UNIT 3.
ADVERTISING
PART 1. HISTORY OF ADVERTISING
Lesson 1. The beginning
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. How would you define advertising?
2. Would you like to work in advertising? Why (not)?
3. Do you think advertising is an art? Why (not)?
4. Do you think advertising is a clever way of lying about products? Why (not)?
5. What products depend most on advertising?
2. Look at the following quotes. Do you agree with them? Why (not)?
The only business that is worth advertising is the business that would succeed without
advertising. (c) N. W. AYER
Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you
are doing but nobody else does. (c) STUART HENDERSON BRITT
Let advertisers spend the same amount of money improving their product that they do on
advertising, and they wouldn't have to advertise it. (c) WILL ROGERS
LISTENING
3. What is marketing? What are the two core methods of marketing? What is the
difference between marketing and advertising? Watch the video to find out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htxeVX6n2LI
4. Read the text introducing advertising and answer the questions below.
Advertising is a form of communication for marketing and used to encourage, persuade,
or manipulate an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to continue or take some new action
with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also
common.
Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various
traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television
commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as
blogs, websites or text messages.
Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or
services through "branding," which involves associating a product name or image with certain
qualities in the minds of consumers. Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to
advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest
groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely
on free modes of persuasion, such as a public service announcement.
1. What is advertising?
2. What types of advertising messages are there?
3. What are the two types of advertisers and what’s the difference?
4. What is a nonprofit organization?
READING
5. Answer the following questions before reading.
1. Have you ever seen an advertisement that really caught your attention? What was it
for, and what made it memorable?
2. What do you think were some of the first forms of advertising in history?
3. Why might advertising have been important in ancient times, even without the internet
or newspapers?
6. Read about the history of advertising and answer the questions below.
Advertising has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used papyrus
to create sales messages and wall posters. Similarly, commercial messages and political
displays have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and other ancient sites. In Ancient Greece
and Rome, people often used papyrus to advertise lost items or make announcements. Wall
paintings promoting products are also an ancient form of advertising, with examples found
across Asia, Africa, and South America. Indian rock paintings dating back to 4000 BCE show
that using visuals to attract attention has a long history.
During the Middle Ages, many people couldn’t read, so businesses used symbols on
signs to represent their trade. For example, a boot for a cobbler or a horseshoe for a blacksmith.
Sellers in city markets often hired town criers to announce their presence, making it easier for
customers to find them.
In the 18th century, as printing became more accessible and more
people learned to read, advertisements began appearing in newspapers.
These early ads were often for books, newspapers, and medicines.
However, misleading ads, especially for questionable medicines, led to
the first regulations of advertising content.
Thomas J. Barratt, known as the "father of modern advertising,"
worked for the Pears Soap company in England and used catchy slogans and
images to promote the brand. His famous slogan, "Good morning. Have you
used Pears' soap?" was widely recognized. Barratt associated Pears Soap
with high culture by using famous artwork and introducing the idea of brand
ambassadors. His innovative strategies helped make Pears the world’s first
registered brand and set a new standard for advertising.
By the 19th century, as economies grew, so did advertising. In France, a newspaper
called La Presse was the first to include paid advertisements, allowing it to reach more readers.
In the United States, Volney B. Palmer started one of the first advertising agencies, buying ad
space in newspapers and selling it to companies. By the early 20th century, advertising had
become a profession, with agencies helping companies design, plan, and launch campaigns.
This marked the beginning of modern advertising as we know it today.
1. How did ancient people, such as Egyptians and Romans, advertise their products or
services?
2. Why were symbols used for advertising during the Middle Ages?
3. Who is considered the "father of modern advertising," and what were some of his
strategies?
4. How did the role of advertising agencies change by the early 20th century?
7. Choose 10 words/short phrases characterizing developments in advertising in the 19 th
century.
1. __________ 6. __________
2. __________ 7. __________
3. __________ 8. __________
4. __________ 9. __________
5. __________ 10.__________
8. Answer the questions:
1. Do you think advertising was as influential in ancient times as it is today? Why or why
not?
2. How has advertising changed from ancient times to the present?
3. In what ways can advertising be both helpful and misleading for consumers?
SPEAKING
9. Creative Activity – Create an Advertisement.
Objective: Apply knowledge by creating a product advertisement inspired by historical
methods.
Instructions: Choose a product or service and design an advertisement for it as if you were in
the Middle Ages. Use only symbols and images, as if your audience couldn’t read, to represent
your product. Share with the class and explain how your design would have attracted
customers.
Example products or services: shoemaker, bakery, blacksmith, tailor, farm fresh produce,
candle maker, soap maker, inn/tavern, herbal medicine seller, potter.
HOME TASK
10. Research and Report.
Objective: Build research skills by investigating advertising in different cultures.
Instructions: Choose one ancient civilization (e.g., Egypt, Rome, China, or India) and research
how advertising was used there. Prepare a short report on what types of advertising were
popular, what materials were used, and any unique methods they had. Share one interesting
fact in the report that was not covered in class.
Length: 5-8 slides.
Lesson 2. 20th-21st century advertising
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What world events could influence the development of advertising in the 20 th and
21st centuries?
2. What is mass marketing?
3. What are the non-commercial purposes of advertising?
4. What is cultural assimilation? Can advertising encourage cultural assimilation? Why
(not)?
5. Have you ever heard of “guerrilla marketing”? What is it?
2. Guess the timeline. Then watch the video to check your ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d3VAYGnXjY
1704 1776 1835 1843 1891 1908 1920 1941 1960 1980 1995 2002 NOW
1. First recruitment ad 8. Advertisers get data from consumers online
2. First TV commercial 9. Sponsored events
3. Focus group & research 10.First newspaper ad
4. Brand identity started 11.Infomercials* appeared
5. Soup operas on the radio 12.First modern-looking billboards appeared
6. Advertising became a science 13.Modern advertising in about content
7. First advertising agency
*Infomercial - a long television advertisement, that contains a lot of information and seems
like a normal programme.
READING
3. Match the words in bold with their definitions.
1. Companies often use mass marketing to a) Related to making a profit by selling
promote everyday products, like goods or services; often used to describe
toothpaste, that appeal to a wide range of advertisements on radio, TV, or the
customers. internet.
2. The company decided to target young b) A unique name, symbol, or design that
adults with their new social media identifies a product and distinguishes it
campaign. from others.
3. The Super Bowl is famous for its c) Work or activities aimed at helping the
entertaining commercial breaks, where public, often non-commercial, like
companies showcase their newest spreading important information about
products. health or safety.
4. The government launched a public d) The transmission of audio or video
service announcement about the content to a large audience over radio or
importance of recycling to protect the television.
environment.
5. The company used guerrilla marketing e) The practice of advertising a product to a
by placing branded artwork in public large audience, aiming to reach as many
spaces, sparking curiosity among people as possible without targeting a
passersby. specific group.
6. The broadcasting of live sports events f) An advertising strategy that uses
allows fans worldwide to watch games in unconventional, creative, and often low-
real-time. cost methods to promote a product or idea,
designed to surprise or engage the
audience.
7. Coca-Cola is a globally recognized g) To direct an advertisement, message, or
brand known for its classic red and product toward a particular group or
white logo. audience.
4. Based on the title “History of Advertising in the 20th Century,” predict which
inventions or trends might be discussed. Read the text and answer the questions below.
In the 20th century, advertising in the U.S. grew rapidly as industries expanded and
mass-produced goods. To make a profit, companies needed people to buy more products, so
they started using mass marketing to influence large groups of people. In the 1910s and 1920s,
advertisers began targeting people’s emotions and instincts, which led to the start of modern
advertising. Edward Bernays, related to Sigmund Freud, was a key figure in this new approach.
One of the first industries to use mass production was tobacco, using machines to roll
cigarettes. Advertising also encouraged people to adopt a modern lifestyle by promoting
certain products and ideas.
In the early 1900s, few careers were available to women, but advertising was an
exception. Since women made most household purchases, advertisers saw the benefit of their
insights. The first U.S. ad with a "sexual sell" was created by a woman for a soap product, with
the slogan, "The skin you love to touch."
Advertising can be used not only for commercial purposes but also for public
information. Public service ads spread awareness on important issues like health and
conservation. During WWII, public service advertising was widely used, with President
Roosevelt creating the War Advertising Council to encourage public support for the war.
In the 1950s, there was debate over whether radio and TV should be used for commercial
or public purposes. In the U.S., commercial broadcasters were required to serve the "public
interest," and public broadcasting, like PBS and NPR, developed in the 1960s. In the U.K., the
BBC was funded as a public organization.
In the 1960s, advertising campaigns became larger, with companies spending heavily
on brand recognition. For example, Esso’s "Put a Tiger in Your Tank" campaign used the image
of a tiger to convey power and energy.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, cable TV and channels like MTV brought more
targeted advertising. Channels dedicated to shopping, like QVC and Home Shopping Network,
appeared, creating new ways to reach audiences.
Internet advertising grew in the 1990s, with companies like Google developing ads that
match users’ interests without overwhelming them. "Guerrilla marketing" became popular,
using creative approaches like public stunts or product giveaways to grab attention. Interactive
ads through product placements and social media also became common.
Some website owners "park" their domains and earn money by allowing ads on their
sites, getting paid each time a visitor clicks on an ad.
In conclusion, the evolution of advertising over the 20th century reflects broader societal
and technological changes. From the early days of mass marketing and targeting consumer
emotions, to the use of public service announcements in wartime, and finally to the innovative
methods of guerrilla and internet marketing, advertising has continually adapted to reach and
influence its audience. This journey shows how advertising not only shapes consumer habits
but also reflects cultural trends, technological progress, and the values of each era. Today,
advertising continues to evolve with new media and digital platforms, maintaining its central
role in shaping modern society.
1. What did advertisers begin targeting in the 1910s and 1920s?
2. Who is considered a key figure in the start of modern advertising, and why?
3. Why was advertising one of the few career paths available for women in the early
1900s?
4. How was public service advertising used during WWII?
5. What major change in media affected advertising in the 1980s and 1990s?
LISTENING
5. Guess what the following words mean based on the context.
1. The printer tends to jam whenever I try to print more than ten pages at once.
2. The idea that more expensive products are always better is a common fallacy.
3. The company decided to incentivize employees by offering bonuses for meeting
monthly goals.
4. While the product is marketed as “one size fits all,” it doesn’t actually suit everyone’s
needs.
5. She decided to gussy up her living room with some new throw pillows and a bright rug.
6. I am immensely grateful for all the support I received during the project.
7. Before collecting customer data, the company must obtain their consent.
8. The data breach exposed sensitive information to unauthorized users.
9. He felt ambivalent about accepting the new job, as it required moving to a different
city.
10.The artist’s outlandish designs drew a lot of attention at the gallery opening.
6. Watch the video about Online advertising and answer the following questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmRcoJZRXEY
1. Explain how online advertisers track users’ behaviors. What tools do they use to gather
data?
2. What role do cookies play in online advertising? Describe how they enhance the
targeting of advertisements.
3. Compare and contrast demographic targeting with behavioral targeting in online
advertising. Which method do you think is more effective and why?
4. Discuss the implications of not reading privacy policies when signing up for online
services. What are some potential risks involved?
5. Define "sponsored content." How can it be distinguished from regular content? Provide
examples.
7. In pairs, practice critical thinking by discussing the following prompts:
1. Reflect on your own experiences with online advertising. Have you ever felt that an ad
was particularly relevant to you? Describe the situation and how it made you feel about
targeted advertising.
2. Consider the ethical implications of data tracking in advertising. Do you believe that
companies should be allowed to track user data? Why or why not?
3. Analyze how personalized ads might influence consumer behavior differently than
traditional ads. Provide examples to support your analysis.
SPEAKING
8. Analyzing Famous Ads: Then and Now.
Objective: Apply knowledge by creating a modern product advertisement inspired by
historical advertising methods.
Instructions: Select a famous advertisement from the 20th century and a contemporary ad for
the same or a similar product. Analyze the techniques and messaging used in both ads. Then,
design your own advertisement for the same product as if you were in the 20th century.
Incorporate elements from both ads while considering the context and audience of that time.
Present your advertisement to the class, explaining how it reflects the advertising trends of the
era and how it would attract customers.
HOME TASK
9. Analysis Activity: Compare Past and Present.
Objective: Reflect on changes in advertising over time.
Instructions: Choose one advertising technique from the past (e.g., public service ads, radio
ads, print ads) and compare it with a modern technique (e.g., social media ads, influencer
marketing, digital video ads). In your analysis, consider the following points: purpose and
audience, medium and delivery, persuasive strategies and effectiveness. Be sure to include
specific examples to support your analysis.
Length: 250-300 words.
PART 2. TYPES AND FORMS OF ADVERTISING
Lesson 3. Types of advertising
WARM-UP
1. Look at the three advertisements below and think about which product or service each
image can be used for. Try to be as creative as possible.
2. Talking points.
1. Have you ever bought something because you saw it advertised on TV or the internet?
2. What makes an ad memorable?
3. What are some effective adverts you have seen lately (on TV, newspaper, etc)?
4. What are some ineffective adverts you have seen lately?
3. Match some of the forms (places) of advertising with the pictures.
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
Wall painting, billboard, flyer, rack card, web banner, pop-up, skywriting, bus stop bench,
town crier, logojet, roof mount, grabetising
READING
4. Match the words with the definitions and fill in the gaps in the sentences below.
1. Airtime a) to scatter things over a surface
2. Jingle b) a large piece of cloth with buildings, countryside, etc. painted
on it, hung at the back of a stage during a performance
3. Backdrop c) something that is given free to a customer
4. Strew d) a short simple tune, often with words, that is easy to remember
and is used to advertise a product on the radio or television
5. Convention e) a point of purchase, planning the placement of consumer
products, such as product displays strategically placed in a
grocery store aisle or advertised in a weekly flyer
6. POP f) (the amount of) broadcasting time that someone or something
has on television or radio
7. Giveaway g) a large formal meeting of people who do a particular job or
have a similar interest, or a large meeting for a political party
1. At the recent … a declaration was adopted.
2. Advertisers have bought … on all the major TV networks.
3. There were dirty clothes … around the beds.
4. Next week TODAY is celebrating with a great … of FREE garden seeds.
5. … may be real, as in the case of a brick and mortar store, or virtual, as in the case of an
electronic retailer that sells goods and services online.
6. The sea made a splendid … to the garden.
7. Here she worked on commissioned compositions for film, television, advertising … and
more extensive music compositions.
5. What types of advertising can you think of? Read the text and name all types of ads
described in the text and think of 1-2 reasons for each type to be effective in selling
products or services (ex. TV commercials – the audience is very wide plus people can’t
control the ads they seen on TV).
Advertising can take place across various media, from billboards and flyers to radio,
television, web banners, mobile screens, shopping carts, posters, and even the backs of event
tickets. Essentially, any space where a sponsor pays to display their message is considered
advertising.
Television advertising is highly effective for reaching mass audiences, which is why
airtime during popular TV events is so costly. TV ads often feature catchy jingles or virtual
ads digitally inserted into shows, making them memorable to viewers. Radio advertising,
meanwhile, reaches listeners through broadcasts on the airwaves or online streaming.
Companies purchase airtime from radio stations to promote products to a broad audience.
Online advertising uses the Internet to reach customers worldwide and includes various
methods such as banner ads, email marketing, social media promotions, and ads appearing on
search engine results pages. The Internet’s accessibility and global reach have made it a
powerful tool for advertisers.
Covert advertising subtly promotes products by integrating them into movies or shows.
This is often seen in popular films, like in "James Bond," where the character uses specific
brands of cars, watches, or phones, which subtly advertise these products. Print advertising
includes ads in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, providing a range from widely read
publications to specialized topics.
Billboard advertising makes use of large structures placed in public spaces, like
roadsides, shopping centers, transit stations, and stadiums, to display ads to pedestrians and
drivers alike. Mobile billboards are another impactful form, where ads are displayed on
vehicles or even planes, traveling through high-traffic areas to maximize visibility and allow
targeted campaigns.
In-store advertising is used within retail stores to attract buyers. This could involve
placing products at checkout, arranging items at eye level, or using eye-catching displays that
encourage impulse purchases. Similarly, coffee cup advertising involves placing ads on coffee
cups distributed by cafés or drive-throughs. This method, popular in Australia and growing in
other regions, reaches people during their daily routines.
Street advertising includes promotional messages displayed on street furniture or as 3D
pavement ads, helping brands become visible to people as they move through public areas.
Celebrity branding relies on famous figures endorsing products or wearing branded clothing,
attracting attention due to the celebrities' popularity and influence.
Aerial advertising involves using aircraft to display ads, like skywriting or banners,
which are highly visible and attention-grabbing. Sales promotions, including contests,
coupons, and giveaways, also serve as powerful advertising tools, as they attract new
customers and encourage existing ones to make purchases. Each of these methods offers
unique ways to reach and engage different audiences
6. Discuss the following questions:
1. In your opinion, which type of advertising is most effective? Why?
2. How do you feel about covert advertising in movies or shows? Is it ethical?
3. Do you think celebrity endorsements are trustworthy? Why or why not?
4. How might mobile billboards or in-store advertising be useful for small businesses?
5. With the growth of online advertising, do you think traditional advertising (TV, radio,
print) is becoming less important? Explain your opinion.
7. Look at the following words and explain the meaning.
1. Booklet 2. Brochure
3. Classified advertising 6. Mail advertising
4. Direct advertising 7. Informative advertising
5. Local advertising
SPEAKING
8. Advertising Debate.
Objective: Develop persuasive language skills and explore different perspectives on
advertising effectiveness.
Instructions: Divide into small groups and choose a type of advertising to advocate for, such
as TV, radio, online, billboard, or celebrity endorsements. Prepare arguments for why your
chosen type is the most effective and present your case to the class.
HOME TASK
9. Advertising Around the World.
Objective: Explore cultural influences on advertising and broaden global awareness.
Instructions: Choose a country or region different from your own (e.g., Japan, Brazil, India,
France, South Africa). Look up common forms of advertising in that country. Focus on types
that are popular or unique to that culture, such as: traditional methods (e.g., posters,
billboards), digital or social media advertising, street advertising or public art, influencer
marketing or celebrity endorsements. Consider how the country’s culture, values, and lifestyle
influence its advertising methods. For example, you might notice particular colors, themes, or
values highlighted in ads. Be ready to present your findings.
Length: 5-8 slides.
Lesson 4. Marketing and advertising approaches
WARM-UP
1. Brainstorm adjectives or phrases you associate with the word “marketing”, such as
"creative," "strategic," "persuasive," etc.
Marketing
2. Look at the following stages of advertising development. What do they mean?
1. Domestic
2. Export
3. International
4. Multi-national
5. Global
READING
3. Read the text and fill in the table comparing five approaches to advertising and
marketing. Think of product examples that can be advertised using these ad approaches.
Explain your choice.
Niche marketing focuses on reaching a specific segment of the population with
particular interests or needs. By targeting a smaller, defined group, advertisers can create
personalized messages that resonate strongly with that audience. This approach is often seen
in online advertising, where platforms like Google AdSense use algorithms to place ads related
to the website’s content or keywords. Niche marketing is effective because it delivers relevant
ads to people who are more likely to engage with them, increasing the chances of conversion
and brand loyalty.
Crowdsourcing in advertising involves inviting consumers to create ads or promotional
content, often through brand-sponsored competitions. This user-generated approach can be
highly engaging, as consumers feel involved in the brand’s story. Crowdsourced ads are cost-
effective, generate word-of-mouth, and foster a strong sense of community around the brand.
For example, some companies ask customers to submit videos or designs for ad campaigns,
making them feel part of the brand's creative process. While effective for engagement,
crowdsourcing can sometimes lack professional quality and consistency in messaging.
Global marketing and international marketing are two approaches to reaching audiences
worldwide. Global marketing promotes a single, unified message across all markets, aiming
for brand consistency and economies of scale. This approach works best for products or
services that don’t need to be heavily adapted to different cultures. In contrast, international
marketing tailors campaigns to specific regions or countries, adjusting messaging to fit local
tastes, customs, and languages. This approach allows for greater cultural sensitivity and
relevance but can be costlier and more complex to implement.
Foreign public messaging is an additional marketing strategy used when governments
or organizations promote their national products, services, or interests internationally. This
approach aims to build a positive image of the country and strengthen ties with global
consumers. For instance, state-owned airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways often advertise
internationally to encourage tourism and support their country’s economy. Foreign public
messaging is common in tourism and international trade, where nations seek to showcase their
cultural appeal, economic stability, or modern infrastructure to attract foreign visitors and
investors.
Target Key
Approach Advantages Challenges
audience characteristics
Specific, well-
Niche
defined
marketing
audience
Inconsistent
Crowdsourcing quality; lack of
message control
Cost-effective at
Global scale; consistent
marketing brand image
worldwide
Audience
International
tailored by
marketing
region
Promotes
national
Foreign public
products or
messaging
values
internationally
4. Find the word in the text to correspond to definitions below.
1. To encourage the development of something.
2. A particular group of people that a marketing campaign aims to reach.
3. The ability of a brand to retain customers and encourage repeat purchases.
4. To put a plan or idea into action.
5. The positive recommendation of a product or service from one person to another.
6. To display something in a way that attracts attention.
7. The attractiveness or interest that a product or service has for consumers
LISTENING
5. What do you understand by the term "nudging" in the context of advertising? Look
at the brief overview of nudging in advertising. Predict what you think you will hear in
the listening activity. Watch the video and name the forms or strategies used in nudging.
Answer the questions below.
Nudging is a concept in behavioral economics where small changes in the way
choices are presented can significantly impact consumer behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lha5tQO0H-8
1. Are there limits to how much people could be nudged?
2. When “nudging” becomes unjust coercion?
3. Is there any way to stop “nudging”? Why?
4. What is the difference between a good and a bad “nudge”?
6. Discuss the following questions.
1. What are the benefits of using nudging in advertising for consumers and businesses?
2. Are there any negative effects of nudging on consumer autonomy? Why or why not?
3. How can advertisers ensure that nudging techniques are ethical?
4. Do you think there should be regulations on nudging in advertising? Why or why not?
SPEAKING
7. Pros and Cons of Different Approaches.
Objective: Compare and contrast various marketing approaches.
Instructions: Divide into small groups and choose one marketing approach (niche marketing,
crowdsourcing, global marketing, etc.). Discuss the key features of your chosen approach,
advantages and disadvantages, examples of companies or campaigns that use this approach.
After 10 minutes, share your findings with the class.
HOME TASK
8. Watch and Analyze.
Objective: Enhance listening and analytical skills.
Instructions: Watch a TED Talk, YouTube video, or documentary about one of the marketing
approaches (e.g., a video on nudging or global marketing strategies). Write a summary that
includes key points discussed in the video, how the approach can be applied in real life, your
opinion on the effectiveness of the approach.
