Limba Engleza PDF

ROMÂNIA
MINISTERUL EDUCAłIEI, CERCETĂRII, TINERETULUI

ŞI SPORTULUI
UNIVERSITATEA „VASILE ALECSANDRI” DIN BACĂU
FACULTATEA DE ŞTIINłE ECONOMICE
Str. Spiru Haret, nr. 8, Bacău, 600114
Tel. ++40-234-542411, tel./ fax ++40-234-516345
www.ub.ro; e-mail: stiinteec@ub.ro
ENGLISH FOR MARKETING STUDENTS

A WORKBOOK FOR MARKETING STUDENTS
I YEAR STUDENTS, DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME
SUPORT DE CURS PENTRU LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – SPECIALIZAREA MARKETING,

ÎNVĂłĂMÂNT LA DISTANłĂ – ANUL I
Asist. dr. MIHAELA CULEA
ReferenŃi ştiinŃifici: Lect.dr. Nadia Nicoleta Morăraşu, Universitatea

„Vasile Alecsandri” din Bacău
Lect.dr. Mihaela Vasiloaia, Universitatea „George
Bacovia” din Bacău
2012
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii NaŃionale a României
CULEA, MIHAELA
English for marketing students / Culea Mihaela ; referenŃi ştiinŃifici:
lect. dr. Nadia Nicoleta Morăraşu Univ. ''Vasile Alecsandri'' din Bacău, lect.
dr. Mihaela Vasiloaia, Univ. ''George Bacovia'' din Bacău. - Bacău : Alma
Mater, 2012
Bibliogr.
ISBN 978-606-527-190-6
I. Morăraşu, Nadia Nicoleta

II. Vasiloaia, Mihaela
811.111:339.138
2
CONTENTS
UNIT 1. SOCIALIZING. JOBS AND COMPANIES 5
1.1. Business communication skills 6
1.2. Reading and comprehension: Damon Buffini 9
1.3. Grammar study: Present tense simple and continuous 13
1.4. Writing skills: Giving and asking for advice 20
UNIT 2. MARKETING ESSENTIALS 23
2. 1. Business communication skills 24
2. 2. Reading and comprehension: A. What is Marketing? 24
B. The marketing mix 27
2. 3. Grammar study: Paste tense simple and continuous 29
2. 4. Writing skills: Making an invitation 35
UNIT 3. PRODUCTS 37
3. 2. Reading and comprehension: Standardized vs. differentiated products 39
3. 3. Grammar study: Present perfect simple and continuous 42
3. 4. Writing skills: Making an order 49
UNIT 4. BRANDS 50
4. 2. Reading and comprehension: Brands and branding 53
4. 3. Grammar study: Past perfect simple and continuous 55
4. 4. Writing skills: Making a suggestion 58
UNIT 5. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SPENDING MONEY 59
5. 2. Reading and comprehension: A. Consumer types and VALS framework 60
B. Green products and consumer preferences 63
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C. The purchasing decision-making process 64
5. 3. Grammar study: Expressing the future 65
5. 4. Writing skills: Making a complaint 71
UNIT 6. GENERAL REVISION 73
6. 1. Reading and comprehension & business communication:
Marketing mix. Case study: Diesel 74
6. 2. Grammar and vocabulary revision test 79
6. 3. Writing revision 81
ANNEX – SYLLABUS 82
BIBLIOGRAPHY 88
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UNIT 1. SOCIALIZING. JOBS AND COMPANIES
Key words: job, company, work-related activities, careers, making conversation, work
motivation; present tense simple and continuous; asking for advice, giving advice
Objectives – students will improve their English language competences at various levels. They
will know how to:
• use adequate language for small talk and basic socializing phrases;
• describe their job and the company they work for;
• use vocabulary related to the work environment and work motivation;
• use present tense simple and continuous verb forms in appropriate business contexts;
• employ their writing skills in business contexts, with special focus on giving and asking
for advice.
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1.1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. Describe the jobs below:
engineer accountant sales rep
art director graphic designer doctor
plumber mechanic pilot
copywriter shop assistant hairdresser
cook PR officer HR manager
economist personal assistant marketing director
computer programmer lawyer geologist
2. Describe the companies and institutions below:
market research firm real estate agency hotel
ad agency recruitment company pharmaceuticals company
bank electronics manufacturer dairy producer
book shop confectionery stationer’s
grocer’s textile manufacturer event organizer
butcher’s car manufacturer catering firm
cleaner’s consultancy company insurance company
3. Match the job titles below with the suitable descriptions of these jobs:
Product manager Responsible for all the decisions concerning a brand.
Advertising manager Responsible for all the decisions regarding a group of similar
products within a firm.
Salesperson Responsible for controlling, training and motivating the sales

force and the sales support team.
Market research Finds out what each customer needs, and tries to meet that need
manager or demand. They select from the range of products which the
company has on offer, and explains these products in terms of
how they will satisfy the client’s needs.
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PR manager Controls media purchases, deals with advertising agencies and
supervises the flow of information to the company’s customers.
Brand manager Administers the company’s public image and applies corrective
measures if the firm is acquiring a bad reputation. Organizes
activities and events that show the company in a positive
perspective, and tries to make sure that the company behaves
correctly towards its public.
Sales manager Collects evidence about what consumers really want or need to
buy. Sometimes they also examine competitors’ activity so that
the company can come up with opposing action.
4. What is your job title? Use the following phrases to talk about your job:
My name is…I am …years old. I am in charge of…/My responsibilities are..
I am a/an (job)… I report to…
I work for ... The number of employees is around…
My company produces (products)/ Our market share…
provides (services)/sells…
My job involves... Our competition…
5. Can you think of the central values of your firm? Describe them briefly.
e.g. product/service quality tradition client commitment
staff professionalism national reputation respect for customers
6. Ask another student about his/her work, professional activities, company. Use the
following questions:
What is your name? Are you satisfied with your work program?
Where do you work? Are you satisfied with your job tasks?
What does your company produce/sell? Are you pleased with your salary?
Where is your company based? What do you like best about your work?
What does your job involve? How does your firm relate to its
competition?
How many employees does your company have?

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7. Now imagine you are during the coffee break at a conference. Present yourself to the
following people and start a short conversation:
Use some of the following phrases for small talk:
Hello, I’m… Are you giving a presentation?
Hello, I’m…from…based in… Do you know anyone here?
Hello, is this your first time in…(city?) So, how are you enjoying the
conference so far?
Hi, I don’t think we’ve met… Where are you staying?
Hello, it’s (Joanna), isn’t it? Would you like something to drink?
So, who do you work for? Can I get you anything from the
What’s jour job? buffet?
How is business?/ I hear… What about something to drink?
Where are you from originally? Do you fancy something to drink?
8. Which of the following topics are taboo or inappropriate when talking to a person
you have just met? Which are safe topics?
religion weather marital status hobbies food
age profession political preferences ethnic issues sports
9. Use the following phrases to keep a conversation going with a partner on the
following topics:
the weather: Isn’t this weather…? recent news: Have you heard about…?
So, the weather is getting … …news, isn’t it?
Well, I hear the forecast says… So, they say that…
mutual friends: Do you know…, by the holidays: Have you been on holiday this
way? year?
I think you two know each other already. Have you ever visited…?
Have you had the chance to see…?
job interviews: So, how did the interview the economy: I see the GDP has
go?
gone worse..
I’m sure you’ve made quite a figure…
I hear investments…
Well, I’m sure it all turned out just fine…
So, inflation is getting lower/higher…
10. Comment upon the following quotation from a business book: Never do business
with anybody you don’t like, because people will always buy from a friend. Do you agree? What
would be your policy if having your own business?
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1.2. READING AND COMPREHENSION
Read the following short text from The Telegraph newspaper on one of the richest
British businessmen and answer the questions below:
DAMON BUFFINI1
Position: chairman of Permira, one of the country’s top private equity groups.
Family background: the son of an American serviceman and a Leicester hotel employee;
Education: a Cambridge law graduate;
Professional history:
• he has led the development of the former Schroder Ventures and he has taken a crucial
role in defending private equity’s record on jobs and investment;
• he was a management consultant before joining Schroder Ventures, then became a

partner in 1992 and UK managing partner in 1999;
• in 2000, he became Permira managing partner and supervised the separation from
Schroders in 2001.
Qualities: his deal-making and managerial skills have helped Permira to purchase companies as
diverse as the AA, fashion group New Look or hotels chain Travelodge. His inventiveness,
problem-solving skills and financial abilities are also accountable for his success in business.
Age: 45.
Marital status: he is married to Deborah, a Chinese solicitor.
Interests and hobbies: golf; he also does humanitarian activities: he works with underprivileged
children in poor parts of London.
1. Which is Mr. Buffini’s job? What is the name of the company?
2. Was he born in a family with business interests?
3. Does he have a degree in business?
4. What types of business is he in?
5. What types of business skills does he have? Do you think these qualities are essential
in business? Can you think of others?
1
Adapted from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/2954838/British-business-
people-The-top-1000-Hedge-funds-private-equity-and-fund-management.html, accessed March 1, 2012.
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e.g. social networking skills persuasiveness time management skills
writing skills strategic skills leadership skills
speaking skills risk-management abilities others
6. What age is he? Which is his marital status?
7. What other activities does he perform except for business?
8. Find words derived from the words below:
employ manage profession
work lead produce
9. Do you think that professional success is related only to financial gains?
10. What types of motivation do you get from your work? Check the ideas below:
money flexible work time bonuses
knowledge paid holidays interesting work
colleagues training job security
promotion praise free goods/products
11. Are there other aspects or factors that motivate you at work? What demotivates
you?
12. Work is also rewarded with money. Look up the meaning of the following money
idioms in a dictionary and then match them with the appropriate meanings:
to be rolling in it to live on a small budget
money down the drain to be rich
to keep one’s head above water making profit; in credit
to live on a shoestring money wasted
to tighten one’s belt to survive in spite of financial problems
to live in clover to manage with very little money
in the red to live in comfort or wealth
in the black to be very poor
as poor as a church mouse in debt
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13. Study the following phrases describing work-related activities and then fill in the
gaps in the sentences below:
at full stretch → using all one’s energy to do something
to burn the midnight oil → to work very late at night to achieve something
the top of the ladder → the highest position in one’s job
to get something off the ground → to start a business/project
to take a back seat → to take a position of less importance or influence
to call the shots → to make/take important decisions
the rat race → the struggle for success
up-and-coming (adj.) → expected to become successful and important
the big guns → influential people
to have several irons in the fire → to have several alternatives or projects at the same time
1. Mr. Tinescu has replaced Mr. Toader for the position of CEO, so the former is the new
boss to ……………………………..now.
2. The delegation from Russia are the ………………………….in the oil industry.
3. New elections for the position of HR director have been announced, so the
……………has begun.
4. We had to work……………………..for a full year in order to complete that difficult

project.
5. I’m not afraid of a possible failure; actually, I have ……………………………I’m

counting on.
6. He has dreamed of his own company for so long; now he has finally managed to
………………it .……………
7. I’ll have to …………………………….tonight thinking of a new way to advertise that

product!
8. When he got sick because of too much work he had to ………………………….in the
company.
9. Although he is only forty, everybody considers him to be the

……………………economist in our firm.
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10. Andrei has been working very hard all these years, but he has finally succeeded in
reaching…………………………….in the company.
14. Study the following phrases describing human qualities, flaws and personality
features and then fill in the gaps below:
a rotten apple → somebody who as a bad influence on others
to have a head for figures → to be good at arithmetic
to be slow on the uptake → to understand or learn things slowly
to talk the hind legs off a donkey → to talk too much
to be head and shoulders above the rest → to be more important or better than others
smart alec → somebody who thinks she/he is very intelligent
of the old school → old-fashioned and conservative
to have the gift of the gab → to have the talent to talk easily and convincingly
1. In our department he’s just a ……………………………………., always looking down

on us during our meetings.
2. I chose to attend the Faculty of Economic Sciences because I ……………………
3. Don’t talk to our manager about your innovative idea; unfortunately, she’s …………
4. If you don’t have much time available, don’t even bother to call her, you know she
……
5. Due to his hard work and perseverance he is now ………………………………….his

colleagues.
6. Salespeople must have …………………………………..if they want to sell efficiently.
7. I’m not sure I see what you mean, it seems I’m a bit …………………………….today.
8. Unfortunately, Jerry was caught stealing stationery from his office gain. It’s a pity, he
seems to be nothing but a ……………………….
15. Form another word from the one given so as to complete the sentences below:
EMPLOY Unfortunately, he was fired from his old job and he is now……………………..
PRODUCE We have recently opened a new …………………………..site in Glasgow.
WORK Many people in our city are now ………………………….as a result of the
economic crisis.
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COUNT Maria has graduated the Faculty of Economic Sciences and now works as an……
AMBITION Radu may be successful in his new job, after all he is very……………………
SUCCESS The figures clearly show that the new production line has been …………………...
REPRESENT We promise to send one of our …………………………to discuss the matter with
you.
APPLY I will certainly get a job considering the numerous …………………….I have
sent!
COMPETE We still survive on the market due to our ………………………….prices.
EMPLOY Our firm has introduced incentive schemes for all its ………………………
16. Make sentences with the following expressions related to work:
to land a job; to make an impression; to work one’s way up from the very bottom; top
business; to work hard and play hard; to enjoy the high life; to do a U-turn; to lose one’s
touch; to build up losses; to request funds
1. 3. GRAMMAR STUDY
PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE
Form:
Affirmative: the short infinitive of the verb (first form of any verb) + -s/-es (only for 3rd
person sg.)
Negative: do not/does not (short forms: don’t/doesn’t) + the short infinitive of the verb
Interrogative: Do/Does + subject + the short infinitive of the verb
Observations: 1.We add –s/-es in affirmative sentences only for the third person singular:
he/she/it.
2. We use does/does not only for the third person singular.
3. Short answers to yes/no questions repeat the auxiliary do. E.g. Does she own the place?
Yes, she does./No, she doesn’t.
Uses:
1. It is used to refer to permanent or general facts:
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This machine selects the raw material.
In marketing, the 4 Ps refer to the four variables making up the marketing mix.
2. It can also describe generally true actions or situations:
Maria works for an advertising agency.
Our company offers a full range of cosmetic products.
Adidas manufactures sports apparel.
3. It refers to actions which are repeated regularly, routine actions and habits:
• With such adverbs as: always, usually, normally, often, frequently, generally,
occasionally, sometimes, rarely, now and then, not often, seldom, every
day/month/summer etc., once a year, never.
I usually work long hours when I have to meet a deadline.
I always check my email when I arrive at the office
Bill Gates is a workaholic, he normally works 16 hours a day.
We devise the quarterly accounts every three or four months.
“Mr. Bernanke appears twice each year before the House committee for a formal review
of the Fed’s management of the nation’s monetary policy”. (International Herald Tribune
website)
PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS
Form:
Affirmative: to be in the present (am/is/are)+ verb +-ing
Negative: subject + to be in the present (am/is/are)+ not + verb +-ing
Interrogative: to be in the present (am/is/are)+ subject + verb +-ing
Observations: 1. In more informal contexts we use short forms/contractions: I am/I’m, you

