important point here.

B   Sorry, go ahead.

A   I mean, if you are a regular customer in a shop, they will recommend new products that you’ll like, because they know you. It’s the same with shopping websites.

B   Can I just say something here? To use one of these sites, you need to accept cookies on your computer. But the cookies store all that private information about you.

A   Yes, but they’re doing it to help you find products –

B   Please let me finish. And all that private information … they use it not only on their website, but when you’re on other sites, too. So you see click ads for their products when you’re reading a newspaper article online, for example.

A   Yes, but you don’t have to look at them or click on them. And sometimes the special promotions are very attractive.

1

Advertising:

Money spent last year: €28.6 million

Budget this year: €37.5 million

Extra money to be used for: big social media campaign

Sales:

This year: 7 % increase

Next two years: 7 %

Key markets: the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary

Action:

Edward to prepare detailed sales forecast

Anton to provide details of social media campaign

2

1 f   2 c   3 e   4 d   5 b   6 a

Audioscript

Sonya   So, we’re here today to talk about Central Europe. We need to discuss our new marketing campaign.

Anton   So, who’s going to start?

Sonya   Maybe you, Anton. Can you tell us about the advertising budget?

Anton   Yes, OK. To support the new sales campaign, we have to spend more on advertising this year. Last year our spending in Central Europe was €28.6 million. This year we have decided on a budget of 37.5 million.

Edward   Sorry, I didn’t catch that, Anton. What was the last figure?

Anton   Yes, sorry. Our budget for this year is €37.5 million. We want to spend the extra money on a big social media campaign.

Sonya   Yes, that’s definitely a good idea.

Anton   OK, if we now look at the budget for Western Europe, we see that last year we had-

Edward   Er, sorry Anton, but I think we’re getting off the subject. Can we come back to that later?

Anton   Yes, OK. But I really think we need to discuss Western Europe, too.

…

Edward   OK, I think we’ve covered advertising. Can we move on to the next point?

Sonya   Sure. Do you want to talk about sales now, Edward?

Edward   Alright. Well, we forecast a 7% increase in annual sales for this year, and we are looking for a similar figure for the two following years. That’s in the markets where we have a stronger presence.

Sonya   Sorry, Edward, I’m not with you. Could you be more specific? Which countries are we talking about?

Edward   I mean the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.

Sonya   OK, thanks.

Edward   Well, anyway …

…

Anton   As I said before, I really feel we need to review the budgets for Western Europe.

Sonya   OK, Anton, I agree, but I think we need to have another meeting about that. Edward, did you have anything else to say?

Edward   No, I think that’s everything. Can we sum up what we’ve agreed?

Sonya   Sure. So Edward, you’re going to prepare a detailed sales forecast, country by country, and Anton, you’ll provide more details about the social media campaign. OK, thank you everybody for coming and …