- Câu hỏi 240826:
Defusing the Bomb
Synopsis: Communicating with the irrational customer, client or business associate.
Communicating with someone who is angry is one of the most difficult business challenges a business owner can face. Whether this angry person is a customer, client, an employee or outside third party, being on the receiving end of their heightened emotions is stressful. The challenge of someone pounding their fist, shouting at you or making unfair demands, forces you to respond as a disciplined, controlled and effective communicator.
When you are put face to face with hostility, the natural human response is to react in kind; however, in most situations this is not an effective strategy. The key to breaking the cycle is to establish a mutual understanding. By finding a common ground, you can resolve the conflict and begin to build communication, step by step.
In order to be an effective communicator you need to shift the exchange from the emotional to the rational. When faced with a situation where an angry and demanding individual or group has a list of complaints, the owner/manager needs to communicate both an understanding of their grievances and a willingness to collaborate to address them. The four simple steps to 'defuse the bomb' are:
Inquire: Being a focused listener calls for inquiring about the other person's issues and concerns. The goal is to not interrupt and to encourage them with eye contact and head nods.
Empathize: This means to connect with somebody on their emotional level. To relate to them you must first say, "I (appreciate, understand or share) your (frustration, doubt or concern)." Then, you must commiserate by saying how in the past you too have felt similarly.
Ask permission: Asking whether or not an angry person would like to hear some relevant information puts them in control, and thereby decreases their tension. Permission questions communicate that you are a reasonable person doing your best to reach an understanding.
Explain and offer choices: It's soothing for the upset individual to have a choice of solutions explained to them. The more solution options you offer for a course of action, the greater their sense of control becomes. This puts them in a more rational state where you can together begin to resolve the situation.
It is important to realize that this model does not always move in a simple and linear fashion. You may often find yourself in a situation when some residual anger surfaces just when you thought the problem had been solved. You may have to recycle through the model again or spend a longer time on individual steps. For example, an angry customer may take a long time to vent their initial anger.
Remembering that anger is essentially fear turned inside out, you must let them express it all before you can move to a more rational platform of cooperation.
The four steps given in the passages are just …
A. a model for business owner to follow
B. An optimal approach that business owner should take account
C. A perfect idea for business owner to follow
D. Only a recommendation. Business owner may have other methods suitable for them
- Câu hỏi 240828:
Defusing the Bomb
Synopsis: Communicating with the irrational customer, client or business associate.
Communicating with someone who is angry is one of the most difficult business challenges a business owner can face. Whether this angry person is a customer, client, an employee or outside third party, being on the receiving end of their heightened emotions is stressful. The challenge of someone pounding their fist, shouting at you or making unfair demands, forces you to respond as a disciplined, controlled and effective communicator.
When you are put face to face with hostility, the natural human response is to react in kind; however, in most situations this is not an effective strategy. The key to breaking the cycle is to establish a mutual understanding. By finding a common ground, you can resolve the conflict and begin to build communication, step by step.
In order to be an effective communicator you need to shift the exchange from the emotional to the rational. When faced with a situation where an angry and demanding individual or group has a list of complaints, the owner/manager needs to communicate both an understanding of their grievances and a willingness to collaborate to address them. The four simple steps to 'defuse the bomb' are:
Inquire: Being a focused listener calls for inquiring about the other person's issues and concerns. The goal is to not interrupt and to encourage them with eye contact and head nods.
Empathize: This means to connect with somebody on their emotional level. To relate to them you must first say, "I (appreciate, understand or share) your (frustration, doubt or concern)." Then, you must commiserate by saying how in the past you too have felt similarly.
Ask permission: Asking whether or not an angry person would like to hear some relevant information puts them in control, and thereby decreases their tension. Permission questions communicate that you are a reasonable person doing your best to reach an understanding.
Explain and offer choices: It's soothing for the upset individual to have a choice of solutions explained to them. The more solution options you offer for a course of action, the greater their sense of control becomes. This puts them in a more rational state where you can together begin to resolve the situation.
It is important to realize that this model does not always move in a simple and linear fashion. You may often find yourself in a situation when some residual anger surfaces just when you thought the problem had been solved. You may have to recycle through the model again or spend a longer time on individual steps. For example, an angry customer may take a long time to vent their initial anger.
Remembering that anger is essentially fear turned inside out, you must let them express it all before you can move to a more rational platform of cooperation.
When is a good communication set up?