are/you’re, she/he/it is/ she’s/he’s/it’s, they are/they’re etc.
2. Negatives are formed with the verb to be + not: I’m not working here. She isn’t studying here
anymore. We aren’t doing that any longer.
3. For questions, we invert the subject and the form of the verb be: Are they coming or not?
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4. Short answers to yes/no questions repeat the verb be: Is he staying here? Yes, he is./ No, he
isn’t.
5. We do not generally use perceptive verbs with present or past continuous (which refer to our
senses: to see, to hear, to taste, to smell), verbs showing affection or emotions (to like/to dislike,
to love/to hate, to feel), verbs describing mental states (to understand, to suppose, to believe) or
opinion (to think), or the verbs to be and to have. When we do use them in the continuous form,
the original meaning changes and they also change from state verbs to action verbs: E.g. I’m
seeing the manager at 7 sharp in the evening (it means “I will meet”); They’re having a meeting
right now (they are holding a meeting); The company is thinking of changing its headquarters (it
is planning it, the idea is being considered at the moment). I’m having problems with my old
computer (I am experiencing problems; action)
6. The following information box will help you distinguish between the uses of present tense
simple and continuous:
Present tense simple Present tense continuous
permanent temporary
habits, routine actions (which extend over a actions in progress now or around now
long period of time)
facts or situations that are always true events happening at that moment
general situations particular situations
Uses:
1. It refers to temporary actions which take place at the moment of speaking:
• often used with time expressions like: now, at the moment, right now.
Mr. Johns is talking to a major client right now.
I am trying to reach the Accounts Department but it seems that nobody is in the office.
2. To talk about actions or situations which are in progress around the present
moment, so they do not refer only to speech time:
• often used with time expressions like: nowadays, temporarily, these days, this
month/semester, currently.
It is pretty obvious that they aren’t doing a good job these days.
“Now that airlines have realized how much money they can make by selling more than
just a seat on their planes, they are coming up with all sorts of income-producing ideas.”
(International Herald Tribune website)
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“So Air New Zealand is converting its frequent-flier club members into financial services
clients, giving them its OneSmart card.” (International Herald Tribune website)
“Greece is now preparing to use legal means to force all qualifying bondholders to
accept a haircut.” (International Herald Tribune website)
“Porsche is zipping along in Latin America, a region where the luxury carmaker has
dramatically grown over the past decade.” (Latin Trade website)
3. To indicate a transition or change from one state to another, generally with verbs
such as to get, to grow:
“For travellers with multiple connections, getting from Point A to Point B is becoming
ever more challenging.” (International Herald Tribune website)
“Some worry that the company is becoming less vigilant about monitoring app
developers, exposing users to unnecessary risks and shoddy apps.” (International Herald
Tribune website)
4. To show a temporary action or situation which is contrary to a habit or routine:
I generally phone my clients, but today I’m using the fax instead.
They normally launch product discounts at this time of the year, but this season they are
giving coupons.
GRAMMAR PRACTICE
1. Fill in the gaps with the suitable present tense forms, simple or continuous:
1. I (put)............................................................the report on your desk right now.
2. I have no idea what you (talk about)..................................................................
3. you (mean).........................................................that the company is downsizing?
4. During the economic crisis, people often (feel).........................................less secure

about their jobs.
5. Why she (look) .................................................................at the quarterly accounts like

that?
2. Put the verbs into the correct form, present simple or continuous:
1. They (not check)………………………………….the machinery very often so

accidents might occur.
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2. I’ve got a new computer in my office, but I (not use)……………………………it very
much.
3. The new product line (seem)……………………………to be extremely successful.
4. My father (work) …………………………for a multinational company.
5. Dissatisfied workers (picket)………………………outside the building these days.
6. Working conditions in many countries (get)…………………..worse as a result of

deregulation.
7. Our firm currently (change)…………………………its policy regarding working

hours.
8. ‘What you (do)…………………………?’ ‘I’m a quality manager for Samsung.’
9. How long it (take) you…………………………………to get to your new workplace?
10. What quality control (mean)…………………………………………….?
3. Complete the sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into present simple or
present continuous forms:
1. I (look at) ………………………………..the figures on the screen right now.

2. I (look at) …………………………….the sales results in detail every month.
3. The production line (not work) ………………………..… at weekends.
4. I called her office but they told me she (not work) …………………….today.
5. Yes, I agree. I (think) ………………………..…it’s a good idea.
6. I (think) ……………………………..… about it and I’ll let you know tomorrow.
7. She (stay) …………………..at the Astoria while she’s in Madrid this month.
8. We (take) ………………………………..a sample for testing every day.
9. They (be) ………………. usually very flexible if we want to change the order.
10. We (take) ………………………... a big risk if we go ahead with this project.
11. This company building (get) ……………………. very old, it needs repairing.
12. Nowadays, product life cycles (last)……………………………….longer.
13. Our boss (hate)……………………….working late and (prefer)………………….to
work at the weekends instead.
14. These boots (cost)…………………a lot more than she usually (pay)…………….
15. Saving money (get)…………………………..more and more problematic each day.
4. Fill the gaps using a present form of the verb in brackets, simple or continuous:
1. She (stay) …………..with us these days because she (attend) …………….a

conference.
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2. The problem (appear) …………...... to have no solution although we (try) …………
hard to find one.
3. (he work) …………………………….at home for the moment?
4. Each package we (send) ……………….(weigh) ……………….. ..about 20 kilos.
5. An employer never (assist) ………………..his workers while they (work)

……………........because they might feel stressed.
5. Translate into English using the collocations below. Use appropriate present
tense forms:
run a company; set up a business; work long hours; be in charge of; make a profit
1. El conduce afacerea şi angajează peste 2,000 de oameni în fiecare an.

2. El îşi înfiinŃează propria afacere luna aceasta deşi nu are experienŃă în domeniu.
3. Noi avem un profit satisfăcător cu noua noastră linie de producŃie.
4. Criza economică face mari ravagii peste tot în lume.
5. In prezent lucrez la o firma de publicitate până seara târziu dar munca mea este foarte
interesantă.
6. Ea este responsabilă cu angajările şi concedierile de personal în acea firmă.
6. Some colleagues are talking outside their office. Complete the conversation using
present simple or continuous:
Jim: Hi, Paul. What you (do) ……………………………………….?
Paul: Hi, Jim. Well, I (wait) …………………………………..for the meeting to start.
Jim: How are you? You (look)…………………………..pretty tired.
Paul: I am tired. I (work) ……………………………….a lot in the evenings this month.

By the way, isn’t that your boss over there?
Jim: Yes, that’s right. He (be)…………………on his way to the next meeting, I suppose.
So, what (be)…………………new in the R&D department?
Paul: Well, we (improve)…………………………….our old products and there is a lot of

work to do.
Jim: I (see)………… So, you (spend) ………….on new strategies for product
development. Good luck with your work then!
Paul: Thanks!
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7. Use suitable present tense simple or continuous forms to complete the sentences:
1. The world population (decrease)……………………………………….very fast.
2. The cost of living (rise)………………………………. Things are more expensive day

by day.
3. Hi, Joan. How you (get on)……………………………………..in your new job?
4. Unfortunately, my sister (not enjoy)…………………………her work at the moment.
5. What time the banks (close)……………………………………here?
6. Vegetarian food (become)………………………………………more and more

appreciated these days.
7. The production department (attend)………………………………..intensive foreign

language courses this autumn.
8. Head office (decide)…………………………which products the stores are going to

sell.
9. Head office (conduct)………………………….regular market research before

introducing a new product.
10. They (invite)…………………………………prospective clients to discuss the

product concept today.
8. Ask Teodor questions about himself, his family and his work:
1. You know Teodor attends some evening classes. You want to know how often.
How often…………………………………………………………………………….
2. Perhaps his brother also attends those classes. You want to know.
……………………your brother ………………………………………………as well?
3. You know that his father reads a financial newspaper every day. You want to know
which one.
Which………………………………………………………………………………….
4. You know that his younger sister works. You want to know what she does.
What/where……………………………………………………………………………
5. You know Teodor works for a big electronics manufacturer. You want to which one.
Which/what……………………………………………………………………………
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9. Make up a paragraph about the ideal boss using the words below and add
corresponding adverbs of frequency. Make sure you use the proper present tense
forms:
(he/she) read my e-mails; bring me coffee; praise me; send me on trips; let me leave
work early; say ‘thank you’; give me lots of responsibility and credit; take me out to
dinner; call me by my first name; not set regular deadlines; give extra money for taking
exercise/practising sports/going on holidays; think it is all right to be idle.
10. Talk about a typical day in your life – activities at work and at home, habits, regular
actions. Then talk about activities you perform occasionally. Name some things you
never do. In the end, think of some activities you carry out temporarily, over a
limited period of time.
e.g. I usually get up at… I finish work at…

I walk/drive to work around … I get home around…
I start work at … I pick up my kids from school at…
I have lunch at…/I never have lunch I usually cook dinner at…
I have a break at… I go to evening classes/university at…
1. 4. WRITING SKILLS
GIVING AND ASKING FOR ADVICE

1. At work, several types of problems can occur and we often need advice or
suggestions from colleagues or friends. Think of a problem you have recently faced at work
and write an email/a letter to a friend or colleague asking for advice.
Consider the following structure and useful phrases:
1. GREETING AND STATING THE PURPOSE 2. ASKING FOR ADVICE
Hi…/Hello…/Dear… Do you have any idea about what I should

do?
I have a problem…
I was wondering if you had any ideas about
I’d like your advice about a problem… what I should do.
Look, I’ve got a problem here… I was wondering if you could give me some
advice.
There is something that bothers me…
I’d really appreciate your opinion on this.
Your advice could really help me.
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What would you advise me to do?
3. CLOSE
Please email me when you have time/when you get the chance.
Please write back to me and let me know what you think.
I look forward to your suggestions.
2. Now give advice to a colleague considering one of the following problems:
- he/she has serious problems with the - he/she wants to change jobs because of
computer at work financial difficulties
- he/she does not know how to devise a - he/she needs to borrow money and
project considers options
- he/she is not sure about attending a - he/she was demoted
training course
Structure and useful phrases:

1. GREETING AND OPENING 2. GIVING ADVICE
I am so sorry to hear you’re having Well, I think it would help if…
problems with…
I think you could try…
I was sorry to hear about your current
difficulties. I think it might be a good idea to…
I’m really sorry you’re having such a Have you thought of (+ vb. – ing)…?
hard time at the moment.
I think you should…
…might be worth trying.
What about…?
3. RESULT 4. OPTIONS
This would mean that… I think this would be preferable to…

This way,… I think it’s better than (+ vb. –ing)…
If you do this then… …is definitely better than…
As a result, …
21
5. CLOSE
I hope I could help you.

I hope I’ve helped a bit.
I hope I could be of some assistance to you.
I hope my advice will help.
22
UNIT 2. MARKETING ESSENTIALS
Key words: marketing, marketing evolution, marketing concept, marketing mix; past tense
simple and continuous; asking for advice, giving advice; making and accepting invitations
will know how to:
• define marketing as a practice and discipline;
• explain the core concepts of marketing;
• describe the evolution of marketing and the marketing concept;
• describe the components of the marketing mix;
• use vocabulary related to a company’s marketing mix;
• use past tense simple and continuous verb forms in appropriate business contexts;
• employ their writing skills in business contexts, with special focus on writing business
invitations.
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2. 1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. What is marketing?
2. Do you work in the marketing domain?
3. Which are the departments of a typical company?
4. What roles and functions does the marketing department have nowadays?
2. 2. READING AND COMPREHENSION
Read the texts below describing the definitions and evolution of marketing as well as
the marketing mix and then answer the questions below:
A. WHAT IS MARKETING2?
Marketing refers to those activities which occur at the interface between a company and
its customers. As a discipline, its objective is to ensure that customers will carry out exchanges
with the marketer’s organization (reminding of a marketplace). As a result, marketers must
provide customers with what they want and need to buy, at prices which reflect properly the
value for money.
According to specialists, more possible definitions of marketing can be employed. For

instance, marketing has been defined as the creation of long-term demand, as opposed to selling
which is merely the execution of marketing strategies (Robert X. Cringely in Accidental
Empires). In Peter Drucker’s view, the aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary. This is
because the major purpose of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the
product or service fits him and sells itself. Thus, ideally, marketing results in a customer who is
ready to buy.
Other definitions consider that marketing is “the management process which identifies,
anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably” (UK Chartered
Institute of Marketing). According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is “the
process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas,
goods and services to create exchange and satisfy individual and organizational objectives”.
For those who are not involved in the marketing process, marketing often acquires
negative connotations. For instance, a popular belief is that marketers persuade people to buy
things they do not want or need. In effect, marketers are responsible to make sure that customers
come first in the company’s policy. They are aware that they cannot maintain their customers or
2
Adapted from Blythe, Jim, Essentials of Marketing, third edition, Prentice Hall and Financial Times, Pearson
Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England, 2005, pp. 2-7, and MacKenzie, Ian, English for Business Studies,
Cambridge UP, Cambridge UK, 1997, pp. 50-51.
24
get new ones if the firm does not produce good products at reasonable prices. Ultimately, they
understand that without customers their business could not exist. Nowadays, marketers thus put
the customers at the core of the business.
In the past, production, product or sales orientation have prevailed over the importance
of the customer. For example, in the nineteenth century it was considered that people would buy
anything as long as that product was cheap enough, so manufacturers were focused on getting
production right. This approach can still be found in countries where demand exceeds supply.
Gradually, manufacturers started paying more attention to what they were producing, thinking
that it would be better to launch products with improved features which could please most
customers. This is called product orientation which results in more complex products at
increasing prices. Then, during the 1920s and 1930s in Europe and the USA producers thought
that talented salesmen could help them get rid of their excess production. Sales orientation
assumes that the customer can be fooled and that the customer will not even mind being fooled
by a gregarious sales rep. Until the 1950s personal selling and advertising were seen as the most
important marketing activities. This practice disregarded the needs of the buyer at the expense of
those of the seller. Marketing specialists distinguish between the selling and the marketing
concept. Thus, the selling concept assumes that resisting consumers must be persuaded by
efficient selling techniques to buy goods or services.
Modern marketing practitioners believe that customers are intelligent enough to know
what they need, they can recognize good value for money and that they will stop buying a
product when they do not get value for money. This is the central idea of the marketing concept
which affects all areas of a business, from production to after-sales services. In practice, the
marketing concept involves identifying the needs and wants of a particular group of customers,
finding out what price they are ready to pay, and adjusting the organization’s activities so as to
meet those needs and wants at the right price. The marketing directors or managers of a company
are directly responsible of these aspects.
Other more modern ideas related to marketing have also occurred. Societal marketing
claims that marketers should take some responsibility for the needs of the society in general, and
for the sustainability of their own production activities. In this case, the long-term effects on the
society are considered to be vital and firms aim to improve the well-being of the general public.
Companies who also care for low environmental impact of their products besides selling those
products constitute an example. During the 1990s, relationship marketing became popular,
insisting on the ‘lifetime’ value of the customer, aiming to determine the customers who will
remain loyal throughout their lives. For example, a firm can produce versions of a product model
which aim at different age groups, thinking that a customer will pass through each life stage and
that the company can offer him/her a model suitable to his/her age and interests. Therefore,
marketers try to establish and maintain these lifelong relationships. This type of marketing aims
to create customer loyalty by establishing a mutually satisfying connection.
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Marketing combines market research, new product development, distribution, advertising,
promotion, or product improvement in order to find wants on the market and fill them
adequately.
1. How can we define marketing and what activities does marketing include?
2. Which is the core aspect of the marketing concept?
3. What is the difference between the selling concept and the marketing concept?
4. What does production orientation involve and when was it particularly

successful?
5. What is product orientation?
6. Can you think of an example of a firm which is active in matters related to

societal marketing?
7. What is the central idea of relationship marketing and which is its major
objective?
8. Fill in the gaps using the following words and idioms from the same lexical family
of the word market. Check their meaning in a dictionary. Some words may occur more than
once:
market marketing to be in the market for at market
marketable marketer on the market play the market
1. I am going to the central …………………………so tell me if you need anything.
2. After continuous improvement, the product is now finally

……………………………….
3. A possible definition of …………………is that of a management process through

which products and services move from concepts to the customers.
4. Unfortunately, the coffee retailers are now allowed to ……………………as they wish.
5. I hear they …………………………………………a new location for their offices.
6. They had no other choice but start selling their products at

