Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №21/2007

Business English

Computers as a Color Experience

1. Read the text.
Companies in many industries are turning away from their traditional marketing practices that concentrate on features and benefits. “Experience” marketing focuses on customers’ sensory, emotional and intellectual experiences when they use the product, shop for it, browse the web or practice in any other marketing-related activity. Consider Apple Computer. For a long time its shares did badly on the US stock market. But now Apple is back.
This success was not achieved with better products in a functional sense. While other computer makers continued to compete on speed, memory and hard disc space, Apple made its products different from the competition by introducing color into the world of grey computers. Products such as the iMac, the iBook and the G4 appeared in five different bright colors. Rather than presenting a boring list of features and benefits, Apple commercials persuaded consumers with 1960s music themes. Computers have become playful: “Collect all five”, said one advertisement.

From the Financial Times

2. Questions to ponder.
1. What is your favorite color? Can you explain why?
2. What is the most influential way to attract clients, to your mind? Written words? Music? Pictures? Colors?
3. Would you like to have, say, a green fridge, a yellow TV-set or a violet computer at home?

3. True or false? Correct the false ones.
1. The features of a product are what it looks like, the special things it does, etc.
2. The benefits of a product are the disadvantages it has for others.
3. “Experience” marketing is about informing consumers of product features and benefits.
4. There was a period when Apple was not successful.
5. Apple tried to show that its products were technically better that those of its competitors.
6. Apple advertisements are serious when they say that you should buy five computers.

4. Explain in English what is meant by:
1. Benefit –
2. Memory –
3. Stock market –
4. Web –
5. Commercial –

5. Fill in these sentences with a suitable word from the box. Be aware that 3 words are extras and do not fit in the sentences:

marketing fast PARTICIPATE activity success continue solution advertisement local product APPEAR PERSUASIVE commercial BENEFIT emotional industry SPEED

1. Jane hoped to ____________ as a full-time employee.
2. The article will ____________ in the next issue.
3. Besides other extra-curricular ____________, the principal wants the whole school to ____________ in sports.
4. The chewing gum ____________ was truly irritating.
5. The company __________ catalogue had a huge number of ______ ads to make a client buy.
6. I think the boy would ____________ by further study.
7. The ____________ research was carried out to find out if the product would be a ___________ on the market.
8. Government often regulates ____________ in this region.
9. Phillip placed an ____________ for a used car in the ____________ newspaper.
10. You’ll have to ____________ up your rate of work if you want to finish by the agreed date.

6. Business Idioms
Wrack your brain with this sad idiomatic story of Matthew.

a) Match the idioms with their meaning.

IDIOMS

MEANINGS:

1. Matthew was on the ball.

a. He had too many things to do.

2. He had a good track record.

b. He lost his job.

3. He had a good nose for a sale.

c. He was a clever employee; he knew what was going on.

4. And he usually played his cards right.

d. He passed responsibility to other people.

5. But success went to his head.

e. He talked to him very directly.

6. He began to lose his touch.

f. He was a natural salesman.

7. He was always up to his eyes in work.

g. He started to make mistakes.

8. He started trying to pass the buck.

h. His job experience was good.

9. And then he put his foot in it.

i. He made the right decision.

10. The boss gave him a piece of his mind.

j. He was not told what was happening.

11. Nobody put him in the picture anymore

k. He made a big mistake.

12. And in the end, he was fired.

l. He began to have too important an opinion of himself

b) Find Russian equivalents for these idioms.

7. Problem Solving
Here is an example of a family crisis. Read it and answer the question: What would you do if you found yourself in a similar situation?

In 1970, Neal Boyle, Managing Director of Columbia Sportswear, borrowed a large sum of money from his bank to finance the business. As security for the loan, he offered his life insurance, his family house and his mother-in-law’s house.
Three months later he died. His wife Gert had no money, no job, and little work experience. She also had three children, including a son, Tim, who was at university…

8. Do a quiz! Amazing Facts:
1. In which country does the working day start early and finish at lunchtime?
a) Spain     b) Greece     c) Russia

2. In which country is it important to start a presentation with a joke or humorous story?
a) France     b) Greece     c) the UK

3. In which country has lack of punctuality been formalized so that it is almost impolite to be on time?
a) Spain     b) the UK     c) Italy

4. In which country is there a tradition of making business deals in the sauna?
a) Sweden     b) Finland     c) Russia

5. Instructions should sound like polite requests in which country?
a) the UK     b) the Netherlands     c) Germany

6. In which country is written communication (reports, memos, instructions) an especially important aspect of business life?
a) Japan     b) Germany     c) France

7. In which country is there seldom a formal agenda for a meeting?
a) Russia     b) Spain     c) France

8. In which European country do people have the most positive attitude to life?
a) the Netherlands     b) Ireland     c) Greece

KEY:
3. 1. T; 2. F; 3. F; 4. T; 5. F; 6. F
5. 1. continue; 2. appear; 3. activities, participate; 4. commercial; 5. product, persuasive; 6. benefit; 7. marketing, success; 8. industry; 9. advertisement, local; 10. speed
Extras: fast, emotional, solution
6. 1. c; 2. h; 3. f; 4. i; 5. l; 6. g; 7. a; 8. d; 9. k; 10. e; 11. j; 12. b
8. 1. b; 2. c; 3. c; 4. c; 5. b; 6. b; 7. b; 8. b

Сompiled by Alyona Pavlova,
Moscow State University of Printing Arts