A. When the communicator prove rational rather than emotional
B. When the communicator exchange their feeling
C. When the communicator prove emotional
D. When the communicator change their attitude
- Câu hỏi 240830:
Show me the money
Five teenagers tell us how they’re already earning their own money.
A. Hannah Ferguson
‘The original idea was to set up a website so that other girls my age could order make-up cheaply. You see, I realized that if I bought lots of make-up from Hong Kong and then sold it through a website, I could make a profit. In the beginning, the money came from my parents, but I paid them back at the end of the first month. Gradually the site grew and now I send make-up all over the country, and we offer advice and tips online. I’ve got a couple of people who work for me part-time, like Alison – she’s our beautician. I want to finish my education, and hopefully keep the website running at the same time, and then go into business in a big way after university. The most important thing at this stage is that I’ve proved to myself that I can do it. The money is nice, of course, but it’s not the main reason I’m doing it.’
B. Craig Little
‘There’s never been that much money at home, especially since Mum and Dad got divorced, so I decided to try to make some myself. I’m only 14, so there are legal restrictions on what kind of work I can do, but I managed to get part-time work in a computer shop. It’s good because it’s something I know about, and it means that Mum doesn’t have to worry about giving me an allowance. I can even help her out with bills occasionally. I don’t spend much each week, so I usually manage to put a little in the bank for a rainy day, as they say.’
C. Naomi Webster
‘Starting at the bottom and working your way up certainly teaches you a lot. It means that I already understand how the place works where the money comes from. I’ve always wanted to go into hairdressing and I think it’s important to start earning your money as soon as you can. I mean, Mum and Dad work for their money, so why shouldn’t I? I don’t think about the future too much – I’m too busy learning and enjoying myself. I never have any money left at the end of the month, but I don’t mind because I know that I spend it on things I enjoy.
D. Neil Chalmers
‘Delivering pizzas wouldn’t be my first choice as a career, but it’s fine for this stage of my life. I get to meet people, even if it is only briefly, and I like to be outdoors. Nobody’s going to get rich doing this, but the money does make a big difference and I notice it at the weekend when I can afford things that maybe others can’t. I think of myself as quite an ambitious person, and I’m planning on studying to be an architect, so I’m not sure this experience is that relevant, really. One thing I’ve learned is that you value money much more when you’ve earned it, and I appreciate the effort my mum and dad put in to make sure the family has enough. The worst thing about the job is the unsociable hours – when everyone’s out partying, I often have to be on my motorbike with a pizza.’
E. Julian Partridge
‘I couldn’t stand the idea of working, so I had to come up with some other way of making money. My parents usually give me what I need, but I was planning a camping holiday with friends and it was important to me that I earned the money somehow. I decided to go to eBay – the website where you can sell all your old stuff to people from around the world. I didn’t think I had anything to sell until my uncle pointed out that I had lots of old action figures. They were still in the boxes, and apparently people collect them. We sat down and worked out what they were worth and I sold them. In the end, we didn’t make as much as I’d hoped, but it was still enough to go on holiday with.’
In Ferguson’s opinion, the most important thing when going into businesses is…
A. The family support
B. The profit
C. The fund
D. The self confidence
- Câu hỏi 240835:
Show me the money
Five teenagers tell us how they’re already earning their own money.
A. Hannah Ferguson
‘The original idea was to set up a website so that other girls my age could order make-up cheaply. You see, I realized that if I bought lots of make-up from Hong Kong and then sold it through a website, I could make a profit. In the beginning, the money came from my parents, but I paid them back at the end of the first month. Gradually the site grew and now I send make-up all over the country, and we offer advice and tips online. I’ve got a couple of people who work for me part-time, like Alison – she’s our beautician. I want to finish my education, and hopefully keep the website running at the same time, and then go into business in a big way after university. The most important thing at this stage is that I’ve proved to myself that I can do it. The money is nice, of course, but it’s not the main reason I’m doing it.’
B. Craig Little
‘There’s never been that much money at home, especially since Mum and Dad got divorced, so I decided to try to make some myself. I’m only 14, so there are legal restrictions on what kind of work I can do, but I managed to get part-time work in a computer shop. It’s good because it’s something I know about, and it means that Mum doesn’t have to worry about giving me an allowance. I can even help her out with bills occasionally. I don’t spend much each week, so I usually manage to put a little in the bank for a rainy day, as they say.’
C. Naomi Webster
‘Starting at the bottom and working your way up certainly teaches you a lot. It means that I already understand how the place works where the money comes from. I’ve always wanted to go into hairdressing and I think it’s important to start earning your money as soon as you can. I mean, Mum and Dad work for their money, so why shouldn’t I? I don’t think about the future too much – I’m too busy learning and enjoying myself. I never have any money left at the end of the month, but I don’t mind because I know that I spend it on things I enjoy.