……………………………available on the wine market.
7. …………………………………both identify the goods and services desired by a set of

consumers and also sell them in or to a market.
8. Because of the recession, they could no longer resist on the sugar ………. ……and
their company is now ……………………………..
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9. I have recently visited a very luxurious antique…………………………
10. The Western ……………………….has been seriously affected by the economic

crisis.
B. THE MARKETING MIX3
The marketing mix represents the combination of techniques so as to market a product r

service. These techniques are commonly called the four Ps of marketing. These are:
1. Product (or service): what you sell, and the variety or range of products you sell. This
includes the quality, branding and reputation of the product. The product should suit the
customer’s needs and wants, it should work, and it should be as close to the customer’s
expectations as possible. In case of services, after-sales support is also important.
2. Place: where you sell your product or service. It should also consider its availability
for the consumers. It refers to a convenient location for your target group of customers such as a
shop, an outlet etc. For services, easy access is significant.
3. Price: how much your product or service costs. Generally, the product should always
be seen as representing good value for money.
4. Promotion: how you make your product or service known to the consumers. The
promotional mix includes the promotional tools employed so as to communicate about the
product or service. Examples of major promotional tools refer to public relations, sales
promotions, advertising or personal selling. These tools transmit the organizations’ message in a
away that suits the group of consumers.
In 1981 a seven-P model was introduced out of the necessity to emphasize certain
characteristics of the business especially in case of services, including the following additional
aspects:
5. People: services are largely dependent on people who perform them, sometimes even
dealing directly with the clients (e.g. waiters in a restaurant). The concept focuses on the ways in
which your staff are different from those of a competitor, and even on the ways in which your
clients are different from those of a competitor.
6. Process: the process by which the service or product is delivered or accessed.
3
Adapted from Farall, Cate and Lindsley, Marianne, Professional English in Use. Marketing, Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, UK, 2008, p. 8, and Blythe, Jim, Essentials…, op. cit., pp. 7-9.
27
7. Physical evidence: how your service becomes tangible, for instance by means of
brochures. It can also refer to the physical elements of a service: a restaurant meal contains
physical dishes, a hairdressing salon’s service finishes with a hairdo etc.
Some views also include the physical presence as a separate factor (8), with reference to
the way in which your shop or website looks.
1. What is the marketing mix?
2. Why and how are the four Ps central to the marketing programme?
3. Can one element substitute for another or should all elements be combined as a
mix?
4. Nowadays, marketers talk about 7 or even 8 Ps. Explain what each involves in
turn.
5. Write down information about the four Ps of one of your company’s products or
services:
Product
(aspects and qualities of your product: reasons

why people buy your product/service)
Price
(factors that affect the price)
Place (distribution)
Where is your product available to clients?
Promotion
(How do you reach your customers?)
6. Now think of a new product you want to launch on the market. Fill in the chart
below with information about five Ps related to your product:
Product
Price
Place
(distribution)
Promotion
People
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7. Identify which of the 8 Ps the words underlined refer to:
1. They are responsible with designing particular features and attractive packaging.
2. Word-of-mouth advertising still seems to be highly efficient nowadays.
3. They have allocated a big budget for television or radio commercials.
4. Offering discounts does not seem a viable option right now.
5. Its decline stage is approaching so we must be very careful with production and stocks.
6. We certainly need to improve our after-sales service, we’ve got too many customer
complaints.
7. We have to reduce the number of points of sale; it is no longer profitable to maintain

them all.
8. You really should talk to their advertising manager about that problem.
9. If we want to beat the competition we must improve out fast-delivery system.
10. Our manager is not satisfied with the new website menu.
2. 3. GRAMMAR STUDY
PAST TENSE SIMPLE
Form:
Affirmative: the 2nd form of any verb (-ed for regular verbs or the 2nd form in the
dictionary for irregular verbs)
Negative: subject + did not/ didn’t + short infinitive of the verb
Interrogative: did + subject + short infinitive of the verb
Observations: 1. Irregular verbs have specific past tense forms and they must be learnt according
to a dictionary. E.g. began, had, found, sold, said, knew, told etc.
2. Regular verbs are those verbs which end with the form –ed for the second and the third forms
of the verb. E.g. worked, tried, produced, advertised, launched, improved etc.
3. We use did for all persons negative and interrogative forms.
4. We use the short infinitive after did for negative and interrogative forms.
5. Short answers to yes/no questions repeat did/didn’t. e.g. Did you send the report? Yes, I
did/No, I didn’t.
29
Uses:
1. To refer to an action which started and ended/completed in the past. We may clearly
state when the action happened or this may be clear form the situation or from general
knowledge:
• With adverbs or time expressions such as: yesterday, last week/month/year, a few
hours/minutes/years ago, a long time ago, at the turn of the century; in 1889/ 2005; on
January 25th, during the war; the other day, two days ago, at twelve o’clock, in June, in
the morning, five years ago, when I was young etc.
“Facebook reported more than $3.7 billion in revenue in 2011.” (Bloomberg Business
Week website)
“The Bank of England cut the base rate to 0.5 per cent in March 2009 in a desperate
effort to save the economy.” (Daily Mail website)
“The company filed for bankruptcy in 2009.” (Bloomberg Business Week website)
“A detailed plan was unveiled in late June after weeks of speculation.” (Latin Trade
website)
“After initially rising on economic data, the market turned lower as the Fed chairman
delivered remarks considered bearish.” (International Herald Tribune website)
“The euro hit a session low of $1.3346.” (International Herald Tribune website)
“Oil prices fell for a third straight day, with London's Brent crude down 0.6 percent at
$120.84 a barrel.” (International Herald Tribune website)
2. It can also describe habitual or routine actions in the past; a similar meaning is
conveyed by used to+ short infinitive of the verb:
We worked/ used to work much more when we your young.
Years ago, we changed jobs much more easily.
In the nineties, I had/ used to have breakfast every morning, but now I don’t have time for
that.
3. To refer to more actions/a sequence of actions in the past:
I took a taxi, then I arrived at the hotel, registered at the reception and went straight to
my room.
30
PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS
Form:
Affirmative: the past form of be (was/ were) + -ing of the verb
Negative: subject + the past form of be + not (was not/ wasn’t/ were not/ weren’t) + -ing of
the verb
Interrogative: the past form of be (was/ were) + subject + -ing of the verb
Observations: 1. In speech and informal contexts contracted forms/short forms are generally
used. E.g. He wasn’t working when I called him.
2. We form questions by inverting the subject and the auxiliary verb be. E.g. Was she thinking of
another option?
3. Short answers to yes/no questions repeat the past form of the verb be. E.g. Were they planning
to relocate? Yes, they were./No, they weren’t.
Uses:
1. To describe an action in progress in the past:
“That journey started in January 2011 when ING was looking to shed assets to comply
with the terms of its government bailout following the 2008 financial crisis.” (Latin Trade
website)
“39% of the electorate said that Russia was moving in the wrong direction.”
(International Trade website)
2. It can also be used to refer to background information of a past action; the

background action is expressed by means of past continuous and the other actions
are expressed by past tense simple:
• while can occur in such contexts.
They were discussing the acquisitions plan (background action) when I entered the
conference room (foreground action).
The company was building a new production site when the economic crisis erupted in
2009.
While I was writing the meeting’s minutes they called to break the latest news.
3. Sometimes it can refer to more actions in progress at the same time in the past:
James was working on his project while I was fixing my laptop.
31
GRAMMAR PRACTICE
1. Fill in the gaps with past tense forms of the verbs below:
increase; become; launch; manufacture; expand; achieve; establish; decide; open
The History of Computer Systems Inc.
1. 1989. Two brothers, John and Mark Berry, ………………..to start their own business.
They were IT engineers so they …………………….. a shop selling computers.
2. 1992. The two …………………..their business and ………………….. new machines on
the market.
3. In 1995 they ………………………….........their own IT components.
4. 1997. They ………………… their greatest goal – they ………………… a subsidiary in
another city.
5. 2000. Amazingly, their sales …………………and they ………………. famous in IT
business circles.
2. Use appropriate past tense forms, simple or continuous:

1. So, how the meeting (go)...............................................................?
2. You (make)......................................................any useful business contacts at the reception?
3. They (change)…………………………………their work programme or am I mistaken?
4. What she (do)………………………………...when you delivered the report?
5. They (change)………………………………..the order?
6. They (not say) ……………………………..who they (look for) ………………………..?
7. How she (manage)…………………………………..with the new supplier?
8. He (not ask) ………………………………………...about the new manager’s office?
9. When the company (hire) …………………………..an advertising agency?
10. Why they (not deliver)…………………………….the goods on time?
11. You (work)…………………………………………in Munich in 2005?
3. Fill in the gaps with suitable past tense forms:

1. I (visit)………………………………………………a major client when they called me
back to the office.
2. Years ago, we (send)…………………………………50 faxes every day.
3. When I met her she (bargain)…………………………some clothes in a shop.
4. Soon after that they (make) ………………………a series or partnerships and acquisitions.
5. In the 1990s the telecommunications industry steadily (decline)………………………….
6. Bergson & Sons (have) ……………………………..an annual loss of $ 400 m last year.
7. The two companies (merge)………………………..in 2002 as they couldn’t cope with the
difficult financial situation.
8. While we (negotiate)…………………………….the contract yesterday around 3 o’clock,
they suddenly decided to quit the deal.
32
9. Paul (explain) ………………………………his proposal to cut down on costs but nobody
agreed with it.
10. Mr. Ionescu (run)………………………….the company when I first heard of their firm.
4. What were you doing ...? Write your own answers to the following situations:
1. (at 9 o’clock yesterday morning)……………………………………………

2. (at 8 PM last Sunday) ……………………………………………………….
3. (at 12 o’clock yesterday)…………………………………………………….
4. (at 5 o’clock this morning)…………………………………………………..
5. (an hour ago)…………………………………………………………………
5. Rephrase the following sentences with used to:
1. In the past people did not use mobile phones so much.

In the past people ……………………………………………
2. When mobile were first made, they didn’t cost at much as they do nowadays.
They………………………………………………………..
3. Thirty years ago the agricultural sector was much more developed.
The agricultural sector…………………………………….
4. In the past people did not spend so much on fashionable clothes.
People………………………………………………………
5. Not many people owned their own computer in the 1990s.
Few people……………………………………………….
6. Combine the following sentences so as to use pat tense simple or continuous:

1. George attended the meeting. The collapse of the conglomerate was announced at the
news.
When…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Sheila left the meeting earlier. She had a terrible headache.
Sheila……………………………………………………………………………………..
3. The banks opened. She drove to the nearest bank.
………………………………..when…………………………………………………..
33
4. She talked to her business partner about the merger. She realized she forgot to turn her PC
off.
While……………………………………………………………………………………
5. Profits finally shot up. Another economic recession was announced.
When……………………………………………………………………………………..
7. Translate the following questions using the corresponding forms of past tense
simple :
1. Când ai trimis situaŃii finaciare ultima oară?
2. Cine m-a cautat ieri la birou? Nu stia ca sunt plecat in delegatie?
3. Domnul Parker nu a inventat firma, el doar a extins afacerea şi în străinătate.
4. Noua conducere a obŃinut şi a dezvoltat cele mai profitabile contracte de afaceri.
5. În urmă cu doi ani, Ministerul de FinanŃe a introdus noi reglementări privind sistemul
fiscal.
6. Conferinta de presa a durat jumatate de ora dupa care s-au reluat discutiile.
7. Au discutat si renegociat suma care putea fi cheltuita pentru campania publicitara.
8. La sedinta de ieri au abordat si problema satisfacerii nevoilor consumatorilor.
9. Strategiile prmotionale folosite anul trecut pentru a creste vanzarile s-au dovedit a fi foarte
eficiente.
10. Comitetul a analizat chestionarele si rapoartele si a concluzionat ca produsul a ajuns in
faza de declin, hotarand astfel rationalizarea producerii acestuia.
8. Translate the following sentences using corresponding forms of present tense simple
or continuous or past tense simple:
1. Am discutat raportul si am cazut de acord ca Peter trebuie sa pregateasca cifrele detaliate

pana la urmatoarea intalnire de lucru.
2. Nu s-a aratat prea incantat cand i-am spus ultimele vesti.
3. In timp ce negociam contractul, seful meu a sunat sa-mi spuna ca doreste sa obtin o suma
cat mai mare.
4. Situatia financiara a firmei s-a deteriorat considerabil acum doi ani, la inceputul crizei
economice.
5. Conferintele ofera prilejul de a stabili noi contacte si de a relationa cu alti participanti, dar
sunt si o ocazie de a invata lucruri noi prin participarea la sesiunile de comunicari. De
exemplu, ultima conferinta la care am participat ne-a adus la cunostinta ultimele tendinte
in procesul de management.
34
9. Make up a conversation using the following collocations on the topic of breaking
bad news in a company. Use past tense simple and continuous forms:
sales figures; to fall short of projections; to be 30% down; to miss targets; to rethink the
pricing strategy; to stimulate demand; to end up running at a loss; to introduce price
cuts; to phase products out; to keep costs down; to remain competitive; drastic action;
major restructuring; layoffs; budget; customer complaints; to pull off a market; to pour
money into; to slide into debt; to undergo change; all-time low (about prices); hopeless
situation.
10. How was your life different 10 or 5 years ago? Give some examples (at least 5).
e.g. studies/education life style

salary/wages savings and spending
time (work time and spare time) communication and socializing
travelling technology
WRITING AN INVITATION
Letters of invitation are common in business. They create rapport and maintain or
enforce business relations and contacts.
Useful phrases (formal and informal):
We would be very pleased if you could Please let me know if you can make it.
come to…
Please let me know if you are able to
I’m writing to invite you to… attend.
I was wondering if you could come to… I look forward to seeing you there.
I would like to invite you to attend our… I hope to meet you there.
Your attendance will be very welcome. Best regards,…/Regards, …
It would be great to see you there. Best wishes, …/Sincerely,…
Your presence there would be very useful.
1. Imagine you work for an electronics company. Write an invitation to a business

contact to invite them to a new product launch. Use the information about the event
described in the box below:
Your company: Luminus Electric
35
Product launched: latest model of LED TV
Location of the event: conference room of Lotus Hotel, 45 Cregdon
Avenue
Date and time: January 26, 6 PM
Guest speaker: James McRae, CEO General Electric
Other details: refreshments provided
Please reply by January 15 if you can attend.
2. Now write a letter to accept the invitation. Accept the invitation, thank them,
agree on details (date, time, place) show interest in the subject of the event, ask a question
or two if necessary, thank again, close.
Useful phrases:
Thank you for your kind invitation. I’d love to come to the launch.
Thanks a lot for the invitation. Shall I bring/prepare anything?
The date is just fine for me. Do I need to prepare anything?
The date you suggested is fine. Thank you very much for your invitation.
It sounds like a great idea. Thank you again for your kind invitation.
I’m certainly interested in your event. Thank you again for inviting me/us.
I would be delighted to attend the Best regards,…/Regards,…/Best wishes,…
event/meeting.
I look forward to meeting you there.
It sounds like a big event.
36
UNIT 3. PRODUCTS
Key words: product, service, production process, product types, product life cycle, new product;
present perfect simple and continuous; making an order
will know how to:
• describe the stages of a product’s life cycle;
• explain a production process;
• understand the difference between standardized and differentiated products;
• use appropriate vocabulary related to an innovative product;
• use present perfect simple and continuous verb forms in appropriate business contexts;
• employ their writing skills in business contexts, with special focus on making an order.
37
1. When do you think these products were launched on the market?
computer refrigerator video recorder toothpaste

photocopier LED TV radio electric bulb
2. What factors influence you when deciding to buy some products or services? Tick the
factors below:
advertising appearance, expert advice price name