Length: 200-250 words.
Lesson 5. Exploring marketing strategies
WARM-UP
1. Watch a Clip from Steve Jobs' 2007 iPhone Launch Presentation. Discuss the following
questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NE1hp_uDT0
1. What techniques does Jobs use to make the product seem revolutionary?
2. How does this presentation differ from typical product launches?
3. What lessons can marketers learn from this approach?
2. Look at the following techniques. What do you think they are about? Present a brief
explanation with real-life examples. Which of these techniques do you find most effective
and why?
1. Door-to-door advertising
2. Sales pitch
3. Product placement
4. Subliminal advertising
5. In-store promotion
6. In-store demonstration
LISTENING
3. Listen to short audio clips of six different radio ads and match them to their respective
purposes.
1. Advertising a football match
2. Selling a chocolate bar
3. Selling soap powder
4. Promoting a new car with free insurance
5. Offering car insurance for women
6. Announcing a shop's opening hours
4. Listen to the radio ads one more time and complete the chart. Answer the questions
below.
Name of the product Characters involved Setting/place
1
2
3
4
5
6
1. Describe Sarah's play shirt. What's special about this washing powder?
2. What do the men think of the woman driver? Why and how do they change their minds?
3. What has the daughter done that she's so proud of? Why is her father so horrible to her?
4. How can the daughter afford a new car? In what ways does she make fun of her father?
5. What does the man want to invite Sue to do? In what ways does he say the wrong thing?
6. How does the vicar try to hurry up the wedding? Why is he in a hurry?
7. What is the selling point for each advert?
READING
5. Do you drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi? If so, which do you prefer? What do you think of, or
picture, when you hear the name Coca-Cola? Match the key words and expressions from
the article to their definitions.
1. Refers to a group of individuals who are responsible for a) Baby boomers
overseeing the strategic direction and governance of an
organization, such as a company or nonprofit.
2. To rise rapidly or increase significantly in value, level, or b) Backlash
intensity, often used in the context of prices, sales, or stock
performance.
3. A generational cohort typically defined as people born between c) Market share
1946 and 1964, following World War II.
4. The portion of a market controlled by a particular company, d) Board
product, or brand, usually expressed as a percentage of total
sales within that market.
5. The introduction of a new product, service, or initiative to the e) Sacred cows
market, often accompanied by promotional activities to generate
awareness and interest.
6. A strong, adverse reaction by a group of people against a trend, f) Launch
policy, or social change, often occurring after a period of
perceived progress or innovation.
7. Ideas, practices, or policies that are considered immune to g) Soared
criticism or change, often due to tradition, culture, or perceived
importance within an organization or society.
6. Read the article and answer the questions below.
Coca-Cola’s biggest mistake
Robert W. Woodruff, The Coca-Cola Company’s president from 1923 to 1954 and its
unofficial leader until he retired from the board in 1984, wanted Coke to become the most
popular drink on Earth. He succeeded. As it spread around the world, it became a symbol of
American culture. Pepsi-Cola, which had been launched as “Brad’s Drink” in 1893, just seven
years after Coke, struggled to compete. Then, in 1963, Pepsi cleverly repositioned itself. The
1960s saw baby boomers increasingly questioning their parents’ values, and Pepsi targeted
them with the slogan ‘Come Alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation’. Where Coke
advertisements were nostalgic, PepsiCo promoted the Pepsi drinker as young and changing
the world. From 1970, it began to take market share from Coke.
In 1975, PepsiCo began a new battle in the cola wars that Coca-Cola could not win.
Consumers were asked in the ‘Pepsi Challenge’ campaign to compare the taste of the two
colas. They preferred the sweeter Pepsi. In the 1980s, the market for Coke worsened. Weight-
conscious baby boomers turned to diet sodas, and the biggest market for sugary cola, young
drinkers, preferred Pepsi. By 1983, Coke’s market share had dropped from 60% just after the
Second World War to less than 24%.
Coca-Cola decided to make a sweeter Coke. Roberto Goizueta, who became chief
executive in 1981, famously said that there would be no “sacred cows” in how the company
did business, including Coke’s formula. In 99 years, the formula had been changed only
slightly, to make it kosher. And it is so secret that the only written version remains locked
away. Goizueta quietly formed a group to create a new formula, which was tested on 200,000
consumers. While the majority preferred the new taste to both old Coke and Pepsi, a small
group said they would stop drinking Coke if it changed its taste. Marked ‘NEW’, the cola was
launched on 23 April 1985.
The result was a massive consumer backlash. Coke’s headquarters in Atlanta received
400,000 angry calls and letters, including one given personally to Goizueta, addressed to
‘Chief Dodo, The Coca-Cola Company’. A Chicago Tribune writer attacked Coke for
changing the formula. And Cuba’s Radio Havana said the death of the ‘Real Thing’ was a
symptom of decay in the US. In the meantime, protest groups called for a return to the old
formula. PepsiCo took advantage of the situation, producing advertisements mocking New
Coke. But Coke fans didn’t switch to Pepsi. They stocked up on old Coke, and shops began to
import it from countries where it was still available. Three months after New Coke was
launched, Coca-Cola announced the return of old Coke. This made front-page news, and
31,600 consumers phoned Coke’s hotline to say thank you. New Coke remained in a few
markets until 2002 but it was hardly promoted. Ironically, the marketing faux pas gave Coke
back its original advantage over Pepsi – its symbolic status – and Coke sales soared.
1. What was Robert W. Woodruff’s vision for Coca-Cola?
2. What was the main difference between Coca-Cola’s and Pepsi’s advertising styles?
3. What did the ‘Pepsi Challenge’ campaign reveal?
4. What was Coca-Cola’s response to the Pepsi Challenge?
5. How did people respond to the new Coca-Cola? (name six ways)
6. What does the article tell us about Coca-Cola’s sales and market share from after the
Second World War until today?
7. Discuss the following questions:
1. Was Coca-Cola’s famous marketing flop really a flop?
2. What other companies have faced similar marketing blunders?
3. Should successful brands try to change their products? Why? Why not?
SPEAKING
8. Improvised Sales Pitch.
Objective: Develop quick thinking and persuasive communication skills by creating engaging
sales pitches.
Instructions: You will be given a random, everyday object (e.g., a paperclip, a sock, a glass of
water). Create a 1-minute sales pitch for the object, using any advertising technique. Each
pitch should highlight the object’s unique "features" and convince the audience to "buy" it.
After each presentation, the class can ask questions or provide feedback on the pitch’s
persuasiveness and creativity.
HOME TASK
9. Case Study Comparison.
Objective: Develop analytical skills by comparing the effectiveness of major advertising
campaigns.
Instructions: Choose two well-known advertising campaigns from different companies (e.g.,
Nike’s “Just Do It” and Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”). Research the goals, strategies, and
outcomes of each campaign. Compare the following aspects: the target audience and how it
was reached, the advertising techniques used, the overall impact and success of the campaign.
Length: 300-350 words.
Lesson 6. Commercial breakdown
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. How do you make decisions about what you buy?
2. How much are you influenced by advertising?
3. What else influences you, e.g. people, brands, the internet?
LISTENING
2. Work in pairs and do the questionnaire. Note your answers.
What's your advertising IQ?
1. There's a coffee shop in the town centre. It sells a thousand coffees a day. Imagine if a
competitor opened another coffee shop right next door. After that, how many coffees
would each shop sell?
2. You want to introduce a new product to the market, for example chocolate. The product
you want to compete with sells for two euros. Should you price your product above or
below your competition?
3. Which colour (blue, green, orange, red or yellow) is best to use in an advert for:
a) high-tech products?
b) drugs and medical products?
c) energy drinks, games and cars?
d) food?
4. Out of 100 people, how many click on an online video before 10 seconds are up?
5. What times are the best for posting a video if you want it to go viral?
3. Listen to the radio programme and check your answers. Listen again and answer the
questions below.
1. What one thing hasn't changed about marketing?
2. What is the effect of giving people choice?
3. In what two ways does pricing affect people?
4. What are the two advantages of a viral video?
5. What four things are important if you want a video to go viral?
6. Which ideas in the listening surprised you the most?
READING
4. Look at the photo taken from a classic TV advert. What was the commercial
advertising? In which country and in what decade was the action set? Read the text
Commercial breakdown and check your answers. Match each paragraph (A-E) with the
appropriate part of the photo (1-5).
Good-looking young man
walks into a small-town American
launderette. He strips off and waits
for his jeans to wash. Not much of 5
a storyline, but this remains one of
the most popular TV adverts that has
ever been made. Made to promote
Levis 501s, the ad was a massive
success the minute it 10 hit British
TV screens in 1985. It epitomises
everything that was, and perhaps still
is, cool. Set in 1950s America, with
its associations with Marlon Brando
and Elvis Presley (both of whom had
been photographed wearing Levis),
the advert was making a clear
statement: this is genuine, original, authentic. It represented youthful rebellion, radical chic
and sex appeal, which was perfect for Levis' intended positioning of their brand in the market.
Interestingly, although the commercial conjures up an authentic American scene, it was in fact
made by a British creative designer for a British advertising agency with British actors.
A. Even though we can't see her face, it's clear that the woman with the washing basket
is more than a little interested in the scene that is taking place in front of her. But what is she
looking at? Her eyes are directed at the jeans that are hanging out of the machine. She wants
them, not him. And she's fussy - it's not any old pair of jeans, but a pair of 501s.
B. The old washing machines are the biggest clue to 1950s America. Every period in
history likes to look back nostalgically to a mythical past when life was simpler and less
complicated. And the 1950s, with the birth of rock and roll, have always had a special place in
the history of what is cool. But for cool music, turn to the 1960s. The soundtrack, Marvin
Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine, was released in 1968. A haunting soul classic, it's
the story of a man who learns that his girlfriend is seeing someone else. A man, perhaps, who
goes to the launderette now that his girlfriend has left him?
C. Unlike the majority of adverts, this ad was created by a woman, Barbara Nokes, who
was creative director of the London-based agency, Bartle Bogle Hegarty. In the fiercely male-
dominated world of advertising, this advert established new ground by making a man into an
object of sexual desire. It was perhaps the first time that we had seen a man take his clothes
off on screen. However, this 'revolution' seems to have had little lasting effect.
D. Do you recognise the face? Is it James Dean? A young Elvis? 75 Actually, the actor
was Nick Kamen, who went on to become a successful pop star with a hit that was written by
Madonna. He had a 1950s face and was considered such a heart-throb that even now there are
websites devoted to him.
E. Completely uninterested in the scene taking place in front of his eyes, the old man is
the antithesis of everything the ad stands for. This is all about the young rebel - the rugged
individual who couldn't care less about conventions. The presence of an old guy in a straw hat
lets us know exactly who the commercial is aimed at.
5. Work with a partner. Without looking back at the article, try to remember the
significance of the names and numbers below. Watch the TV advert and say what you
think about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT4DR_ae_4o
• 501 • Marvin Gaye
• 1985 • 1968
• Marlon Brando • Barbara Nokes
• 1950s • Nick Kamen
• Elvis Presley • Madonna
6. Look at the following types of TV adverts/commercials and guess what they are about.
Recollect some ads to each type. Which of them are the most prolific from your point of
view?
Example: Straight sell / factual message relies on a straight forward presentation of
information. Often used with informational/rational appeals. Focus of the message is the
product or services and its attributes.
• Straight sell / factual message • Fantasy
• Scientific / technical evidence • Dramatization / sketch
• Demonstration • Humor
• Comparison • Lifestyle
• Testimonials • Mood or image
• Slice of life • Culture or tradition
• Animation • Social
• Personality symbol • Surrogate
SPEAKING
7. Ad Pitch Presentation.
Objective: Develop creativity and persuasive speaking skills by designing an ad campaign.
Instructions: In small groups, choose a product (or create a fictional one). Decide on one advert
type from the list (e.g., Fantasy, Demonstration) to promote it. Prepare a short presentation
explaining why you chose that advert type, the core message and target audience, how the ad
will look and feel (tone, visuals, etc.). Present your ad pitch to the class.
HOME TASK
8. Ad Analysis and Comparison.
Objective: Develop critical thinking by analyzing and comparing the techniques and themes
of two similar adverts.
Instructions: Watch another advert that uses nostalgia, rebellion, or gender role reversal (e.g.,
Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”, Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop” (1971), Dove’s
“Real Beauty” campaign). Identify the intended audience for each advert and explain how the
advert appeals to them. Analyze the main message of each advert and its underlying themes
(e.g., nostalgia, rebellion, gender representation). Evaluate the use of music, setting, and
characters to convey the message. Discuss which advert you think better achieves its goal and
why. Be ready to show the ad in the class.
Length: 300-350 words.
Lesson 7. Consumers
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. Do you agree that men and women perceive advertisements differently? Why?
2. Are there any differences in buying habits? What are they?
3. Think of adjectives used in advertisements created for men/women. Explain the choice
of these words. What image of men and women do they create?
2. Look at the following perfume ads. What is the difference?
Zendaya for Lancome Idole Fragrance Campaign - YouTube
Sauvage - Dior - YouTube
READING
3. Read the text and compare the way men and women perceive advertising by filling in
the table below.
The difference between Men and Women in Advertising
What is the difference between men and women? We all know that men and women
were created equal in the beginning. However, when it comes to buying habits, are men and
women really from two different planets? This article will show you what type of ads appeal
to men and women.
Women purchase over 85% of all products. They also influence the buying decisions of
95% of all goods and services. Surprisingly, women purchase over 50% of all products
classified as “male products.”
Females pay more attention to details than males do. They always seem to notice when
something is out of place or missing. Women tend to remember the exact arrangement of the
furniture used in an ad, and they even notice the small vase behind the actors or models.
Women do not compete as much as men. Instead they are usually more understanding
and sympathetic. Females also like objects of sentimental value. They like to feel special and
unique.
Since women are able to use both sides of their brain more equally than men, they are
able to communicate with others better. This will increase their emotional response, which will
then cause females to purchase certain products.
Most women are very concerned about their appearance. They like to have a wide
selection of products to choose from. An example of this is shampoo. It comes in varieties for
dry or damaged hair, blonde hair, fine or oily hair, colored or permed hair, straight hair, curl
enhancing, voluminzing, etc.
Women respond more positively to advertisements than men do. They also tend to
believe ads more than men. For these reasons, research has shown strong evidence that
advertising is most effective when it targets women.
Males tend to see the big picture of things, and they do not notice details. Males love
shortcuts and anything that can make their life easier. Men like objects that signal leisure and
financial gains.
Competition is a common thing with men. They hate to lose, and always want to be the
best. Men do not want to seem concerned about their appearance or fashion. They are very
concerned about their images. Males do not want to appear weak or to self-involved. For this
reason, they like simple thing with few options.
More males are colorblind than females. They usually can not see red and green as two
separate colors. For this reason, you should separate red and green items or text in your ads.
Men tend to recognize the Sponsor of ads more than women do. However, men also
have a greater resistance to advertising. Males think advertisements are dull and boring (unless
an attractive person is in the ad).
The colors you use for your advertisements are very, very important. This is because the
colors and graphics in your ads capture the attention of your consumers. In order to produce
an effective ad, you must make it appeal to your target market.
Studies have shown that men prefer bright colors and women like softer colors.
Remember that men like simple things. The same is true with colors. For example, men prefer
red to burgundy, or blue to turquoise. Most men only know the basic colors like red, blue and
green. They do not know (or care) what color flax or salmon is.
Advertisements with yellow and blue are more effective with men than women.
However, men like orange better than yellow. Females like yellow better than orange and red
better than blue. Orange is the least favorite color for women. Yellow and red is a proven
effective color combination. Blue is the most popular color for both men and women. Green
is also a good color for advertisements that that target both men and women.
When you create advertisements that target women, you can put a few more details in
them. Be careful, don’t go overboard. Too much information can be confusing and hard to
read. Advertisements that are designed for women are more effective at catching the attention
of men. Remember to make women feel special and important. Men like simplicity, so give
them fewer options and more action.
Females Males
1.
2.
…
4. Look at the following words connected with consumers. Match them with their
definitions.
1. subscriber a) the beginning of selling products or services in a new area or to
a new group of customers
2. demographics (n) b) success in advertising or selling a product or service to a
particular group of people
3. focus group (n) c) figures that show how many people watch or listen to a
television or radio programme
4. penetration (n) d) the typical number of copies of a newspaper or magazine that
are sold every day, week, or month
5. popularity rating e) the number and characteristics of people who live in a particular
area or form a particular group, especially in relation to their age,
how much money they have and what they spend it on
6. circulation f) someone who pays to receive a newspaper or magazine
regularly or to use a phone line or internet service
7. reach (n) g) related to the differences between groups of people caused
mainly by their financial situation
8. readership h) a group of people brought together to discuss what they think
about a particular product, advertisement, or subject, as part of a
company's market research
9. socio-economic i) the number or type of people who regularly read a particular
newspaper, magazine, or website
5. Fill in the gaps with the words from the previous exercise.
1. It has a daily … of 400,000, making it the second-largest newspaper in the country.
2. The company is beginning to … Asian markets.
3. The proposal is meant to boost achievement for all and close a growing gap among
students from different … backgrounds.
4. The agency commissioned a study using … to gather opinion on five labelling schemes.
5. The internet is a major tool for … new customers.
6. The mobile phone company has a global … base of 59m users.
7. The balance between print and online … has shifted substantially in recent years.
8. Advertisers seek out the programmes with the highest … for their main campaigns.
9. What are the … of the consumers who buy this type of product?
6. Discuss the questions with your partner.
1. What are the TV channels with the highest ratings? Why?
2. A part of a focus group of what products would you like to be? Why?
3. Are you subscribed to any newsletters / online / offline magazines / newspapers /
tabloids? Which ones and why them?
7. Find the information about the following digital marketing strategies. Explain them
and give examples.
1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
2. Content marketing
3. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
4. Email marketing
5. Social media marketing
6. Video marketing
7. Influencer marketing
8. Website personalization
9. Online reputation and review management
10.Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
SPEAKING
8. Advertising Strategy for Different Audiences.
Objective: Understand the differences in marketing strategies for men and women and develop
persuasive speaking skills.
Instructions: Choose a product (e.g., mobile phones, drinks, cars, etc.) and design two separate
ad campaigns—one targeting men and one targeting women. Consider how the message,
visuals, tone, and overall style would differ for each audience. Prepare a brief presentation
explaining the differences in your campaigns, the reasoning behind the choices, and how each
ad will appeal to its target audience. Present your ideas to the class.
HOME TASK
9. Digital Marketing Strategies.
Objective: Research and understand key digital marketing strategies, their functions, and real-
life applications.
Instructions: Choose at least 3 digital marketing strategies, provide a brief explanation of what
it is, how it works, and give one or two real-world examples of companies or campaigns using
each strategy effectively. Aim to present each strategy clearly and in a way that demonstrates
your understanding.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Define SEO and explain its importance for
websites. Provide an example of a brand that uses SEO to improve their search engine
ranking.
2. Content Marketing: Explain what content marketing is and its role in building
customer engagement. Give an example of a company that creates valuable content for
its audience.
3. Pay-per-click (PPC) Advertising: Describe how PPC advertising works. Mention a
well-known brand that uses PPC campaigns and how they benefit from it.
4. Email Marketing: Explain the concept of email marketing and how it is used to engage
customers. Provide an example of a business that uses email marketing effectively.
5. Social Media Marketing: Discuss the role of social media marketing in building brand
awareness and customer engagement. Provide an example of a business or campaign
that excels in social media marketing.
6. Video Marketing: Define video marketing and explain why it is effective in digital
marketing strategies. Give an example of a successful video marketing campaign.
7. Influencer Marketing: Explain how influencer marketing works and its benefits for
brands. Mention an influencer partnership that has been successful for a company.
8. Website Personalization: Describe website personalization and how it enhances
customer experience. Provide an example of a website that uses personalized features.
9. Online Reputation and Review Management: Define online reputation management
and why it's essential for businesses. Give an example of how a company effectively
manages customer reviews and its reputation online.
10.Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Explain the concept of CRO and its role in
improving website performance. Provide an example of a company that has successfully
improved its conversion rate.
Length: 300-350 words.
PART 3. THE POWER OF BRANDING
Lesson 8. Branding and generic terms
WARM-UP
1. Match slogans with the world-famous brands. Choose one slogan you like the most and
explain why.
1. “Think different” a) Calvin Klein
2. “Don’t be evil” b) Playstation
3. “Live in your own world. Play in ours” c) Kentucky Fried Chicken
4. “Impossible is nothing” d) Visa
5. “I’m loving it” e) McDonalds
6. “Connecting people” f) Google
7. “It’s everywhere you want to be” g) Canon
8. “Finger lickin’ good” h) Adidas
9. “Between love and madness lies obsession” i) Nokia
10.“See what we mean” j) Apple
2. Talking points.
1. Do you think branding is important? Why (not)?
2. Do you think brands are overrated? Why (not)?
3. What does it take to make a brand famous?
4. What are the top 3 bands do you think? Why?
LISTENING
3. List words and phrases you associate with "branding.” What do you think branding
means? How do brands influence our purchasing decisions? Can a brand be more than
just a logo? Watch the video that explains what branding is and Mark the statements
below as True or False.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO4te2QNsHY
1. A brand is only represented by its logo.
2. Branding is solely about advertising and promotions.
3. The perception of a brand is created by the experiences customers have with it.
4. All brands aim to attract the same type of customer.
5. Brand loyalty means that customers will always choose a brand over its competitors,
regardless of price.
6. A strong brand can influence consumer behavior and decision-making.
7. Branding is irrelevant in today’s digital marketplace.
8. The emotional connection between a consumer and a brand can enhance customer
loyalty.
9. Branding strategies should remain static and not change over time.
10.Successful branding requires understanding the target audience's values and needs.
4. Match the terms connected with branding with their definitions.
Brand identity, brand equity, positioning, consumer perception, brand loyalty.
1. The value a brand adds to a product or service based on consumer perceptions,
experiences, and associations, which influences customer preference and willingness to
pay a premium.
2. The visual, verbal, and experiential elements that define a brand, including its logo,
colors, design, and messaging, which shape how it is perceived by the public.
3. The tendency of consumers to repeatedly choose a particular brand over others, often
due to satisfaction, trust, and past positive experiences with the brand.
4. The process of creating a distinct and favorable place for a brand in the minds of
consumers, highlighting its unique features and benefits.
5. How customers view or interpret a brand, product, or service, shaped by experiences,
marketing, and word-of-mouth. Positive perceptions lead to trust and loyalty.
READING
5. Name the objects that you see in the pictures. Have you ever heard of “generic terms”?
Read about them and the examples of so-called generic terms. Then name the objects the
way they are truly supposed to be called.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
Some consumers’ brands are used as synonymous with products. In some cases, a
generic term becomes so popular around the world that many consumers have no clue that a
word they use is actually a brand. In other words, their products were so successful that they
came to represent an entire category. While many consumers in different countries think that
Jacuzzi means a hot tub, in fact, it’s an Italian-American corporation’s brand name.