D. Neil Chalmers
‘Delivering pizzas wouldn’t be my first choice as a career, but it’s fine for this stage of my life. I get to meet people, even if it is only briefly, and I like to be outdoors. Nobody’s going to get rich doing this, but the money does make a big difference and I notice it at the weekend when I can afford things that maybe others can’t. I think of myself as quite an ambitious person, and I’m planning on studying to be an architect, so I’m not sure this experience is that relevant, really. One thing I’ve learned is that you value money much more when you’ve earned it, and I appreciate the effort my mum and dad put in to make sure the family has enough. The worst thing about the job is the unsociable hours – when everyone’s out partying, I often have to be on my motorbike with a pizza.’
E. Julian Partridge
‘I couldn’t stand the idea of working, so I had to come up with some other way of making money. My parents usually give me what I need, but I was planning a camping holiday with friends and it was important to me that I earned the money somehow. I decided to go to eBay – the website where you can sell all your old stuff to people from around the world. I didn’t think I had anything to sell until my uncle pointed out that I had lots of old action figures. They were still in the boxes, and apparently people collect them. We sat down and worked out what they were worth and I sold them. In the end, we didn’t make as much as I’d hoped, but it was still enough to go on holiday with.’
What does Chalmers think when taking the part-time job?
A. He thinks people often are seduced by money and earning money at any price
B. He thinks people make the money much more valuable when they earn it by themselves
C. He thinks he is an ambitious person and is easy to be allured by money
D. He thinks he can afford his mom and dad
- Câu hỏi 779056:
The Global Product – the World as a Single Market
AFor business, the world is becoming a smaller place. Travel and transportation are becoming quicker and easier, communications can be instantaneous to any part of the world and trade barriers are breaking down. Consequently, there are tremendous opportunities for businesses to broaden their markets into foreign countries. The challenge facing those promoting products globally is to determine whether marketing methods should be adapted to different markets based on specific cultural factors.
BMany theorists argue that, with the ‘shrinking of the world, global standardization is inevitable. Over time, and as economies develop, it has been suggested that consumer buying patterns will blend into on another and national differences may disappear. Kellogg, the American breakfast cereal producer, has been very influential in challenging consumption patterns in countries outside the United States. In France, for example, breakfast cereals were almost unheard of, and market research suggested that the market was closed to companies like Kellogg. However, today, there is a demand for breakfast cereal across France. Nevertheless, the standardization of products for worldwide consumption in this way is rarely the most effective strategy as it evident from an analysis of the following key aspects of global marketing.
CFirst of all, it is considered better business practice by many large, established companies to change their products from one country to the next. Take the example of Coca-Cola. The recipe for this drink is change to suit local tastes – the brand in the US is much sweeter than in the UK, whilst in India the product’s herbs and flouring are given more emphasis. In terms of the car industry, it would be too expensive for manufacturers to develop and build completely different vehicles for different markets yet a single global model is likely to appeal to no one. In response to varying needs, Nissan, for example, sells in 75 different markets, but has eight different chassis designs. The Ford Mondeo was designed with key features from different markets in mind in an effort to make its appeal as broad as possible. The best policy, as far as most multi-national companies are concerned, is to adapt their product to a particular market.
DSecondly, it is important to consider whether a product should be launched simultaneously in all countries (known as a ‘sprinkler launch’) or sequentially in one market after another (‘a waterfall launch’). In practice, most companies producing consumer goods tend to launch a new product in one or two markets at a time rather than attempt to launch a product across a range of countries at a single time. Many high-tech products such as Blu-ray players reach the market in Japan before reaching the UK. Hollywood films are often seen in the United States weeks or months before they arrive in other countries.
EThe advantage for firms is that it is easier to launch in one market at a time. Effort and concentration can be focused to ensure the best possible entry into the market. Moreover, for technical products especially, any initial problems become apparent in a single market and can be corrected prior to launch elsewhere. Even though this method can be time-consuming, it is usually a safer approach than a simultaneous launch. Despite this, in certain highly competitive markets such as computer chips, companies such as Intel tend to launch their new products internationally at the same time to keep the product ahead of its competitors.