(by email, on design and opinion from
TV, radio, packaging friends or
street relatives
banners)
Pcs
hotels
cars
books
food and
beverages
holidays
Internet
provider
clothes
electronics
3. How often do you use the products below:

pencil coffee soap bag vegetables
sugar mobile phone lipstick laptop/PC car
oil spoon cigarettes writing paper water
book shoes stapler tooth paste umbrella
4. Can you think of a product you couldn’t live without? Why?
5. Describe one of the products listed above.
6. What products do the following persons produce? How many of them are still
fashionable? Also add others you know:
jeweler carpenter watchmaker brewer clothing designer
journalist painter weaver baker textile worker
cartographer knitter blacksmith bookbinder leather worker
florist paper technician technical illustrator glass manufacturer
38
7. The production process varies considerably depending on the type of product. Read
the steps below on how to cook a steak:
Fried steak
1. Slice up a piece of meat (chicken, pork, beef, veal);
2. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper; spice it up if you feel like it;
3. Fire up a pan on medium heat;
4. Warm up a teaspoon of oil for a minute or two;
5. Lay your steak in the pan;
6. Cook it for about 4 minutes on each side depending on how you like it cooked;
7. Ready! Enjoy!
8. Now think of the production processes for the following products:
cheeseburger cocktail outdoor grill greenhouse pancakes
chair bread bookshelf storage box trousers
9. Which of these groups of people are more likely to use these products? Match the
words in the two columns below:
the big guns prams
old people convertible cars
women yachts
babies computers; faxes; printers
blue-collar workers medicine; glasses
white-collar workers factory machines
yuppies lipstick; cosmetic

powder; body lotion

Read the text and then answer the questions below:
STANDARDISED VS. DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCTS4
The product is part of the marketing mix (one of the four Ps: product, price, place and
promotion). In fact, it is the starting point of the marketing mix, since decisions involving price,
promotion and place normally depend on the features of a product which already exists.
4
Adapted from Griffiths, Alan and Wall, Stuart (eds.), Economics for Business and Management. A Student Text,
Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England, 2005, p. 498.
39
Any product has a specific life cycle which includes introduction, growth, maturity, and
decline. After introducing the basic products, the company creates product awareness,
encourages product trials, and advertises to end-users and dealers. In the growth phase, the
company constantly improves the products’ features, reduces prices to expand the market and
establish a high market share, and uses mass media advertising. Then, in the product maturity
phase, the company generates profits by designing product versions for different segments,
adopts a pricing strategy so as to match or beat the competition, and emphasizes brand strengths
to different segments. In the decline stage, the company minimizes marketing expenses by
rationalizing the product range, reduces prices even more, and uses a minimal level of
promotion. .
In theory and practice we can speak of standardised or differentiated products.
Standardised products obey the rules of specifications which result from the same or
corresponding technical requirements. Large-scale production of a standardised product
certainly has cost benefits. These ‘economies of scale’ can reduce average costs in non-technical
areas such as promotion, distribution and administration as well as in the more technical areas of
production. They can be noteworthy when the domestic market is the main concern and even
more so if we have in view the larger international market.
However, there is a trend supporting differentiated products, for instance when consumer
responses in different market segments differ significantly. As a marketing process,
differentiation seeks to make a product more attractive by contrasting its unique and distinctive
qualities with other competing products on the market. Customers may view these products as
superior so they purchase them. For example, high income groups may attach greater importance
to certain product features than lower income groups and so may be willing to pay a high price
for these characteristics.
Producers always try to improve their products by updating and/or redesigning them. This
update helps retaining existing customer loyalty and attracting new ones. It also accounts for
price increases. The purpose is to maximize profits and try to maintain the maturity phase as long
as possible.
1. Which are the stages of a product life cycle and what do they involve?
2. What is a standardized product?
3. What is a differentiated product?
4. What does product differentiation entail?
5. What is the purpose of product improvement, updating and redesigning?
6. You want to start selling a product or providing a service (choose one) in a mall in
Bacau. Convince the manager to give you some selling space. He will ask for no rent in
return for the best idea. Work in a group. Brainstorm ideas, then describe the product, its pros,
and then write a report on your business idea.
7. Vending machines have become very popular in public spaces. Think of a list of
advantages and a list of disadvantages from two perspectives: the consumer and the
vending machine operator/owner:
40
e.g. Vending machines are easy to maintain…
They are a cheap investment…
They use little space…
They don’t need a sales assistant…
They help saving resources (such as electricity)…
They use high quality products…
8. Think of an innovative idea for a new product. Describe it considering the following
aspects:
The innovative concept/idea we started from is… Basically, what it can do is…
At the moment, on the market there is no… Our USP is…
We use cutting-edge technology to… Its benefits/advantages include…
The product is the result of… At the moment you can’t…but with
Its design… our product you will be able to…
9. Study the meaning of the following idioms describing characteristics of products

and then rewrite the sentences below using the words in bold:
all the rage → very popular and fashionable
old hat → old-fashioned and generally boring
the last word → the most recent version of a product
past it → too old to work satisfactorily
state-of-the-art → using the most recent techniques, ideas or features
to deliver the goods → to produce the expected results
as old as the hills → very old
brand- new → recently launched; totally new
up-to-date → modern/new; using the latest technology
to stand the test of time → to prove valuable over a long period of time
1. Your PC looks very old. It’s time you changed it with a new one!
hills
2. They have recently launched a new model based on the latest research in the field.
date
3. I love rock ’n’ roll and gramophones but for her they are totally antique.
hat
4. Microsoft has announced the successful marketing of their most recent software
package.
word
5. I’ve been using this coat for more than ten years now and it still looks fine.
test
6. I hear that this new hi-fi system uses the most recent sound technology.
art
7. The company is installing new computers because the old ones were not working
properly anymore.
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past
8. The R&D’s efforts to improve the product have proved efficient in the end, as market
results show.
deliver
9. Owning more mobile phones has become a very popular practice nowadays.
rage
10. She has saved money and has finally managed to buy a new car.
brand
10. Form a new word from the one given so as to complete the following sentences:
FASHION Gadgets at home or at work have become highly ………………………………
PROFIT The company’s latest investment has proved to be very ……………………….
STANDARD ………………………products have the same technical features or quality level.
MAXIMUM Our department’s target these months is to ………………………. profits.
GROW A product’s …………………..stage is a period of fast revenue increase.
PRODUCE The winter holiday is one of the most ………………………periods for us.
LOYAL Product ……………………………means that our clients use our product or
service for a long time.
PROMOTE Sales ………………………………have certainly boosted our profits this month.
ADVERTISE Marlboro’s brand new…………………………….on TV attracts all age groups.
COMPETE We certainly intend to beat the ………………………..with our new model.
3. 3. GRAMMAR STUDY
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
Form:
Affirmative: have/has (3rd person sg.) + past participle (3rd form) of a verb
Negative: have not/has not (short forms haven’t/hasn’t) + past participle (3rd form) of a
verb
Interrogative: Have (haven’t)/Has (hasn’t) + subject + past participle (3rd form) of a verb
Uses:
1. For present situations which started in the past:
I’ve known her for five years now.
They’ve lived in Amsterdam all their life.
“The pound has benefited disproportionately in recent months from its rediscovered
status as a safe-haven and Moody’s warning may well sour this.” (Telegraph website)
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“The British aerospace engineer Hampson Industries has put itself up for sale following
a strategic review.” (Telegraph website)
2. To refer to very recent past actions:
“Early signs are emerging that the worst of the economic gloom has passed and the
world's major economies are beginning to turn the corner.” (Telegraph website)
3. To refer to actions in the past without giving a specific time:
I have visited London.
I have lost my digital agenda.
4. For past actions which have present effects, relevance or importance:
They have ordered 30 boxes. (= so we must deliver them immediately)
I’ve lost the fax you sent me. (= so I cannot answer your request).
“Moody’s has warned Britain it could lose its top AAA rating due to exposure to the euro
crisis.” (Telegraph website) (= so Britain must take precaution measures)
SPECIFIC TIME EXPRESSIONS
• With ever, never and before to talk about life experience:
I’ve never spoken in front of a large audience.
Has she ever worked abroad?
“The Lloyd’s market is as well capitalised as it has ever been.” (Telegraph website)
“12 Awesome iPhone Apps You Haven't Heard of (before).” (advertisement - Telegraph
website)
• With already (in affirmative sentences) and yet (generally at the end of a negative
sentence):
Credit rating agencies have already downgraded many European countries.
Haven’t they applied austerity measures yet?
• With just to show that something happened a short time ago:
They’ve just announced their monetary policy for 2012.
• With for (to describe length of time) and since (to refer to the point in time when the
action started):
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The UK has been outside the euro area for a long time now.
Italy has made great progress with reform efforts since 2010.
• With time phrases that refer to unfinished time which also includes the present: this
morning, today, this week/month, during/ in the past week/month, so far, up to now,
lately, recently, over the last months/years etc.
I have tried to reach them all morning.
The OECD's indicators have been unerringly accurate recently.
“Britain’s prospects are tied to the Eurozone’s, as the Prime Minister has recently said.”
(Telegraph website)
“The Fed also has overestimated the pace of recovery several times in recent years.”
(International Herald Tribune website)
“A rise over the past few weeks, partly on expectations of a Greek deal, has brought
many Asian equities markets to levels that would require further positive news to break
higher, analysts say.” (Telegraph website)
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Form:
Affirmative: has/have been + verb. –ing
Negative: hasn’t/haven’t been + verb. –ing
Interrogative: Has/Have + subject + been + verb. –ing
Uses:
1. To describe an action which started in the past and continues into the present:
“The beleaguered company has £55m of debt, more than double its market capitalisation,
and has been trying to refinance its bank facilities.” (Telegraph website)
Evidence of an economic resurgence has been building lately.
“We have been explaining to government both the benefits but also the challenges and
barriers that need overcoming if they want to support others like us.” (Guardian website)
“‘James Murdoch has been carrying the can for a number of matters which remain under
police investigation,’ said Claire Enders, a media analyst in London.” (International
Herald Tribune)
44
all day, for months, for ages, so far, lately, recently, over the last months/years, since,
for.
GRAMMAR PRACTICE
1. Choose the correct form: past simple or present perfect?
1. I phoned/ I’ve phoned the bank yesterday and they told me the loan was accepted.
2. The consignment just arrived/has just arrived.
3. At the conference last week we made/we’ve made a lot of new contacts.
4. Today has been/was pretty busy, and it’s only lunch time!
5. She has already left/already left the office.
6. We attended/have attended the management class yesterday morning.
7. I analysed/have analysed the figures earlier today and they seemed OK to me.
8. Haven’t they sent/didn’t they send the invoice yet?
9. Their firm invested/has invested enormous sums of money into R&D over the last
years.
10. Prices went up/have gone up despite the low salaries of the average population.
2. Ask questions using present perfect with ever:
1. (work overtime)...............................................................................................?
2. (drive a Mercedes)............................................................................................?
3. (do the report all by yourself)...........................................................................?
4. (join the workers’ union)..................................................................................?
5. (spend lots of money on an advertising campaign)...........................................?
3. Translate using present perfect with ever and never:
1. Ati fabricat vreodata masini la comanda?
2. Nu am studiat niciodata contractul in detaliu si acum regret.

45
3. Nu si-au acoperit niciodata investitia pentru noul centru de afaceri.
4. Nu ai vorbit niciodata in limba engleza cu noii investitori?
5. Vanzarile nu au crescut niciodata mai mult de nivelul anului 2007.
4. Complete the sentences using today/this year/this month/this season etc.:
1. I met her yesterday at the company’s canteen, but I (not see)…………………………..
2. I read the financial newspaper yesterday, but (not read)………………………………
3. Last year the company made a profit, but (not make)………………………………….
4. James worked hard at the factory last year, but (not work) …………………………….
5. We had good sales last summer, but (almost no profit) ……………………………….
5. Complete the sentences so as to contain similar information:
1. It’s been raining; the rain started half an hour ago.

It ………………………………………………
2. We are waiting for the boss to arrive and start the meeting. We started waiting 10
minutes ago.
We……………………………………………………………………………………
3. I’m attending accounting courses. I started classes in December.
I………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Monica is working in Krakow now. She started working there last month.
Monica………………………………………………………………………………..
5. The Johnsons always complain about the quality of our services. They started
complaining three years ago.
The Johnsons………………………………………………………………………….
6. Ask questions using the words in brackets:

1. A friend is learning to drive. Ask him:
(how long /learn to drive)…………………………………………………………….?
2. Somebody is trying to make his car start. Ask him:
46
(how long/ try to make it work)………………………………………………………?
3. A colleague is saving money to buy a car. Ask her:
(how long/ save money)………………………………………………………………?
5. A relative sells cosmetics products. Ask her:
(how long/ sell cosmetics)…………………………………………………………….?
7. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences:

1. She is a colleague of mine for years.
2. I just noted that your last day of work with us will be 10 June.
3. The labour unions warned with strikes for the last three weeks.
4. The management refuse recently to give in to union’s pressure.
5. Have the managers agree to employ more staff?
6. In the last four months we made less profit than the competition.
7. She worked hard in her new job for some time now.
8. I never agreed with the chairman’s proposals.
9. Negotiations didn’t end yet, and we expect them to continue for some time.
10. The accounts department already produced the draft accounts for the next meeting.
8. Translate into English using present perfect simple or continuous:

1. Presedintele a cerut tuturor managerilor din firma sa participe urgent la intalnire.
2. Ne-au promis ca marfa va fi livrata la timp.
3. Diferitele sindicate s-au unit pentru alcatui un sindicat mai puternic.
4. Angajatii au fost mustrati in scris in urma incalcarii unor proceduri de siguranta.
5. Contractul tocmai a fost anulat de catre jurati.
6. In ultimul timp se pare ca angajatii au muncit mult mai putin, asat sugereaza cifrele de
vanzari.
7. Incercam sa aflam cauzele demisiei ei de zile bune, insa nu am aflat nimic sigur inca.
8. L-ai vazut pe directorul de departament astazi? Am stabilit o intalnire pentru ora 12.
9. Nu mi s-a oferit niciodata o crestere salariala desi mi s-a promis in nenumarate randuri.
10. Cererea pentru noua gama de tricouri a scazut dramatic in ultimul trimestru.
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9. Fill in with for or since:
1. It’s been snowing …………………………………the early hours of the morning.
2. We’ve been manufacturing this product ……………………ten years.
3. She has been looking for a job ………………………….she graduated.
4. I haven’t read a financial newspaper …………………………….ages!
5. No one has invested in this company …………………………its last owner.
10. Check if the tenses in the following sentences are appropriate and correct them
where necessary:
1. Have you heard the latest news? Jill gave up her job.
2. How many electronic inventions has Steve Jobs launched?
3. Drugs have become a big problem all around the world.
4. There was some good news for investors lately.
5. Experts believe that the market did not hit the bottom yet.
11. Rearrange the words below so as to form sentences using present perfect simple
or continuous:
1. a worm farm: he; ten tons of worms; since; produce; 1990.

