Text II. Marketers Take Advantage Of The Information Age

function floatContent(){var paraNum = "3" paraNum = paraNum - 1;var tb = document.getElementById('floating-con');var nl = document.getElementById('floating-target');if(tb.getElementsByTagName("div").length> 0){if (nl.getElementsByTagName("p").length>= paraNum){nl.insertBefore(tb,nl.getElementsByTagName("p")[paraNum]);}else {if (nl.getElementsByTagName("p").length == 3){nl.insertBefore(tb,nl.getElementsByTagName("p")[2]);}else {nl.insertBefore(tb,nl.getElementsByTagName("p")[0]);}}}} A 1950s advertising jingle inviting people to “see the USA in your Chevrolet” helped turn the General Motors automotive into an American brand.

More recently, though, the “Chevvy” has been aimed at motorists in Kiev as much as Kansas, with the carmaker promoting it as a low-cost choice for Ukrainians and Russians.

In spite of fears that Europeans would always see Chevrolet and its sister brand, Cadillac, as too American for their tastes, the two cars were the fastest growing brands in GM’s European portfolio during the first half of 2007.

This vindicates GM’s belief that its customers are becoming more homogenous across Europe due to their use of the internet to research purchases. The internet, no respecter of national boundaries, is transforming traditional target audiences. As a result, the car group has put more emphasis on pan-European campaigns and less on national marketing.

Jonathan Browning, GM Europe’s vice-president of sales, marketing and after-sales, says: “The argument for doing so out of marketing efficiency is important. But the real driver is [that] European consumers are becoming much more aligned in use of information and media.

“If you search a vehicle’s name on the internet, you will see pretty much the same information across Europe.

“Consequently, you can have variations in marketing activity in different countries, but not in overall themes and thrusts in your advertising,” he says.

Jamie Kantrowitz, senior vice-president of marketing and content for Europe at MySpace, says: “Pop culture is certainly becoming more globalised . . . Because of things such as MySpace, it is easier for people in Rome to befriend people in Tokyo and be more influenced by one another’s tastes.

“Where you might have been used to positioning brands differently in markets, that is harder and less necessary.”

International web media owners such as Microsoft and MySpace have spotted an opportunity to sell to multinational advertisers by offering exposure on websites in different countries.

Microsoft executives estimate that international online advertising campaigns for brands such as Citibank and Motorola will be the fastest growing part of the US group’s advertising business this year.

Chris Dobson, vice-president of global sales, Microsoft online services, says international advertising sales more than doubled last year and were expected to do the same in 2008.

Ms Kantrowitz says MySpace has also seen increasing advertiser interest in pan-European campaigns.

If advertisers respond to consumers’ increasing web surfing with more international campaigns, online companies will not necessarily be the only beneficiaries. Television and print are still likely to be used as international campaigns are reinforced nationally.

Mr Browning cites GM’s “c’mons” as an example.

The 2006 effort, designed to launch the Corsa, mixed online and television exposure, pan-European and national marketing.

The over-arching theme was a group of puppets purporting to be a pop band. Audiences found their catchphrase “c’mon” cute or irritating. But their fame spread via publicity on MTV, YouTube and websites.

While there were often oblique references to the Corsa, the viral campaign was deemed a hit since it reached and engaged large numbers of prospective customers.

It was produced by Delaney Lund Knox Warren, a UK creative agency owned by Creston, the UK-listed group, and McCann-Erickson, part of Interpublic, the US marketing services group.

DLKW, a relatively small agency, has long argued that technological convergence is making it easier for smaller operations to provide multimarket campaigns, without incurring the expense of setting up their own overseas offices.

Bigger agencies contest this. They point out that even if a single regional advertising theme is agreed, the localisation and distribution of the work for national audiences are valuable skills only a big, experienced agency network can provide.

Above all, while the internet can reach large audiences across borders, it cannot resolve the perennial dilemma of how to interest them. Pan-European campaigns are often slated for blandness, and newer media face the same risk.. Some companies, such as those in the service sectors, are less suited to broad-brush international campaigns because their customer needs are specific to a national market.

The internet also brings the danger that any backlash against a brand can spread more easily from country to country.

Mr Browning, however, is undeterred. “The days of having different pockets of communications and positioning in different markets are over,” he says.

VI. Read text II attentively and decide which of the following statements refer to the contents.

a. General Motors tried to penetrate to Russian and Ukranian car market and neglected Eastern and Western countries.

b. The beginning of the 2007 was marked by appearing of two models of Chevrolet and Cadillac

c. People prefer to buy things via internet, because it is rather convenient for those who work a lot.

d. Due to different internet providers people can communicate and exchange information with each other.

e. Such famous brands as Motorola and Citibank usually put their advertisements in the internet and it allows them to become internationally famous.

f. Technological progress sometimes helps companies to control the process all over the world without creating subsidiaries.

