Topic 1.5.1 Marketing

MARKETING

Discussion

  • What role do you think marketing plays in the success of a business?
  • How do you define effective advertising? What elements do you think are essential?
  • In your opinion, how does advertising impact consumer choices and behaviour?

Vocabulary

Activity 1

viral marketing        social media marketing     billboard advertising     word of mouth       

search engine optimisation (SEO)   cold calling    pay-per-click advertising   email marketing      

  1. What do you know about these different forms of marketing?
  2. Which ones do you like/dislike? Why?

Activity 2

Activity 3

Discussion

  1. How can a new business gain more exposure and increase its visibility?
  2. Is it more important for a small business to target new prospects or focus on building customer loyalty?
  3. Do you think that some new businesses don’t consider ROI when planning a marketing strategy? What other mistakes might a new business owner make?
  4. Is it easier or more difficult for niche businesses to generate leads?

Group Debate:

  • Topic: “Is it better to wait for customers to come to you, or to actively find them?”
  • In two groups, one supporting passive marketing (visibility and ads) and the other supporting active outreach (cold calls, emails). Debate the pros and cons of each approach.

Reading

Expressions

Look at these sentences and discuss what you think the underlined phrases mean:

“Many people experience a fear of missing out when they see their friends having fun without them.”

“The new marketing campaign is designed to draw in more customers.”

  • Have you ever made a decision about something because of a fear of missing out?
  • In which ways could a new company draw customers in?

You are going to read a text about four different types of marketing.

Comprehension questions

Marketing Vocabulary

Practice Activity 1

Practice Activity 2

Discussion questions

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

  1. What are some advantages and disadvantages of advertising?
  2. Are sales promotions effective for all types of businesses? Why/why not?
  3. How can new businesses benefit from direct marketing?
  4. Why do you think that content marketing has become more popular in recent years?
  5. How will marketing change in the future?
  6. Can you think of any marketing strategies that haven’t been mentioned in the lesson?
  7. Is word-of-mouth marketing still possible in the twenty-first century? Can you think of any types of businesses for which this type of advertising would be suitable?

Marketing Plan 

In pairs or small groups create a basic marketing plan for a fictional business, considering their niche, goals, and target customers. Choose between active and passive marketing methods and justify your choice in a short presentation.

Role Plays

Roleplay a marketing ideas session, taking on the role of the marketing team for a company. Using information from the lesson, each group should identify the best way to market their given product or service

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products 

Objective: Develop a marketing strategy to promote a new line of eco-friendly cleaning products. 

Roleplay: Decide on various roles, such as the Brand Manager, Social Media Specialist, and Market Research Analyst. You can discuss the importance of brand loyalty, create a direct marketing campaign targeting environmentally conscious consumers, and plan discount hunting promotions. Additionally, you can brainstorm how to use loyalty cards to encourage repeat purchases.

Local Coffee Shop 

Objective: Create a marketing plan for a local coffee shop aiming to attract more customers. 

Roleplay: Decide on roles such as the Owner, Marketing Coordinator, and Customer Service Representative. You can focus on using pop-up adverts in the local area and online, implement a loyalty card program to reward frequent visitors, and discuss ways to make an impact through community events or partnerships. You could also explore promotional discount vouchers for first-time customers.

Online Fitness Program 

Objective: Design a marketing campaign for a new online fitness program that caters to busy professionals. 

Roleplay: Decide on roles such as Fitness Coach, Digital Marketing Expert, and Graphic Designer. You could explore direct marketing techniques by reaching out to potential customers through targeted emails, using social media pop-up adverts to promote the program, and discussing how brand loyalty can be developed through engaging content. You might also consider how to position up-front costs and offer discounts for early sign-ups to attract initial interest.