2. successful businesses: lots of money; invest; they; a business; new; and; increase; their
profit; this year; significantly.
3. changing jobs: she; Petrom; work; 15 years; for; and now; sack; they; her.
4. expanding business: net revenues; the company’s; this year; a level of; reach; $ 800
bn.; and; it decide; new shops; to open; abroad.
5. dissatisfied boss: she; meet deadlines; work long hours; learn to use new technology;
deal with the public; but; as well as she could; her boss; be; still; dissatisfied.
12. Prepare a short autobiographical report focusing on the essential stages of your
life and career. Use present perfect simple or past tense simple, for, since, from…to, in 1995,
ago, etc.
Suggestions: to study at the university; to graduate high school/university; to start

working; to change jobs; to get married; to move to another city; to have a hobby; to
have children.
48
MAKING AN ORDER
Making orders is a common activity in business. Sometimes clear orders are placed
right from the beginning, but there are situations in which you need to discuss and
try to obtain the best possible terms.
Structure and useful phrases:

1. Open and show interest 2. Show need to discuss terms
in making an order
Thank you for your information on However/Still, there are one or two things
(product)… we would like to clarify before going
ahead with a firm order.
Thank you for sending us (catalogue/price
list)… However/Still, there are one or two things
we would like to discuss before placing an
We are interested in (buying/purchasing)… order.
We would like to (buy/purchase)…
3. Discuss terms 4. Close
Do you give any discount on…? If we can reach an agreement on these

matters I am sure we can do a successful
Is there any price reduction for…? business.
Can we have the goods on credit? If we could find a convenient solution to
these matters…
Do you think you could accept payment on
credit? If we can reach an agreement on these
details we will place a firm order
Could you deliver the goods by… at the
immediately.
latest?
If you can assist us with our requirements
Which are your normal delivery times?
we will close a deal.
Is it possible to place orders online?
We look forward to seeing you
Do you charge the customer for transport again/Regards,…/Best regards,…
costs?
Is there a minimum order?
1. You are the manager of the city hospital. You have a lower budget for the next
stock of medicines. Use the phrases above and write a letter/an email in which you discuss
and negotiate terms before placing an order with a pharmaceuticals supplier.
49
UNIT 4. BRANDS
Key words: brand, branding, brand value, brand culture, superbrands, brand stretching,
differentiation, positioning, “brand” words; past perfect simple and continuous; making
suggestions
will know how to:
• define brands and branding;
• describe brand values;
• understand how branding works;
• understand what brand stretching involves;
• use vocabulary related to brands and branding strategies;
• use past perfect simple and continuous verb forms in appropriate business contexts;
• employ their writing skills in business contexts, with special focus on making suggestions.
50
1. What is a brand?
2. Why is there a rich brand culture nowadays?
3. Do you have a favourite international/ foreign brand for clothes, food, electronics
and gadgets, computers, cars, coffee, drinks, stationery, cosmetics etc.?
4. How many of the following brands do you possesses?

Nokia Bigotti Canon BMW/Audi Lego Ray Ban
Nike Nautica Pepsi Dove Prada Panadol
LG Calvin Klein Levi’s Aro Unilever Dior
Louis Vuitton Angelli IBM Nestle Longines D&G
5. Have you heard of the following international brands? What do they produce or
provide?
ING Lancôme Zara Akai House of Art HSBC
Vichy HP Burberry Bacardi Zinfandel CNN
Esprit HBO Wella Disney Harley Davidson Intel
6. According to Interbrand, the first five positions of the 2011 ranking of the top 100
brands include5:
1. Coca Cola (US) – beverages sector; brand value6 $ 71, 861 million
2. IBM (US) – business services: brand value $ 69, 905 m
3. Microsoft (US) – computer software: brand value $ 59, 087 m
4. Google (US) – Internet services: brand value $ 55, 317 m
5. GE (US) – diversified: brand value $ 42,808m
What does this top show about consumer preferences? Why do you think these
brands are so famous and profitable?
7. Can you think of some products for which the brand name is unimportant so you
don’t even notice it? (for example pencils, writing paper etc.?)
Which are those qualities you associate with your favourite brands?
e.g. well-known, popular accessible (easy to find and buy)
distinctive, unique, different high quality
trustworthy (dependable, reliable, authentic) respond to your needs
likeable (they create emotional connections with you) fashionable, trendy
easy to use innovative
5
Posted on http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-
2011.aspx, accessed February 28, 2012.
6
Brand value is the premium that accrues to a brand from customers who are willing to pay extra for it, according to
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand-values.html, accessed February 25, 2012.
51
good value for money unusual
8. Do you have a favourite Romanian brand? Which are its chief qualities?
9. According to Superbrands Romania, market research for 2011-2012 revealed the

following top ten consumer superbrands7:
1. Borsec 6. Coca-Cola
2. Adidas 7. Nike
3. Mercedes-Benz 8. BMW
4. Dr. Oetker 9. Jack Daniel’s
5. IKEA 10. Orbit
What does the top show about Romanian consumers’ choices in 2011-12?
10. The Superbrand Board of experts made an initial selection among 1,260 brands
according to the following criteria: quality, trust, market differentiation. What do these
notions mean and involve?
11. More than 80% of Romanian consumers believe that the attributes of a Superbrand
in Romania are8: high quality (for products and services), respect for clients, the relation
price-quality, trust and reputation. Do you have the same opinion? Would you choose or add
other criteria to the list?
12. Look up the meaning of the following words related to the term brand and use them
in your own sentences:
brander brand name brand image
branded brand-name to co-brand
brand leader brand-new brand stretching/extension
brand loyalty (re)branding brand awareness
off-brand brand equity brand identity
13. Brand stretching or brand extension is a marketing practice which involves using an
established brand name to introduce and promote unrelated products. Look at the
examples below:
Coca Cola → Diet Coke Kingfisher beer company → airlines
7
Posted on http://www.superbrands.com/ro/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=320&Itemid=107,
accessed February 28, 2012.
8
http://www.superbrands.com/ro/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=320&Itemid=107, accessed
February 28, 2012.
52
pet food company → pet insurance Samsonite (luggage) → men’s shoes
Giorgio Armani (clothes) → fragrances Bulgari (jewellery) → hotels
Barbie (doll) → CD ROMs, digital cameras Mars (chocolate) → ice-cream
Can you think of brand stretching possibilities for some of the following companies?
Montblanc Volvo Lacoste Channel Rolex
Philips Chianti Maybelline KFC Dunhill
Read the text below and then answer the questions:
BRANDS AND BRANDING9
A brand refers to a class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or
manufacturer. However, the original meaning was totally different. A brand was a mark made by
burning with a hot iron to indicate manufacture, quality or ownership, or it referred to a printed
mark (or trademark) made for similar purposes10. Therefore, originally, branding was related TO
an activity connected with animal husbandry with the purpose of placing identifying marks on
animals.
The brand spectrum has gradually been extended to more general categories of goods. In
fact, almost anything can become a brand nowadays. One of the most productive periods for the
creation of brands was the 1880s and 1890s, when names such as Kodak and Kellogg could be
first seen in shop windows. Since then, the power of brands has constantly increased.
According to Philip Kotler, a brand is a name, term, symbol or design intended to signify
the goods or services of a seller and to differentiate them from those of the competitors. Another
definition considers that a brand represents a product, a service, an organization regarded in
conjunction with its name, identity and reputation11. As a process, branding represents the
creation of a unique name and image for the product in the consumer’s minds. The aims of
branding are building and managing reputation.
Branding brings about a number of benefits for both the producer and the consumer. For
example, it assures the consumers about the quality of a product. It seems that consumers gain
confidence when using well-known brands. Similarly, the producer can charge a sum of money
9
Adapted from http://www.economist.com/node/14126533, accessed March 4, 2012 and Gore, Sylee, English for
Marketing and Advertising, Express Series, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 10.
10
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brand, accessed March 4, 2012.
11
Anholt, Simon, Competitive Identity. The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and Regions, Palgrave
Macmillan, London, 2007.
53
over and above the value of the basic benefits provided by the product. Branding also creates a
durable platform on which to develop other businesses. This is because strong brands generally
resist in time, allowing the producer to launch new products under the same umbrella brand,
while old ones are pulled out from the market. The consumers’ expectations must be delivered
and enforced continually. After all, all brands aim to become market leaders.
In marketing, positioning is a very important strategy. It represents the practice of placing

a brand in a certain position on the market in order to be recognized by the consumer or as the
technique used to the purpose of creating an image or an identity in the mind of the target-group
to which the product or the brand is addressed. Brand positioning relies on applying
differentiation strategies. For example, among image differentiators used in marketing research
for brand positioning, we can find pride, trust, ambition and notoriety (Biz magazine, Top 50
Romanian strong brands, September 2010). As for product brand, it must have sufficient
visibility and credibility from the point of view of its performance in order to be considered by
the consumer. The adequate employment of promotional tools is crucial for engaging the
attention of the public and building a connection with the consumers.
According to some professionals, branding is the most important aspect a company

should consider. It is not sufficient to have everyone recognize your brand name and logo.
Branding is about connecting, one of the initial principles of the marketing concept. Everyone
involved in marketing must know how to make their product connect to the customer. Brands
have both a rational and an emotional appeal, so producers must speak to the customer’s head
and heart at the same time. Producers must build the expectations and certainty that their product
is the best because this generates brand loyalty. Brand loyalty occurs when people become
committed to a brand and make repeated purchases over time. People now talk about gadgets as
if they were talking about their best friends, and this is the result of brand loyalty. Being
consistent in filling or satisfying those initial promises you have built your brand on is also vital.
1. What were the terms brand and branding originally used for?
2. How can we define the term brand nowadays? What about branding? Which is the
key-aspect related to branding?
3. What are the aims and benefits of branding?
4. What does positioning involve?
5. What do we understand by brand loyalty?
6. You have previously referred to some Romanian or international brands you are
loyal to. Are there any brands you do not appreciate? Why? Use some of the following
phrases:
I admit that …is a famous brand but… What I don’t like about it is that…
…certainly has important qualities but… What puts me off is…

54
7. Form new words from the ones given so as to fill in the gaps below:
EXPECT Producers have to come up with new ideas to meet and even exceed the
consumers’ ………………………
BRAND ………………is also defined as the promotion of a product or service by
identifying it with a particular brand.
LOYAL Brand ………………………….represents the extent of the consumer’s
attachment to a brand.
POSITION ……………………….is a strategy that aims to make a brand occupy a distinct
position, as compared with competing brands, in the mind of the consumer.
IDENTITY Brand ………………………is how a company wants the consumers to perceive
its products or brands.
4. 3. GRAMMAR STUDY
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
Form:
Affirmative: had + past participle of the verb (3rd form of the verb)
Negative: had not/hadn’t + past participle of the verb (3rd form of the verb)
Interrogative: had + subject + past participle of the verb (3rd form of the verb)
Uses:
1. It shows that a past event took place before another event in the past:
They had already decided to break the deal before the press release was issued.
When we arrived at the office, everybody had already left home.
“David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index, said a new injection of money from the
Bank had been widely expected and that traders had been waiting so long for a Greek
deal, the reaction was fairly muted.” (Guardian website)
“The company had initially claimed the hacking was the work of a single rogue
reporter.” (International Herald Tribune)
2. In conditional sentences type 3 to show an impossible condition:
If I had known about their financial problems I could have helped them out.
after, once, by, by the time, already, just, never, meanwhile
55
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Form:
Affirmative: had been + verb – ing
Negative: had not/hadn’t been + verb – ing
Interrogative: had + subject + been + verb –ing
Uses:
1. To refer to a past action that was in progress up to a certain point in the past; it
often focuses on the duration of that action:
He had been working on the project for two weeks before they decided to cancel it.
2. In conditional sentences type 3:
“Mr Tucker said: ‘If we had not been running an easy monetary policy for the last three
years or so now this economy would have been destroyed’.” (Daily Mail website)
GRAMMAR PRACTICE
1. Use past simple or past perfect in the following sentences:

1. “Was the CEO in his office when you called?” “No, he (go) …………………….home.
2. I felt so tired after work that I (go)…………………………….straight to bed.
3. The building was very quiet when I arrived, so I supposed everybody
(go)…………………home.
4. “Sorry I’m late, I arrived at the subway but it (leave)………………………five minutes
before.
5. We saw a car which (break down)………………………, so we (stop)…………to give
them a helping hand.
2. Read the entry from a runner’s diary. Find and correct the mistakes in the use of
past perfect continuous:
“I’ve just got back from the marathon. I’m tired but very happy. When I crossed the
finishing line, I have been running for four hours and twenty minutes. James was standing
there, and he had been waited for me all this time. We were both soaking wet – I, because
I had been sweating; he, because it has been raining just a little while before. I was so
glad to see him. I had been look forward to this day for so long and hoping that I could
finish the race in less than four and a half hours. When I got home, I called my parents.
56
They had watching the marathon on TV and had actually seen me cross the finishing
line!”
3. Connect the following sentences so as to use past perfect simple or continuous

forms:
1. We finished dinner. Our colleagues arrived.
When……………………………………………………………………………
2. She was walking back home from work. She realized someone was following her.
When/As…………………………………………………………………..for a while.
3. We entered the conference room. Nobody was in.
By the time ……………………………………………………………………..
4, Parker & Co. announced their bankruptcy publicly. Initially they said the financial
situation of the company was all right.
After ………………………………………………………………………………
5. She worked as a receptionist for 5 years. Then, in 2008 she changed her job.
She……………………………………………………………………………….
4. Use past tense simple or past perfect forms with the verbs in the brackets:
1. After he (listen)…………………carefully for a few moments, he

(start)………………making notes for the meeting’s minutes.
2. I (be) ………………...quite surprised to find out that my assistant (already
finish)…………………working on the project.
3. They (not check)…………………………..the figures in the report before the meeting,
so they (fail)……………………………to give the correct information.
4. Once she (call)………………………the supplier everything (clear up)……………….
5. After we (pay)…………………..our debts, we (feel)………………………less
worried.
5. Translate into English using past perfect simple or continuous:

1. In timp ce citeam ziarul mi-am dat seama ca uitasem sa cumpar si suplimentul
financiar.
2. Nu luasem inca o hotarare in legatura cu schimbarea slujbei cand am primit o
propunere de nerefuzat.
3. Cand am coborat din avion m-am dus sa-mi recuperez bagajul, insa angajatii
aeroportului mi-au spus ca se pare ca acesta s-a pierdut.
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4. Zona britanica a refuzat adoptarea monedei euro chiar inainte ca alte state sa o faca.
5. Trenul spre Cluj a plecat din gara inainte sa apuc sa ajung la peron.
MAKING A SUGGESTION
Both in personal relations and business contacts making suggestions is a common

practice.
Useful phrases:
What about…? Let’s…

What do you think about…? I think we should…/I suggest that we…
How about (+ vb. –ing)…? Perhaps/Maybe we could…
Shall we…? I (really) think we/you could try…
Why don’t you/we…? I think it might be a good idea to…
I think you/we should/ought to…/I suggest It might be worth trying…
that we…
I think…could really work.
The following advantages/benefits speak
for themselves/are worth
studying/considering…
1. You are having a meeting to decide which brand of office

phones/computers/printers your company should purchase so as to replace the old ones.
Study the technical information in the box below and write down your suggestions:
AT&T Corded 4 line telephone with base speakerphone and expandable to 16 stations
1. Digital answering system
Message guard memory for power failure; up to 60 minutes of digital recording time for each
line; programmable auto attendant; number announce; message time/day stamp
2. Caller ID/Call waiting
New call indicator; entry removal button
3. Telephone features
2 data ports; Do not disturb; Flash; Hold; Mute; 3-party conferencing; Large lighted display on
handset; 1 to 4 line capability; 200 name/number phone directory; Auto redial and last 6 number
redial; Selectable ring tones; Ringer volume control; Handset speakerphone; Memory loss
protection; Hearing aid compatible; Power failure operation; 4. Accessories: Cordless headset
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UNIT 5.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SPENDING MONEY
Key words: spending money, shopping, consumer types, factors influencing buying decisions,
green products, the decision-making process, customer satisfaction; expressing the future;
making a complaint.
will know how to:
• describe consumer types, choices and preferences;
• identify and explain the types of factors influencing buying decisions;
• understand what marketers mean by “green products”;
• explain the role of green products for consumer choices;
• outline the main stages of the decision-making process;
• describe the concept of customer satisfaction;
• use verbal forms to express the future in appropriate business contexts;
• employ their writing skills in business contexts, with special focus on making a
complaint.
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5.1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. How much money do you spend:
a day a month on a holiday
a week a year at Christmas?
2. Are you a money-saver or a money-spender? Do you keep a careful balance

between spending and saving?
3. How often do you go shopping?
4. What does your regular shopping bag include?
e.g. beverages cigarettes vegetables dairy products snacks
mineral water meat products fruits eggs canned food
sweets cheese pastry coffee bread
5. How do you say the following sums in English?
$2,700 Ron 19,300 £ 4.3 m
€154 $237,400 £ 67 bn
£ 76,234 € 6.25 € 2,000,000
6. How much do your clothes cost? Include the accessories as well. Discuss and
compare with a student fellow.
Read the following texts and then answer the questions below:
A. CONSUMER TYPES AND VALS FRAMEWORK12

