Brand strategy: making comparisons and giving opinions
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Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Think about a brand you are particularly loyal to. What specific qualities or experiences make you choose it over its competitors time and time again?
- Can you recall a time when a company's marketing campaign or brand image was so powerful that it completely changed your opinion of a product, either for the better or for the worse?
- If you were to launch a new product, like a smartphone or a type of coffee, what do you think would be the most challenging aspect of making it stand out in today's crowded market?
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Crafting a Marketing Strategy
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
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Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01According to the article, what is the primary difference between brand identity and brand image?
Sample answerThe article explains that brand identity is how a company wants to be perceived by consumers, while brand image is how consumers actually perceive it.
02The author mentions two common mistakes companies make when targeting a new audience. What are they?
Sample answerThe two mistakes mentioned are failing to conduct proper market research and using a marketing message that doesn't resonate with the new audience's values.
03How does the article suggest companies can build brand loyalty in a market with many similar products?
Sample answerIt suggests focusing on creating an excellent customer experience and building an emotional connection with consumers, rather than just competing on price.
04In the author's opinion, what role does social media play in modern word-of-mouth marketing?
Sample answerThe author argues that social media has amplified word-of-mouth, allowing positive or negative customer experiences to be shared with a much larger audience almost instantly.
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Key vocabulary for brand strategy
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you discuss brand management more effectively.
Examples
To resonate with (an audience) — to create a feeling of shared experience or understanding with a particular group of people.
Usage note: This is a more sophisticated way to say that a message 'connects with' people. It's often used in marketing, e.g., 'Our new ad campaign really resonated with younger consumers.'
To stand out from the crowd — to be very different from and much better than other people or things.
Usage note: Use this common idiom to talk about what makes a brand unique. For example, 'With so many similar products, our packaging needs to help us stand out from the crowd.'
Brand loyalty — the tendency of consumers to continue buying the same brand of goods rather than competing brands.
Usage note: This is a key goal for many companies. Common collocations are 'to build brand loyalty' or 'to have strong brand loyalty'. For example, 'Apple has incredibly strong brand loyalty.'
To tap into a market — to start using or taking advantage of a new group of potential customers or a new business opportunity.
Usage note: This phrasal verb implies accessing a resource that was previously unused. It's often followed by 'the market for...' e.g., 'The company hopes to tap into the market for eco-friendly products.'
Word-of-mouth — information about a product that is passed from person to person in conversation, rather than through advertising.
Usage note: Often used as an adjective, as in 'word-of-mouth marketing' or 'word-of-mouth recommendations'. For example, 'Our best new customers come from positive word-of-mouth.'
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Marketing strategy collocations
Every good brand strategy involves specific actions. Do you know what they are for?
Match the marketing action on the left with its purpose on the right.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
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Grammar: modifying comparatives and superlatives
Grammar
When discussing brand strategy, simple comparisons like 'better' or 'more expensive' are often not enough. We use adverbs and specific phrases to modify comparatives and superlatives. This allows us to express the degree of difference more precisely, making our points stronger and more professional.
Examples
Our new branding is significantly more appealing to the target audience than the old one.
Use adverbs like 'significantly', 'considerably', 'a lot', or 'far' to show a large difference.
Their latest product launch was by far the most successful in the company's history.
Use 'by far' or 'easily' before a superlative to add strong emphasis.
The competitor's social media campaign is not nearly as engaging as ours.
Use 'not nearly as...' or 'nowhere near as...' to express a large negative difference between two things.
Key points
- To show a big difference, use: a lot, much, far, significantly, considerably.
- To show a small difference, use: a little, slightly, a bit.
- Avoid using 'very' with comparatives (e.g., say 'much better', not 'very better').
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Find the mistake
Read the sentences below about brand management. Each one has a single error.
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01This is much the best strategy we've considered for our new product launch.
Corrected version
This is much by far the best strategy we've considered for our new product launch.
02To succeed, our new product must be able to competition effectively with established brands.
Corrected version
To succeed, our new product must be able to competition compete effectively with established brands.
03The advertisement failed because its message didn't resonate to the younger demographic.
Corrected version
The advertisement failed because its message didn't resonate to with the younger demographic.
04Building brand loyalty is more harder than attracting new customers for the first time.
Corrected version
Building brand loyalty is more harder than attracting new customers for the first time.
05The company is hoping to tap on the market for sustainable goods with their new campaign.
Corrected version
The company is hoping to tap on into the market for sustainable goods with their new campaign.
06To stand out from the crowd, your unique selling proposition must be communicated clear.
Corrected version
To stand out from the crowd, your unique selling proposition must be communicated clear. clearly.
07Positive word-of-mouth is crucial; we want customers to give good recommends to their friends.
Corrected version
Positive word-of-mouth is crucial; we want customers to give good recommends recommendations to their friends.
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Useful phrases: Discussing a new marketing strategy
Vocabulary
In any team meeting about strategy, you'll need to propose ideas, agree, disagree politely, and suggest next steps. These phrases will help you sound more natural and professional when discussing marketing plans with your colleagues.
Examples
What if we shifted our focus towards [a specific channel/audience]? — for proposing a new direction.
Register: Neutral. Use this to introduce a new idea or suggest a change in strategy. It's softer and more collaborative than saying 'We should...'.
Could you walk me through the thinking behind that? — for asking for more details politely.
Register: Neutral/Formal. Use this when you don't fully understand a proposal and want a deeper explanation without sounding critical.
I'm on board with that approach. — for showing strong agreement.
Register: Neutral/Informal. A natural way to say you fully support an idea. It shows you're ready to move forward with the plan.
I see where you're coming from, but my main concern is... — for disagreeing constructively.
Register: Neutral. This is a polite way to raise an objection. First, you show you understand their point of view, then you introduce your concern.
Building on that idea, we could also... — for adding to someone else's suggestion.
Register: Neutral. Use this to show you're listening and to connect your idea to what has already been said. It's great for collaborative brainstorming.
So, what are the immediate next steps here? — for moving the discussion towards action.
Register: Neutral. Use this near the end of a discussion to clarify who is responsible for what and to ensure the plan moves forward.
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Building a strong brand
Read the passage about modern brand strategy.
Fill in each blank with the correct word or phrase from the word bank.
Word bank
In today's crowded marketplace, creating a brand that truly with consumers is more difficult than ever. The most successful companies don't just sell a product; they tell a story. This approach helps them from the crowd and build genuine . Rather than competing in saturated fields, many smart businesses try to a new, untapped market. Often, the most powerful marketing tool isn't a huge budget, but positive , which spreads organically and builds trust more effectively than any advertisement.
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Some argue that in today's digital age, the most effective way for a new brand to tap into a market is through viral marketing and relying on word-of-mouth. Others believe a large, traditional advertising budget is still the most reliable path to success. Which approach do you think is superior for building long-term brand loyalty, and why?
- Consider a successful brand from your home country that might not be well-known internationally. What is its unique selling proposition, and how does its marketing strategy resonate with the local culture in a way that a global brand might struggle to achieve?
- Imagine a well-established, traditional brand, like a classic watchmaker or a department store, that is failing to attract younger customers. What specific changes would you propose to its brand identity and marketing to help it stand out from the crowd without alienating its existing loyal customers?