The Piano Man’s World Tour
I. Read the text.
When Robert Kemble began importing German pianos into the UK in the 1980s, he could hardly have imagined that a century later the company that bears his name would be benefiting from Japanese links to export successfully from the UK.
The unusual result is one of the longest running associations between UK and Japanese companies. It began in 1967 when Yamaha of Japan gave its UK organ agency to Kemble, then based in London. Now, after a series of deals deepening the relationship, Yamaha has majority shareholding in Yamaha-Kemble Music, the Milton Keynes-based sales company for most Yamaha musical instruments in the UK. Yamaha also has a majority stake in Kemble, based in nearby Bletchley.
Kemble began manufacturing Yamaha pianos account for the UK market in 1984 and started exporting them to continental Europe two years later. Currently, two-thirds of the Bletchley factory’s output is of Yamaha pianos, and 75 per cent of what it makes is exported.
Although Yamaha pianos count for a greater proportion of export sales, the Kemble brand has, over the past 30 years, had considerable success in new overseas market. In the 1980s, 80 per cent of exports went to continental Europe, says Brian Kemble, joint managing director. This, however, has fallen to below 50 per cent as sales in Asia and North America have been built up.
British pianos are perceived as premier brands, and Asia’s increasing affluence means more people can afford them. Cracking this market, however, has meant hard work. “We’ve gone out there and done a lot of footslogging. If we had not visited, they would have bought something else,’ says Mr. Kemble.
Building up North American sales over the past three years has also involved a tremendous amount of legwork, identifying the top 200 dealers and what they stock, and visiting trade shows. Of course, the Yamaha connection has helped. “It gives us credibility in the US,” says Mr. Kemble. “People would say “Who is Kemble?” They are not interested in dealing with small companies.
II. Activities
1. Provocative Thinking
1. Do you think that countries should narrow down their production to certain particular goods?
2. What specific difficulties does a small company face if it wishes to export to any country for the first time?
3. Traditionally certain countries are good at making particular types of goods.
Can you say which countries are good at making:
- cars?
- clothes?
- cigars?
- perfume?
- wine?
- guitars?
2. True or false?
1. When Kemble began making Yamaha pianos, they started exporting them to Europe immediately.
2. More than half of what Kemble makes in its Bletchley factory is pianos.
3. The Kemble brand of pianos has increased its overseas sales.
4. Pianos from Britain aren’t perceived as premier brands.
5. R. Kemble has always been sure of the tremendous success of his company in future.
3. What do these figures refer to?
4. Give a name of 2-4 words to each paragraph.
5. Guess the word! (If you are attentive enough, you can find it in the text)
1. At the present time – …
2. To form a mental image of something – …
3. An advantage or some other thing that one gains from something – …
4. Rare or different from what is usual – …
5. A group of people joined together for a shared purpose – …
6. To become or to make something deep or deeper – …
7. The greater number or the most part – …
8. Abroad – …
9. Very great – …
10. The quality of being generally accepted or trusted – …
6. An “English-English Dictionary” Game
Explain these notions in English:
1. Piano – …
2. To import – …
3. Century – …
4. Result – …
5. Factory – …
6. To export – …
7. Success – …
8. Director – …
9. To afford – …
10. Trade – …
7. Make parts of the words meet:
8. Make real words from the jumbled ones:
1. FEENALCUF = …
2. PONYMCA = …
3. TREDICOR = …
4. SINEMURTTN = …
5. KARTEM = …
9.
a) Match the words and make word combinations.
b) Make 5 sentences of your own including all the word combinations in them.
10. Fill the blanks with the missing form of the verbs from the text.
Some of them are regular and some are irregular.
Then find the sentences containing them in the text and translate the sentences into Russian.
KEY:
Ex. 2. 1. False; 2. True; 3. True; 4. False; 5. False.
Ex. 5. 1. currently; 2. to imagine; 3. to benefit; 4. unusual; 5. association; 6. to deepen; 7. majority; 8. overseas; 9. tremendous; 10. credibility
Ex. 7. 1-g; 2-d; 3-h; 4-i; 5-a; 6-b; 7-e; 8-c; 9-j; 10-f.
Ex. 8. 1. affluence; 2. company; 3. director; 4. instrument; 5. market
Ex. 9. 1-e; 2-h; 3-f; 4-g; 5-b; 6-j; 7-c; 8-i; 9-a; 10-d.
Ex. 10.
Сompiled by Alena Pavlova,
Moscow State University of Printing Arts |