Initially launched by Arnold Mitchell in the US in the 1960s, this framework has been
much improved and is increasingly used by national and international marketers. It focuses on
psychological, demographic, and lifestyle factors to identify different types of consumer groups.
The latest version of VALS divides the English-speaking population aged 18 or older into eight
consumer groups, as follows:
• Innovators – high esteem, assume control, stylish, curious. Their purchases reveal tastes for
expensive niche products and services.
12
Adapted from Griffiths, Alan, and Wall, Stuart, (eds.), Economics…, op. cit., pp. 493-494.
60
• Thinkers – motivated by ideas, mature, well trained and thoughtful. Purchases prefer
durability, functionality, and value.
• Believers – strongly traditional and value authority. They buy familiar products and
established brands.
• Achievers – goal-oriented lifestyles focused on family and career. They pay for premium
products that demonstrate success to their peers.
• Strivers – fashionable and playful. Purchase chic products that copy the purchases of higher
income groups.
• Experiencers – eccentric, active and impulsive. They buy stylish products and those related
to socialising and entertainment.
• Makers – pragmatic, responsible and self-sufficient. Purchase basic products, reflecting use
value rather than luxury.
• Survivors – lead narrowly focused and simple lives with few resources, seeking safety and
security. They spend only on low-cost, well-known brands (they show brand loyalty) and
look for available discounted products.
We can identify there main types of factors influencing the buying decision 13: personal
factors (characteristics of the consumer that affect the decision process), psychological factors
(elements of the consumer’s psychological processes) and social factors (influence from friends
and relatives that may direct the decision-making). For example, psychological factors that may
affect the buying decision include: perception, motives, ability and knowledge, attitude and
personality traits.
Consumers’ attitudes to products can be multifaceted and they differ according to:
valence – whether the attitude is positive, negative or neutral; extremity – the strength of the
attitude; resistance – the degree to which the attitude can be altered by external influences;
persistence – the degree to which the attitude wears away over time; confidence – the level at
which the consumer believes the attitude is proper.
From the marketer’s perspective, attitudes are significant since they often precede buying
behaviour. A positive attitude towards a firm and its products is more likely to lead to purchase
of the firm’s products than a negative attitude. For example, perception is very important. This
process of selection or analysis means that each person has an incomplete picture of the world;
the brain therefore fills in the gaps by a process of synthesis using hearsay, previous experience,
imagination, etc. Then, we may find motives, namely that internal force that encourages the
consumer towards a particular course of action. Motivation is a vector; it has both intensity and
direction. Thirdly, ability and knowledge also matter. A consumer who is, for example, a
beginner at playing the violin is unlikely to spend thousands of pounds on a Stradivarius. So,
ability affects some buying decisions. Likewise, pre-existing knowledge of a product category or
brand will also affect the way the consumer approaches the decision. Personality traits and
behaviours also affect buying decisions. Personalities change very slowly in time and can be
13
Adapted from Blythe, Jim, Essentials…, op. cit., pp. 55 – 59.
61
regarded as constant for the purposes of marketing. Typically, marketers aim for specific
personality types, such as the sociable, the competitive, or the athletic.
Purchasing behaviour is also affected by people’s identity, or their view of themselves.

The more closely the purchasing behaviour fits with the person’s identity, the more likely it is to
occur; this is particularly important in non-profit marketing such as charitable donations or
involvement in voluntary work, where the activity involves individuals and is often based on
social exchanges.
1. What type of consumer are you? What about your best friend?
2. What types of factors can influence our buying decisions?
3. What other factors affect our purchasing decisions according to the text?
4. Name a few factors which generally affect your buying decisions.
5. Make suggestive sentences with the following derivatives or idioms based on the
word buy:
buyer to buy time to buy it

to buy into to buy in bulk to buy sbd. out
6. Customer relations and customer satisfaction are other vital aspects of the
business environment. Do you have to deal directly with clients at your workplace?
7. When dealing with customers, you need some key-qualities, such as:
to be precise to be prepared to be persuasive

to be polite to be positive to be persistent
to be punctual to be patient to be practical
According to other specialists, excellent customer service relies on the following
qualities:
accessibility agreeability ability
availability accountability affability
adaptability
What does each involve and which do you find to be the most important ones? Can you
think of others?
8. Can you think of the ideal customer’s qualities?

e.g. to patient communicates expectations and requirements clearly
to be reasonable to pay reasonably
to show understanding to be polite and respectful
to pay adequately
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B. GREEN PRODUCTS AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES14
After the 1980s green marketing has become increasingly popular in Europe. But what
are green products? Green products have less destructive effects on the environment and are less
harmful to human health than traditional products. They are environmentally safer and more
beneficial products. In fact, the intensive development of ecologically safer products has led to
the manufacturing of packages using recycled paper, alternative resources for generating
electricity, or even green houses.
However, researchers have declared that people “buy green products in public but luxury
items online”, to quote Vladas Griskevicius, assistant professor of marketing at the University of
Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Thus, people are more expected to buy green
products when shopping in expensive stores rather than on the internet because they want to be
seen to be environmentally friendly, a new report revealed. People shopping alone online tend to
prefer luxurious products that increase their personal comfort, without caring much of our earth’s
survival and sustenance. On the other hand, when shopping in public, people are more likely to
choose green products so that they are seen as altruistic and concerned with contemporary
environmental issues. Mr. Griskevicius commented that green purchasers buy green products
that often cost more and are of lower quality but assist the environment for everyone.
In the paper “Going Green to Be Seen: Status, Reputation, and Conspicuous

Conservation”, Griskevicius and co-authors show that people are ready to give up luxury and
comfort for a green item but only when others can see the purchase. According to the authors,
many green buys are rooted in the evolutionary idea of competitive humanity, the notion that
people compete for status by trying to seem more altruistic. In effect, they want to maintain their
social status. The Toyota Prius car is referred to as a main example, serving as a mobile, self-
promoting advertisement for environmentalist beliefs. “A reputation for being a caring individual
gives you status and public regard. When you publicly display your environmentally friendly
nature, you certainly transmit that you care,” said Griskevicius.
The study also showed that rank as a motive increased the attractiveness of green
products especially when these products cost more as compared to non-green products. The
researcher explained that when people are motivated by status, they will miss luxury
characteristics to obtain an inferior green product just to prove to others that they care.
1. Green products are very popular nowadays. What are they? Can you name a few?
2. What is green marketing?
3. What do we understand by “environmentally friendly products”? What about
“environmentally friendly customers”?
14
Adapted from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7456056/People-buy-green-products-in-public-but-
luxury-items-online, accessed March 1, 2012.
63
4. The author talks about the concept of “competitive humanity”. What does it
involve?
5. What is the basic idea of the text? Which is the message transmitted regarding
people’s consumer behaviour?
6. Are you a consumer of green products or services? Why (not)?
C. THE PURCHASING DECISION-MAKING PROCESS15
Buyers can be grouped in two categories: consumers, who are buying for their own and
for their family’s use, and industrial buyers, who are buying for business consumption. In each
case, the marketer is concerned with both the practical needs of the buyer or the buyer’s
organisation, and the emotional or personal needs of the individual.
Roughly speaking, the consumer decision-making includes the following stages: problem
recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, post-purchase evaluation
and divestment (disposing of the product after use).
Problem recognition occurs when the consumer realises that there is a need for some
item. At this stage the consumer only decides to look for a solution to a problem, perhaps by
buying a category of product. Motivation is very important in this stage.
After becoming motivated to search for a solution to the need problem, consumers carry
out two forms of information search. The internal search involves remembering earlier
experiences of the product category, and thinking about what he/she has heard about the product
category. The external search involves shopping, reading manufacturers’ fliers and
advertisements, and maybe talking to friends or relatives about the wished-for purchase.
For most acquisitions, the internal search is enough. For example, a consumer who needs
to buy candies will easily remember what his or her favourite brand tastes like, and will also
remember where they are on the store shelf. When buying a new stereo system set, a quite
extensive information search might be executed, reading manufacturers’ brochures and visiting
the hi-fi shops. The reason for doing this is to diminish possible risks; buying the wrong brand of
candies involves very little risk since the financial investment is low, but buying the wrong hi-fi
could prove to be a costly mistake. For this reason, many retailers practice a return policy, since
this helps decreasing the level of risk and thus making purchases more possible.
Having researched on several competing brands, the consumer starts evaluating the
alternatives, based on the information collected or kept in mind. In the first instance, the
consumer will select a consideration set, which is the group of products that most closely meets
the need. Signals are important when making choices; a particular price, a brand name, even the
15
Adapted from Blythe, Jim, Essentials …, op. cit., pp. 45 – 55.
64
vendor will have some effect on the consumer’s perception of the product. Price is frequently
used as a sign of quality, for example, but this can be reduced when other signals occur.
The real purchase comes next; the consumer will trace the required brand, and perhaps
choose a seller preferred, and will also select an appropriate payment method.
Post-purchase evaluation refers to the way the consumer determines whether the product
bought was a success or not. This procedure usually includes a comparison between what the
shopper was expecting to get, and what was actually purchased. Before the purchase, the
consumer formed expectations of the product’s capabilities in matters such as: reasonable
performance (what can be rationally expected given the cost and effort of obtaining the product),
ideal performance (what the consumer hopes the product will do), and expected performance
(which is what the product probably will do).
Finally, the divestment stage refers to the way the consumer gets rid of the product after
usage. This could mean simply as throwing an empty food container into the bin, or it could be
as complex as the trading of a second-hand car. This stage is of rising importance to marketers
because they can think of making sales of new products (for example on exchange deals).
1. Which are the stages of the purchasing process?
2. What does problem recognition mean?
3. What type of information search do you carry out before a purchase? Consider
the following situations:
buying a car buying milk/coffee/cigarettes

buying a wedding dress buying a book/a movie
buying a laptop buying furniture
buying a bag buying a house
4. What are the customer’s pre-buying expectations regarding a product’s

capabilities?
5. Can you give more examples of divestment procedures depending on the goods
involved?
5. 3. GRAMMAR STUDY
EXPRESSING THE FUTURE
I. FUTURE SIMPLE
Form: will + short infinitive form of the verb
• Short form ’ll; negative will not/won’t.
65
Uses:
1. To talk about future events we see as facts or plans about the future:
In March we will launch two new models.
Soon, working from home will become more successful.
“Inflation will continue to fall back to around the target by the end of 2012.” (Telegraph
website)
“Savers at the state-backed bank will see their rate fall to 0.5 per cent this month.” (This
Is Money website)
“Over the next few months we will review our plans for pub openings in future financial
years, taking account of our concerns for the tax regime on pubs.”
(Daily Mail website)
2. To refer to future beliefs:
The biggest wave of job losses will probably be in Tokyo.
3. To express personal opinions or hopes:
I think we will open a new shop in June.
I hope she will let you know.
4. For instant or spontaneous decisions or thoughts; for promises or offers:
I’ll help you.
I’ll get you the report right away.
5. Predictions:
The weather will probably get warmer as time goes by.
II. GOING TO
Form: be (in the present) + going to + short infinitive form of the verb
Uses:
1. To express plans and intentions:
I think banks are going to lower rates soon.
We are going to open a new subsidiary in London.
2. To make predictions based on present evidence:
It is going to snow a lot this weekend. (I have heard the news)
They are going to lose the deal. (I can see that things go wrong.)
III. PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Form: be (in the present: am/is/are) + short infinitive of the verb + ing
Uses:
1. To talk about things we have arranged for the future – it is generally accompanied
by a time phrase:
Their office is moving out tomorrow.
• Generally we talk about personal or social arrangements:
What are you doing tomorrow evening?
I am leaving to Cluj tonight.
66
IV. PRESENT SIMPLE
Form: short infinitive of the verb + s/es for 3rd person singular
Uses:
1. To talk about events in the near future based on a fixed timetable, official
programme or calendar:
She retires next month.
The president announces the procedure in two hours.
V. FUTURE CONTINUOUS
Form: will + be + verb – ing
Uses:
1. It refers to a dynamic activity which will be in progress in the future; a time phrase is
generally used:
This time next week we will be working on the report.
Next week we will be launching our new product line in Sibiu.
VI. FUTURE PERFECT

Form: will + have + past participle (the 3rd form of the verb)
Uses:
1. To refer to a future action which is anterior to another future action (it is the
equivalent of “viitor anterior” from the Romanian language):
• By and by the time are often used:
By 2030 agricultural activities will have halved.
By the time he arrives we will have examined the figures.
• OTHER FORMS EXPRESSING FUTURE REFERENCE
1. Verbs such as expect, intend, plan, hope, want can refer to a future action:
Microsoft is planning to launch new revolutionary products.
The board of directors is hoping to convince the workers to call off the strike.
“The chain, which operates 841 pubs, plans to cut the number of new outlets to
around 40 in the year to the end of July, compared to previous expectations of around
50.” (Daily Mail website)
“We expect the UK’s economic recovery to take hold in 2013.” (Daily Mail website)
2. would like + long infinitive:
They would like to renegotiate the contract on their terms.
TIME EXPRESSIONS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in two days, on Friday, at the weekend, next
week/month/year, in a few days time, soon, in the (near) future
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GRAMMAR PRACTICE
1. Use the verb in the brackets in the appropriate future form – future simple, going to
future or present continuous:
1. I (ask)..............................................................my colleague about that report
tomorrow.
2. I (find out) ..............................................................what the matter is right.
3. I cannot join you tomorrow as I (be)...............................................in London.
4. We (go out).........................................................for lunch later. Will you come
too?
5. Considering the present economic crisis, it (be)......................................difficult to
increase wages.
2. Use “going to” future in the following sentences:

1. She (open) ……………………………..a bank account next week.
2. Bayer (not export) ………………………………to Eastern Europe in the near
future.
3. I (see you) ……………………………………………….at the industry exhibition
later?
4. We (miss) ……………………………………………our CEO when he retires.
5. Our secretary (to attend) …………………………………..a meeting in London
next month.
3. Translate into English using suitable future forms:

1. Nu pot veni intrucat voi avea o sedinta cu Elena maine dimineata.
2. Vom deschide o noua fabrica in Bucuresti luna viitoare.
3. Ce parere ai despre noua lor campanie publicitara? Cred ca va fi de success.
4. Asteapta, te ajut eu sa ridici bagajul!
5. Ce ai de gand sa faci in legatura cu problema aceea?
6. Cineva va va astepta la aeroport sa va insoteasca la hotel.
7. Vom da o petrecere diseara cu ocazia pensionarii sefului de department.
8. In timp, efectul crizei economice va afecta din ce in ce mai mult calitatea vietii
populatiei.
9. Va voi anunta decizia mea pana joi seara.
10. Intentionez sa imi schimb locul de munca cat de curand posibil.
4. Your business partner is planning to go to a conference soon. As him questions and

give imaginative answers to them:
1. Where (go)…………………………………………?
2. How long (go for)…………………………………?
3. When (leave)………………………………………?
4. (go)……………………………………………alone?
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5. (travel)………………………………………..by car?
6. Where (stay)……………………………………….?
7. (give) ……………………………………………………….….a presentation?
8. (take) ………………………………………….flyers presenting our company?
9. (prepare)……………………………………………..samples of our products?
10. (take) presents ……………………………………………..for the organizers?
5. Put the verbs into the most suitable forms of present continuous or simple for future
reference:
1. They (go) ……………………………………….to an IT exhibition this evening.
2. (the presentation begin) ………………………………….after the lunch break?
3. Excuse me. What time (this train get) ……………………..to London?
4. I (leave)…………………………………..for the Tokyo fair soon. I’ve come to say
goodbye.
5. She (meet)…………………………………….the finance director for diner this
evening
6. Write a question with “going to” for each situation below (also use you):
1. The latest product of you company has failed to sell.
(what do about it) ……………………………………………………………….?
2. The new line of swimwear sold pretty well.
(how advertise the next line)……………………………………………………..?
3. Your business partner is going to an official diner this evening.
(what wear)………………………………………………………………………?
4. Your colleague has just bought a new printer for his office.
(where put it)……………………………………………………………………..?
5. Someone has broken into your bank account.
(call the police)……………………………………………………………………?
7. Fill in with I think I’ll or I don’t think I’ll…:

1. Your car won’t start. You decide to try the company car.
I think ………………………………………………………………………..
2. The computer in your office doesn’t work. You decide to ask a colleague for help.
I think………………………………………………………
3. You arranged you will allocate a bigger budget to the new advertising campaign. Now
you have changed your mind.
I don’t think I’ll……………………………………………………………
4. Your firm contacted an advertising agency to handle the publicity for its services. Now
you don’t want to work with them anymore.
I don’t think I’ll……………………………………………………………………...
5. You are working overtime this evening. You feel very tired, so you decide to go home.
I think…………………………………………………………………………
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8. Choose the correct form:
1. “Did you call the subsidiary in Focsani?” “No, not yet. I phone/I’ll phone right now.”
2. I meet/I’ll meet the finance director outside the premises in half an hour.
3. If you need money, I lend/I’ll lend you some.
4. I don’t want to finish the sales figures by myself. Do you help/Will you help me?
5. “Remember to study the report before you leave.” “OK. I don’t forget/I won’t forget.”
9. Complete the sentences with will/’ll + one of the verbs below:

be come get like live look meet pass try call
1. Don’t worry about the exam. I’m sure you ……………………………..