To become the most loved brand in a market and synonymous with a category is a dream
of every company. On the other hand, what companies fear the most is that their brand name
could end up in the dictionary as a common noun. From time to time a brand name becomes
so widely used in the language to describe a product that it is “genericide” – in other words,
loses its trademark protection. It means that not only consumers but also competitors can use
this word for their products.
For example, Cellophane was a brand of a cellulose film, invented in 1908 by a Swiss
chemist. Nowadays a cellophane is a frequently used word to describe plastic film products. It
is a generic word in the US, but still a registered trademark in the UK.
Many more words that are included in dictionaries used to be brand names. They still
might retain trademark protection in some countries, but are declared generic in others:
thermos, aspirin, linoleum, videotape, zipper, and trampoline are among the most famous
examples.
It takes time to enter the language, but some brands, such as Google, joined a list of
generically used brand names in less than a decade. Even though Google wasn’t the first search
engine in the market, it managed to become the number one very quickly. It’s no wonder that
“I’ll google it” became a very common phrase in many countries.
In different countries different brands have gone generic. While some global brands are
used as generic terms in several markets, usually, in different countries different brand names
become synonymous with products. If a French would ask you to pass a Stabilo Boss, hand
him a highlighter, if a Nigerian demands Maggi, give him a bouillon cube.
“We have many examples in the UK. A vacuum cleaner we call a Hoover since the
Hoover brand has been around for more than 40 years. The word hoover has become a verb
meaning to vacuum clean. A tissue we call Kleenex and Biro is a name for a pen, made by the
same company, Bic, who invented disposable razors”, says Chamouni Stone, English teacher.
1) In 1957 US toy company Wham-O snapped up the trademark for the Frisbee, but the
gliding plastic disc didn't become huge until the early 1960s. The name derives from the
Frisbie Baking Company in Connecticut — the company supplied pies to Yale University,
where students discovered that throwing the plastic pie tins was a fun form of entertainment.
2) Wham-O also introduced the Hula Hoop a year later in 1958. The plastic hoops, which
were inspired by Australian bamboo exercise rings, fast became a fad and, though the name
has become generic, the Hula Hoop trademark is owned by Wham-O and ultimately its parent
company InterSport Corp.
3) The German Thermos company trademarked its vacuum flask in 1923. Thermos, LLC
is big on temperature control. Its mantra, "Hot matters. Cold matters. It matters.," has
apparently resonated with consumers who enjoy their lunches at a certain temperature, as the
Thermos has withstood the test of time. It lost its trademark when the term was declared by
the US court generic in 1963.
4) Sticky tape is referred to as Sellotape in a number of countries, but people in the US,
Canada, France, Spain and Brazil call it Scotch Tape. This comes from the popular product
made by American conglomerate 3M.
5) “Procter&Gamble”-owned Pampers became a synonym of diapers because of its leading
role in Lithuania’s diapers market. It was one of the first brands to enter the market and has
been actively running TV commercials ever since. Pampers is a strong global brand, so hardly
surprising it became a common name for diapers in other countries too, such as France and
Russia, to name a few.
6) Xerox has been used for decades as the generic term for a photocopy or to photocopy a
document in North America, which irks the tech giant. Xerox tried its best to fight the
genericization of its name, publishing a series of ads urging people to remember the trademark.
According to the company, "you cannot xerox a document, but you can copy it on a Xerox
brand copy machine”.
7) Ping Pong is a brand of table tennis products owned by Parker Bros. The name was
coined in 1901. The founders thought the sound the small ball made when it’s hit across the
table sounded like “ping pong.”
8) Though Chrysler was not the creator of the SUV (Sport utility vehicle), known as Jeep,
they have gone to great advertising lengths to ensure no other sport utility vehicle is
masquerading as a 4x4. In one of its rugged, off-road advertisements, Chrysler says that it's a
good thing Jeep is trademarked, because there's "no telling what kind of jacked-up station
wagons [competitors would] be trying to pass off as Jeep vehicles otherwise."
6. Answer the following questions.
1. What does it mean when a brand name becomes synonymous with a product?
2. What is "genericide" and why is it a concern for companies?
3. What is an example of a brand that has lost its trademark protection due to becoming a
generic term?
4. How do brand names differ across countries, based on the text?
5. Why do you think it’s important for companies to protect their brand names from
becoming generic? Do you think this is more important for global brands than local
ones?
6. Can you think of any other examples of brand names that have become synonymous
with products? What do you think makes a brand name successful in this way?
SPEAKING
7. Branding Perception Discussion.
Objective: Explore how consumer perception of a brand is shaped and how it influences
customer behavior, while practicing discussion and persuasive speaking skills.
Instructions: Choose a well-known brand (e.g., Starbucks, Adidas, McDonald’s, Tesla). In
pairs or small groups, discuss how consumers perceive this brand based on their personal
experiences, advertising, and public image. Consider factors like customer service, product
quality, and brand reputation. Prepare a brief presentation explaining the key factors that shape
consumer perception of the brand, how it affects the brand's success, and how the brand works
to manage or improve its perception. Present your findings to the class and engage in a
discussion with other groups to compare perceptions across different brand
HOME TASK
8. Marketing Strategy Critique.
Objective: Critique the marketing strategies of a brand that became a category leader.
Instructions: hoose a product or brand that has become synonymous with its category (e.g.,
Spotify for music streaming, Airbnb for vacation rentals, GoPro for action cameras, Tesla for
electronic vehicles, Red Bull for energy drinks, Teflon for non-stick cookware, Photoshop for
image editing software, Band-Aid for adhesive bandages, Uber for ride-hailing services).
Research and analyze the marketing strategies that helped the brand achieve dominance in its
industry. Focus on key elements such as advertising campaigns, social media presence,
partnerships, and product positioning. Create a brief presentation summarizing your critique,
highlighting the most effective marketing strategies that contributed to the brand’s success. Be
sure to include visuals such as ads, social media posts, or product images to support your
analysis. Discuss how these strategies helped the brand build recognition, loyalty, and
consumer trust. Present your findings to the class.
Length: 300-350 words.
Lesson 9. Making it big
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What is the first brand that comes to your mind when you think of success? Why?
2. Can you think of any brands that have become iconic or worldwide-known? What
makes them stand out?
3. Can you think of a brand that has grown quickly? What do you think helped it achieve
this success?
READING
2. You’re going to learn about success of two huge brands. Answer the questions below.
1. Do you know anything about LEGO and IKEA?
2. Why do you think the two companies have been so successful?
3. Have you and your friends and family bought their products?
4. Is there anything you don't like about them?
5. Look at the Success in stats boxes. Just how successful are these companies?
Success in stats. LEGO Success in stats. IKEA
There are more LEGO figures on Earth than IKEA has over 300 stores in 41 countries. On
people, and 86 Lego bricks for every person some Sundays in Britain, almost twice as
alive. LEGO is actually the world's biggest many people visit an IKEA branch as attend
tyre manufacturer- they make 400 million a church.
year!
3. Work in two groups. Answer the questions on your text.
Group A: Read The Story of LEGO.
Group B: Read The Story of IKEA.
1. When and where was the company established?
2. Who was the founder? What early story tells us about his character?
3. Who helped him to get started? How?
4. What was his motto? How did he demonstrate it?
5. Where did the name of the company come from?
6. Where did he get the idea for his main product from?
7. What made the company so successful?
8. What features of the product do some people see as negative?
9. What difficulties has the company faced?
10.When did the founder die?
The Story of LEGO
In 1932, in Billund, Denmark, Ole Kirk Christiansen
had an idea. He'd had a woodworking workshop since
1916, but the Great Depression had come, and the locals
couldn't afford to buy much. Ole saw that people often
spent what little money they had on toys for their children,
and decided to make some, using spare bits of wood. He
was helped by his grandson, Godtfred, who joined the
business aged 12.
An early story demonstrates how seriously Ole took his motto: Only the best is good
enough. Godtfred came home looking pleased one evening, and told Ole he'd saved the
business money by putting only two layers of varnish on a toy duck, instead of three. Ole gave
him a good telling-off, and made him go back to the workshop immediately to add a third
layer, in order to achieve the quality required.
Success - brick by brick
The LEGO toy company was established in 1934. The name comes from the Swedish
leg godt, meaning 'to play well'. Only much later, after the company began making its
connecting bricks, was it discovered that lego in Latin means 'I put together"! The idea for
plastic self-locking building bricks actually came from a British company, Kiddicraft. LEGO
started making them in 1949, but it wasn't until 1958, when the locking design was much
improved, that sales took off. That was also the year Ole died, and Godtfred took over the
company.
LEGO's enormous success is due to its quality, and the
endless creativity it allows children. A mathematician
recently calculated that six LEGO bricks could be combined
in 915,103,765 ways! And it's not just children who love it;
AFOLS - Adult Fans Of LEGO -include David Beckham and
Ed Sheeran, and are a valuable market. Less enthusiastic
adults are those who spend hours on Christmas morning assembling complicated LEGO sets
for their children (and also discover that standing on a LEGO brick in bare feet can be very
painful)!
Surviving difficult times
In the new millennium, children began to spend a lot more time playing digital games.
By 2003, LEGO sales were down by 30%, and the company was $800 million in debt.
Business consultants said the brick was dead, and told LEGO to diversify into clothes and
jewellery, video games, and Legoland parks. All of these lost money, and LEGO nearly went
bust. In 2015, however, it became the world's most powerful brand, having quadrupled its
profits since 2008. This was done by selling off its Legoland and video games arms, and
focusing again on its key product, the bricks and sets. The Internet was used to build a strong
community of LEGO fans, and the huge amount of love they have for the physical bricks and
figures is shown by the thousands of YouTube videos they share of their collections.
The Story of IKEA
All children ask their grandparents for things, but 5-
year-old Ingvar Kamprad's request to his grandmother was
unusual. He asked her to buy boxes of matches for him in
bulk, which he then sold to people for a profit. At the age
of ten, he was cycling around Småland, Sweden selling
seeds, fish and pencils!
In 1943, when he was 17, Ingvar's father gave him
some money for doing well at school despite his dyslexia. Ingvar used it to start a mail-order
company selling household goods, and called it IKEA - it stands for Ingvar Kamprad from
Elmtaryd, Agunnyard (his boyhood address). An early story shows how driven he was. When
his father said he slept too late, Ingvar set his alarm clock for 6.00 a.m. and removed the 'off'
button!
Fast furniture
Ingvar's main competitor sold furniture, and it gave him an idea. At the time, stylish
furniture was a luxury few could afford, and only after saving up for years. What if he could
make it affordable for all, sooner? He did it by buying and selling in bulk as cheaply as possible
- his motto was: It's better to sell 600 chairs at a lower price than sell 60 chairs at a high
price. He bought an old factory and manufactured even cheaper furniture himself, keeping
quality high.
Other furniture manufacturers were horrified at IKEA's low prices, and persuaded all
the wood suppliers in Sweden to boycott the company. Ingvar's entire business was threatened,
and he was forced to find suppliers from abroad. In fact, the Polish wood he bought made his
products even cheaper.
Flatpack fans?
He opened his first big showroom in 1958, with the familiar IKEA sign (but in red and
white - the yellow and blue of the Swedish flag came later). As more Swedes bought cars,
Kamprad cut rental costs by opening stores out of town. The real lightbulb moment came
when a colleague couldn't get an IKEA table into his car, and unscrewed the legs and taped
them underneath the table to make it go in. Introducing flatpack furniture, which customers
took home and assembled themselves, brought huge savings in
storage and delivery costs.
Not everyone was a fan of self-assembly furniture. Many
people got frustrated with the text-free diagrams, and with each
other, when putting the furniture together. One of the biggest
self-assembly items became known as 'the Divorce Maker'!
IKEA also hit cultural problems when expanding abroad - in
America customers thought the glass vases were expensive drinking glasses - the actual
drinking glasses were way too small for them!
IKEA's global success has continued, however, and Ingvar played a major role in it right
up until his death. In 2014, he said, 'I have so much work to do and no time to die, but in 2018,
aged 91, he finally found enough time, and left his three sons in charge of the company.
4. Work out the meanings of the highlighted words and phrases in your text from the
context. Answer the questions below.
LEGO: spare, a telling-off, business consultants, to diversify, went bust, quadrupled
IKEA: in bulk, goods, driven, to boycott, a lightbulb moment, storage
1. Who do you find most impressive, Ole or Ingvar? Why?
2. What are the possible disadvantages of being as driven as these two entrepreneurs?
3. Would you like to start a business? What kind?
LISTENING
5. You are going to watch a video in which experts talk about branding. Read the
following quote and choose one option below. Then, watch the video and check your
answer. Take notes on the topics below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eIDBV4Mpek&feature=youtu.be
“Coke is just soda, Tylenol just acetaminophen, and Levi’s are just jeans. Yet consumers go
out of their way to select these specific brands over others.”
Consumers choose certain brands over others because…
a) our brains are influenced by persuasive advertising, leading to irrational spending
choices.
b) they want to define who they are and connect with others in a certain way.
c) they value expensive products more than cheap ones.
d) they identify with the brands their family has traditionally chosen.
Topics:
1. The experiment on Apple users and Galaxy users
2. Making informed consumer choices
3. What brands are compared to and why
6. Discuss the following statements and ideas and say to what extent you agree with them.
1. We relate to brands in the same way we relate to people.
2. Without being fully aware of it, we choose brands to express our personalities, values
or lifestyle through them.
3. Brands can fulfil the need for connection and belonging just like communities and
institutions used to.
4. I am aware that I automatically lean towards certain brands when making a purchase.
5. As consumers, we don’t really understand the brand-building strategies that underlie our
perceptions of brands.
7. Match the sentence beginnings (A–H) and endings (1–8) to complete each of the brand-
building strategies. Read the statements in ex. 6 again and say which three strategies
contribute most to a brand’s success. Give examples by considering popular brands.
1. Foster loyalty by delivering… a) … a compelling story that shares values the
targeted audience cares deeply about.
2. Weave a genuine narrative by b) … deep connections with customers through
telling… experiences that resonate on an emotional level.
3. Forge strong emotional bonds by c) … consistent quality and encouraging support
nurturing… from customers.
4. Strengthen relatability by d) … to positive change in the world.
showing…
5. Align with social values by e) … a segment of the market with their needs and
contributing… preferences
6. Serve a niche by targeting… f) … consistent and meeting expectations.
7. Leverage market buzzwords by g) … how products have positively impacted the
using… life of real customers.
8. Ensure reliability by being… h) … trendy terms that generate interest and
increase brand visibility.
SPEAKING
8. Brand Personality Debate.
Objective: Understand how brands develop their personality and communicate with their target
audience, and enhance persuasive speaking skills.
Instructions: Choose a famous brand (e.g., Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, Tesla). In pairs or small
groups, discuss and create a list of adjectives that best describe the brand’s personality (e.g.,
innovative, luxurious, friendly). Think about the brand’s logo, advertising, and overall
communication style to support your choices. Prepare a brief presentation explaining your
selected brand’s personality, how it aligns with its target audience, and how it is conveyed
through its marketing strategies. Present your ideas to the class and engage in a discussion
with the other groups.
HOME TASK
9. Your Favorite Brand.
Objective: Develop research and presentation skills by analyzing the history and evolution of
a famous brand.
Instructions: Choose your favorite brand (e.g., Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, Tesla) and research its
history. Identify key milestones in the brand’s development, including when and how it was
founded, major product launches, changes in branding or marketing strategies, and any
challenges or successes along the way. Create a brief presentation summarizing the brand’s
history, highlighting its evolution, key people involved, and how it became successful. Be sure
to include visuals, such as the brand's logo over time, major advertising campaigns, or product
changes. Discuss the factors that contributed to the brand’s growth and how it adapted to
market trends. Present your findings to the class.
Length: no less than 8 slides.
Lesson 10. How to build a brand
WARM-UP
1. Look at the following logos. Answer the questions for each of them.
1. Name the logos brand names.
2. What does the logo design represent?
3. What does the brand represent?
4. Who would buy this brand?
5. What do these brands sell?
6. Are these brands expensive (high end of the market) / cheap (low end of the market) /
in the middle market?
2. Match the words with their definitions. Find an example of each on the web and explain
when/how/when/why they are used.
1. Symbol a) A design or mark used by an organization or company to identify
its products or brand.
2. Sign b) A piece of material or metal worn to show membership, rank, or
achievement.
3. Badge c) A visual representation of an idea, concept, or quality, often with
deep cultural or personal significance.
4. Insignia d) A small piece of paper, fabric, or material attached to an object,
providing information about it.
5. Logo e) A mark or character used to convey a specific message or
instruction, often seen in public places.
6. Label f) A design, often on a flag or shield, that represents a nation,
organization, or family.
7. Emblem g) An official mark or emblem that indicates rank, authority, or
membership in a particular group
3. Different customers are attracted to different brands, because we have different
associations with what they represent. Which brand would you pick from each pair?
Explore how a brand differentiates itself from other brands and how each brand is
successful in targeting their customer. In groups, discuss the questions below.
PAIR 1
PAIR 2
PAIR 3
PAIR 4
1. Why did you choose the brands?
2. Do you think there is a difference in the customer for each brand in the pairs? Why?
3. Do you have the same opinion as your group?
4. How does this show different opinions on a brand and how each brand targets their
customers?
4. Discuss what you think was wrong with the following advertising campaigns.
a. A hair products company advertised new styling tongs with the name ‘Mist’. They sold
well all over the world but were not a success in Germany. Why not?
b. An electronics company produced a new vacuum cleaner and advertised it with the
slogan, ‘Nothing sucks like (name of product)’. The vacuum sold well in English-
speaking countries but not in America. Why not?
c. A company selling nappies worldwide used the image of a stork delivering disposable
nappies to expectant parents. The advert was a success in Europe and America but a
failure in Japan. Why?
5. Study the following examples of the techniques found in current advertisement. Match
them with their description.
1. Loaded words a) Associating a symbol with a product such as the Golden
Arches and McDonalds.
2. Buzzwords b) Someone famous that people like and respect speaks for the
product.
3. Transference c) They scare you into buying the product.
4. Name Calling d) They make you feel good for having the good sense to buy
the product.
5. Glittering Generality e) Using these words to attract you to buy the product because
you consider it to be a good deal.
6. Testimonial f) They say people “just like you” buy it.
7. Bandwagon g) Words with strong associations such as home, family,
dishonest and wasteful.
8. Repetition h) Using this product means you’re using the “best” product.
9. Flattery i) Making you feel like you need the product right away.
10.Plain Folks j) Words that are popular and vague like “pure and natural.”
11.Authority k) Saying things such as 9 out of 10 people prefer…
12.Snob Appeal l) Comparing one product to another and saying it is weaker or
inferior in quality or taste.
13.Hidden Fears m) Someone with authority tells you about the product.
14.Facts and Figures n) The advertiser tries to make you feel like everyone else has
the product and if you don’t have it too, you’ll be left out.
15.Free and Bargain o) They repeat an idea enough so that you think it must be true.
16.Urgency p) Using words that glitter or sparkle such as “The candy bar
tastes better, looks better and is less expensive.”
6. Fill in the blank with the correct advertising technique.
1. __________ “I eat this cereal every morning and I’m an Olympic champion!”
2. __________ “Only the smartest consumer will buy this product.”
3. __________ “Your child may be unsafe without a Carsafe car seat.”
4. __________ “As a policeman, I see a lot of crime. That’s why I use Lockdown on my
own car.”
5. __________ “Look for the crown. It’ll mean you’re eating quality fast-food.”
6. __________ “Kids love these treats. They’ll eat ‘em up every time. Schools are serving
these as part of their lunch programs because all of the students really like the taste. My
own kids think they’re delicious and eat them like nothing else they’ve ever eaten.”
7. __________ “All the cool kids in school will be wearing Hottie Jeans.”
8. __________ “Don’t delay, you can’t afford to be without this window cleaner. It will
allow you to see the world you have been missing. Hurry, buy it today!”
9. __________ “90% of my child’s teachers agree that Hooked on Phonics really worked!”
10.__________ “The succulent (сочный – кактусы тут ни при чем) taste of our butter
fried chicken will make your mouth water.”
11.__________ “You won’t find prices this low again. Our cars are being sold at such low
prices they’re practically free!”
READING
7. What do you think it means to "build a brand"? Read the text and briefly describe the
steps to build a brand. Mark the statements below as True or False.
Building a brand is a crucial step for anyone looking to establish a strong presence in a
competitive market. A well-crafted brand not only attracts attention but also builds trust and
loyalty, turning casual customers into long-term advocates. While the process takes time and
dedication, the results can significantly boost your business’s growth and reputation.
The foundation of any brand lies in its identity. This involves defining what makes your
brand unique by clarifying your mission, core values, and target audience. Your mission
answers the fundamental question: Why does your brand exist? It’s the driving purpose behind
everything you do. Your core values shape how your brand operates and interacts with the
world, guiding decision-making and shaping customer perceptions. Equally important is
understanding your target audience. Who are they? What are their needs, desires, and pain
points? The better you know your audience, the more effectively you can craft a brand that
resonates with them.
Once you’ve established your identity, the next step is to develop a unique selling
proposition (USP). This is the promise or advantage that sets your brand apart from
competitors. It could be a groundbreaking product, unparalleled customer service, or a
commitment to sustainability. A strong USP is not only clear and concise but also compelling
enough to capture your audience’s attention. It should answer the question: Why should
customers choose you over others?
Visual elements play a significant role in shaping a brand’s image. Your brand name and
logo are often the first things people notice, so they need to make a lasting impression. A great
brand name is distinctive, memorable, and relevant to your business. Your logo, on the other
hand, should visually communicate your brand’s essence. It needs to be versatile enough to
work across different platforms—whether it’s your website, social media, or printed
materials—while remaining recognizable and impactful.
Beyond visuals, the way you communicate with your audience is critical. Your brand
voice and tone should reflect your brand’s personality and values consistently. Whether you’re
writing a social media post, responding to customer inquiries, or creating advertisements, your
tone should align with how you want your audience to perceive you. For instance, a playful,
creative brand might use casual language and humor, while a more serious, professional brand
would adopt a formal, authoritative tone.
In today’s digital-first world, a strong online presence is essential. A professional, user-
friendly website serves as your brand’s home base, providing essential information and
showcasing your products or services. Social media platforms allow you to engage directly
with your audience, share valuable content, and build a community around your brand.
Regularly posting content that reflects your brand’s message, such as blogs, videos, or
customer stories, helps establish credibility and keeps your audience engaged.
However, building a brand isn’t just about public-facing elements; it’s also about
delivering a consistent and positive customer experience. Every touchpoint—whether it’s an
email, a customer service call, or a product purchase—should reflect your brand’s values.