FThe final consideration when planning to enter a global market, rather than assuming the product will suit all markets is to take cultural differences into account. Prices have to convert to a different currency and any literature has to be translated into a different language. There are also less tangible differences. It is quite possible that common practices in one country can cause offence and have grave consequences for business success in another. In one situation in China, a western businessman caused offence to a group of local delegates because he started to fill out the paperwork immediately after shaking hands on a deal. Completing the legal documents so soon after the negotiations was regarded as undermining the host’s trust. Knowledge about such culture differences is absolutely vital.
GTherefore, if a company is attempting to broaden its operations globally, it must take the time to find out about local customs and methods of business operation. Equally important is to ensure that such information is available to all necessary workers in the organization, For example, in order to attempt to avoid causing offence to passengers from abroad, British Airways aims to raise awareness of cultural differences amongst all its cabin crew.
HIt can be concluded that global standardization of products to ‘fit’ all markets unlikely to be the most viable option. Marketing methods employed will depend on many factors, such as the type of products, the degree of competition, the reputation of the firm and/or the brand, the state of the economy into which the product is to be launched and how and when to launch. In short, the key to marketing success on a global level is to have sufficient information on how cultural differences are likely affect the marketing of a product and then allow the appropriate decisions to be made.
In high-tech market, companies tend to introduce their new products internationally at the same time to…
A. To push their products ahead of its competitor
B. Make their products more competitive
C. To move their products on
D. Make their products cost effective
- Câu hỏi 779064:
Into the Unknown
In the days of Stanley and Livingstone, much of the world was still unexplored. Today, most places on the surface of the world have been mapped. Some places, however, are still waiting to be discovered. Some of these are underground, in deep caves called blue holes.
A blue holes is a special kind of inlandunderwater cave. The cave forms when the earth above it falls in. Some of the world’s most spectacular blue holes are located in the Bahamas. The islands there may have more than a thousand blues holes. These caves are very deep – for example, Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world, is more than 660 feet (200 meters) deep.
Diving into blue holes is extremely dangerous. Near the top of a blue hole, there is a layer of poisonous gas. This gas causes itching, dizziness, and – in large amounts – death. Divers must also be fast. They have to get in and out of a cave before their oxygen run out. Additionally, it’s very dark in these caves, so it is very easy to get lost. Divers therefore have to follow a guideline as they swim through a blue hole. If they lose the guideline, they may not find their way back out of the cave.
If blue holes are so dangerous, why do explorers and scientists risk their lives to explore them? One reason is that these underwater caves can provide valuable scientific information. They provide clues about geology, archaeology, and even astrobiology – the study of life in the universe. For example, some blue hole creatures, such as the remipede, probably haven’t changed for millions of years. Divers have also found bacteria that can live without oxygen. Similar life forms probably existed on Earth billions of years ago.
In addition, the oxygen-free environment of the blue holes preserves bones of humans and animals that fell into the caves long ago. By studying the blue holes, we can understand what life was like in prehistorictimes. As cave diver Kenny Broad says, “I can think of no other environment on Earth that is so challenging to explore and gives us so much scientifically.”
Windows on an Alien World?
An inland blue hole’s water is very still and has different layers. A layer of fresh rainwater floats on top of salt water. The fresh water keeps oxygen from the atmosphere from reaching the salt water. Brightly colored bacteria live where the two layers meet. Scientists believe these bacteria could teach us about life in outer space. Astrobiologist Kevin Hand says the bacteria may be similar to forms of life that might exist on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. “Our study of life’s extremes on Earth,” says Hand, can help increase “our understanding of habitable environments off Earth.”
Why diving into blue holes is extremely dangerous?
A. because of poisonous gas
B. because of dangerous animals
C. because of lack of oxygen
D. because of hydrogen gas
- Câu hỏi 779072:
Into the Unknown
In the days of Stanley and Livingstone, much of the world was still unexplored. Today, most places on the surface of the world have been mapped. Some places, however, are still waiting to be discovered. Some of these are underground, in deep caves called blue holes.
A blue holes is a special kind of inlandunderwater cave. The cave forms when the earth above it falls in. Some of the world’s most spectacular blue holes are located in the Bahamas. The islands there may have more than a thousand blues holes. These caves are very deep – for example, Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world, is more than 660 feet (200 meters) deep.
Diving into blue holes is extremely dangerous. Near the top of a blue hole, there is a layer of poisonous gas. This gas causes itching, dizziness, and – in large amounts – death. Divers must also be fast. They have to get in and out of a cave before their oxygen run out. Additionally, it’s very dark in these caves, so it is very easy to get lost. Divers therefore have to follow a guideline as they swim through a blue hole. If they lose the guideline, they may not find their way back out of the cave.