2. Why don’t you try on this jacket? It …………………………….nice on you.
3. You must meet James soon. I’m sure you ………………………………….him.
4. It’s snowing heavily outside. Don’t go out or you…………………………..wet.
5. Do you think people ……………………………better in the near future?
6. I……………………………….her soon because we need to discuss a project.
7. They’ve sent her an invitation to join the Paris office but I don’t think she……………..
8. When the new road is finished, the time spent to work …………………….shorter.
9. I ……………………………the company and find out why the cancelled their order.
10. They……………………….to test the machines before going to market with them.
10. Translate into English using suitable future forms:

1. Mâine toată dimineaŃa voi intervieva candidaŃi pentru postul de director de resurse
umane.
2. In iulie anul acesta ne vom muta în noua locaŃie de pe strada Lapusneanu.
3. Până la sfarşitul anului ne vom fi mutat în noua locaŃie de pe strada Lapusneanu.
4. La ce ora decolează avionul catre Tokyo?
5. Nu uita sa deconectezi aparatele inainte sa pleci din hala.
6. Nu putem livra marfa până nu primim comanda dvs. oficială.
7. Până în 2020 vom fi achitat împrumutul de la bancă.
8. Dacă nu acceptă termenii nostri de plată, ne vom retrage din negocieri.
9. Vă vom suna noi atunci când creditul dvs. va fi aprobat.
10. IntenŃionăm să vă oferim toate detaliile tranzacŃiei la conferinŃa de presă de peste 2
ore.
11. Talk about your future plans/ dreams/ wishes as a prospective economist, beginning
with “In three years’ time I …”
70
MAKING A COMPLAINT
1. Write a short letter/email of complaint to a service provider or goods producer.
e.g. hardware; telephone; computer monitor; washing machine; hairdryer; web camera;
video camera; DVD; watch
Consider the following structure:

Greeting (formal)
Brief presentation (present yourself)
State and describe the problem
Include what action you would like the firm to take (suggest solution)
Close
2. Write a short letter/email of complaint to a supplier using the information below:

• You ordered 20 interactive whiteboards for your company but only 10 were delivered.
• You need the whiteboards urgently for the official opening of the new premises.
• There is a mistake in the invoice, charging you for 30 pieces.
• You tried to talk to somebody from the firm, but no one answered; finally, somebody
answered but they could not find a record of your order.
• You want them to send the rest of the pieces with a correct invoice plus a discount because
of the delay and problem caused.
Useful phrases:
1. GREETING (formal)
Dear Sir/Madam,
2. PURPOSE OF YOUR LETTER/EMAIL 3. DESCRIBE REASONS

I am writing in connection with… Firstly, …
I am writing to draw your attention to… Secondly, …
I am writing to complain about… Furthermore/In addition,…
I am writing to express my strong Even more/To make matters worse…
dissatisfaction with …
I wish to complain in the strongest possible
terms…
4. SUGGEST SOLUTIONS 5. CONCLUDE
I insist on a full refund… Finally, …
I want you to send the correct order… In conclusion,…
I insist that you replace the goods… Taking everything into consideration, …
I ask for a refund plus… All things considered, …
I insist on receiving damages for… We hope you will deal with the problem
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I demand that you send another invoice… promptly…
I expect you to… We are waiting for the desired solution as
I really want you to… soon as possible or…
Please solve this by Thursday at the latest/
the end of the week.
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UNIT 6. GENERAL REVISION
Objectives:
• To evaluate students’ competences in employing English in professional contexts,
considering all the skills practised in this workbook:
- reading and comprehension skills;
- grammar and vocabulary skills;
- speaking/communication skills;
- writing skills.
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6. 1. READING AND COMPREHENSION & BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
CASE STUDY
Read the following text describing Diesel’s marketing mix and then answer the
questions below:
MARKETING MIX. CASE STUDY: DIESEL16
Introduction
Have you ever heard of passion related to the marketing mix? What about people? Those two
Ps seldom figure together with the famous four you are familiar with. This case study about Diesel
shows that passion and the right people are crucial links in brining the standard Ps together.For
Diesel, passion is a key-concept. The company’s founder sees his work as an art and the company
has redefined how a brand sees and communicates with its customers since 1978.
Diesel is a worldwide clothing and lifestyle brand. With a history going back over 30
years, the company now employs some 2,200 people internationally with a revenue of €1.3 billion.
Its products can be found in more than 5,000 outlets. Yet, this is only a list of numbers while the
really interesting part refers to the company, people, and founder behind them. Diesel is an
incredible company with a unique way of thinking. Their mindset puts customers and their desires first,
as the marketing concept actually requires. Sale and profit come second.
The story begins with a young Renzo Rosso passionate about the clothes he wears but
dissatisfied with the options available in his home town, Molvena, Italy. Thus, he decided to use his
passion to make the clothes he really wanted to wear. Renzo was drawn to the amazing fabric of
the 1960s and rock & roll: denim. Denim motivated him to create jeans which would allow him to
express himself in ways other garments could not. His idea soon became popular, so he produced
more and more of his hand-made creations, selling them around Italy from his own van. Young
Renzo is now the owner and CEO of Diesel, so it seems that impulse and passion resulted in
success.
Product
Diesel sells good quality jeans. But the reason Diesel has grown so much is because it
knows that being successful is more than selling nice jeans. Diesel is a way of life, and if you feel
attracted to that lifestyle, you might like to buy their products. Renzo describes this as an end to
that selling approach which forces the customer to buy; Diesel involves the customer in its
16
Adapted text and pictures from http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/, http://shop.businesscasestudies.co.uk/live-breathe-
and-wear-passion-pdf, accessed October 5, 2011.
74
proposed lifestyle.
In case of Diesel, those promises underlying the customer’s relationship with the company
are very personal and very passionate. The entire team at Diesel really lives the brand. They are all
extremely passionate about their creations. As a result, when it comes to expressing that passion,
ideas come naturally. Experiencing the set of promises the Diesel brand communicates means that
its staff can listen to their instincts, creating products straight from within.
Promotion
One if its recent marketing campaign was built around the phrase ‘Be Stupid’. Some years
before, Renzo Rosso had taken the ‘stupid’ move to create the jeans he wanted to wear. Then he
took the even more stupid step of trying to sell those jeans to other people, hoping he would not
be the only fool in Molvena. As it soon proved, his ‘stupid’ move ended up creating something
which millions of people worldwide now enjoy.
Promotion and marketing at Diesel always focuses on engaging with the customer as
opposed to selling them a product. All promotional elements aim to connect the customer with the
lifestyle. If they like the lifestyle, they could like the products. For instance, Diesel saw music as an
inseparable part of that lifestyle and realised that exploring new music and new artists meant being
different and trying out something unusual. Diesel:U:Music is now a global music support, giving
unknown bands a place where they can be heard and a chance to have their talent recognised. An
online radio station supports the idea, taking a rather atypical approach. Its play list is not set in
advance, so the choice belongs to the DJ.
In promotion and marketing, ‘above-the-line’ and ‘below-the-line’ represent methods of

reaching consumers. Above-the-line marketing is targeted at a mass audience by means of media such
as television or radio. Below-the-line marketing takes a more individual approach using various
incentives to purchase by the use of various promotions. In this case, passion again acts to dim the
boundaries between the two methods. If we had to define this type of approach we would call it
75
‘through-the-line’, respectively a blend of the two. The passion and liveliness personified by the
Diesel lifestyle is transmitted through a blend of above-the-line and below-the-line strategies. That
unique kind of energy guides the way this abstract theory is realised in projects such as
Diesel:U:Music and the ‘Be Stupid’ campaign, which divert and interact with their potential or loyal
customers.
Place
The way a business decides to offer its products to its customers has a huge impact on its
success. Only 300 of the 5,000 global outlets which sell Diesel products are owned and managed
by the company itself. The majority are large department stores offering many other brands or
boutiques with a very specific style of their own. Yet, they manage to preserve the quality of a
product and its communication by way of the same strong culture within Diesel. Every worker is
able to communicate the brand suitably in their specific role within the company. The managers of
the Diesel-branded stores know that their function is to act as an important part of the group. Then,
employees in each of the stores are intimately connected with all the elements of the campaigns
and are very aware of the image and experience they should transmit to customers entering the
stores. Their retail partners such as the department stores also communicate the same level of
passion when offering their products by way of separate and individual campaigns.
This attitude to distribution can be seen as a mix of exclusive and selective distribution
replacing intensive distribution. Exclusive distribution involves limiting distribution to single
outlets such as the Diesel stores. Selective distribution involves using a small number of retail
stores and partners to preserve the quality of communication with the customer. Intensive
distribution is not preferred by Diesel, so it does not sell through as many possible outlets as possible.
Price
Consumers always look for products which are good value for money. The price is the
most direct and immediate instrument a business can use to express the quality of its product at
the point of sale. Diesel uses a model based on premium pricing. The price of Diesel’s products
must reflect the substance and value of that original lifestyle experience. Consumers do not pay a
premium price for Diesel jeans because they are a premium quality, that goes without saying.
Quality is inherent to the product offered. Clients pay a premium price because the jeans and the
brand suit with and even support a first-class, dynamic and passionate lifestyle built “for successful
living”, as Diesel says.
76
People
Renzo has inspired thousands of people who proudly work to build and enforce the brand
through passion and ambition. Renzo understood that people and their ideas form the core and spirit
of the company. Therefore, everyone’s voice can be heard and each employee has an equal right to
an opinion. The company’s flat hierarchy means there are few layers of management and everyone is
heartened to communicate with each other: sharing ideas, solving problems and trying to transmit
that energy to the ultimate goal of the company, i.e. its customers.
Decisions are made as a team, from launching the original idea to monitoring the results.
Feedback is vital because positive results are acknowledged and everyone can feel proud of what
they have achieved. In case of failures or errors, group feedback permits the evaluation of causes
and the possibility to learn for future events. This sense of belonging to a team and a particular
responsibility is highly important for staff motivation. They are encouraged to understand their
work and the work environment, so they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. In fact, at
Diesel, there is high employee satisfaction and a low staff turnover.
Conclusions
Diesel has built its existence around its central passion with each of its 2,200 employees
w or ki n g f o r D i e s e l b ut a l s o living the Diesel brand. Diesel became a global name for
premium clothing but it all started from its founders’ desire to do something out of the ordinary,
something ‘stupid’. He stuck to his belief in doing something unusual and a global company was
shaped, whose products are now preferred by millions. More importantly, this has created a lifestyle
– a whole new perspective of seeing a brand. Diesel is an experience which actively engages with
and entertains its customers – a far deeper relationship than what most other brands promise and
carry out.
Passion and the desire to do something unusual bring these elements together. The
marketing mix theory applied to a company like Diesel is problematic because these elements do
not work separately. On the contrary, these elements are inseparably linked by the passion of
people like Renzo Rosso who have dedicated their lives to treating their work as an artistic
expression of their desires and feelings.
1. The marketing mix is:
a. The combination of product, price, promotion and package used to generate profitable sales -
often called the 4Ps;
77
b. The combination of product, price, promotion and place (distribution) used to generate profitable
sales - often called the 4Ps.
2. We can define a brand as:
a. A well-known product or service;
b. A name, design or symbol that gives a product, product range or company an identity that is
distinct from competitors.
3. Promotion refers to:
a. Methods for increasing the sales of a product – e.g. point-of-sales displays, special offers,
competitions;
b. Price reductions.
4. What do we understand by company culture?
a. A set of assumptions, beliefs and patterns of behaviour that are characteristic of an organisation
or group of people;
b. A company’s pricing policy.
5. Which are the core values or ideas related to Diesel’s marketing mix?
6. In what way is Diesel a lifestyle?
7. One of Diesel’s famous marketing campaigns was Be Stupid. What did it communicate to its
customers? What do you think about this idea?
8. Explain which of the promotional strategies used by Diesel are above- or below-the-line.
Analyse the impact that each strategy might have.
9. What does Diesel’s through-the-line marketing involve?
10. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using premium pricing as a strategy.
11. Considering the distribution strategies mentioned in the case study, what might be the
outcome if Diesel adopted an intensive distribution method?
12. How does the staff contribute to the success of the Diesel brand?
13. To what extent do you think Diesel can rely on its brand alone for future growth? How far
78
do you think Diesel’s growth is directly linked to its organisational structure?
6. 2. GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY REVISION TEST