Consistency helps reinforce your brand’s identity and builds trust over time. Customers are
more likely to return and recommend your brand to others if their experience is reliably
positive.
Finally, a successful brand is one that evolves. The business landscape is constantly
changing, and staying relevant means keeping a pulse on industry trends, customer feedback,
and competitor activity. Regularly evaluating your brand’s performance and making
adjustments ensures that your brand remains fresh and competitive. Whether it’s refreshing
your visual identity, expanding your product line, or adjusting your messaging, staying
adaptable is key to long-term success.
In summary, building a brand is a comprehensive process that requires thoughtful
planning and ongoing effort. A strong brand not only differentiates you from competitors but
also creates a lasting connection with your audience. It’s more than just a logo or a catchy
slogan; it’s the promise you make and the experience you deliver every single day.
1. A brand identity includes a company’s mission, values, and target audience.
2. The unique selling proposition (USP) is not necessary if a brand has a memorable logo.
3. A strong brand helps create trust and loyalty among customers.
4. A brand’s logo should be complex and detailed to stand out.
5. The tone of communication for a brand should align with its personality and target
audience.
6. A professional website and active social media profiles are key components of a strong
online presence.
7. Building a brand is a one-time process that doesn’t require updates or changes.
8. Delivering a consistent customer experience helps reinforce a brand’s identity.
9. Adapting to market trends and customer feedback is essential for keeping a brand
relevant.
10.A brand is only about its visual elements, such as the logo and colors.
SPEAKING
8. Create Your Own Brand.
Objective: Develop a deeper understanding of brand building by applying key concepts such
as brand identity, target audience, and USP. Enhance speaking and presentation skills.
Instructions: Imagine you are starting a new business. In pairs or small groups, brainstorm and
create a brand for your business. Focus on the following elements:
• Brand Identity: Define your brand’s mission and core values.
• Target Audience: Identify who your ideal customers are.
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Decide what makes your brand stand out from
competitors.
• Brand Voice: Choose a communication style that aligns with your brand’s personality.
Once you’ve developed your brand, prepare a short presentation to introduce it to the class.
Explain how your brand will appeal to its target audience and how its identity will be
communicated through marketing strategies. After your presentation, answer questions and
receive feedback from your peers.
HOME TASK
9. Personal Brand Development.
Objective: Apply branding concepts to develop a personal brand, enhancing self-awareness
and communication skills.
Instructions: Imagine yourself as a brand. Reflect on your personal mission, values, and unique
qualities. Write a report that introduces your personal brand, including:
• Personal Mission: What is your purpose or goal? What do you stand for?
• Core Values: What are the three key principles or beliefs that guide your decisions and
actions?
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes you stand out? Highlight your skills,
talents, or experiences that differentiate you from others.
• Target Audience: Who do you want to connect with? This could be employers, clients,
or a specific community.
• Brand Voice: How do you want to communicate with your audience (e.g., professional,
friendly, creative)?
Length: 300-350 words.
Lesson 11. Copywriting
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What is copywriting?
2. Is it difficult to be a copywriter? Why (not)?
3. Have you ever done copywriting? When? Would you like to try yourself as a
copywriter? Why (not)?
2. Look at pieces of poorly written or generic ad copies. Work in pairs or small groups to
rewrite the copies in a more engaging and persuasive way.
1. Get fit with our app. Download now.
2. Buy our coffee. It’s good.
3. Stay with us. Comfortable rooms. Affordable prices.
4. We have cards for sale. Come and check them out.
5. Shop now for the best deals on our website.
READING
3. Read the text about copywriting and insert the sentences into the text according to the
text logic.
A. The copywriter is responsible for telling the story.
B. This practice involves the strategic placement and repetition of key words and phrases
on web pages
C. Although if the purpose is not ultimately promotional, its author might prefer to be
called a content writer.
D. Writing for the web is very different to writing for other media.
E. Copywriters can also be independent contractors who freelance for a variety of clients.
Copywriting is the act of writing copy (text) for the purpose of advertising or marketing
a product, business, person, opinion or idea. The addressee (reader, listener, etc.) of the copy
is meant to be persuaded to buy the product advertised for, or subscribe to the viewpoint the
text shares.
Copywriters are used to help create direct mail pieces, taglines (slogans), jingle lyrics,
web page content, online ads, e-mail and other Internet content, television or radio commercial
scripts, press releases, white papers, catalogs, billboards, brochures, postcards, sales letters,
and other marketing communications media pages. Copy can also appear in social media
content including blog posts, tweets, and social-networking site posts. 1) …
Most copywriters are employees within organizations such as advertising agencies,
public relations firms, company advertising departments, large stores, marketing firms,
broadcasters and cable providers, newspapers, book publishers and magazines. 2) … Such
agencies combine copywriting services with a range of editorial and associated services that
may include positioning and messaging consulting, social media and SEO consulting,
developmental editing, and copy editing, proofreading, fact checking, layout, and design. A
copywriting agency most often serves large corporations.
A copywriter usually works as part of a creative team. Advertising agencies partner
copywriters with art directors. The copywriter has ultimate responsibility for the
advertisement's verbal or textual content, which often includes receiving the copy information
from the client. 3) … The art director has ultimate responsibility for visual communication
and, particularly in the case of print work, may oversee production. Although, in many
instances (cases), either person may come up with the overall idea for the advertisement or
commercial (typically referred to as the concept or "big idea"), and the process of collaboration
often improves the work.
The Internet has expanded the range of copywriting opportunities to include web
content, ads, emails, blogs, social media and other forms of electronic communications. 4) …
Other stylistic nuances also come into play. It has also brought new opportunities for
copywriters to learn their craft, conduct research and view others' work. The Internet has also
made it easier for employers, copywriters and art directors to find each other. As a consequence
of these factors, along with increased use of independent contractors and virtual commuting
generally, freelancing has become a more viable (sustainable) job option, particularly in certain
copywriting specialties and markets. A generation ago, professional freelance copywriters
(except those between full-time jobs) were rare.
Content writing on websites may include among its objectives the achievement of higher
rankings in search engines. Known as "organic" search engine optimization (SEO), 5) … ,
writing in a manner that human readers would consider normal. Search engines typically give
greater weight to keywords and key phrases in headlines, sub-heads, captions, link texts,
navigation links and calls to action.
4. Answer the following questions.
1. What’s the difference between copywriter and a content writer?
2. What are the types of employment for copywriters?
3. What is the difference in responsibilities of a copywriter and an art director?
4. What are the main characteristics for copywriting on the Internet?
5. How SEO helps to promote goods?
5. Explain the following notions from the text and fill in the gaps in the sentences below.
• Press release • Layout
• White paper (whitepaper) • Ranking
• Proofreading
1. The page … included plenty of white space.
2. The Department of Transport has issued a … about the proposals for the new motorway.
3. The goal of a … is to inform and persuade based on facts and evidence, not tell the world
why people need to buy your product right now.
4. Hierarchical … operated within each social grouping as well as between members of
different groups.
5. Writer must … work for any typographical or grammatical errors before submitting for
consideration.
LISTENING
6. Read the quotes of famous copywriters. Analyzing each quote and say which one you
find the most useful or trustworthy, and why?
1. “Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”
– Leo Burnett.
2. “The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and
pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships.” – Leo
Burnett.
3. “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures,
allay (reduce) their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their
enemies.” – Blair Warren.
4. “The mind thinks in pictures, you know. One good illustration is worth a thousand
words. But one clear picture built up in the reader’s mind by your words is worth a
thousand drawings, for the reader colors that picture with his own imagination, which
is more potent than all the brushes of all the world’s artists.” – Robert Collier.
5. “So, before you begin the writing, be sure you know the purpose or mission or objective
of every piece of content that you write. What are you trying to achieve? What
information, exactly, are you trying to communicate? And why should your audience
care?” – Ann Handley.
6. “Good advertising is written from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it
rarely moves anyone.” – Fairfax M. Cone.
7. “The greatest thing you have working for you is not the photo you take or the picture
you paint; it’s the imagination of the consumer. They have no budget, they have no time
limit, and if you can get into that space, your ad can run all day.” – Don Draper.
7. Watch the abstract of the TV show “Mad Men” and answer the following questions.
Mad Men - A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the
beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented
ad executives, Donald Draper.
• Glittering lure – сверкающая приманка
• Beyond flesh – «за пределами плоти», не связанное с чем-то материальным
• Bond - связь
• Itch – непреодолимое желание
• Potent – мощный, сильнодействующий, убедительный
• Twinge – приступ боли
• To ache – страстно стремиться к чему-то
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rMpjbIcJuA
1. What is the most important idea in advertising according to the main character?
2. What is advertised?
3. What is the pitch?
4. What’s the slogan?
5. What makes this advertisement successful?
SPEAKING
8. Headline Creation Contest.
Objective: Practice creating attention-grabbing headlines for different products and enhance
persuasive speaking and creative thinking skills.
Instructions: In small groups, choose one or more products from a provided list (e.g., a new
smartphone, an eco-friendly water bottle, a luxury skincare line). Brainstorm and create 3-5
catchy, persuasive headlines for each product. Consider the product’s key features, target
audience, and unique selling points. Once the group agrees on their best headline for each
product, prepare a short explanation of why they believe it is effective, focusing on how it
captures attention, conveys value, or appeals to emotions. Present your headlines to the class,
explaining your reasoning. After all presentations, engage in a class discussion to evaluate the
most compelling headlines and explore what makes them stand out.
The list: A cutting-edge smartwatch, a plant-based protein bar, a luxury electric car, a travel
booking app, a reusable water bottle with a built-in filter, a high-performance gaming laptop,
a subscription box for mystery novels, a sleep-tracking pillow, a portable solar-powered phone
charger, an all-natural skincare line, a virtual reality fitness program, a smart home security
system, noise-cancelling wireless headphones, a customizable online learning platform, a
gourmet coffee subscription service.
HOME TASK
9. Storytelling in Copywriting.
Objective: Understand the impact of storytelling in copywriting and analyze its use in
successful advertising campaigns.
Instructions: Research 2-3 examples of advertising campaigns or brand content that effectively
use storytelling (e.g., TV commercials, social media campaigns, website copy). Analyze the
elements of the story, including the protagonist, conflict, resolution, and emotional appeal.
Consider how the story aligns with the brand’s message and values. Prepare a brief written
report for each example, addressing the following:
• What is the main story being told?
• How does it connect to the brand’s identity and target audience?
• What emotions does it evoke, and how do they influence the audience?
• Why do you think this storytelling approach is effective?
Length: 300-350 words.
PART 4. SELLING YOUR SERVICES TO A CLIENT
Lesson 12. Advertising agency
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What do you think are the good and bad points of working in the advertising industry?
2. What role do advertising agencies play in a successful advertising campaign?
2. You can see a few common job titles within an advertising agency. Guess what each
job involves by matching it to a brief description of the job’s duties.
Managing Director, General Account Manager, Client Services Manager, Copywriter, Art
Director, Creative Director, Production Artist, Brand Manager, Content Strategist, SEO/SEM
Specialist, Video Producer, Print Production Manager.
1. Optimizes websites and content to improve search engine rankings and manages paid
search campaigns. Their goal is to increase visibility, traffic, and conversions from
search engines.
2. Oversees the visual aspects of advertising campaigns, working with designers and
photographers to create compelling visuals. They ensure consistency in branding and
creative direction.
3. Manages client accounts and serves as the main point of contact between the agency
and clients. They oversee project delivery, ensure client satisfaction, and align
campaigns with business objectives.
4. The senior executive responsible for overseeing the entire agency's operations, strategy,
and growth. They ensure the agency meets its financial and creative goals while
maintaining client relationships and overall company culture.
5. Oversees the printing process, ensuring quality and efficiency. They liaise with vendors,
manage budgets, and ensure all printed materials meet deadlines and technical
requirements.
6. Responsible for maintaining and enhancing a brand's image, positioning, and value.
They ensure consistency across all marketing efforts and help build long-term brand
equity.
7. Develops written content for advertisements, including taglines, slogans, scripts, and
social media posts. They craft persuasive messages that align with the campaign's goals
and target audience.
8. Leads the creative team, setting the overall vision and strategy for campaigns. They
ensure that all creative outputs meet the client's goals, brand standards, and resonate
with the target audience.
9. Manages the creation of video content from concept to final production. They coordinate
scripts, shooting schedules, budgets, and post-production, ensuring the video meets
campaign goals.
10.Prepares and finalizes design files for production, ensuring they meet technical
specifications. They focus on the detailed execution of visual assets for print, digital,
and other media.
11.Plans and manages content creation, ensuring it aligns with the brand’s goals and
resonates with the target audience. They focus on delivering content that drives
engagement and conversions.
12.Manages client accounts and serves as the main point of contact between the agency
and clients. They oversee project delivery, ensure client satisfaction, and align
campaigns with business objectives.
LISTENING
3. You are going to get introduced to an advertising agency, Media Design Advertising.
They are meeting with representatives of a prospective client, The Daily Sunshine
newspaper. Listen to the meeting and complete the missing information in the notes
below. Which two pieces of information are not mentioned?
Media Design Advertising
Date of meeting: 22 July Headquarters:
Client: The Daily Sunshine Place of meeting:
Attendants:
Name: Position: Target market:
Marianne Reed managing director Possible ad types:
Raffaella Livingstone Budget:
Cecily Valley Next meeting:
Dave Terry
John McEwans
Frances Lohan
4. Listen again and circle the words/phrases that you hear. Add any more words that you
think could be used in the phrases.
Selling your company
1. We're a very long-standing/well-established company with many years of valuable
experience.
2. We've worked with lots of / many of the top names ...
3. ... we specialise in media / financial products.
4. ... we've won numerous / many awards for our innovative approach to advertising.
5. ... we've never had a dissatisfied client / customer.
6. I'd like to begin/start by showing you a few of the campaigns we've produced in the past
couple of years...
Expressing opinions and making comments
1. ... your work is of an extremely high quality/ standard.
2. ... you definitely live up to your good / excellent reputation.
3. ... those TV ads... are really striking/impressive.
4. ... the graphics are incredibly good / effective...
4. The managing director and general account manager of Media Design Advertising are
at the follow-up meeting with the brand manager of The Daily Sunshine. Listen to the
conversation. Answer the following questions:
1. Do you think Media Design Advertising will be able to produce the campaign in time?
2. Explain why/why not.
READING
5. What is the contact report? Look at the contact report, which was emailed to The Daily
Sunshine, and complete the contact report using the words in the box. Answer the
questions below.
campaign, prime-time, reason, adverts, summary, budget, print, queries, deadline
Media Design Advertising Headquarters: Milan, Italy
9802 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn
New York 11367
Tel: 001-718-238-5867
Fax: 001-718-238-1856
Email: r.livingstone@mda.org
Mr J McEwans
The Daily Sunshine
Stony Brook
NY 11749
Tel: 001-631-632-5020
Fax: 001-631-632-2527
Email: JmcE@ds.org
Our Ref: RL/MDA
Your Ref: DS/JMc
August 2, 2008
Dear Mr McEwans
Please find below a (1) summary of the points discussed during yesterday’s meeting, and a
reply to the brief you sent us for a (2) …… for your newspaper, The Daily Sunshine.
OBJECTIVE
Introduce our company, set a (3) …… and decide on campaign style and strategy.
TERMS OF CONTRACT
We agreed to accept the $900,000 budget. One third of this amount will be invested in a (4)
…… campaign and the rest in a (5) …… TV campaign.
We are pleased to confirm we can meet the (6) …… of six months from today.
You are entitled to trial our (7) …… in advance. If, for any (8) ……, you are not satisfied,
you may rescind the contract.
If you have any (9) ……, please do not hesitate to get back to me.
Yours sincerely
Raffaella Livingstone
Raffaella Livingstone
General Account Manager
Media Design Advertising
1. Who has written the contact report?
2. Who is the contact report for?
3. What is the purpose of the contact report?
4. What opening and ending salutations are used?
5. What punctuation follows them?
6. What goes in the top left and top right corners?
7. Where is the date written?
8. Does this contact report, which is sent as an email attachment, follow the same layout
as a formal letter?
6. When writing formal letters, it is important to use a professional tone, clear structure,
and polite language. Get acquainted with some tips on how to achieve this. Then rewrite
the sentences below in a more formal tone.
Use formal salutations and closings. Start with "Dear [Recipient’s Name]" if you know
the name, for example, Dear Mr. Smith, or "To whom it may concern" if the recipient’s name
is unknown. For closings, use "Yours sincerely" when addressing someone by name or "Yours
faithfully" when the name is not known. Other suitable closings include "Best regards" or
"Kind regards."
Avoid contractions and informal phrases. Instead of writing "I’m," use "I am," and
replace "We’ve" with "We have." Steer clear of phrases like "a lot," "stuff," or "kind of." For
example, instead of writing I’m writing to ask for more info about the job, write I am writing
to request further information about the position.
Use polite and diplomatic language. Replace direct or blunt phrases with more courteous
alternatives. For instance, instead of Can you send me the report? write Could you kindly
provide the report? Similarly, I want to complain about... can be rephrased as I would like to
raise a concern about... Modal verbs such as "could," "would," and "might" help soften
requests.
Maintain a professional tone by avoiding overly emotional language or slang. Stay
objective and focus on facts rather than personal opinions. For example, instead of saying I’m
super upset about this, say I am concerned about this issue.
Use clear and specific language. Avoid vague terms and be precise. For example, rather
than saying The product was bad, specify the issue by writing The product did not meet the
quality standards I expected. Include relevant details such as dates or reference numbers where
necessary.
Structure your letter clearly. Start with an opening that states the purpose of your letter,
such as I am writing to inquire about… or I am writing to express my concern regarding… In
the body, provide all necessary details in a logical order. End with a polite closing,
summarizing your request or desired action, such as Thank you for your attention to this matte*
or I look forward to your response.
Choose formal vocabulary. Replace informal words with more formal alternatives. For
instance, use "request" instead of "ask," "receive" instead of "get," and "assistance" instead of
"help." Other examples include "purchase" for "buy" and "inform" for "tell."
Finally, proofread and edit your letter. Check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
errors, ensuring the tone is consistent throughout. Avoid abbreviations like "u" for "you" or
"thx" for "thanks." By applying these tips, your formal letters will appear more professional
and polished.
1. Hey, I’m writing to let you know that the meeting is off.
2. Can you get back to me with the info by tomorrow?
3. We need to sort this out ASAP.
4. Thanks for the invite, but I can’t make it.
5. Let’s catch up soon to talk about the project.
7. The following texts contains a mix of informal and formal language. Edit it to make it
entirely formal.
1. Hi everyone. I hope this email finds you well. I’m reaching out because we’ve gotta
deal with a few issues about the upcoming event. Could you please send over your ideas
by next week? Also, let’s try to be super efficient during the meeting next Monday.
2. Hi. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be late to the meeting tomorrow. I’ve got some
stuff to finish up first. Can we push the start time back by 15 minutes? Let me know if
that’s cool.
3. Hey. Just a quick note to say that I really enjoyed our chat yesterday. I’m super interested
in the job and think I’d be a great fit. If you need anything else from me, just shout!
SPEAKING
8. Advertising Agency Client Meeting Role Play.
Objective: Develop negotiation, persuasive communication, and active listening skills in a
professional context.
Instructions: In pairs, role-play a meeting between an advertising agency representative and a
prospective client. Each pair will focus on discussing and negotiating the terms of a potential
advertising campaign.
Student A (Advertising Agency Representative): Present your agency, highlighting key
achievements and strengths. Ask about the client’s product and goals. Persuade the client by
explaining how your agency can deliver outstanding results. Negotiate terms, including
budget, deadlines, and any guarantees your agency offers.
Student B (Prospective Client): Choose a product to advertise (e.g., a perfume, a car, or a
telephone company). Provide details about the product and your advertising goals. Ask critical
questions about the agency’s approach, creative ideas, and past success. Negotiate to ensure
the best service, focusing on budget, deadlines, and guarantees.
HOME TASK
9. Formal Complaint Letter.
Objective: Practice structuring a formal complaint letter using polite and professional
language.
Instructions: Write a formal letter of complaint to a company regarding a recent purchase or
service you received. Be sure to clearly state the problem (e.g., defective product, poor
service), provide relevant details (e.g., purchase date, product/service name, order number),
politely ask for a solution (e.g., refund, replacement), close the letter formally, thanking them
in advance for resolving the issue.
Length: 150-200 words.
Lesson 13. Creating a print and a TV advert
1. Talking points.
1. Do you often read/see ads in English? Do you understand them? Explain why/why not.
2. What do you think of the standard of ads in your country? How could they be improved?
3. Have ads changed in the past few years in general? Explain your answer.
2. Look at the ads below and discuss the following questions.
1. Which of these ads get your interest and grab your attention? Explain why.
2. What are they advertising?
3. Which ad do you think is the most effective? Why?
4. In the New York Times ad, what exactly do you 'have to know? Think of two different
answers.
5. What 'complicated place' is the International Herald Tribune ad referring to?
6. The New York Times and International Herald Tribune ads both have a similar approach.
What do you think it is?
7. Did the slogans in the ads make you want to read the rest of the text? Explain why / why
not.
8. Which do you think are more effective: ads with longer slogans or ads with very short,
one-sentence slogans?
3. Complete the following table using the products and brand names in the boxes. Answer
the following questions.
Product Brand name
tour operator, beer, newspaper, vermouth, The Independent, Greyhound USA, Cinzano,
coach company, chocolate, bank, magazine Thomas Cook, Barclays, Mars, TIME, Miller
Slogan Product Brand name
1. It is, are you? newspaper The Independent
2. Go faster. Go for less.
3. Vibrant, rich, and extremely well-balanced.
4. Don't just book it, Thomas Cook it.
5. Getting to the very top with the very best.
6. A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.
7. Get TIME, ahead of time.
8. The champagne of bottled beer.
1. Which slogans contain no nouns?
2. Which types of word are used to communicate most of the meaning instead?
4. Slogans use a variety of language devices. Complete the first column of the table using
the language devices in the box. Then match the language devices to the examples from
the previous exercise.
personal pronouns, comparisons, alliteration, word play, emphatic language, metaphor,
rhyme, repetition
Language Definition Example
device from ex. 3
The use of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at
alliteration 8
the beginning of several words that are close together
The use of the same word more than once
The use of strong words to show importance
Playing with words which have more than one meaning (Note: In
the example given here, we are reminded of the everyday meaning
of the brand name.)
Words used to replace nouns. Words such as you, we and us
suggest the audience's identification with the product, or having a
certain experience through buying the product.
Repetition of the final sound of a word
An expression that describes someone or something by referring
to something else that is considered to possess similar
characteristics.
Comparing two things (Note: In advertising, the second term of
comparison is hardly ever stated; it is left to the audience to
decide.)
