Block 4_brands

Day I.

1. Prepare answers to the following questions:

  •  Are you loyal to any brands: that is, do you always try to buy that particular brand?
  • Do you want other people to know you buy a particular brand?
  • Do you buy any products without considering the brand name?

2. SB page 20 #2 page 21 # 3,4,5,6, 7 

3. The a and b sentences below have very similar meanings, but the b sentences are written in a more formal style.

Complete each b sentence with a noun (singular or plural) formed from one of the verbs in the box.

consume | deduce | perceive | purchase |recognise | reduce

  1. a) People mostly buy things to use themselves.
    b) People make most of their for their own .
  2. a) A 'brand image' is how people think of the brand; for example, one brand might be thought of as young and fashionable.
    b) A 'brand image' is made up of consumers' and beliefs concerning the brand.
  3. a) Companies often use a logo to help keep a brand in people's minds.
    b) Companies often use a logo to strengthen brand .
  4. a) Cutting prices can be bad for sales of luxury goods with an image of being exclusive.
    b) Price can harm sales of luxury goods with an image of being exclusive.
  5. a) The production manager thought hard, and worked out why some goods were faulty.
    b) Through a process of , the production manager identified the reason why some goods were faulty.

 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

4. IELTS Speaking 2 

Talk about how you would launch a new line of clothing:

-what image you would want the clothes to have,

- and how you would advertise them,

-how you would set the price

Useful language
Image: luxury, upmarket, downmarket, sporty, casual, smart
Advertising: TV and radio commercials, magazines, billboards, sponsorship, target market

 
Get Ready: 1:00

5. Read the text and prepare its summary outlining the main points made by the author. Use: the author states that.../ believes that.../ considers that.../ holds that... draws an example of ...

Hearts for Sale

First, there were simply goods that we could buy, and services we could pay someone else to provide. Then came brands, first of all for manufactured goods, and later for services too. In the next stage, even people became brands. Drawn from the world of business, and in particular of marketing, branding would have been an alien concept to Leonardo da Vinci or Beethoven, or most other self-respecting artists and musicians, and one that the vast majority would have rejected.K-pop concert

What’s happening now, however, is that the creativity displayed by an artist—or more often a musician—is turned into a brand, something to be marketed and sold, as though there were no difference between a talented and internationally renowned singer and a bar of chocolate.

At least in most cases, the singer or the artist has proved their worth, and branding takes place on the back of their talent and success. But now we have gone one step further: the brand comes first, and the mere human beings are chosen to fit. A classic example of the manufactured pop group is Hear’Say.

More than five thousand people auditioned to join the yet-to-be-formed group, and ten of them were shortlisted to take part in Popstars, a talent show on British television. Here they performed in front of three judges, who chose the five people they considered best embodied their concept of the group—two young men and three young women, all able to sing, dance, and handle press conferences and interviews, and all good-looking. The perfect pop group.

Out came an official video of the TV series, dolls, posters, a line of clothing—all ways of turning music into a business, and making money from the brand. Within a few weeks of being created in a television contest, Hear’Say had gone from obscurity to having a number-one single, video, and other merchandise—and there was even an hour of prime-time television about their short lives and breathtakingly brief careers. The Hear’Say phenomenon became unstoppably self-fuelling—the faster their fame increased, the more the audience wanted of them.

Within two years of its formation, however, the group split up, blaming public hostility—which certainly existed, alongside the mass adulation—and the pressures of music industry life. Other groups have been branded and marketed as aggressively as Hear’Say; none as quickly. As their licensing manager admitted, they were marketing the group before they even knew who was going to be in it. Hear’Say succeeded because they brilliantly exploited marketing’s Big Idea—namely, the quickest way to your customers’ wallets is through their hearts.

The marketing lore is that the consumer is swamped with products, and the only brands which will succeed are those that make an emotional connection. Increasingly, what we want is to buy our values—we need products to bring meaning and purpose into our lives.

The danger is that this commercialisation of our private world breeds cynicism and emotional detachment: happiness is reduced to no more than having the latest mobile phone. Emotional exploitation ultimately generates a pessimism about human nature which assumes that everyone is a brand, with some failing and some succeeding, and everyone is out to "sell themselves" in life’s great talent contest. It is as a reflection of our times, rather than as musicians, that Hear’Say have their greatest significance.

  1. Which of the four statements A–D best sums up the writer’s main point.

A. The general public do not fully understand business methods.
B. There is something wrong with present-day values.
C. Hear’Say was a unique phenomenon.
D. Television is essential for success in pop music.