Choose the most appropriate variant from the ones given below:
1. They make a profit of £ 1.20 on each piece sold, which means a … of 60%.
a. cost b. investment c. margin
2. If you really want to 1. … and you cannot afford it, then you should look for a 2...
1. a. invest b. set up a business c. establish a business
2. turnover b. business proposition c. venture capitalist
3. When did John start working for T&N? He … about two months ago.
a. had been hired b. was hire c. was hired
4. I am going on a 1… next month. 2…. to come with me?
1.a. work trip b. business travel c. business trip
2.a. Would you like b. want you d. need you
5. A venture capitalist is basically…
a. an accountant b. an investor c. a manager
6. Customers usually come here to look for …advice.
a. financial b. money c. finances
7. I would like to analyse your company’s …
a. books b. booked c. bookkeeping
8. CEO stands for 1. … and CFO stands for 2.…
1. a. chief executive officer b. chief employer c. chief European operator
2. chief financially officer b. chief financial officer c.chairman financial officer
9. When staff are 1… they have a good work 2….
1.a. promoted b. demoted c. demotivated
2. a. pressure b. management c. morale
10. Training, new technology or extra bonuses like …. motivate the staff.
a. sums of money b. perks c. Tasks
11. The company ….to make more money according to the latest figures.
a. do b. will have done c. is going to
79
12. We …. this office until the new one is ready.
a. used b. use c. are using
13. They 1…. meetings once a month to discuss the 2 ….
1. a. are doing b. have c. are having
2. b. sales percents b. sums of money c. sales figures
14. The management board …. the room, …. the audience and then …down.
a. enters; greets; sits b. entered; greeted; sat c. is entering; is greeting; is sitting
15. I heard that this year it is … to invest in small businesses than in big ones.
a. little profitable b. best profitable c. more profitable
16. You should know that this car is …. of all cars on the market.
a. more economical b. the most economical c. most economical
17. Our turnover … by 20% this year, isn’t it great?
a. grew b. grown c. has grown
18. I…my sales target this month so I … to work overtime.
a. have achieved; don’t have b. achieved; have c. obtained; don’t have to
19. They ….best friends since they were at the university together.
a. are b. have been c. were
20. The software we are using ….revised for us to use it better.
a. is being b. was been c. had been
21. These instructions … some time ago when the machine was launched on the market.
a. have been written b. were written c. write
22. If the boss … me there I …immediately join the team.
a. need; will b. needs; will c. needed; will
23. How long ….. responsible for the marketing campaign?
a. did she be b. was she c. has she been
24. The marketing department is .............................. the sales force.
a. accountable to; b. included in; c. in charge of.
25. .a. ...................................are paid regularly to work for an b......................................
a. Employers/employees; b. employee/employer
26. A brand is:
80
a. a name, usually a trademark, of a product or manufacturer, or the product identified by this
name; b. a celebrated product or range of products.
27. A company’s product mix refers to:
a. special packages with a mixture of products; b. the set of goods and services provided by that
company.
28. A product’s life-cycle includes the stages:
a. planning, growth, decline; b. introduction, growth, decline; c. introduction, growth, maturity
and decline.
29. As the sum of elements of a marketing programme, the marketing mix includes:
a. Product, packaging, price; b. product, place, promotion, price; c. product, sales, price.
30. Market share refers to:
a. the number of things that a company sells compared with the number of things of the same
type that other companies sell; b. the position held by a company on the market.
6. 3. WRITING REVISION
You are in possession of € 500,000 and you are now ready to set up your own
company. Write a description and plan of your business (consider: type of business, describe
the product/service provided, location, transport and distribution, personnel, advertising; your
skills and abilities for that type of business; competition within the local market; potential market
and clients; financial projections).
81
ANNEX
SYLLABUS
UNIVERSITATEA “VASILE ALECSANDRI” DIN BACAU
FACULTATEA DE STIINTE ECONOMICE
Domeniul: MARKETING
Specializarea: MARKETING 070.080.010
Durata programului de studiu: 3 ani
Forma de invatamant: ID anul 1
Anul universitar: 2011-2012
PROGRAMA ANALITICA
Denumirea disciplinei Limba straina – engleza 1
Numarul de 3
Codul disciplinei UB07MK105C Semestrul 1
credite
STIINTE Numarul orelor pe

Facultatea
ECONOMICE semestru/activitati
A
Domeniul de licenta MARKETING Total SI TC AT
A
Programul de studii de licenta

MARKETING 14 7 5 2 -
(specializarea)
Categoria fundamentala a disciplinei DU-

umanista
DF-fundamentala, DG-generala, DS-de specialitate, DE-
economica/manageriala, DU-umanista
Categoria de optionalitate a disciplinei: DI-impusa, DO-optionala, DL-liber DI-

aleasa (facultativa) impusa
Obligatorii -
Discipline (conditionate)
anterioare
Recomandate Microeconomie, Marketing,
Management
82
• Însuşirea temeinică, pe baze ştiinŃifice, a structurilor de
limbă; formarea şi dezvoltarea deprinderilor de folosire a
limbii engleze ca mijloc de comunicare scrisă şi orală;
• ÎmbogăŃirea şi perfecŃionarea cunoştinŃelor de limbă
Obiective engleză ale studenŃilor în vederea utilizării acesteia în
mediul de afaceri (in domeniul marketingului);
• Utilizarea limbii engleze în scopuri socio-profesionale,
fiind un cadru în care studenŃii operează cu concepte
economice dobândite la disciplinele de specialitate
prevăzute de planul de învăŃământ.
UNIT 1. SOCIALIZING. JOBS AND COMPANIES
1.5. Business communication skills
1.6. Reading and comprehension
1.7. Grammar study
1.8. Writing skills
UNIT 2. MARKETING ESSENTIALS
2. 1. Business communication skills

Continut
2. 2. Reading and comprehension
(descriptori)
2. 3. Grammar study
2. 4. Writing skills
UNIT 3. PRODUCTS
3. 3. Grammar study
V-
Forma de evaluare (E-examen, C-colocviu/test final, LP-lucrari de control) verif
icare
- raspunsurile la examen/colocviu/lucrari practice 50%

Stabilirea - activitati aplicative atestate/laborator/lucrari -
notei finale practice/proiect, etc
(procentaje) - teste pe parcursul semestrului -
- teme de control 50%
Bibliografia Barrall, Irene and Barrall, Nikolas, Intelligent Business, Skills Book,
Advanced Business English, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex,
83
2011.
Blythe, Jim, Essentials of Marketing, third edition, Prentice Hall and
Financial Times, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England,
2005.
Duckworth, Michael and Turner, Rebecca, Business Result, Upper
Intermediate Student’s Book, Oxford UP, Oxford, 2009.
Emmerson, Paul, Business Grammar Builder, Macmillan, London,
2005.
Gore, Sylee, English for Marketing and Advertising, Express Series,
Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Griffiths, Alan and Wall, Stuart (eds.), Economics for Business and
Management. A Student Text, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited,
Harlow, Essex, England, 2005.
MacKenzie, Ian, English for Business Studies, Cambridge UP,
Cambridge UK, 1997.
Naunton, Jon, Head for Business, Upper Intermediate Student’s Book,
Oxford UP, Oxford, second edition, 2004.
Powell, Mark, In Company, Intermediate Student’s Book, Macmillan,
Oxford, 2002.
Lista materialelor 1. Suport curs.
didactice necesare 2. Suport tehnic audio-video.
Coordonator de
Grad didactic, titlul, prenume, numele Semnatura
Disciplina
Asist. dr. Mihaela Culea
Legenda: SI-studiu individual, TC-teme de control, AT-activitati tutoriale, AA-activitati

aplicative aplicate
3.10.2011
84
UNIVERSITATEA “VASILE ALECSANDRI” DIN BACAU
FACULTATEA DE STIINTE ECONOMICE
Domeniul: MARKETING
Specializarea: MARKETING 070.080.010
Durata programului de studiu: 3 ani
Forma de invatamant: ID anul 1
Anul universitar: 2011-2012
PROGRAMA ANALITICA
Denumirea disciplinei Limba straina – engleza 2
Numarul de 3
Codul disciplinei UB07MK207C Semestrul 2
credite
STIINTE Numarul orelor pe

Facultatea
ECONOMICE semestru/activitati
A
Domeniul de licenta MARKETING Total SI TC AT
A
Programul de studii de licenta

MARKETING 14 7 5 2 -
(specializarea)
Categoria fundamentala a disciplinei DU-

umanista
DF-fundamentala, DG-generala, DS-de specialitate, DE-
economica/manageriala, DU-umanista
Categoria de optionalitate a disciplinei: DI-impusa, DO-optionala, DL-liber DI-impusa

aleasa (facultativa)
Obligatorii -
Discipline (conditionate)
anterioare Recomandate Macroeconomie,

Marketing, Economie
europeană
85
• Însuşirea temeinică, pe baze ştiinŃifice, a structurilor de
limbă; formarea şi dezvoltarea deprinderilor de folosire a
limbii engleze ca mijloc de comunicare scrisă şi orală;
• ÎmbogăŃirea şi perfecŃionarea cunoştinŃelor de limbă engleză
Obiective ale studenŃilor în vederea utilizării acesteia în mediul de
afaceri (in domeniul marketingului);
• Utilizarea limbii engleze în scopuri socio-profesionale, fiind
un cadru în care studenŃii operează cu concepte economice
dobândite la disciplinele de specialitate prevăzute de planul
de învăŃământ.
UNIT 4. BRANDS
4. 3. Grammar study
UNIT 5. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SPENDING MONEY

Continut
(descriptori)
5. 3. Grammar study
UNIT 6. GENERAL REVISION
6. 1. Reading and comprehension & business communication:

Marketing mix. Case study: Diesel
6. 2. Grammar and vocabulary revision test
6. 3. Writing revision
Forma de evaluare (E-examen, C-colocviu/test final, LP-lucrari de control) V
- raspunsurile la examen/colocviu/lucrari practice 50%

Stabilirea - activitati aplicative atestate/laborator/lucrari -
notei finale practice/proiect, etc
(procentaje) - teste pe parcursul semestrului -
- teme de control 50%

Barrall, Irene and Barrall, Nikolas, Intelligent Business, Skills Book,
Advanced Business English, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex,
2011.
Bibliografia Blythe, Jim, Essentials of Marketing, third edition, Prentice Hall and
Financial Times, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England,
2005.
Duckworth, Michael and Turner, Rebecca, Business Result, Upper
86
Intermediate Student’s Book, Oxford UP, Oxford, 2009.
Emmerson, Paul, Business Grammar Builder, Macmillan, London,
2005.
Gore, Sylee, English for Marketing and Advertising, Express Series,
Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Griffiths, Alan and Wall, Stuart (eds.), Economics for Business and
Management. A Student Text, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited,
Harlow, Essex, England, 2005.
MacKenzie, Ian, English for Business Studies, Cambridge UP,
Cambridge UK, 1997.
Naunton, Jon, Head for Business, Upper Intermediate Student’s Book,
Oxford UP, Oxford, second edition, 2004.
Powell, Mark, In Company, Intermediate Student’s Book, Macmillan,
Oxford, 2002.
Lista materialelor - Suport curs.
didactice necesare - Suport tehnic audio-video.
Coordonator de
Grad didactic, titlul, prenume, numele Semnatura
Disciplina
Asist. dr. Mihaela Culea
Legenda: SI-studiu individual, TC-teme de control, AT-activitati tutoriale, AA-activitati

aplicative aplicate
3.10.2011
87
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
1. Anholt, Simon, Competitive Identity. The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities
and Regions, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2007.
2. Barrall, Irene and Barrall, Nikolas, Intelligent Business, Skills Book, Advanced
Business English, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, 2011.
3. Blythe, Jim, Essentials of Marketing, third edition, Prentice Hall and Financial Times,
Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England, 2005.
4. Duckworth, Michael and Turner, Rebecca, Business Result, Upper Intermediate
Student’s Book, Oxford UP, Oxford, 2009.
5. Emmerson, Paul, Email English, Macmillan, London, 2003.
6. Emmerson, Paul, Business Grammar Builder, Macmillan, London, 2005.
7. Evans, David, Powerhouse. An Intermediate Business English Course, Pearson
Education Ltd., Longman, Harlow, Essex, eighth impression, 2005.
8. Evans, Virginia and Milton, James, A Good Turn of Phrase, Express Publishing,
Berkshire, 2000.
9. Farall, Cate and Lindsley, Marianne, Professional English in Use. Marketing,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2008.
10. Flinders, S., Professional English. Business, Pearson Education Ltd., Harlow, Essex,
2003.
11. Gore, Sylee, English for Marketing and Advertising, Express Series, Oxford, Oxford
University Press, 2007.
12. Griffiths, Alan and Wall, Stuart (eds.), Economics for Business and Management. A
Student Text, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, Essex, England, 2005.
13. Horner, David and Strutt, Peter, Words at Work. Vocabulary Development for
Business English, Cambridge UP, Cambridge UK, 1996.
14. MacKenzie, Ian, English for Business Studies, Cambridge UP, Cambridge UK, 1997.
15. Naunton, Jon, Head for Business, Upper Intermediate Student’s Book, Oxford UP,
Oxford, second edition, 2004.
16. Powell, Mark, In Company, Intermediate Student’s Book, Macmillan, Oxford, 2002.
17. Powell, Mark, In Company, Upper Intermediate Student’s Book, Macmillan, Oxford,
2004.
18. Sweeney, Simon, English for Business Communication, Cambridge UP, Cambridge,
1997.
88
19. Vince, Michael, Language Practice. Teacher’s Test CD, 2005.
20. Wallwork, Adrian, Business Vision, Student’s Book, Oxford UP, Oxford, 2002.
Web sources
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general
Bloomberg Business Week – www.businessweek.com/
The Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
The Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk/
The International Herald Tribune - http://global.nytimes.com/?iht
Latin Trade - http://www.latintrade.com/
The Daily Mail - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/index.html
The Economist – http://www.economist.com/
www.thisismoney.co.uk/
http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/
http://shop.businesscasestudies.co.uk/live-breathe-and-wear-passion-pdf
www.onestopenglish.com
http://www.businessdictionary.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brand
http://www.superbrands.com/ro/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=320&It
emid=107
http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-
globalbrands-2011.asp
89

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ROMÂNIA

MINISTERUL EDUCAłIEI, CERCETĂRII, TINERETULUI

FACULTATEA DE ŞTIINłE ECONOMICE

Str. Spiru Haret, nr. 8, Bacău, 600114

Tel. ++40-234-542411, tel./ fax ++40-234-516345

www.ub.ro; e-mail: stiinteec@ub.ro

ENGLISH FOR MARKETING STUDENTS

SUPORT DE CURS PENTRU LIMBA ENGLEZĂ – SPECIALIZAREA MARKETING,

Asist. dr. MIHAELA CULEA

ReferenŃi ştiinŃifici: Lect.dr. Nadia Nicoleta Morăraşu, Universitatea

I. Morăraşu, Nadia Nicoleta

UNIT 1. SOCIALIZING. JOBS AND COMPANIES 5

1.1. Business communication skills 6

1.2. Reading and comprehension: Damon Buffini 9

1.3. Grammar study: Present tense simple and continuous 13

1.4. Writing skills: Giving and asking for advice 20

UNIT 2. MARKETING ESSENTIALS 23

2. 1. Business communication skills 24

2. 2. Reading and comprehension: A. What is Marketing? 24

B. The marketing mix 27

2. 3. Grammar study: Paste tense simple and continuous 29

2. 4. Writing skills: Making an invitation 35

3. 1. Business communication skills 38

3. 2. Reading and comprehension: Standardized vs. differentiated products 39

3. 3. Grammar study: Present perfect simple and continuous 42

3. 4. Writing skills: Making an order 49

4. 1. Business communication skills 51

4. 2. Reading and comprehension: Brands and branding 53

4. 3. Grammar study: Past perfect simple and continuous 55

4. 4. Writing skills: Making a suggestion 58

UNIT 5. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SPENDING MONEY 59

5. 1. Business communication skills 60

5. 2. Reading and comprehension: A. Consumer types and VALS framework 60

B. Green products and consumer preferences 63

5. 3. Grammar study: Expressing the future 65

5. 4. Writing skills: Making a complaint 71

UNIT 6. GENERAL REVISION 73

6. 1. Reading and comprehension & business communication:

Marketing mix. Case study: Diesel 74

6. 2. Grammar and vocabulary revision test 79

• describe their job and the company they work for;

• use vocabulary related to the work environment and work motivation;

1. Describe the jobs below:

engineer accountant sales rep

art director graphic designer doctor

plumber mechanic pilot

copywriter shop assistant hairdresser

cook PR officer HR manager

economist personal assistant marketing director

computer programmer lawyer geologist

2. Describe the companies and institutions below:

market research firm real estate agency hotel

ad agency recruitment company pharmaceuticals company

bank electronics manufacturer dairy producer

book shop confectionery stationer’s

grocer’s textile manufacturer event organizer

butcher’s car manufacturer catering firm

cleaner’s consultancy company insurance company

Product manager Responsible for all the decisions concerning a brand.

Salesperson Responsible for controlling, training and motivating the sales

My name is…I am …years old. I am in charge of…/My responsibilities are..

I am a/an (job)… I report to…

I work for ... The number of employees is around…