5. In advertising slogans, adjectives and verbs are generally used much more frequently
than nouns. What do you think are the most common adjectives and verbs used in
advertising? Make a list of at least five, and then look at the list below to compare your
answers. Are there any surprising words on the list? Try to complete the following
advertising slogans with words in the box. Then identify what language devices from ex.
4 are used in each slogan.
adjectives verbs
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
More, big, free, more, love, get, more, expensive, best, take.
1. The Music We All __________. (Virgin Radio, radio station)
2. Gillette - The Best a Man Can __________. (Gillette razors)
3. Dreams are __________. Realities are __________. (Citi Bank)
4. Nokia N series. See __________. Hear __________. Feel __________. (Nokia
telephones)
5. The __________ bed on earth is not on earth (Iberia airline)
6. __________ a step in your career (SDA Bocconi University)
7. You and us. Because global capabilities really are a __________ deal (UBS Investment
Bank)
LISTENING
6. Is there a particular ad (film, print, billboard or TV) that you like/dislike at the
moment? Describe it, and explain why you like / don't like it. Who is its target audience?
How much do you think it cost to produce? Colleagues from the Media Design
Advertising agency are having a brainstorming session for The Daily Sunshine
newspaper advertising campaign. Listen to the meeting and make notes on why the
following items are mentioned.
1. Bus - Suggestion to have people sitting on a bus reading The Daily Sunshine' newspaper.
2. Truth
3. Free speech
4. Baobab trees
5. Africa
6. Dvořák (a composer)
7. Discuss the meaning of the slogan "The Daily Sunshine: Nobody Lies in the Sunshine".
Listen again and complete the following extracts. Then add the phrases to the table
below. What other phrases can you use in each of the categories?
1. So, after a week of deep thought, what __________ __________ __________?
2. Any __________ __________ the media campaign?
3. How __________ this picture showing all these people sitting on a bus...
4. Good idea, but I've got a feeling it's __________ __________ __________, hasn't it?
5. What have you __________ __________ __________ in the copywriting department?
6. Well, it seems like a good idea, __________ __________ the fact that not everybody
knows about...
7. ... or tell stories. I think we should __________ __________ __________.
8. Well, if everyone agrees, let's __________ this idea.
9. Well, why __________ __________ limit the time of the TV campaign to 30 seconds
only?
10.That's a __________ idea, as long as you can manage to ...
Inviting people to Proposing ideas Accepting ideas Rejecting ideas
express
Any new ideas? What about...? Sounds I'm not sure this is
good/promising. what we really need.
We could... Sure, why not? I don't agree with ...
Let's...
8. Look at these images of baobab trees which have been shortlisted to use in The Daily
Sunshine campaign and answer the following questions.
1. Which image would you prefer to use for the print ad campaign?
2. Do you agree with the idea that the branches shooting in all directions represent freedom
of expression? Explain why/why not.
3. Can you think of a different image to represent the same concept?
4. Can you think of any other slogans that might work with these images?
SPEAKING
9. Advertising Campaign Brainstorming for University Promotion.
Objective: Develop creativity, collaboration, and persuasive communication skills in the
context of advertising.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, imagine you are part of an advertising agency team
tasked with creating a print or billboard campaign to promote the university. The campaign
should highlight the university’s strengths and appeal to prospective students. Discuss what
makes the university unique (e.g., academic reputation, university life, research opportunities,
diverse community), think about the target audience (prospective students, parents,
international students, etc.), choose a theme or message for the campaign, decide on the type
of visual elements (e.g., university images, student testimonials, vibrant colors, sleek design).
Present your campaign idea to the class, explaining your choices for message, visuals, and
slogan.
HOME TASK
10. Researching Advertisements in Different Countries.
Objective: Analyze how print and TV advertisements are adapted to different cultural contexts.
Instructions: Research print and TV advertisements for the same product or service in two
different countries. For each advertisement, analyze the main message and target audience, the
visual and linguistic elements used (e.g., colors, symbols, language), how the advertisement
reflects or adapts to the local culture or values
Length: no less than 5 slides.
Lesson 14. Presenting a finished ad
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. Do you often have to give presentations? If so, what do you present?
2. Do you enjoy giving presentations? Explain why/why not.
3. What is important to have in mind when giving presentations?
READING
2. You are going to read a pre-production meeting (PPM) document for The Daily
Sunshine TV ad. Before you read, match the words that appear in the text (1-7) to their
definitions (a-g).
1. copywriter a) (in films and TV) the spoken words of a person you cannot see
2. voice-over b) a series of drawings showing the order of images planned for a
film or ad
3. super c) someone who writes the words for ads
4. shooting d) a series of related things or events, or the order in which they
storyboard (SS) follow each other
5. setting e) the time and the place in which the action of a book, film, play,
etc. happens
6. sequence f) to make the picture or sound of a film stronger (or weaker)
7. fade in/out g) slogan appearing on top of an image
3. Read the PPM document and match the headings below to the corresponding
paragraphs (1-8). Discuss whether you think the commercial will be successful. Explain
why/why not.
Super, Music, Campaign aim, Objective of the PPM, Shooting storyboard (SS), Voice-over,
Timetable and logistics, Mood/lighting
Media Design Advertising Headquarters: Milan, Italy
The Daily Sunshine Ad Campaign
Pre-production Meeting (PPM)
New York, September 1, 2008
IN ATTENDANCE
Client: The Daily Sunshine
John McEwans - brand manager
Frances Lohan - assistant brand manager
Agency: Media Design Advertising, New York
Marianne Reed - managing director (MD)
Cecily Valley - copywriter
Dave Terry - art director
Emanuelle Faithful - TV producer
Raffaella Livingstone - group account manager (GAM)
Francis Rosenthal - account supervisor
Production House (PH): Video Recording Cam, Providence (RI)
John Davis - director (D)
Alexander Peacock - director of photography (DOP)
Peter Dolittle - executive producer (EP)
AGENDA
1. Objective of the PPM. To share and highlight key points regarding The Daily Sunshine ad,
to be shot at locations and on dates as indicated below.
2. __________. Coordinated publicity to relaunch The Daily Sunshine.
3. __________. ‘Choice of the American people - The Daily Sunshine - voted Paper of the
Year 2008. A new dawn for journalism. Let The Daily Sunshine shed some light on your
world.’
4. __________. The Daily Sunshine: Nobody Lies in The Sunshine.
5. __________. It was agreed that the exact nuance for the lighting will be decided on location
once the DOP has verified the possible alternatives. It was confirmed that the overall
atmosphere should highlight the newspaper through a reveal-suspense sequence.
6. __________. Suspense will be created through slow camera movements and light effects
revealing the sun rising among some baobab trees. The Daily Sunshine heading will be shown
with a fade-in effect, becoming more and more defined. It will then fade out to show the sun
up in the sky, before finally revealing the paper's cover in full.
7. __________. Dvořák's New World Symphony
8. __________. TV ad to be shot on site in Madagascar on September 25, and at Video
Recording Cam studios (Providence) on October 5, by Alexander Peacock. On air from
October 30th, the same day as the print campaign.
LISTENING
4. Listen to the team at Media Design Advertising presenting the TV ad to representatives
of The Daily Sunshine and answer the following questions. Then complete the following
table using the correct headings (a-c). Make a list of any more phrases that you think
could be added to those in the table
1. How many people speak during the meeting?
2. Do you think the presentation was successful? Explain why / why not.
a) Explaining the details of 1. ... I'm Marianne Reed, managing director of Media Design
an ad and saying why it's Advertising...
special
b) Introducing yourself 2. ... if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to
interrupt...
Let's begin by watching the advert.
c) Starting a presentation 3. ... the photography is one of the strong points of this
particular piece of work.
... the atmospheric setting and the rising sun represent...
... the use of classical music ... underlines the fact that this is
a serious newspaper.
That is what makes this ad campaign so special.
We hope the photography will be appreciated because of ...,
and also because it ...
... we've come up with a fantastic combination of words and
images...
5. In pairs, choose the TV ad you remember best. Complete the following sentences.
1. The... gets the public's attention.
2. The ... is appreciated because ... and also because it ...
3. They have come up with a fantastic ...
4. The ... is a strong point of our work.
5. The ... is what makes this ad campaign so special.
6. The use of ... underlines the fact that this is a ....
6. What do you know about the Cannes Lions festival? Why do you think winning a
Cannes Lion is important for an advertising agency or brand? Watch the video about the
festival and answer the following questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQcf_JvQpJE&t=1s
1. What is the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity often referred to as?
2. What is the primary focus of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity?
3. In which city did the festival originally start before moving to Cannes?
4. Which type of professionals typically attend the Cannes Lions Festival?
5. What is one of the key benefits of attending the Cannes Lions Festival mentioned in the
video?
6. What do critics say about the festival?
7. How does the festival contribute to global trends in advertising and creativity?
8. Discuss the impact of high costs on participation in creative festivals like Cannes Lions.
Do you think it limits diversity in entries? Why or why not?
SPEAKING
7. Create a TV Ad Script for a Product.
Objective: Develop creativity, communication, and persuasive skills by presenting a product
through a TV ad format.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, imagine you are advertising a new product or service.
You need to create a TV ad script that is 2-3 minutes long. The script should include a catchy
opening, a clear description of the product’s unique features, and a strong call to action. Think
about the target audience, the tone of the ad (e.g., humorous, emotional, informative), and the
visual elements that will complement the script (e.g., product shots, animations, background
music). Once the script is ready, perform the ad in front of the class as if it were a real
commercial. Afterward, the class will discuss the strengths of each ad and provide feedback
on its effectiveness.
HOME TASK
8. Cannes Lions Reflection Essay.
Objective: Reflect on the role of The Cannes Lions Festival in shaping the advertising industry.
Instructions: Research the history and significance of The Cannes Lions Festival. In your
essay, discuss how the festival has influenced the creative strategies used in advertising.
Reflect on whether winning a Cannes Lion is the ultimate measure of creativity or if there are
other factors that contribute to a successful advertising campaign. Consider the impact of these
awards on the industry and future trends.
Length: 250-300 words.
PART 5. REGULATIONS IN ADVERTISING
Lesson 15. The Advertising Standards Authority
WARM-UP
1. What makes an advertisement misleading or inappropriate? Look at a selection of
print ads. Identify any potential issues with the ads. Would these ads likely receive
complaints? Why or why not?
L'Oréal H&M
Protein World Boohoo
2. Look at some of controversial advertising topics. Say whether you agree or disagree
with them and why.
1. Is it ethical to advertise products like fast food or toys to children? Should there be
stricter regulations on advertisements aimed at children?
2. How do advertisements perpetuate gender, racial, or cultural stereotypes? Are brands
responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion in their ads?
3. Should advertisements for alcohol, tobacco, or junk food be banned or restricted? What
about ads for gambling or fast fashion?
4. Are psychological tricks like fear appeals or scarcity marketing ethical in advertising?
How do subliminal messages affect consumer behavior?
READING
3. Why do you think advertising needs rules? How do you feel about online ads compared
to TV or radio ads? Before reading about the ASA and CAP, match the following words
with their definitions.
1. Regulator a) Approval given before something is made public
2. Complaint b) An official organization that monitors and enforces rules
3. Misleading c) A formal statement of dissatisfaction
4. Sanctions d) Actions taken to enforce rules or punish violations
5. Pre-clearance e) Giving the wrong idea or impression
4. Read the information about the ASA and CAP from their official website and answer
the questions below.
Who Are They?
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK’s independent regulator for
advertising. Its main job is to ensure that all advertisements follow the rules, known as the
Advertising Codes. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) is the ASA’s partner
organization. CAP writes the Advertising Codes that the ASA enforces. Together, they aim to
regulate advertising in a way that is clear, fair, and evidence-based.
What Does the ASA Do?
The ASA ensures that advertisements in the UK are responsible, benefiting consumers,
society, and advertisers. Its mission is to ensure every ad in the UK meets the required
standards. The ASA responds to complaints if an ad is misleading, offensive, or harmful. It
monitors ads regularly to ensure compliance with the rules and conducts research to identify
areas where consumers need more protection. In 2022, the ASA handled over 33,000
complaints about nearly 22,000 ads, resulting in changes or removal of more than 31,000 ads.
How Does the System Work?
UK advertising is regulated through self-regulation and co-regulation. Self-regulation
involves the advertising industry funding and writing the rules through CAP, which oversees
non-broadcast ads, such as those in newspapers, on websites, or social media. Co-regulation
involves the ASA working with the communications regulator Ofcom to oversee TV and radio
ads, ensuring broadcasters meet advertising standards.
Helping Advertisers Get It Right
The ASA and CAP provide guidance to help advertisers follow the rules. For TV and
radio ads, pre-clearance is conducted by specialized centers like Clearcast (for TV) and
Radiocentre (for radio) to ensure compliance. For non-broadcast ads, CAP offers a Copy
Advice service, providing free advice to advertisers before publication.
What Happens When Ads Go Wrong?
Consumers can complain if they find an ad misleading, harmful, or offensive. The ASA
investigates complaints, even if only one is made. If an ad breaks the rules, the advertiser must
change or remove it. Most advertisers comply quickly, but the ASA can enforce the rules using
sanctions if necessary.
Why It Matters
The ASA plays a crucial role in ensuring advertisements in the UK are trustworthy and
responsible. By regulating ads, they protect consumers and maintain public trust in advertising.
1. What is the main role of the ASA?
2. How does self-regulation differ from co-regulation?
3. What steps does the ASA take before and after an advertisement is published?
4. How can consumers influence the regulation of ads?
5. Do you think the ASA’s system of regulating ads is effective? Why or why not?
6. In your opinion, should advertising be regulated more strictly or less strictly? Explain
your answer.
LISTENING
5. What do you know about online advertising? How do you feel about advertising on
social media or influencer promotions? Why do you think it's important to regulate
online advertising? You are going to watch the video ASA – How we regulate online ads.
Match the words with their definitions.
1. Ecosystem a) Actively taking steps to prevent problems or make
improvements before they occur.
2. Policed b) A system or community of interacting living organisms and
their environment.
3. Proactive c) The practice of ensuring the safety and rights of consumers
in the marketplace.
4. Consumer protection d) Regulated or monitored by authorities to ensure compliance
with laws or rules.
5. Decent e) Of an acceptable or satisfactory standard; respectable.
6. Watch the video and mark the following statements as True or False.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lu_I6NfJgxk
1. The ASA’s main focus is on regulating traditional media advertisements, such as TV
and radio, rather than online ads.
2. The ASA uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify online ads that target children
with age-restricted content.
3. Influencer posts are not regulated by the ASA because they are personal opinions rather
than formal advertisements.
4. The ASA's primary role is to remove harmful or misleading ads after complaints are
received from the public.
5. Only ads on social media platforms are monitored for potential violations of advertising
standards.
6. The ASA works with businesses and technology platforms to ensure online ads follow
legal, decent, and truthful standards.
7. Discuss the following questions:
1. How can businesses balance effective advertising with ethical responsibility?
2. What are some challenges in regulating online advertising, especially with emerging
technologies like AI?
3. In what ways can advertising standards differ between countries or regions?
SPEAKING
8. ASA Case Study Analysis.
Objective: Develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and persuasive communication by
evaluating and discussing real or hypothetical advertising cases.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, you will analyze a case where the ASA had to intervene
in an online ad campaign. Each group will be provided with a brief description of the ad in
question. Your task is to discuss the following:
• What was the main issue with the ad (e.g., misleading claims, harmful content)?
• Why was it important for the ASA to regulate this ad?
• What actions did the ASA take to address the issue?
• Do you think the ASA’s response was appropriate? Why or why not?
• What might have happened if the ASA had not intervened?
Cases:
1. NutriBullet – Misleading Health Claims (2017). In 2017, the ASA investigated an ad
campaign for NutriBullet, a popular blender brand, which claimed that its product could
help people lose weight. The campaign featured the claim that NutriBullet was a "weight
loss solution" and that it could "help you lose weight" with little effort. The ASA found
that the ad’s health claims were deemed irresponsible, as they could mislead consumers
into thinking that the product alone would lead to significant weight loss without a
change in lifestyle.
2. Volkswagen – "Clean Diesel" Campaign (2015). Volkswagen faced a major
controversy when their advertising campaign promoted their "clean diesel" cars,
claiming they were environmentally friendly and emitted lower levels of CO2 and other
pollutants compared to traditional diesel vehicles. These ads ran in multiple media
outlets, including print, TV, and online. The ASA investigated these ads after the
emissions scandal, where it was revealed that Volkswagen had installed software in their
diesel cars to cheat emissions tests. The ads were found to be misleading because they
presented the vehicles as environmentally clean when, in fact, they did not meet
emissions standards in real-world driving conditions.
HOME TASK
9. Comparative Study of Advertising Regulations.
Objective: Research and compare advertising regulations in two different countries.
Instructions: Choose two countries (e.g., the UK and the USA, or the UK and Belarus) and
research how advertising is regulated in each one. In your report, compare the advertising
regulations, focusing on the rules for different types of ads (such as TV, radio, and digital ads).
Discuss any significant differences or similarities in how these countries regulate misleading
or harmful advertising. Include examples of specific ads that have been banned or altered due
to these regulations.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 16. Criticism of Advertising
WARM-UP
1. Look at the advertising slogans and think of products for which these slogans can be
used and explain your choice.
1. All the smart money is going on …
2. Keeps you feeling and looking young
3. Sure to attract admiring looks
4. Enjoy the amazing beauty of …
5. How could you be without a … ?
2. Talking points.
1. Is marketing always necessary for all products and services? Can you think of any
exceptions?
2. What are the greatest challenges in marketing today?
3. What don’t you like about advertising?
3. Look at some controversial ads. What can they be criticized for?
Aishwarya’s Kalyan Jewellers Fashion Junkie
Dunkin Donut’s Victoria’s Secret
LISTENING
4. What do you think makes a marketing campaign successful or unsuccessful? Can you
recall any marketing campaigns that failed? What were the reasons for their failure?
Read the following statements and guess the meaning of the words in bold from the
context.
1. The company's new marketing campaign was a huge success, attracting thousands of
new customers within just a few weeks.
2. The team's decision to launch the product without proper testing turned out to be a
disastrous mistake, causing a major loss in sales.
3. There was a small mishap during the presentation, but the team quickly recovered and
continued with their pitch.
4. After the company raised its prices unfairly, several customers decided to organize a
boycott, refusing to buy any of its products.
5. The new app has raised concerns among privacy watchdogs who are worried about the
amount of personal data it collects from users.
6. The school's mascot, a giant lion, cheered on the football team during every home game,
becoming a symbol of school spirit.
7. In an effort to attract younger customers, the company underwent a complete
rebranding, changing its logo and even its product packaging.
8. After the announcement of the merger, the market value of the company soared, and
investors began showing great interest.
9. The new advertisement sparked controversy as many viewers found it offensive,
leading to debates on social media.
5. Watch the video Top 10 Marketing Fails and answer the questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxRqKgjD3vY&t=92s
1. Which marketing failure surprised you the most, and why do you think it resonated with
audiences in that way?
2. How did external factors, such as social or political climates, contribute to the failures
highlighted in the video? Can you identify any similar current events that might affect
marketing strategies today?
3. What role do you think consumer perception played in the failure of these marketing
campaigns? How important is it for marketers to understand their audience?
4. Discuss how a failed marketing campaign can impact a brand's reputation. Which
examples from the video illustrate this point most effectively?
5. What lessons can current marketers learn from these failures? How can they apply these
lessons to avoid similar mistakes in their campaigns?
READING
6. Have you ever been influenced by an advertisement? Can you share an example? Read
the text Criticism of Advertising and answer the questions below. Guess the meaning of
the words in bold.
While advertising is seen as important for economic growth, it also has negative effects
on society. It is increasingly present in public spaces, like schools, which some argue is
exploitation of children. Advertising uses psychological pressure, appealing to emotions, and
can be harmful.
Criticism of advertising is closely tied to criticism of the media. Critics argue that
advertising creates visual clutter in public spaces and on television, leads to environmental
pollution, and encourages overconsumption. It also raises ethical issues, such as subconscious
influence, privacy invasion, and targeting vulnerable groups.
Advertising has become so widespread that it even enters private spaces, such as the
internet and public restrooms. Some critics, like Hanno Rauterberg, describe advertising as a
new form of dictatorship that is difficult to escape. The growing practice of product
placement in movies and TV shows is another form of advertising that has become common.
Kalle Lasn, a strong critic, calls advertising “the most prevalent and toxic of the mental
pollutants.” In the U.S., people spend three years of their lives watching ads, and some argue
that advertising promotes consumption as a way of life rather than just selling products.
In the U.S., advertising is protected by the constitutional right to free speech, which
makes any attempt to restrict or ban it controversial. For example, advertising for tobacco and
alcohol, especially targeting children, remains a debated issue.
Advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry. In 2006, $391 billion was spent
worldwide, and in 2008, more money was spent on online advertising than on television ads
in the U.S. The main goal of advertising is to influence rather than inform. Advertisers use
emotions, desires, and fears to make people want products. Ads often associate products with
happiness, success, and social status. Children are particularly vulnerable to these techniques
and often don’t understand how ads work.
Advertising has become deeply integrated into culture and sports. Many events rely on
sponsorship, and fashion often features company logos. In sports, sponsorship is essential, and
new sports are added to the Olympics due to media influence.
Outdoor advertising has taken over many public spaces, like Times Square, and is now
a normal part of the environment. Over time, people have accepted advertising as part of daily
life.
Critics argue that advertising promotes harmful stereotypes, particularly about women.
Women are often shown in traditional roles or as objects of desire, and both men and women
are often portrayed in unrealistic ways that create pressure to look a certain way. Children are
prime targets for advertisers, who use emotional appeals to influence them and their parents.
Fast food chains, for example, spend billions on advertising to children, encouraging unhealthy
eating habits.
Ads for cigarettes and alcohol often present these products as fashionable and desirable,
especially to young people. These ads rarely show the negative consequences of smoking and
drinking.
Many organizations, including environmental and consumer protection groups, criticize
advertising for commercializing society and promoting wasteful consumption. The Anti-
Advertising Agency uses humor to raise awareness about the harmful effects of advertising,
particularly on children, and media literacy programs help people, especially young ones,
understand how advertising works.
1. What are some of the negative effects of advertising mentioned in the text?
2. How does advertising influence children differently from adults?
3. What is the criticism related to advertising in public spaces?
4. According to critics, how does advertising contribute to environmental pollution?
5. Why is advertising considered to be a form of "mental pollution" by some critics?
6. How has advertising impacted the relationship between media and sports?
7. What is the debate around advertising for products like tobacco and alcohol, especially
concerning children?