Write the letter of the right answer:

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer?

Write:

  • YES: if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
  • NO: if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
  • NOT GIVEN: if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
  1. Beethoven would probably have accepted the idea of branding.
    Click to see the Prompt
  2. The judges on Popstars were well qualified for their roles.
    Click to see the Prompt
  3. The people chosen to form Hear’Say lacked talent.
    Click to see the Prompt
  4. Hear’Say's licensing manager built his success on his experience of marketing other groups.
    Click to see the Prompt
  5. Appealing to people's emotions is an effective way of selling products.
    Click to see the Prompt
  6. The most successful products are those that are best at what they are designed to do.
    Click to see the Prompt
  7. The general public is becoming concerned about the increase in cynicism.
    Click to see the Prompt
  8. Commercialisation is affecting our attitude towards other people.
    Click to see the Prompt

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

Day II.

1. IELTS Speaking 2 

1.1

Describe a logo that you think is effective.

You should say:

  • what brand or company the logo is used for
  • where you have seen the logo
  • what the logo looks like

and explain what makes the logo effective.

Useful language

eye-catching, well-designed, colourful, stylish, memorable, intriguing

 
Get Ready: 1:00

1.2. Tell about your favourite garment. You should say:

Introduction

One piece of clothing I absolutely love is [your item].
It’s something I wear all the time because it’s [reason: comfortable, stylish, sentimental, etc.].

Description of the Clothing Item

It’s a [color, material] [item] that [features: fits perfectly, has unique details, etc.].
What makes it stand out is [describe a specific feature: design, texture, pattern, etc.].

Why It’s Special

The reason I love it so much is [sentimental value, practicality, fashion statement].
It was given to me by [person] / I bought it when [occasion].
Every time I wear it, I feel [confident, nostalgic, stylish, etc.].

When and How You Wear It

I usually wear it when [event, season, activity].
It pairs perfectly with [other clothing items].
It’s versatile because I can dress it up for [occasion] or keep it casual for [everyday use].

Conclusion

Honestly, I can’t imagine my wardrobe without it!
If I ever lost it, I’d be really upset because [reason].
It’s not just clothing—it’s part of my personality!

2. Write an essay on the following topic:

 Fashion brands create unnecessary pressure on young people to keep up with trends. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 questions. Give grounds and illustrations for your ideas.

Click to See the Template for To what extent do you agree or disagree with...?

 

3. SB page 24- 25, then watch  this  video and  this video  and prepare a written discourse about how you are working on your personal brand or how you are promoting yourself in this life, or how you are going to do it. If you think it is not necessary, explain why. Use: -to stand out  - to get people to pay attention to...- to draw people's attention to... 

Day III 

1. Do the exercises on pages 48-50 in Check your English vocabulary for IELTS 

2. Write an essay on the following topic:

Why do people spend large amounts of money on branded clothing? Is this a positive or negative development?

 

3. Using at least 3 words from the above exercises, prepare 2-minute answers to the following questions:

What is your favorite cosmetics, particularly, makeup?

-What does it look like?

-How do you use it?

-How does it work on you?

3. Write a short expression on the following: What would you like to change about yourself? How could it be done?

Day IV

1. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0lsamQQ1nQ , at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIK3zi10Q6s  and at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIM8Wyj3p6g  and write an essay on the topic: " Is plastic surgery really something that can make people more successful in life?"

Day V

1. Prepare a 2-minute speech on the plan:

How do you scout out for bargains?

-Where do you look for them?

-How do you prefer to do the shopping: online or in a traditional way? Why?

-What do you prefer: branded things or non-branded things? Why?

2. Watch the video at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRvaWHk3A8k and retell it.

Day VI. 

Do test 2 in IELTS Practice Tests Plus 2 . The audio files are in the archive of mp3 files, which you have to download and save on your computer or smartphone first. You will need the 5th file and further. Prepare separate audio files with speaking.

 

Day VII.

Prepare a 2-minute speech on the plan:

Tell about the present you were given which you liked very much. Remember to mention:

-What occasion did you receive it on?

- What is it like?

-What did you feel when you were presented it?

Remember that you should prepare such stories in writing first and send to me for a check before learning them by heart.

Also write a short expression on the topic: What do you prefer: to give gifts or to be given them? Why? What do you usually present your parents for birthdays? And to your friends? What would you like to receive as a birthday present from your friend? Why?