If blue holes are so dangerous, why do explorers and scientists risk their lives to explore them? One reason is that these underwater caves can provide valuable scientific information. They provide clues about geology, archaeology, and even astrobiology – the study of life in the universe. For example, some blue hole creatures, such as the remipede, probably haven’t changed for millions of years. Divers have also found bacteria that can live without oxygen. Similar life forms probably existed on Earth billions of years ago.
In addition, the oxygen-free environment of the blue holes preserves bones of humans and animals that fell into the caves long ago. By studying the blue holes, we can understand what life was like in prehistorictimes. As cave diver Kenny Broad says, “I can think of no other environment on Earth that is so challenging to explore and gives us so much scientifically.”
Windows on an Alien World?
An inland blue hole’s water is very still and has different layers. A layer of fresh rainwater floats on top of salt water. The fresh water keeps oxygen from the atmosphere from reaching the salt water. Brightly colored bacteria live where the two layers meet. Scientists believe these bacteria could teach us about life in outer space. Astrobiologist Kevin Hand says the bacteria may be similar to forms of life that might exist on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. “Our study of life’s extremes on Earth,” says Hand, can help increase “our understanding of habitable environments off Earth.”
Some blue hole creatures have …
A. Changed for millions years
B. Differed from each other for millions years
C. Stayed the same for millions years
D. Unchanged for thousands years
- Câu hỏi 779077:
The Harder Hard Sell
It was Lord Leverhulme, the British soap pioneer, who is said to have complained that he knew half of his advertising budget was wasted, but didn’t know which half. The real effects of advertising have become more measurable, exposing another, potentially more horrible, truth for industry: in more cases, it can be a lot more than half of the budget that is going down the drain.
The advertising industry is passing through one of the most disorienting periods in its history. This is due to a combination of long-term changes, such as the growing diversity of media and the arrival of new technologies, notably the internet. With better-informed consumers, the result is that some of the traditional methods of advertising and marketing simply no longer work.
The media are the message
But spending on advertising is up again and is expected to grow this year by 4.7 per cent to $343 billion. How will the money be spent? There are plenty of alternatives to straightforward advertising. They range from public relations to direct mail and include customer promotions (like paying a retailer for shelf space), telemarketing, exhibitions, sponsoring events, product placements and more. These have become such an inseparable part of the industry that big agencies are now willing to provide most of them.
As ever, the debate in the industry centers on the best way to achieve results. It is more cost-effective, for instance, to use a public relations agency to invite a journalist out to lunch and persuade him to write about a product than to pay for a display ad in that journalist’s newspaper? Should you launch a new car with glossy magazine ads, or – as some car makers now do – simply park demonstration models in shopping malls and motorway service stations? And is it better to buy a series of ads on a specialist cable TV channel or splurge $2.2m on a single 30-second commercial during this year’s Super Bowl?
Net Sales
Such decisions are ever harder to make. For a start, people are spending less time reading newspapers and magazines, but are going to the cinema more, listening to more radios and turning in ever-increasing numbers to a new medium, the Internet (see chart 1). No one knows just how important the Internet will eventually be as an advertising medium. Some advertisers think it will be a highly cost-effective way of reaching certain group of consumers. But not everyone uses Internet and nor is it seen as being as being particularly good at building brands. So far, the Internet accounts for only a tiny slice of the overall advertising pie (see chart 2) although its share has begun to grow rapidly.
Despite all of these new developments, many in the advertising business remain confident. Rupert Howell, chairman of the London arm of McCann Erickson, points out that TV never killed radio, which in turn never killed radio, which in turn never killed newspapers. They did pose huge creative challenges, but that’s OK, he maintains: “The advertising industry is relentlessly inventive; that’s what we do.”
Advertising on internet has begun to…
A. grow rapidly in recent years
B. Kill radios in the advertising field
C. Decrease slightly in recent year
D. Replace traditional methods of advertising in recent year
- Câu hỏi 779079:
The Harder Hard Sell
It was Lord Leverhulme, the British soap pioneer, who is said to have complained that he knew half of his advertising budget was wasted, but didn’t know which half. The real effects of advertising have become more measurable, exposing another, potentially more horrible, truth for industry: in more cases, it can be a lot more than half of the budget that is going down the drain.
The advertising industry is passing through one of the most disorienting periods in its history. This is due to a combination of long-term changes, such as the growing diversity of media and the arrival of new technologies, notably the internet. With better-informed consumers, the result is that some of the traditional methods of advertising and marketing simply no longer work.