8. What role does advertising play in shaping cultural values and societal norms?
7. Discuss the following statements.
1. Advertising has both positive and negative impacts on society.
2. Advertising can strongly influence purchasing decisions, often leading to impulse buys.
3. Advertising affects children and teenagers in unique ways, and there should be stricter
regulations on ads targeting them.
4. Ethical concerns should be a priority for companies when creating ads, and there should
be limits on what can be advertised.
5. Advertising promotes a lifestyle of consumption, which can negatively affect people's
well-being.
6. The rise of online and social media advertising has drastically changed the way we
experience ads compared to traditional forms like TV or print.
7. There should be restrictions on advertising in public spaces such as schools or public
transport.
8. Advertising plays a significant role in shaping unrealistic standards of beauty, health,
and success.
SPEAKING
8. Advertiser’s Dilemma: Group Problem-solving.
Objective: Enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, and persuasive communication by
addressing the ethical challenges of advertising.
Instructions: An advertiser is tasked with creating a campaign for a product that has a
controversial impact on the environment, such as plastic packaging or fast fashion. In small
groups, discuss how you would advertise this product ethically, considering the social and
environmental consequences. You should also consider how to address potential criticism from
the public. Present your solutions and discuss whether it's possible to advertise harmful
products in a socially responsible way.
HOME TASK
9. Ad Critique: Analyze an Advertisement.
Objective: Critically assess the ethical implications of a specific advertisement.
Instructions: Find an advertisement (print, video, or online) that you believe has a controversial
or misleading message. Include a description of the advertisement and the product being
promoted, an analysis of the psychological techniques used in the ad (e.g., emotional appeal,
fear, or social pressure), an evaluation of whether the ad is ethical or not, explaining your
reasons, suggestions for how the ad could be made more ethical.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 17. Consumerism. Part 1
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. Do people buy too many things they don't need? What about you?
2. Why do people buy things they don't need and will never use?
3. Do you believe special occasions like Christmas or Easter have become too
commercial? Why or why not?
4. Do you think companies make products that are deliberately designed not to last? Can
you think of any examples?
2. Read the following statements. How closely do they reflect you? Share your thoughts
with your partner.
1. I don’t have a lot of disposable income. After paying for rent, food, electricity, gas, and
water, there’s not much left to spend on anything.
2. Shopping is mostly a waste of time and money buying things we don’t need. For me,
it’s more important to save money for the future
3. Shopping is one of my favorite activities. I like to go window shopping, to see what’s
new in the stores. I usually buy a couple of new things each week, even if I don’t really
need them.
4. I can’t control my spending. When I enter a store, I almost always purchase something.
5. I dislike shopping. When I must buy something, I enter the store, buy it, and get out as
quickly as possible.
LISTENING
3. You are going to watch a video by The Atlantic called “America's Dopamine-Fueled
Shopping Addiction”. Before watching, match the words with their definitions. Fill in the
gaps in the sentences below.
1. To splash out a) to do a large amount of shopping.
2. To shop till you drop b) legal protection given to people who purchase goods
or services from businesses.
3. To keep up with the c) to spend a lot of money on something.
Joneses
4. Guilty pleasure d) a possession which shows a person's status or wealth.
5. Status symbol e) something that one enjoys despite knowing that it is
considered bad or unhealthy (such as a film, music or
food).
6. Consumer rights f) to envy what others have and to use their possessions
as a social benchmark for one's own status.
1. Your …… give you four weeks to return any product you are not happy with to the shop
you bought it from for a full refund.
2. My husband is always trying to ……; last week he bought a new lawnmower because
he saw the neighbour had one.
3. There is no greater …… than a four-wheel drive vehicle.
4. New York was fantastic! We went to Fifth Avenue and we ……!
5. My …… is Ben & Jerry's ice-cream.
6. He spends money like it's going out of fashion; last month he even …… on a new Audi!
4. Watch the video and answer the questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWHJ29-s4U
1. What is the main argument presented in the video regarding consumerism in the U.S.?
2. How has online shopping changed consumer behavior according to the speaker?
3. According to the video, how much did Americans spend on goods in 2017? How does
this compare to spending in 2002?
4. What are some reasons mentioned for why consumers continue to buy more items
despite having an abundance of goods?
5. Consider the concept of a “year of no shopping.” What challenges do you think one
might face in attempting this?
5. Discuss the following questions.
1. Discuss the psychological aspects of shopping mentioned in the video. How do
dopamine hits relate to consumer behavior?
2. What are some potential solutions to combat wasteful consumerism that were suggested
in the video? Which do you think would be most effective?
READING
6. Read the quote of Mahatma Gandhi: “The Earth has enough for everyone's need but
not for everyone's greed”. Do you agree with him? Read the text Consumer society and
answer the questions below.
If we only bought things we needed, there would be enough for everybody. What do we
need? What you need depends on how old you are and your way of life. If we don’t need to
buy so much, we don’t need to work so much. We can take part-time jobs or reduce our
working day from 8 hours to 6 hours. Some people are leaving very well paid jobs to live a
healthier life in the countryside or a more exciting life abroad. This is called ‘downshifting’.
Parents can spend more time with their children and the unemployed are given more
opportunities to work.
If we start to respect saving the earth more than spending money, we will become
‘conservers’. When we are conservers, we try to choose environmentally-friendly products
which are durable and last a long time. We may find growing our own vegetables or making
our own clothes more rewarding than buying them.
What was the best thing you bought last week?
Could you choose from lots of different types? We like having a choice of what to buy.
People who buy things are called consumers. Consumers have choices. We usually choose the
colour, taste, smell or size of what we buy, but there are other choices we can make. The
following questions will help you to consider these choices.
Where was it made?
If you don’t like the place it was made, you might decide not to buy that particular
product. A lot of people don’t buy products from certain countries when they don’t like the
way the country is run. Was it made in a factory or on a local farm? If the product was
unbelievably cheap, the people who made it might not have been paid much.
Who made it?
Do you know? If a friend made it, you probably like it more and you will want to keep
it for a long time. If it was made by somebody who enjoyed making it, the quality and the
design are probably better. Or does it look like it might have been assembled in a large factory?
There are children in Asia who make Santa Claus dolls for European children to play with.
The children who make the toys don’t celebrate Christmas because they are not Christian; they
think of the dolls as work. Would it be better if the children in Europe made their own
Christmas dolls?
What is it made from?
One of the places where we want to buy expensive luxuries is at the airport’s duty-free
shop. Next to the chocolate and cigarettes, there are beautifully-shaped bottles and compact
boxes full of perfumes and creams which promise to make you look and feel more beautiful.
If you look at the ingredients you will find that the perfumes are mainly alcohol and the creams
are mainly made of petroleum!
Almost all products are sold in packaging. Some products have too much packaging,
creating more rubbish and using up resources. Some use recycled packaging, which is better
for the environment.
Next time you go shopping, think about what you really need to buy. Don’t deprive
yourself of things you like, but decide what you should buy before you go out, so that you
won’t be influenced by advertisements or promotions. If it is more expensive to buy goods
which don’t have much packaging and things which are more durable, buy less. If you can
choose to work less, decide which things you would like to make, do or grow yourself. Even
though you have less money, your life will become richer!
1. What is ‘downshifting’?
2. What is the definition of ‘conservers’?
3. What is the definition of ‘consumers’?
4. What criteria do we use when we make choices about buying things according to the
article?
5. What are perfumes and creams usually made of?
6. What will happen to us if we have less money according to the article?
SPEAKING
7. Debate on Consumerism: Structured Argumentation.
Objective: Enhance critical thinking, persuasive communication, and public speaking skills by
exploring differing perspectives on consumerism.
Instructions: Divide into two groups: one supporting consumerism and the other opposing it.
Each group will prepare arguments to defend their position, considering economic, social, and
environmental impacts. After 10 minutes of preparation, conduct a structured debate where
each side presents their arguments followed by a rebuttal. Make sure to use evidence and
examples to support your claims.
HOME TASK
8. Perspectives on Consumerism: A Reflective Essay.
Objective: Analyze differing viewpoints on consumerism and articulate a personal stance.
Instructions: Write a reflective essay discussing the debate surrounding consumerism. Some
people argue that an excessive focus on material possessions detracts from what is truly
important in life, while others believe that consumerism drives societal advancement and
innovation. Present both perspectives, providing examples to illustrate each argument.
Conclude by stating which viewpoint you agree with and why, supporting your position with
logical reasoning and personal reflections.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 18. Consumerism. Part 2
WARM-UP
1. Look at four types of shoppers. Which kind (or kinds) are you? Share your experience.
• Impulsive shopper: This type of shopper loves anything on sale. In fact, if a sign says
40% off, you can be sure the impulsive shopper will buy it. They get caught up in the
excitement and often purchase items that are not needed.
• Brand shopper: The brand shopper is an advertiser’s dream and loves to see a label.
This shopper is heavily influenced by marketing and likes to know the latest trends and
fashions. Sometimes has problems controlling monthly expenditure.
• Careful shopper: This shopper tends to enter the store only when needed. When buying
big ticket items, this shopper looks for reviews online, and finds out what other people
think of the item. They may take weeks to make a final decision.
• Cheap-is-best shopper: This shopper will always buy the cheapest items, believing that
everything else is overpriced, loves to talk about how inexpensive an item was, and
often scoffs when you reveal how much you pay for certain things.
2. Watch the animated video. Summarize what you see. What have you noticed (any
words on the screen, modified companies’ logos, etc.)? There are a lot of things hidden in
the video, so if you want to learn more, you can read this article.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9dZQelULDk&t=87s
READING
3. Look at the opening lines to the text about consumerism and answer the questions.
It’s 4:57 in the morning. In front of the large glass doors of a major department store, an
increasingly large crowd of people is gathering.
1. Why are people waiting in front of the doors at 5am?
2. What do you think the author is going to describe next?
3. What else do you think the author will write about in this text?
4. Match the words you will see in the article with their definitions.
1. Frenzy a) Highly destructive or damaging
2. Devastating b) A temporary warzone that occurs wherever factions are waging
war or civil war against each other
3. Surge c) A state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior
4. Compulsion d) Lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated or
unsophisticated
5. Conflict zone e) An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way
6. Ignorant f) A sudden powerful forward or upward movement, especially by
a crowd or by a natural force such as the tide
5. Read the text, thinking about the main points that the author makes. Choose the best
heading for the entire text. Discuss the questions below.
A. Consumers Don’t Control Spending
B. Negative Impacts Of Uncontrolled Consumerism
C. Black Friday: Out Of Control?
D. Why Shopping Never Makes Us Happy
E. Shopping Is An Environmental Disaster For The Planet And An Economic Disaster For
Us
It’s 4:57 in the morning. In front of the large glass doors of a major department store,
an increasingly large crowd of people is gathering. Dressed in warm clothing to combat the
frigid, winter weather, hundreds of people wait patiently, chatting among themselves. In the
semi-darkness and cold, they are visibly excited. The doors are about to open.
In the following 24 hours, shoppers will spend $50 billion dollars in the United States
alone. Almost a quarter of this amount will be spent on electronic items, such as smartphones,
tablets, computers, and other gadgets that compete with our digital obsession. This
uncontrolled shopping frenzy, ironically known as Black Friday, is making us blind to the
environmental and societal impacts of consumerism.
Our obsession with technology is making us blind to the devastating effects that
consumerism has on the environment. When the department store entrance opens, the crowd
will surge forward and rush to grab the latest smartphone or whichever electronic item is on
sale. The marketing departments of retailers everywhere will have spent millions on
advertising. Advertising that promises us a better life, if we’d only purchase that item on sale.
However, our compulsion to buy, buy, buy is costing us the earth. Most electronic items today
are either impossible to repair or will become obsolete. Without thinking, shoppers purchase
items that will end up discarded in landfill in a short space of time. Across the planet, we
dispose of up to 50 million tons of e-waste each year.
Likewise, the uncontrolled consumerism of Black Friday has an enormously negative
impact on society. In the frenzy, we do not stop to think about the conditions under which
many of the items are made. Millions of workers operate, far from the fancy stores, in
unacceptable and sometimes dangerous conditions. In Africa, minerals are mined in conflict
zones to provide materials for the latest smartphone. In China, suicides have been linked to
low wages in electronic manufacturing. These factories supply electronics for some of the
world’s largest brands. Nevertheless, shoppers remain ignorant about the societal damage that
consumerism creates.
If any change in our shopping habits is going to occur, it will need to come from
environmental groups. Advertising has never made us do anything other than consume more.
Glossy advertisements promise a better life with a clean and efficient future. Marketing has no
desire to make us buy less.
However, not everyone buys without thinking. In 1992, the first Buy Nothing Day took
place; and it occurs annually on the same day as Black Friday. The first Buy Nothing Day took
place in Canada, with the hope that people would think about over-consumption. Today, more
than 65 countries participate in Buy Nothing Day; though of course, it might be a losing battle.
1. The author contrasts Black Friday with Buy Nothing Day. In your opinion, how
confident is the author that people will stop over-consuming?
2. The author points out several environmental and societal impacts? What are they?
3. What does the author imply about the marketing and advertising industries?
4. In general, do you agree with the author?
6. What do you think about the following quotes?
• “The one who dies with the most toys wins” – A bumper sticker.
• “There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more.
The other is to desire less” - G.K. Chesterton.
• “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell” - Edward Abbey.
• “It all depends on whether you have things, or they have you” - Robert A. Cook.
• “The people who have more money and goods than any people in the history of the
world spend most of their time worrying about not having enough” - Jim Wallis.
LISTENING
7. Look at the title of the video you are about to watch: “3 Brain Hacks to Control Your
Amazon Addiction”. Predict what strategies might be discussed. Think about how
emotions influence shopping decisions. Watch the video and answer the questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI008BjVZUE&t=1s
1. What are the main reasons Terry Wu gives for why people struggle with impulse
buying?
2. How does the limbic system influence our shopping habits compared to the frontal
cortex?
3. What strategies did Wu suggest for resisting shopping impulses? Discuss their
practicality.
SPEAKING
8. The Psychology of Shopping.
Objective: Enhance speaking fluency and critical thinking by exploring the psychological
factors influencing shopping behaviors.
Instructions: Divide into small groups of 4-5. Each group will discuss the psychological
aspects that affect their shopping decisions, such as emotional triggers, advertising influence,
and peer pressure. Share personal experiences related to impulse buying and how you have
managed it. After 15 minutes of discussion, summarize your key points and share them with
the class, highlighting any common themes or unique insights.
HOME TASK
9. The Impact of Marketing Strategies on Consumer Behavior.
Objective: Explore and analyze the effectiveness of specific marketing strategies in
influencing consumer decisions.
Instructions: Choose a marketing strategy (such as limited-time offers, loyalty programs, or
social media advertising) and conduct research to understand its impact on consumer behavior.
Summarize your findings in the form of a presentation, discussing how this strategy works, its
effectiveness, and any real-world examples from companies that successfully utilize it. Include
both positive and negative aspects of the strategy and consider its implications for consumers.
Length: no less than 5 slides.
Lesson 19. Fast fashion
WARM-UP
1. Without checking any tags, make note of what you are wearing today and answer the
questions below.
1. What pieces of clothing make up the outfit you are wearing today?
2. Where is each piece of clothing from?
3. Do you know anything about the stores or brands you are wearing?
4. Do you know where in the world your clothing was made?
2. What do you think clothing has to do with climate change? Look at the tags on your
clothing. Make note of who made the clothing. Pick one of the brands you are wearing
today. Use your phones to research and answer the following questions.
1. How does this brand make their clothes?
2. Where does this brand make their clothes?
3. Where does this brand make their clothes?
4. How do you feel about what you learned?
READING
3. Match the words from the editorial you are about to read with their definitions.
1. beckon a) a long elegant dress worn on formal occasions.
2. deliberation b) to cause something to continue indefinitely.
3. gown c) the cost or damage resulting from something.
4. landfill d) to signal or summon, as by nodding or waving.
5. perpetuate e) a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial.
6. staple f) shopping for second-hand items, especially clothes.
7. toll g) careful consideration or discussion before making a decision.
8. thrifting h) a main or important item.
4. Read the editorial of New York Times How Fast Fashion Became Faster – and Worse
for the Earth, answer the following comprehension questions.
This essay, by Evelyn Wang, age 17, from Naperville North High School in Naperville,
Ill., is one of the Top 11 winners of The Learning Network’s Ninth Annual Student Editorial
Contest, for which we received 16,664 entries.
How Fast Fashion Became Faster — and Worse for the Earth
The spring dance is in two weeks, and my friend needs help choosing a dress. She
beckons me to her phone where an endless mosaic of elegant dresses, not one over $20, dances
before my eyes. After much deliberation, she settles on a glamorous sapphire gown with
pleated details lining the bodice. Another two weeks later, the dress carpets the bottom of a
landfill, worn only once.
Welcome to the world of fast fashion.
Fast fashion is a relatively recent phenomenon. During the 1990s, retailers began to
introduce trendy, cheaply-priced, poorly-made clothes on a weekly basis, intending to match
the breakneck pace at which fashion trends move. Style became cheap, convenient and
consumable.
Fast fashion, however, is ultimately a privilege. It is a privilege to buy clothes solely for
their style, and it is a privilege to ignore the environmental consequences of doing so. In reality,
the aggressive cycle of consumption perpetuated by fast fashion means that the clothes we
wear are now more likely than ever to end up as part of the 92 million tons of textile waste
produced annually.
During the pandemic, as stores closed, consumers ditched fast fashion staples such as
H&M and Zara, instead opting to order from e-commerce social media sensations such as
Shein and Asos. (Shein is now valued at $100 billion, more than H&M and Zara combined.)
These brands represent an escalation of both fast fashion and its environmental toll.
These fast fashion newcomers thrived during the pandemic because of their unique
business models. They exist entirely online, allowing them to ship the thousands of new styles
they release daily to consumers directly from their warehouses, avoiding supply chain snags
and U.S. import duties in the process. Meanwhile, a reliance on cheap overseas labor and
synthetic textiles keeps prices irresistibly low.
These practices, however, are hurting the Earth more than ever before. Because these
retailers rely solely on international shipping to move their products, they only exacerbate the
annual billion tons of greenhouse gasses released by shipping. Virtually all of these brands sell
clothes that contain petroleum-based, resource-intensive synthetic fibers such as polyester and
nylon. During their lifetime, these fibers are responsible for 35 percent of the microplastics
contaminating our oceans and can subsequently take centuries to decompose in landfills.
Though fast fashion represents an understandably alluring combination of style and
savings, now, more than ever, we simply cannot quantify the true cost of our clothing with a
price tag. When consumers want to update their wardrobe, they can do so sustainably by
thrifting, reworking old garments or researching environmentally-conscious brands.
For now, I’ll be at my next school dance rocking the same dress I did last year.
1. How does the writer draw you into the story in the first two paragraphs? Use specific
examples of word choice or voice.
2. What is “fast fashion?” When did it originate?
3. According to the author, how is fast fashion a privilege? Do you agree or disagree with
these statements?
4. How did the pandemic exacerbate the fast fashion phenomenon?
5. What fast fashion industry practices contribute to climate change?
6. What are three individual-level solutions the author proposes for those who want to
make more sustainable fashion choices?
5. Discuss the following questions:
1. Do you recognize any of the brands the editorial mentioned?
2. Do you or anyone you know wear any of the brands?
3. Why are fast fashion brands so popular?
4. How does fast fashion negatively affect the environment?
LISTENING
6. Watch the video How 7.5 Million lbs of Donated Clothes End Up at a Market in Ghana
Every Week and answer the following questions in a group discussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNTj8hud2og
1. How do you feel after watching this video?
2. What stands out to you the most from the video?
3. What connections can you make between the video and the editorial?
4. What do you think is the life cycle of a shirt from H&M?
5. Based on what you’ve learned so far, does fast fashion impact all communities in the
same way?
6. How does fast fashion impact human rights?
7. Determine your own fashion footprint using ThredUp’s Fashion Footprint Calculator.
Reflect on the results using the questions below.
https://www.thredup.com/fashionfootprint/
1. Is your fashion footprint low, medium, or high?
2. What percent lower or higher is your fashion footprint compared to the average
consumer?
3. Did anything surprise you about your results?
SPEAKING
8. Ethical Dilemma: Switching from Fast Fashion to Sustainability.
Objective: Develop speaking fluency and critical thinking by debating the ethical and practical
considerations of transitioning to sustainable fashion.
Instructions: Divide into small groups of 4-5. Each group will take on specific roles: CEO,
Head of Marketing, Sustainability Consultant, Customer Representative, and Factory
Manager. Discuss the potential benefits and challenges of switching from fast fashion
production to a sustainable model. Explore issues like environmental impact, profitability,
consumer demand, and employee well-being. After 20 minutes of discussion, each group will
summarize their decision and explain the reasoning behind it, sharing key insights with the
class.
HOME TASK
9. Sustainable Fashion Lookbook.
Objective: Explore the environmental benefits of sustainable fashion by creating a visual
representation that highlights low-impact clothing choices.
Instructions: Create a “lookbook” or “before/after” visual using magazine clippings or online
images. Focus on fashion items with a low climate change impact. Label the images with key
information from this lesson, including at least one data point related to climate change.
Incorporate local connections, such as where to find secondhand clothing or locally produced
sustainable fashion. Write a paragraph explaining how the depicted outfit is better for both
people and the planet. Discuss its environmental impact and social benefits.
Length: Minimum of 1 lookbook page with accompanying paragraph.
PART 6. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES IN ADVERTISING
Lesson 20. Advertising in a Globalized World
WARM-UP
1. Watch several ads of the same company, McDonald’s, in the USA, Taiwan, the KSA
(the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Denmark and India) and analyze them using the
questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMLrVP_E-jA
1. How are the ads different?
2. Why do you think the ad was adapted in this way?
3. What cultural factors might have influenced the changes?
4. What do you think is the most effective adaptation, and why?
2. Match each vocabulary term with its correct definition. Once matched, discuss with a
partner how each term relates to advertising in a globalized world.
1. Global Branding a. Creating advertisements that are customized for different
cultural markets.
2. Localization b. Dividing a market into different segments based on
factors such as age, income, or location.
3. Cultural Adaptation c. Creating consistent brand messages across all markets
while maintaining global recognition.
4. Standardized Campaigns d. Adapting advertising strategies to fit the cultural, social,
and language differences of different regions.
5. Market Segmentation e. Using the same advertising strategy across multiple
countries with minimal changes.
LISTENING
3. What marketing strategies do you think Coca-Cola uses? Watch the video Coca
Cola's Global Marketing Strategy Explained and answer the following questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j59TQu_0sow
1. What are the key elements of Coca-Cola’s global marketing strategy?
2. How does Coca-Cola create an emotional connection with its consumers?
3. In what ways does Coca-Cola adapt its marketing to different cultures?
4. What role does innovation play in Coca-Cola’s strategy?
5. How does Coca-Cola demonstrate social responsibility in its marketing?
4. Discuss the following questions:
1. How important is it for a brand to create an emotional connection with consumers? Can
you think of a brand that successfully does this? Why do you think it works?