VII. Complete the following statements choosing the right variant:

1. New car model Chevvy was created

(a) as General Motors automobile for Americans

(b) for American, Russian and Ukrainian markets

(c) as a prototype of USA Chevrolet

2. Nowadays the internet has become

(a) means of searching for infrmation

(b) place for launching different advertising companies

(c) means of communication for people from different countries

3. Microsoft and MySpace make money

(a) by offering space in websites

(b) by creating e-mail system of their own

(c) by joining with globalised sites

4. Constantly the number of internet advertisements

(a) remains the same but the number of spam is increasing

(b) grows twice much than the previous year

(c) affects the consumer less than some years ago

5. Some Pan-European companies try to attract a customer by

(a) taking into consideration specific needs of national market

(b) making their sites more cute and interesting

(c) spreading information from country to country.

VIII. Match the words from the text with their definitions.

LISTENING

I. You are going to hear Stella Beaumont, Advertising Planning Manager at The Guardian, talking about pan-European advertising. Listen and take notes under the following headings:

a) Criteria for success;

b) American Express;

c) Dangers;

d) Advantages.

II. Use your notes to draft some guidelines on pan-European advertising.

SPEAKING

I Speak out:

a) Create a pan-European advertising campaign for Gateau PLC along the following lines noted after the Case Study.

CASE STUDY

UK-based patisserie chain, Gateau PLC has its head office in Leicester, England. Over the last 25 years, the company has expanded rapidly and now has outlets throughout the European Community.

The success of the business is easily explained. Firstly, excellent quality products at reasonable prices: Gateau's wide variety of baguette sandwiches are always fresh, the pastries are delicious, the drinks - a good selection of teas, freshly-ground coffees and freshly-squeezed fruit juices - are good value for money, and there is always a fine choice of fruit and fruit salads. Products may either be consumed on the premises or taken away.

Another reason for Gateau's growth is the success of its development as a franchising operation. This has proven to be a very effective way of expanding the company quickly, and Gateau has built up quite an extensive network of franchises offering quality products, high standards of cleanliness and efficient service.

In the last five years, however, Gateau has met strong competition from other patisserie chains. These do not offer the same quality or range of products, nor is their service as good. Many people say their outlets have a less attractive decor too, yet they have had an impact on Gateau's profits.

Naturally, the Gateau management is worried about the situation. The company must continue to grow and with ambitious plans to extend its franchise network further, must be seen to prosper. After much deliberation. Gateau has decided to respond by intensifying its promotion and has asked its advertising agency. Hudson-Bates-McGrath (HBM), to create new pan-European advertising campaign along the following lines.

Gateau PLC: Advertising Campaign

Objectives:

· to inform consumers of the excellent food and drink and outstanding service on offer at Gateau

· to persuade consumers that Gateau patisseries are the only outlets worth visiting for a quick snack

· to reinforce Gateau's image as a European business

Target:

· actual and potential consumers living and working in major towns and cities throughout Europe

Media:

· TV (I x 30-second TV commercial for transmission throughout October and November in all Gateau's European markets)

· print (I x half-page advertisement to appear in selected national and regional newspapers throughout Europe)

Support:

· a special promotion to run simultaneously in all Gateau outlets

Approach:

· pan-European with limited tailoring to different consumer tastes and cultures in the target countries

II. Role-play: Presentations

Working in small groups, devise a suitable campaign for Gateau PLC. As HBM's creative team, decide on a concept for the TV commercial; draft the text and design some rough artwork for the newspaper advertisement; and devise an imaginative promotion to attract new customers and boost sales. When you have finalised your ideas, prepare a presentation to give to the other groups, illustrating your proposal with visuals on an overhead projector or flipchart. When you have made your presentations, try to decide which team came up with the best proposal.

WRITING

1. Eclair SA is a food manufacturing company based in Lyons, France. One of its main markets is the UK. Last year, the company introduced a new range of chocolate croissants which did not sell as well as had been expected. You work in the company's marketing department and you have been asked to design a promotional leaflet for circulation, via your usual distribution channels, to actual and potential customers in the UK, in an effort to boost sales. Invent any information you wish.

2. As a manager of one of London's biggest railway stations you receive the following letter from Eclair. Write a correctly laid-out reply, inventing any information you wish.

would like to carry out a special promotion for a new range of chocolate croissants which we expect to appeal greatly to British tastes?

Would it be possible to set up a stand promoting the products in your station during the week of January 14/18?

We have in mind a stand sited in the middle of the concourse, with perhaps three or four people distributing free samples. Of course, we would not wish to interfere with the operation of your services in any way or interrupt the movements of travellers.

If you agree to this proposal, could you let me know, please, what fee you would charge for the rental of the site per day?

Would there be a discount if we rented for a period longer than a day - say three days?

I very much hope you will be able to give a favourable answer to my request.

Yours sincerely,

Monique Déon

Marketing Manager

Unit 6

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1792