The media are the message
But spending on advertising is up again and is expected to grow this year by 4.7 per cent to $343 billion. How will the money be spent? There are plenty of alternatives to straightforward advertising. They range from public relations to direct mail and include customer promotions (like paying a retailer for shelf space), telemarketing, exhibitions, sponsoring events, product placements and more. These have become such an inseparable part of the industry that big agencies are now willing to provide most of them.
As ever, the debate in the industry centers on the best way to achieve results. It is more cost-effective, for instance, to use a public relations agency to invite a journalist out to lunch and persuade him to write about a product than to pay for a display ad in that journalist’s newspaper? Should you launch a new car with glossy magazine ads, or – as some car makers now do – simply park demonstration models in shopping malls and motorway service stations? And is it better to buy a series of ads on a specialist cable TV channel or splurge $2.2m on a single 30-second commercial during this year’s Super Bowl?
Net Sales
Such decisions are ever harder to make. For a start, people are spending less time reading newspapers and magazines, but are going to the cinema more, listening to more radios and turning in ever-increasing numbers to a new medium, the Internet (see chart 1). No one knows just how important the Internet will eventually be as an advertising medium. Some advertisers think it will be a highly cost-effective way of reaching certain group of consumers. But not everyone uses Internet and nor is it seen as being as being particularly good at building brands. So far, the Internet accounts for only a tiny slice of the overall advertising pie (see chart 2) although its share has begun to grow rapidly.
Despite all of these new developments, many in the advertising business remain confident. Rupert Howell, chairman of the London arm of McCann Erickson, points out that TV never killed radio, which in turn never killed radio, which in turn never killed newspapers. They did pose huge creative challenges, but that’s OK, he maintains: “The advertising industry is relentlessly inventive; that’s what we do.”
According to the passage the real effects of advertising expose another, potentially …
A. More valuable
B. More hopeful
C. Brighter
D. More horrible
- Câu hỏi 779083:
The Harder Hard Sell
It was Lord Leverhulme, the British soap pioneer, who is said to have complained that he knew half of his advertising budget was wasted, but didn’t know which half. The real effects of advertising have become more measurable, exposing another, potentially more horrible, truth for industry: in more cases, it can be a lot more than half of the budget that is going down the drain.
The advertising industry is passing through one of the most disorienting periods in its history. This is due to a combination of long-term changes, such as the growing diversity of media and the arrival of new technologies, notably the internet. With better-informed consumers, the result is that some of the traditional methods of advertising and marketing simply no longer work.
The media are the message
But spending on advertising is up again and is expected to grow this year by 4.7 per cent to $343 billion. How will the money be spent? There are plenty of alternatives to straightforward advertising. They range from public relations to direct mail and include customer promotions (like paying a retailer for shelf space), telemarketing, exhibitions, sponsoring events, product placements and more. These have become such an inseparable part of the industry that big agencies are now willing to provide most of them.
As ever, the debate in the industry centers on the best way to achieve results. It is more cost-effective, for instance, to use a public relations agency to invite a journalist out to lunch and persuade him to write about a product than to pay for a display ad in that journalist’s newspaper? Should you launch a new car with glossy magazine ads, or – as some car makers now do – simply park demonstration models in shopping malls and motorway service stations? And is it better to buy a series of ads on a specialist cable TV channel or splurge $2.2m on a single 30-second commercial during this year’s Super Bowl?
Net Sales
Such decisions are ever harder to make. For a start, people are spending less time reading newspapers and magazines, but are going to the cinema more, listening to more radios and turning in ever-increasing numbers to a new medium, the Internet (see chart 1). No one knows just how important the Internet will eventually be as an advertising medium. Some advertisers think it will be a highly cost-effective way of reaching certain group of consumers. But not everyone uses Internet and nor is it seen as being as being particularly good at building brands. So far, the Internet accounts for only a tiny slice of the overall advertising pie (see chart 2) although its share has begun to grow rapidly.
Despite all of these new developments, many in the advertising business remain confident. Rupert Howell, chairman of the London arm of McCann Erickson, points out that TV never killed radio, which in turn never killed radio, which in turn never killed newspapers. They did pose huge creative challenges, but that’s OK, he maintains: “The advertising industry is relentlessly inventive; that’s what we do.”
Who is said to have complained that he knew half of his advertising budget was wasted?
A. Lord Leverhulme, an inventor of soap in Great Britain
B. Lord Leverhulme, the British soap pioneer
C. Lord Leverhulme
D. A British man
