Ответьте письменно на вопросы к тексту.
1. What is brand?

2. When can we speak about brand loyalty?

3. How much time does it take to create a brand?

4. Why do companies use brand-stretching?

5. Do people in Scotland prefer world-famous or local brands of fizzy drinks?

6. What are the reasons for Barbie’s continued popularity?

Текст:
What is the brand?

A brand is a special trade mark, sign, symbol, design of the product that distinguishes it from other products. Products can have sub-brands. People have some beliefs and perceptions about a particular product, that is they have the brand image.

Consumers get used to some brands, and prefer to buy them. Some people drink only Nescafe or prefer chocolate of Krasny Oktyabr factory. In this case we can speak about brand loyalty, that is commitment to a particular brand, which people regularly buy.

Some brands have names of people. Tea brand Dilmah is composed of the parts of names Dilhan and Malik, sons of the tea producer.

Some brands have mistakes in their names. Brand of vegetable oil is called “Zolotaya semechka”, but according to the rules of the Russian language, it should be called “Zolotoye semechko”.

It takes up to ten years to create a brand in the West. In Russia it can only take two years. It is known that 80 to 90% of new brands fail within their first six months.

If a company gives the name of the brand to its other products it’s called brand-stretching. By putting their familiar trademarks on attractive and fashionable new products, companies can both generate additional revenue and increase brand-awareness. So there is Pepsi Maxwear, Camel watches and Cadberry jewellery. Brand-stretching is not always successful.

A brand like Coca-Cola has been around a long time, and dominates the fizzy drink market in almost every country, outselling local brands. One of the exceptions is Scotland, and their marketing specialists are trying to find out why this is.

One of the possible solutions is that people in Scotland are more conservative and keep to their traditions.

One of the most successful brands in the world is the Barbie. Created in 1959, it targeted girls who wanted to have dolls which were like young women. Its unique selling proposition is that Barbie looks like a young woman, not a baby. Barbie has had seventy five careers-from astronaut to presidential candidate. In 1961 Ken, the man in Barbie’s life, was introduced. She has got little sisters and friends from different ethnic groups. Now there are 15,000 different items for Barbie. Costume variations and brand-stretching have been the key to her continued popularity. Her life cycle never ends. One Barbie is bought every two seconds.

1 a brand is a special trade mark, sign, symbol, design of the product that distinguishes it from other products

2 we can speak about brand loyalty when people have a commitment to a particular brand and regularly buy it

3 it takes from two to ten years to create a brand

4 because brand-stretching helps companies to increase brand-awareness and generate additional revenue

5 people in Scotland prefer to drink local fizzy drinks

6