Exercise 1
1. Listen to three people talking about promoting their business. Match the speaker to the business they work in.
Office supplies ……
Health clubs ……
Internet service providers ……
2. Listen again and answer the questions for each speaker.
1 What problems do they have?
2 What are they doing to attract new business?
Answer & Audioscript
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.
Exercise 2
1. Discuss the six forms of advertising from the list. Which would you recommend for the companies in Exercise 1?
social media click ads targeted emails
advertising boards search engines promotional events
2. Listen to the speakers describing how they advertise and compare with your answers.
Answer & Audioscript
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.
Exercise 3
1. Listen to four people talking about advertising. Which speaker thinks …?
a some advertising laws aren’t good ……
b online advertising is important ……
c outdoor advertising isn’t attractive ……
d advertising laws are necessary ……
2. Complete sentences 1-9, then listen again and check. Do you agree with the different opinions expressed?
1 Companies …………………… advertise to sell their products.
2 You …………………… have big billboards everywhere.
3 I think you …………………… have laws on advertising.
4 You …………………… stop companies advertising products which are bad for you.
5 In some countries, you …………………… advertise cigarettes.
6 You …………………… advertise alcohol on TV, but you …………………… do it before 8 p.m.
7 When we use the Internet, we usually …………………… pay to get the information we need.
8 Many website owners make their profits from advertising, so we …………………… use their websites for free.
9 There are a lot of ads online, but you …………………… look at them.
Answer & Audioscript
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.
Exercise 4
1. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.
1 What are the two people talking about?
2 Do they agree?
2. Listen again and number phrases a-e in the order you hear them.
a Can I just say something here? ____
b Please let me finish. ____
c Sorry, go ahead. ____
d Can I just finish? ____
e Sorry, but … ____
Answer & Audioscript
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.
Exercise 5
1. Three managers of Fitstart, a sports-shoe manufacturer, are discussing a new sales campaign in Central Europe. Listen and complete the notes.
Advertising:
Money spent last year: ……………
Budget this year: ……………
Extra money to be used for: …………………………
Sales:
This year: ……………% increase
Next two years: ……………%
Key markets: The Czech Republic, ……………, ……………
Action:
Edward to prepare detailed …………………………
…………… to provide details of social media campaign
2. The sentences in B are the follow-up sentences to A. Match 1-6 with a-f and then listen again and check your answers.
A
1 We’re here today to talk about Central Europe.
2 Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
3 We’re getting off the subject.
4 OK, I think we’ve covered advertising.
5 Sorry, I’m not with you.
6 I think that’s everything.
B
a Can we sum up what we’ve agreed?
b Could you be more specific?
c What was the last figure?
d Can we move on to the next point?
e Can we come back to that later?
f We need to discuss our new marketing campaign.
Answer & Audioscript
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 …
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