2. How can brands maintain a global presence while ensuring their marketing resonates
locally? What challenges might they face when trying to balance both?
READING
5. Before reading the text, discuss the following questions.
1. What do you think are the challenges for companies when expanding into global
markets?
2. How important do you think technology companies are in the process of globalization?
3. What factors do you believe contribute to the success of a company going global?
4. Can you think of any examples of non-U.S. companies that have become global giants?
Why do you think these companies succeeded?
6. Read the article Globalization of Technology Ventures: Lessons from Israel and answer
the following comprehension questions.
Technology is universal, and its markets are relatively culture-neutral. In theory,
technology companies should be the easiest to globalize. Despite this, few tech startups outside
of the U.S. or major technology markets have grown into global giants. So, why is this the
case? In this article, Gideon Tolkowsky, principal of Israel-based BME Capital Management,
shares lessons from Israeli high-tech startups that may also apply to advertising in a globalized
world.
Globalization is often seen as a given, especially in technology. However, while
technology markets are less affected by cultural differences, the challenge remains: why do
some technology startups fail to expand globally, even when their products have universal
appeal? One measure of global success is the number of non-U.S. companies traded on the
NASDAQ. For instance, while there are companies from countries like Japan, the UK, and
Germany, Israel stands out with 63 companies listed on the exchange, despite its small
population of just over 7 million.
The question is: how does a small country like Israel, far from major tech hubs, create
so many globally successful companies? And can the lessons learned in Israel apply to larger
economies with growing technology sectors, like India or Brazil?
For technology ventures, particularly product-based companies, going global is crucial
from the start. A company that cannot compete in major global markets will struggle, even in
its home market. For example, while local brands might succeed in specific sectors (like
Turkish beer in Turkey), a technology product such as a computer modem needs global market
acceptance to thrive. This principle applies to both small economies like Israel and larger ones
like India or Brazil.
The key takeaway is that technology startups must aim to compete in major international
markets early in their lifecycle. This means entering the U.S., Japan, or South Korea, which
are primary markets for many technology sectors, regardless of where the startup is based.
For any tech startup—whether in Israel or elsewhere—the business plan should adopt a
global perspective from day one. Products, distribution strategies, pricing, competition,
intellectual property, and management all need to be designed with the aim of reaching the
largest and most competitive markets from the beginning.
Israeli companies, for instance, often launched their first sales outside Israel, typically
in the U.S. This approach helped them gain credibility in primary markets before returning to
sell locally. The lesson for global advertising is clear: to succeed internationally, a company
needs strong references from top markets to back up its product's reputation.
For startups looking to grow internationally, building synergy between customers and
shareholders is essential. In a globalized world, investors with international experience can
help a company bridge cultural gaps and build credibility in foreign markets. This is especially
true when a company wants to go public or close deals with international clients.
For example, Israeli startups often benefited from investors or partners who had strong
ties to the U.S., helping them build the necessary reputation and customer base to succeed.
Similarly, advertising campaigns that reach diverse audiences should incorporate feedback
from international investors and clients to ensure a wider appeal.
As tech companies expand globally, many rely on indirect distribution channels.
However, there is a risk of becoming isolated from the market. High-tech startups, particularly
those located far from key markets, must engage in "shadow marketing"—actively
participating in their distribution channels, even if it means challenging the preferences of
distributors. This helps companies stay connected to market trends and maintain direct
communication with customers.
Similarly, in global advertising, brands need to ensure their marketing strategies remain
relevant across different markets. Simply relying on local distributors may not be enough;
brands must maintain a presence and adapt their advertising to local tastes while keeping a
global brand image.
A critical issue for international tech startups is the disconnect between R&D and sales
teams. In companies that operate across borders, the distance between these teams can lead to
misunderstandings. To overcome this, companies must encourage regular interaction between
R&D and sales, creating opportunities for engineers to understand market demands and for
salespeople to grasp technical challenges.
In advertising, the integration of creative teams with sales and marketing ensures that
campaigns are both innovative and strategically aligned with business goals. This approach
fosters better communication, allowing teams to respond quickly to changing market
conditions and cultural differences.
Finally, the most important lesson for tech startups in a globalized world is to foster an
international corporate culture from day one. This means hiring people who are culturally
aware and ensuring that communication, whether by phone, email, or video call, is always in
English. The culture of the company should encourage cross-cultural communication, making
employees feel comfortable in diverse environments.
For advertising in a globalized world, this approach is vital. A company must think
globally and act globally. By establishing an international corporate culture, companies can
adapt their advertising strategies to local markets while maintaining a cohesive global brand
image.
The lessons from Israel’s tech startups provide valuable insights into how companies in
any industry, including advertising, can thrive in a globalized world. Whether you are in a
small or large economy, the key is to think globally from the very start. By embracing
international perspectives, integrating R&D with global sales, and building a global corporate
culture, businesses can expand successfully into new markets, and advertising can resonate
with diverse audiences worldwide.
1. Why are technology companies often considered easier to globalize than other types of
businesses?
2. What is the significance of the U.S. market for Israeli startups?
3. How can Israeli tech startups teach us about global business strategies?
4. What is meant by "shadow marketing," and why is it important for companies expanding
globally?
5. How do global startups manage the disconnect between R&D and sales teams?
6. Why is building a global corporate culture important for international expansion?
7. Discuss in pairs or small groups how advertising strategies need to change when
targeting different cultural markets.
1. How would an advertising campaign for a luxury car differ in the U.S. versus Japan or
India?
2. What cultural factors must be considered when advertising a fast-food brand globally?
3. How might digital ads differ from traditional ads when entering different markets?
SPEAKING
8. Global Market Research Report.
Objective: Enhance speaking skills and critical thinking by analyzing global advertising
strategies and presenting findings on how brands adapt their campaigns to different markets.
Instructions: Divide into small groups of 4-5. Choose a specific brand (e.g., Coca-Cola, Nike,
McDonald’s, or Apple) and investigate how it tailors its advertising strategies in three different
global markets (e.g., the U.S., China, and Brazil). Focus on elements such as cultural
adaptation, media platforms, and messaging. Present your findings, highlighting key
differences and similarities in the brand’s approach to each market.
HOME TASK
9. Global Ad Analysis.
Objective: Analyze global advertising strategies by comparing and contrasting campaigns
from different markets.
Instructions: Choose a global brand (e.g., Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola) and find two
advertisements: one from the brand's home country and one from an international market.
Briefly describe the ad from its home country, its target audience, and the key message it
conveys. Describe the ad from the international market, its target audience, and its main
message. Discuss whether the ad is culturally adapted to the international market or
standardized across both countries. xplain how cultural, social, or economic factors might have
influenced the brand's advertising strategy in the two markets.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 21. Consumer rights
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What are consumer rights? Why do we need them?
2. What rights do you think you should have as a consumer?
3. Do you always read the terms and conditions when making a purchase online?
4. What consumer rights do you have in your country? What rights do you have when you
buy a product?
5. Have you ever cancelled a service? Was it easy to do?
2. Take the quiz to challenge your knowledge in consumer rights issues in Belarus.
1. Consumers in Belarus are entitled to a refund for defective products, even if they do not
have a receipt.
2. The Belarusian government guarantees the right to free repairs for electronic products
that are under warranty.
3. Consumers in Belarus do not have the right to compensation if a product purchased is
not as advertised.
4. A company in Belarus can change the terms of a service contract at any time without
informing the customer.
5. The Belarusian Consumer Protection Law applies to both local and foreign products
sold in Belarus.
6. Consumers in Belarus can file complaints about product quality or services only within
one month of purchase.
7. A Belarusian consumer has the right to a free trial period when buying a service such as
internet or mobile subscriptions.
8. Belarusian consumers can request compensation if they are injured by a faulty product,
even if they are not the original purchaser.
9. All goods sold in Belarus must have clear labeling in Russian, and sometimes
Belarusian, to ensure consumers are informed.
10.Consumers in Belarus are legally entitled to a refund if they simply change their mind
about a non-defective product within 14 days.
LISTENING
3. You are going to watch a video by The Guardian called “A guide to your consumer
rights” about consumer rights in the UK. Before watching, match the words from the
video with their definitions. Fill in the gaps below.
1. to take (something) back a) to give the money for a product back to the
customer if they are not satisfied.
2. to overcharge b) a promise from a retailer or manufacturer
regarding the quality of its product, or a promise
to refund, repair or replace the product if faulty
3. (to) refund c) some kind of evidence that confirms a purchase
was made
4. to recall (a product), product d) to return something to its origin.
recall
5. proof of purchase e) to remove a product from sale if there are
concerns over its safety; to request customers
return a product due to safety concerns
6. guarantee / warranty f) to charge too much money for something
1. I had to …… my TV …… to the shop as we couldn't hear any sound.
2. If you lose your receipt, don't worry; you can just show your bank statement with the
transaction as …… .
3. Le Creuset are so confident in the durability of their cast-iron pots and other cookware
that they offer a lifetime …… .
4. Tasty Bites had to …… all their cereal after a customer found pieces of glass in one of
the boxes.
5. The shop will not give a …… for any underwear bought whether it has been worn or
not.
6. When your flight lands you will find the taxis waiting outside the airport, but make sure
they don't …… you; it's only supposed to cost $10 to the city centre.
4. Watch the video and discuss the following questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgT-w2qhuE
1. Do you always check the retailer's refund policy before buying something?
2. Do you keep all your receipts in case you need them as proof of purchase?
3. How long do you have to take something back for a refund?
4. What rights do you have when you shop online? Is it different to buying in the shop?
5. What legal action could you take against a retailer you thought had violated your
consumer rights?
6. Which government department or agency is responsible for regulating consumer rights?
Do you think they do a good job?
READING
5. You are about read the text Introduction to Consumer Rights. Look at 6 key consumer
rights and guess what they are about.
1. The Right to Safety
2. The Right to Be Informed
3. The Right to Choose
4. The Right to Be Heard
5. The Right to Redress
6. The Right to Consumer Education
6. Read the text and match the rights above to their description. Answer the questions
below.
Consumer rights are the legal and ethical entitlements of individuals when purchasing
goods and services. These rights are designed to protect consumers from exploitation, fraud,
and unfair practices by businesses. Across the world, consumer protection laws vary from
country to country, but the core principles remain the same. Every consumer has the right to
receive safe products, be fully informed about their purchases, and seek redress in case of
disputes.
Key Consumer Rights:
A. Consumers are entitled to a variety of products and services at competitive prices. This
right protects consumers from monopolies and ensures that businesses offer different
options for each type of product. Consumers also have the right to opt for a good freely,
without being coerced or manipulated by deceptive advertising.
B. When consumers are dissatisfied with a product or service, they are entitled to
compensation. This might take the form of a refund, replacement, or repair. If a product
is faulty, consumers have the right to return it within a specified period after purchase.
C. This right ensures that products purchased by consumers are safe for use. It covers goods
such as food, medicines, toys, and electronics. If a product causes harm or injury,
consumers can claim compensation from the manufacturer or seller.
D. This right ensures that consumers can voice their concerns or complaints and expect a
response. Whether through customer service, regulatory bodies, or legal channels,
consumers should be able to seek redress for unsatisfactory products or services.
E. Consumers should be educated about their rights and responsibilities. This enables them
to make informed decisions when purchasing goods and services, as well as to recognize
when they have been treated unfairly.
F. Consumers must be provided with all necessary information about the products and
services they purchase. This includes clear labels, accurate descriptions, and disclosures
about any potential risks or side effects. For example, food products must have
nutritional information, while electronic products should have details about the warranty
and instructions for safe use.
1. What is the primary purpose of consumer rights?
2. Why is the Right to Be Informed important for consumers?
3. What should consumers be able to do under the Right to Be Heard?
4. Give an example of how the Right to Safety can apply to a consumer purchase.
5. What does the Right to Redress mean for consumers?
6. How does the Right to Consumer Education help protect consumers?
SPEAKING
7. Hypothetical Consumer Rights Scenarios.
Objective: Develop speaking and critical thinking skills by discussing hypothetical consumer
rights situations and applying consumer protection principles.
Instructions: In pairs, discuss he following hypothetical consumer rights scenarios, focusing
on what rights the consumer has, how you should address the issue, and what steps you could
take if your rights are not respected. Think how you would apply consumer rights and what
the best course of action would be.
Scenarios:
1. Faulty Product: You purchase a laptop online, and upon arrival, you notice the screen
has several dead pixels. The store claims that refunds are not allowed for sale items, and
the issue isn't covered under warranty.
2. Misleading Advertising: You see an online advertisement for "50% off" winter jackets,
but when you arrive at the store, the sale only applies to certain colors and sizes, and is
available only for online orders.
3. Defective Service: You join a gym with the promise of diverse fitness classes. After a
month, you discover that many classes are rarely available, and when you ask for a
refund, the gym states the contract limits any refund claims.
HOME TASK
8. Consumer Complaint Process.
Objective: Analyze a real-world consumer complaint scenario and evaluate the effectiveness
of the complaint process.
Instructions: Find a real case study where a consumer faced an issue with a product or service
(e.g., faulty products, misleading advertising, or poor customer service). Briefly summarize
the situation, including the product or service involved, the consumer’s complaint, and the
company’s response. Discuss the steps the consumer took to resolve the issue, whether their
rights were violated, and how the company handled the complaint. Evaluate if the response
was fair and in line with consumer protection laws. Based on your findings, suggest what
actions the consumer could have taken to better protect their rights and what the company
could have done differently to avoid the issue.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 22. Trends and fads: they come and go
WARM-UP
1. Talking points.
1. What’s the difference between a trend and a fad?
2. How do they affect business?
3. Should companies ignore fads or try to exploit them?
2. Look at some of popular trends and fads from the past. Guess the name and time
period of the trend or fad. Which of these do you remember, and did you follow any of
them?
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
3. Match each vocabulary word with its correct definition. Create sentences using the
vocabulary.
1. Trend a) Publicity or promotion that exaggerates the importance or value of
something.
2. Fad b) Considered normal or conventional; accepted by the majority.
3. Hype c) A general direction in which something is developing or changing.
4. Fleeting d) Long-lasting or able to withstand time.
5. Enduring e) No longer in use because something better exists; outdated.
6. Mainstream f) Lasting for a very short time; brief.
7. Obsolete g) A short-lived but intense enthusiasm for something, especially one
shared by many people.
LISTENING
4. What is a recent fad you’ve noticed? Can you think of a trend that has persisted over
time? Watch the video Fads vs Trends and answer the questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMx7P8m5Bf8
1. What are the key characteristics that differentiate a fad from a trend, as discussed in the
video?
2. How does the video describe the longevity of trends compared to fads? Provide
examples mentioned in the video to support your answer.
3. According to the video, why is it important for organizations to understand the
difference between fads and trends in their strategic planning?
4. What specific examples of fads and trends does the speaker provide in the video? How
do these examples illustrate the concepts discussed?
5. What engagement strategies does the video suggest organizations can use to effectively
leverage trends while avoiding fads?
5. Discuss the following questions.
1. In what ways do you think social media influences the rise and fall of fads? Can you
think of any recent examples where this has been evident?
2. The video discusses how trends can lead to long-term changes. What factors do you
think contribute to a trend becoming sustainable over time?
3. Why is it crucial for organizations to identify and adapt to trends rather than fads? How
can misjudging a fad as a trend affect their strategies and outcomes?
READING
6. You are going to read the article The Science of Trends: Why Some Fads Don’t Stick
Around. Before reading, discuss the questions below.
1. Have you ever played a mobile game that became very popular? What made it
addictive?
2. Why do you think some games or apps become global sensations, while others don’t?
3. How would you feel if a game you loved was suddenly removed from the App
Store/Play Market/etc.?
7. Read the article and mark the statements below as True or False.
The Science of Trends: Why Some Fads Don’t Stick Around
On February 8, 2014, an app called Flappy Bird became the most popular game in the
Apple App Store. Its 29-year-old creator, Dong Nguyen, was reportedly earning $50,000 a day
from the game. However, just as quickly as it rose to fame, the game disappeared.
In a surprising tweet, Nguyen announced, “I am sorry Flappy Bird users, 22 hours from
now, I will take Flappy Bird down. I cannot take this anymore.” True to his word, the game
was removed the next day. This isn’t how success usually ends.
Flappy Bird was downloaded over 50 million times and sparked a worldwide obsession.
The goal of the game was simple: guide a pixelated bird through gaps in pipes. Yet, it was
oddly addictive. TechCrunch writer Josh Constine described it as “the dominatrix of mobile
games” because of its challenging nature. But why do some trends capture our attention so
powerfully, only to fade away just as fast?
The phenomenon of Flappy Bird mirrors other addictive experiences, such as hit TV
shows or viral games. For example, the television series Breaking Bad, which aired in 2008,
became hugely popular by following a gripping formula. Each episode presented a conflict,
built suspense, and left viewers eager to see what would happen next.
Humans are naturally drawn to stories that keep us guessing. Researchers have found
that when we engage with a story, we often feel the emotions of the main character. This
connection keeps us invested in finding out how the story ends. However, even the most
compelling shows or games lose their charm eventually. Once the mystery is solved or the
challenge is mastered, the excitement fades.
Games like Flappy Bird or FarmVille by Zynga also follow this pattern. FarmVille,
released in 2009, became a global sensation with over 83 million active players at its peak.
Players spent real money on virtual items, generating millions in revenue. But the excitement
didn’t last. Zynga’s attempt to replicate the success with similar games like CityVille and
ChefVille failed. Players got bored of the repetitive gameplay, and the company’s value
plummeted.
This is an example of “finite variability.” Experiences like FarmVille become
predictable and lose their appeal over time. In contrast, games with “infinite variability” —
like World of Warcraft — remain engaging for longer because they involve unpredictable
elements, such as interactions with other players.
The same principle applies to platforms like YouTube or Twitter. These sites rely on
user-generated content, which keeps them fresh and exciting. However, even they can’t hold
users’ attention forever.
Dong Nguyen told Forbes that he took Flappy Bird down because it was “an addictive
product.” He believed it had become a problem for players and thought removing it was the
best solution. Despite his decision, players were still eager to keep playing. Phones with
Flappy Bird installed were even sold on eBay for high prices.
In the end, like many fads, Flappy Bird was destined to fade. Its simple gameplay
couldn’t hold players’ interest forever. Still, it will be remembered as a moment when a simple
game turned a young developer into a global sensation — and then vanished just as quickly.
1. Flappy Bird was removed from the App Store because it had low download numbers.
2. Dong Nguyen earned $50,000 a day from Flappy Bird when it was at its peak.
3. Nguyen removed Flappy Bird because he couldn’t handle the pressure of its success.
4. The goal of Flappy Bird is to guide a bird through gaps in pipes.
5. Breaking Bad is an example of a show that used suspense to keep viewers interested.
6. FarmVille became successful by offering unique game mechanics that no other game
had.
7. Zynga’s other “-Ville” games were as successful as FarmVille.
8. “Finite variability” refers to experiences that remain engaging because they are
unpredictable.
9. World of Warcraft maintains player interest because it involves playing with others.
10.Dong Nguyen described Flappy Bird as “an addictive product.”
SPEAKING
8. Trend or Fad?
Objective: Develop speaking and critical thinking skills by discussing trends and fads, and
distinguishing between the two.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, choose the items, categorizing them as either a trend
(long-lasting) or a fad (short-lived). Consider factors such as how long each has lasted, its
impact, and why it might have gained popularity. Be prepared to explain your choices and
justify your reasoning for class discussion.
HOME TASK
9. The Impact of Trends on Society.
Objective: Reflect on the societal impact of trends and fads and assess both their positive and
negative effects.
Instructions: Choose a recent trend or fad (e.g., social media platforms, fashion trends, viral
challenges, or technological innovations). Write a brief analysis of how this trend has
influenced society, considering both positive and negative effects. Discuss how it has impacted
individuals, communities, or industries, and whether it has contributed to any social,
economic, or environmental changes. Reflect on the sustainability of this trend—do you think
it will last, or will it fade away? Based on your analysis, suggest how society can better manage
or respond to trends and fads in the future.
Length: 250-300 words.
Lesson 23. Greenwashing
WARM-UP
1. Watch the video All about carbon capture. Discuss it using the promts below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD-i_AfWkGI
1. How did this ad make you feel?
2. What was the music like?
3. What was the imagery?
4. What did the narrator’s voice sound like?
5. What were the claims made by Exxon?
6. Was there anything specific? Or was it too vague? Did they use specific numbers?
7. Which specific words did you hear? Did you hear any more than once?
2. Talking points.
1. What do you think "greenwashing" means?
2. Have you seen any advertisements claiming to be environmentally friendly?
3. Have you ever bought a product because it claimed to be eco-friendly?
4. Do you trust companies when they say their products are sustainable?
5. Do you think businesses care about the environment or profits more?
LISTENING
3. Read the information about reality. What do you think about it?
• The largest carbon capture and storage facility on Earth opened in Iceland in 2021.
• It removes “up to 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.”
• It captures “one ten-millionth of humanity’s current emissions.”
• Also, Exxon knew about climate change in 1977 and spend millions promoting
misinformation.
4. What role does environmental responsibility play in modern society? How do
performances (art, music, etc.) influence public opinion on social issues? Watch the video
Everything You Need to Know About Greenwashing and answer the following questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isdTMuN4D-k
1. What were the main points discussed in the video?
2. Who are the key figures mentioned, and what roles do they play?
3. How does the video address the theme of environmental responsibility?
READING
5. What is smog? Does your country have problem with smog? Complete the definitions
below.
Alert, exploit, on sale, sells out, shipment, shuts down.
1. If something ……, there is no more of that thing to buy.
2. If you …… a situation, you get an advantage (e.g. money) from it, often in an unfair
way.
3. If a business ……, it stops operating.
4. If a product goes ……, it’s available to buy.
5. If you are ……, you are quick to notice and react to things around you.
6. A …… is a large amount of goods sent together to a place.
6. You are going to read an article about a product developed by a Canadian company,
which is selling really well in the Chinese market. Find the answers to the questions below
in the text.
Canadian company Vitality Air sells out of air as smog levels worsen
China’s pollution problems continue, but a Canadian company has used the crisis to
make some money. The firm is selling bottles of fresh mountain air to people for up to $28
each. China declared a red alert in Beijing in December 2015 because of its dangerous
pollution levels. This caused the capital to shut down schools and construction sites for a period
of time, and the authorities tried to take a percentage of the city’s cars off the road. They also
told people to stay indoors. Shanghai also saw its own smog problem reach its highest level
since January 2015. Schools were asked to ban outdoor activities and factory work was
restricted.
But sales of Vitality Air - bottles of fresh mountain air from Banff and Lake Louise,
Canada - have increased dramatically in China. A single bottle of the company’s "premium
oxygen" costs $27.99 while a bottle of its Banff air costs up to $23.99. Harrison Wang, Vitality
Air’s China representative, said that as soon as the bottles went on sale in Taobao, a Chinese
website similar to eBay for online shopping, they "sold out almost instantly". The company
started marketing the product in China less than two months ago, but now that the first
shipment of 500 bottles is sold out, another of 700 bottles is on its way. Mr Wang said the
company sees pollution as an issue in China "and we want to give people the opportunity to
inject a little bit of fresh air into their daily lives".
Vitality Air says it can help with "hangovers, alertness and working out," and it markets
itself as "your solution to pollution". But Vitality Air is not the only business that is exploiting
China’s pollution problem — a restaurant in Zhangjiagang city recently started charging
patrons for fresh air, after owners bought air filtration machines for the establishment and
added an extra charge to people’s bills for the operation costs.
1. What problem is Vitality Air exploiting?
2. Why did China declare a red alert in 2015?
3. What limitations were there in Shanghai?
4. What happened when Vitality Air products went on sale on a Chinese website?
5. What are the benefits of Vitality Air?
6. How are restaurants exploiting China’s pollution problem?
7. Brainstorm creative business ideas to tackle pollution problems in China or elsewhere.
For example:
1. Pollution-reducing technology.
2. Eco-friendly transportation initiatives.
3. Community-driven environmental campaigns.
SPEAKING
8. Public Service Announcement (PSA).
Objective: Develop presentation and creativity skills by creating and performing a message on
an environmental issue.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, choose an environmental issue (e.g., climate change,
plastic pollution, deforestation). Create a 1-2 minute PSA that includes:
• clear message about the issue.
• A call to action for the audience.
• A creative element, such as a slogan or a story.
Perform your PSA for the class and be ready to explain why you chose the issue and how your
PSA aims to raise awareness.
HOME TASK
9. Environmental Advertising Campaigns.
Objective: Reflect on the effectiveness of environmental advertising campaigns and assess
their impact on raising awareness.
Instructions: Research an advertising campaign that promotes an environmental cause (e.g.,
reducing waste, switching to renewable energy, or conserving water). Write a brief analysis of
the campaign, focusing on: its main message and target audience, how effectively it
communicates its environmental goal, its potential positive and negative impacts on society or
the environment. Reflect on whether such campaigns can genuinely drive change or if they
risk being seen as superficial efforts (greenwashing). Suggest ways to improve the campaign
to make it more impactful.
Length: 250-300 words.
PART 7. THE FUTURE OF ADVERTISING
Lesson 24. Emerging Technologies in Advertising
WARM-UP
1. In pairs, look at the list of advertising-related clues or questions. Brainstorm answers
or search for examples on your devices.
• Find an example of an advertising campaign that used augmented reality (AR) to engage
customers.
• Name a company that uses AI to personalize customer recommendations.
• Identify a recent advertising campaign that used virtual reality (VR) to immerse its
audience.
• Which social media platform is best known for using algorithms to deliver highly
targeted ads?
• Identify a brand that has used drones in its advertising strategy.
• Which company launched a campaign involving gamification to attract younger
audiences?
LISTENING
2. Discuss the following questions:
1. What do you think targeted advertising means?
2. How might emojis be used in advertising?
3. What are some potential benefits and drawbacks of using emotional data for ads?
4. How do you feel about companies using personal data for advertising?
5. Can you think of examples where ads seemed particularly relevant to you?
3. What emotions do the following emojis represent:
1. 🫣 5. 😱
2. 😔 6. 😡
3. 😤 7. 😍
4. 😑 8. 😎
LISTENING
4. Watch a video about possible future development in targeted ads and discuss the
following questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1K78PyWDc
1. How does Toyota utilize emojis in their advertising strategy?
2. What concerns do consumer advocacy groups have regarding emoji-based targeting?
3. In what ways can artificial intelligence enhance targeted advertising?
4. Are targeted ads intrusive and unethical in your opinion?
5. Should Twitter stop making emojis people use available for advertisers?
6. Are you concerned about the fact that we are being constantly tracked online? What can
we do about it?
7. How targeted ads could be beneficial to consumers?
READING
5. Match the words that you will meet in the text Tech Trends Shaping the Future of
Advertising with their definitions.
1. Nascent a) A critical or key moment that can determine the future
direction of a process or situation.
2. Paradigm shift b) The state or quality of being unable to be changed or
altered.
3. Spatial computing c) A situation where two or more things come together to
create a combined effect greater than their individual
efforts.
4. Immutable d) A new or emerging stage of development that is just
beginning to show potential.
5. Synergy e) A significant and fundamental change in the way
something is understood or approached.
6. Pivotal juncture f) The merging or coming together of different ideas,
technologies, or industries.
7. Convergence g) The use of technology to combine the physical and
digital worlds, allowing interaction between them
through devices like augmented or virtual reality.
6. What emerging technologies might influence the future of advertising? Look at the
headings from the text. Predict what each trend might involve and how it could impact
the advertising industry.
1. Voice Search Optimisation
2. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
3. Blockchain
4. Hyper-personalisation
7. Read the text Tech Trends Shaping the Future of Advertising and answer the following
questions.
1. What is voice search optimisation, and why is it important for advertisers?
2. How can AR and VR enhance consumer engagement in advertising?
3. What problems does blockchain address in digital advertising?
4. How does hyper-personalisation differ from traditional personalisation?
Let’s face it, industry-wide transformation is no novel feat for a sector known to
constantly reinvent itself in the face of technological innovation. We take a look at the ad
tech trends of the future.
The ad tech industry, and those that lead it, are continually looking at how to better run,
measure and manage campaigns in new ways. While the idea of voice-activated advertising
through smart assistants may seem nascent, it's worth recalling that there was a time that the
notion of geo-targeted mobile ads would suffice as a Bradbury-esque science fiction novel.
So, what are some of the emerging or existing tech trends that could steer the course of
advertising? We investigate.
Voice Search Optimisation
Voice-activated devices, such as Google home and Amazon Alexa, have changed the
way consumers search for information online. With a growing paradigm shift from typing to
talking, 27% of the global population and counting, optimising for voice search will be a
growing priority for advertisers.
The complexity for advertisers lies not just in adapting keywords into more
conversational phrases that mirror natural speech but also in harnessing ad tech platforms that
allow for real-time bidding specifically for voice search results. Tools like voice-activated
DSPs are in development to automate the purchase of voice search ad inventory, facilitating
highly targeted advertising. Effective optimisation for voice search requires a multifaceted
approach: utilising long-tail, conversational keywords to capture the natural language patterns
of voice queries; creating content designed to answer specific questions consumers are asking;
and refining metadata and local SEO to improve visibility in voice search results. The
integration of these tactics can substantially increase user engagement, evidenced by a study
from Backlinko which states that voice search results have a 2.68% higher click-through
rate compared to traditional search.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
In an attempt to appeal to younger generations and reinvent in the face of tech-driven
marketing strategies, the ad tech sector is seeing the increased adoption of AR and VR. An
interactive way to storytell that can differentiate advertisers in a saturated marketplace
populated by ad fatigue and banner blindness, moving efforts away from direct response
marketing into brand awareness through VR and AR could be just as effective.
Cutting-edge ad tech solutions now enable the integration of AR and VR into existing
advertising ecosystems, allowing for highly interactive and personalised consumer
experiences that go far beyond traditional 2D digital displays. Innovations in programmatic
advertising have expanded to accommodate AR and VR, with new platforms offering real-
time bidding specifically tailored for these interactive 3D environments. This advancement
provides advertisers the capability to serve dynamic, contextually relevant ads based on user
interaction within the virtual or augmented space. Additionally, the rise of spatial computing
is making it easier for ad tech platforms to incorporate elements like gesture recognition and
eye tracking, offering even deeper levels of engagement and personalisation.
Blockchain
The digital advertising ecosystem, encompassing DSPs, SSPs, ad servers, data
management platforms, and more, facilitates potentially billions of daily transactions
involving millions of dollars. However, hefty fees to intermediaries take a significant chunk
out of marketing budgets, and issues pertaining to lack of transparency and ad fraud persist -
according to digital ad fraud statistics from the Association of National Advertisers, the cost
of digital ad fraud is a momentous $120bn (~£97.7bn) annually. Blockchain technology offers
promising solutions to these challenges.
Its decentralised architecture offers unparalleled transparency by recording every
transaction on a publicly-accessible ledger that is secure and resistant to tampering. This level
of transparency has the potential to drastically reduce the incidence of fraud, increasing trust
among advertisers, publishers, and consumers in programmatic transactions. Smart contracts,
built on blockchain platforms, are automating a wide array of operations, from initiating real-
time bidding protocols to finalsing direct deals between advertisers and publishers. This
automation is cutting down the reliance on middlemen, which not only reduces fees but also
speeds up transaction times.
As issues of data privacy and consent continue to dominate discussions in ad tech,
blockchain can offer a secure, immutable framework for storing consumer data and
preferences. Moreover, pilot projects and consortiums, such as AdLedger, are already in place
exploring blockchain's applicability in verifying the authenticity of ad inventory and ensuring
the quality of audience data. As blockchain technology continues to mature and gain
acceptance, it could very well be set to become a crucial part of ad tech transactions.
Hyper-personalisation
There is an important distinction to be drawn within the realm of personalised ads -
hyper-personalisation does not have to mean hyper-targeted, which can feel intrusive to say
the least. That being said however, research has shown that most people don’t like ads that
they deem to be irrelevant, and in the domain of advertising technology, personalisation and
hyper-personalisation are quickly transitioning from added features to essential components
of successful campaigns. AI is poised to play a pivotal, and growing, role in the future of
hyper-personalisation within the advertising technology sector. At its core, AI's strength lies
in its ability to analyse large sets of complex data at scale to uncover patterns, preferences, and
behaviours that are often imperceptible to human analysis. Machine learning algorithms can
sift through multitudes of real-time and historical data, such as browsing histories, purchase
behaviours, and interactions with digital touchpoints. This enables ad tech platforms to create
highly detailed profiles of individual consumers, thereby facilitating the delivery of ads that
are tailored not just to broad segments but to individual users. Beyond mere customisation
based on age or geographical location, AI-powered hyper-personalisation can delve into more
intricate user behaviours and preferences, offering tailored content, recommendations, and
even dynamically changing ad formats based on the individual's interaction history.
Significant advancements are already being made with hyper-personalisation within AI-
driven curation. Curation offers an extensive range of targeting capabilities, from consumer
segmentation to interest-based targeting. For example, advertisers can now choose curated
inventory packages that align with their brand values, like sustainability or diversity, enabling
a closer synergy between media buyers and publishers. As the industry evolves, publishers and
curators are set to continually innovate their curated offerings, providing an opportunity for
advertisers to diversify and creatively expand their targeting strategies. In this evolving
landscape, hyper-personalisation will not only be about tailoring messages but also about
selectively choosing the platforms and inventory that reflect a brand's ethos, adding another
layer of nuance to ad targeting.
The Road Ahead for Ad Tech Evolution
As we steer towards an increasingly digitised and interconnected future, the ad tech
industry is at a pivotal juncture. The convergence of technologies like blockchain, AI, and
VR/AR, along with evolving strategies like hyper-personalisation underscores a dynamic shift
in how advertising is conceived, executed, and analysed. This ever-changing landscape
necessitates that advertisers, media buyers, and publishers remain agile, constantly adapting
to emerging technologies and consumer behaviours. By staying informed and open to
adaptation, stakeholders in the ad tech ecosystem can not only navigate the complexities of
today but also set the stage for a more transparent, efficient, and personalised advertising
landscape in the future.
SPEAKING
8. Tech Trends: Then vs. Now.
Objective: Develop research and presentation skills by comparing historical and emerging
advertising technologies.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, select a traditional advertising method (e.g., print media,
TV commercials, radio ads). Research its evolution and identify an emerging technology (e.g.,
VR, AI, programmatic advertising) that has improved or replaced it. Prepare a 1-2 minute
presentation that includes an explanation of the traditional method, a description of the
emerging technology and how it enhances advertising, a creative comparison, such as an
analogy or visual example. Present your findings to the class and explain how these
advancements might shape the future of advertising.
HOME TASK
9. Technology in Advertising Timeline.
Objective: Explore the evolution of advertising technologies and their impact on the industry.
Instructions: Research the major technological advancements in advertising from the 20th
century to the present. Create a timeline highlighting at least five key milestones (e.g., the
advent of television commercials, the rise of the internet, social media advertising, the
introduction of AI, and programmatic advertising). For each milestone, make a brief
description explaining its significance and impact on advertising practices. Reflect on how
these developments have shaped consumer behavior and marketing strategies.
Length: no less than 5 slides.
Lesson 25. Marketing in the Age of AI
WARM-UP
1. Look at the list of marketing examples or campaigns. Some feature AI technologies
(e.g., chatbots, personalized ads, predictive analytics) and others do not. Take turns
guessing whether AI was involved in each example. After each guess, discuss the role of
AI in the example and how it has impacted the marketing strategies.
1. Personalized Email Campaigns. A clothing brand sends emails to customers with
product recommendations based on their previous purchases.
2. Static Website Banner Ads. A travel company places the same static banner ad for
vacation packages on all users’ screens.
3. Chatbots for Customer Support. An online retail store uses a chatbot to respond to
customer queries 24/7.
4. Social Media Influencer Post. A beauty influencer promotes a skincare product in a
sponsored post.
5. Predictive Analytics for Sales Forecasting. A tech company uses data to predict
customer trends and adjusts its marketing strategy accordingly.
6. Manually Designed Billboards. A local bakery advertises its products using billboards
designed by a local artist.
7. Dynamic Ad Retargeting. A user sees an ad for the shoes they were browsing online
while scrolling through social media.
8. Flyer Distribution. A real estate agent distributes printed flyers in the local
neighborhood to advertise open houses.
9. Voice Search Optimization. A restaurant chain optimizes its website for voice search
platforms like Alexa and Google Assistant.
2. You are going to watch a video about the differences between right-brain and left-brain
thinking. Decide whether you think the functions below are associsted with the left brain
or the right brain, and label the diagram.
• spatial awareness
• language processing
• artistic expression
• analytical thinking
• intuition
• logical reasoning
• creativity
• computation
LISTENING
3. Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.
1. Employees were bracing for the a) strongly affected or influenced
upcoming changes in the company's
policies.
2. The undercover agent remained b) the systematic computational analysis
embedded in the criminal of data or statistics
organisation to gather critical
intelligence.
3. The economic downturn impacted the c) deeply integrated or involved within a
sales of many businesses. particular group, organisation, or
environment
4. Quick-thinking entrepreneurs seize d) getting ready or preparing for
opportunities in fast-paced markets. something anticipated
5. The startup is tapping into the latest e) successfully solving or figuring out a
technology trends to create innovative complex problem
solutions.
6. The team spent hours cracking the f) take hold of something forcefully or
complex problem, finally discovering capture an opportunity
an ingenious solution.
7. The professor conducted a thorough g) carried out or performed a particular
experiment to test the hypothesis. action or activity
8. Companies use analytics to explore h) accessing or utilising a resource or
customer behaviour and improve their information
marketing strategies.
9. Sustainability is at the core of our i) the central or most important part of
environmental initiatives. something
4. Watch the first part of the video (00:00 - 03:09) and complete the following sentences
with one or two words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MwMII8n1qM
1. We now write far longer …… than 30 years ago.
2. Due to the amount of data available to us, we are able to make much more ……
decisions.
3. Generative Al will become embedded in the …… of our organisations.
4. Some people say that marketing is the most …… by AI.
6. Marketing has been characterised as an inherently …… and right-brained type of
function.
7. A study showed that the right-brain …… of marketers using ChatGPT improved by
forty per cent.
5. Watch the rest of the video and answer the following questions.
1. How does Jessica Apotheker (the speaker) describe the potential impact of generative
AI on productivity within marketing? What specific changes does she foresee?
2. According to the talk, how should marketers balance the use of generative AI while
maintaining human creativity? What strategies does Apotheker suggest for preserving
brand identity?
3. What are the implications of increased content personalization as discussed in the talk?
How might this affect consumer experience, both positively and negatively?
4. What skills does Apotheker recommend marketers develop to thrive in an AI-driven
environment? Why are these skills important?
5. How does Apotheker suggest companies should approach data collection and usage
when integrating AI tools? What risks does she highlight regarding reliance on existing
data?
6. What predictions does Apotheker make about the future of marketing roles with the rise
of generative AI? How might job functions change according to her insights?
7. In what ways does Apotheker believe consumer behavior will evolve as a result of AI-
generated marketing content? What concerns does she raise about content saturation?
8. How can companies foster collaboration between creative marketers and data scientists,
as suggested by Apotheker? What benefits could arise from such partnerships?
6. In pairs, read two case studies of companies using AI effectively. Fill in the table. Use
the following questions to structure your analysis and group discussion.
1. What specific AI technologies were utilized in the case studies?
2. What benefits did the companies experience by using AI?
3. How did customers respond to these AI implementations?
4. What challenges or risks could arise from these AI applications?
Case Study AI Tools Used Benefits Challenges Recommendations
Netflix
Sephora
Case Study 1: Netflix – Personalized Recommendations
Netflix leverages AI to provide personalized content recommendations to its users.
How it works: Netflix uses machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior, such as the
genres and types of shows or movies watched. Based on this data, Netflix predicts what users
will likely enjoy and curates a personalized library for each user.
Impact:
• Increased customer satisfaction and retention.
• Higher engagement with the platform.
• Over 80% of watched content is driven by AI-powered recommendations.
Case Study 2: Sephora – AI Chatbots for Customer Interaction
Sephora uses AI-powered chatbots to assist customers in finding the right products.
How it works: The chatbots analyze customer preferences and skin types through a series of
questions. The AI then recommends specific products or virtual try-ons using augmented
reality (AR).
Impact:
1. Reduced wait times for customer support.
2. Improved customer satisfaction with personalized recommendations.
3. Higher conversion rates through targeted suggestions.
SPEAKING
7. Create Your Own AI Case Study.
Objective: Foster creativity and understanding of AI in marketing through collaborative
storytelling.
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, brainstorm a fictional company and product or service.
Imagine how the company could use AI to enhance its marketing strategies. Consider tools
like AI-powered customer segmentation, chatbots, predictive analytics, or personalized
advertising. Prepare a 1-2 minute presentation that includes:
• An introduction to the fictional company and its product/service.
• A detailed explanation of the AI technology used and how it benefits the company.
• A creative element, such as a tagline, logo, or mock advertisement showcasing the AI's
impact.
Present your case study to the class and discuss how this AI application could influence
marketing trends in the future.
HOME TASK
8. Marketing in 2030: AI Predictions.
Objective: Develop critical thinking and forecasting skills by exploring potential
advancements in AI-driven marketing.
Instructions: Research emerging AI technologies in marketing and analyze current trends.
Write a short essay predicting how marketing will evolve by 2030 with AI advancements.
Include a description of at least three anticipated AI-driven innovations (e.g., hyper-
personalization, AI-generated content, autonomous marketing systems), an explanation of how
these technologies could enhance customer experiences and benefit businesses, a reflection on
potential challenges, such as ethical concerns or reliance on AI. Conclude with your thoughts
on the balance between human creativity and AI automation in future marketing practices.
Length: 250-300 words.
ADVERTISING PROJECT GUIDE
1. Choose a partner(s) to do the project with.
2. Choose a topic for the presentation. You can work with these topics any way you want,
narrow or expand them.
1) Types of advertising;
2) Approaches to advertising (niche marketing, crowdsourcing, global advertising,
foreign public messaging and others);
3) Gender in advertising;
4) Criticism of advertising;
5) Regulations in advertising;
6) Copywriters and other professions in advertising;
7) How to sell a product to a client;
8) Famous brands and their advertising campaigns.
3. Look for truly interesting material for you and for other students.
4. Check the pronunciation and be prepared to SPEAK!
5. Prepare a visual part of the presentation (Power Point, video, posters, handouts,
brochures, voice-over for a video, role play or anything your creativity is capable of).
6. Think of some kind of interaction with the rest of the group (questions, guessing,
involvement of students in your presentation, games, competition, discussions, etc.)
Here are some of the resources: menti, kahoot, learningapps, miro, jeopardylabs,
wordwall.
7. Choose understandable words. Prepare lists of unknown words with translation for the
group or write them on the board BEFORE your presentation.
8. Please, make sure that your project is around 15-20 minutes.
Be as creative as you can! Impress us!
ADVERTISING VOCABULARY LIST
PART 1. HISTORY OF ADVERTISING
Advertisement / advert / ad, advertising, broadcast, commercial break, commercial offering,
guerrilla marketing, infomercial, inbound marketing, mass marketing, mass media, marketing,
non-commercial advertising, outdoor advertising, outbound marketing, “one size fits all,” print
ad, public service announcement, target, TV commercial / TV advert.
PART 2. TYPES AND FORMS OF ADVERTISING
Advertising / marketing campaign, airtime, backdrop, billboard, booklet, breakdown,
brochure, celebrity endorsement, circulation, classified ad, consumer, conversion rate
optimization, covert advertising, crowdsourcing, demographics, domestic marketing, door-to-
door advertising, focus group, flyer, foreign public messaging, gatefold, giveaway, global
marketing, in-store advertising, international marketing, jingle, mass marketing, niche
marketing, online advertising, to implement / implementation, to launch, to penetrate /
penetration, to promote, to subscribe / subscriber, TV channel, target group, testimonials, PPC
(pay-per-click) advertising, POP, product placement, pop up, readership, sales pitch, SEO
(search engine optimization), subliminal advertising, word-of-mouth, web-banner.
PART 3. THE POWER OF BRANDING
Brand equity, brand identity, brand loyalty, branding, buzzword, columnist, copy (n), to
copywrite, entrepreneur, generic term, in bulk, large print run, layout, logo, marketplace,
misprint, positioning, press office, press release, publisher, shop display, slogan, to edit / editor
/ editor-in-chief, to foster loyalty, to go bust, to proofread, USP (unique selling point).
PART 4. SELLING YOUR SERVICES TO A CLIENT
Art director, coverage, creative director, frame, managing director, prime-time, production
artist, script, setting, shooting storyboard, voice-over.
PART 5. REGULATIONS IN ADVERTISING
Consumer protection, consumerism, downshifting, fast fashion, guilty pleasure, market value,
overconsumption, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority), to mislead, to perpetuate, to
pre-clear / pre-clearance, to regulate / regulator.
PART 6. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES IN ADVERTISING
Cultural adaptation, fad, greenwashing, localization, mainstream, market segmentation,
consumer rights, product recall, to overcharge, to refund, to sell out, warranty / guarantee.
PART 7. THE FUTURE OF ADVERTISING
Analytics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, targeted advertising, virtual
reality.