At the Marketing Consultant Agency

Slavin (a Sales Manager): As far as I understand, the definition of "marketing" is not so simple at the present moment.

Consultant: You are quite right. Today we can speak of two meanings

of the word marketing: a traditional one as a sales

			function, and a more contemporary one as the philosophy
			of business.
Slavin:			What is implied by the philosophy of business concept?
Consultant:		I guess you know that formally marketing was used to
			mean mainly production increase and sales.
Slavin:			And nowadays? Don't sales remain the main problem?
Consultant:		Of course they do. But now you have a different approach
			to the sales problem. You need to have an integrated ap-
			proach, which includes market and demand study, con-
			sumer study and a lot of other things. You've got to be able
			to make a forecast, to identify the unsatisfied demand and
			to seek to develop new products and markets. All that im-
			plies up-to-date technology, advertising and post-sale ser-
			vice. An important integral part of the marketing today is
			planning.
Slavin:		What does effective marketing planning depend on?
Consultant: First of all it depends on a thorough situation analysis.
Slavin:	What points are considered as important in analyzing the situ-

ation?

Consultant: When analyzing the situation it is necessary to consider

controllable as well as uncontrollable factors.

Slavin: What are the controllable factors in marketing planning?

Consultant: There are actually four of them, the four Ps. They are prod-

uct, price, place and promotion.

Slavin: What kind of analysis should be carried out by the market-

ing department of a firm?

Consultant: All kinds of analysis, and today this process is usually

computer-assisted.

Slavin: Are there any specific advertising objectives?

Consultant: Of course there are. They are image advertising and prod-

	uct advertising, which are meant to inform the buyer of the
	company's activities and create the company's image.
Slavin:	Do you think that nowadays in the competition it is not
	enough to display the product at an exhibition or even pre-
	sent it at a special conference?

Consultant: No, you've got to have active sales promotion efforts, and thoroughly advertise everything you do. Of course, the advertising budget now comes to a very high figure, but it pays.

Notes on the Dialogue

1. an integrated approach – комплексный подход

2. to make a forecast – прогнозировать

3. to identify the unsatisfied demand – выявить неудовлетворенный спрос

4. specific objectives — конкретные задачи

5. image advertising — создание имиджа компании через ре-

кламу

6. to come to a very high figure — сильно увеличиться

Exercises on the Dialogue

1. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words and phrases.

Современная технология; выявлять спрос; функция сбыта; то-варная реклама; тщательный анализ ситуации; комплексный подход; увеличение производства товаров; информировать по-купателя о товарах и услугах; проводить анализ

2. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases in En g-lish:

a) an integrated approach; image advertising; product advertising; an advertising budget; demand study; unsatisfied demand; data analysis; a computer-assisted process;

b) to make a forecast; to create a company's image; to develop new products and markets; to advertise a post-sale service.

3. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate words from the box below:

controllable, analyzing, an integrated approach, planning, uncontrollable, factors, sales, promotion.

________ remain the main problem of the marketing today. But it needs __________ _________. An integral part of it is __________. While speaking of marketing planning, one should think first of all of the so-called ________ and _________ factors.

The controllable factors are the following: product, price, placement

and _________ ; the uncontrollable ones are environmental^*

__________. Both these types are very important when one start

__________ the market situation.

_________________________

^* связанные с внешней средой

4. React to the following statements according to the pattern:

Patte rn:

- While speaking of marketing strategy we should think of the market research as the most important element (planning, new product devel-opment, sales, communication, advertising).

- Exactly, but there are some other elements, such as planning, new product development, sales, communications and advertising which should also be taken into account.

1) While speaking of conducting market research, we should think of observation²⁷ as the most important method (survey²⁸, experiment, public opinion polls²⁹).

2) While speaking of communications mix³⁰ we should think of adver-tising as the most powerful device (public relations, direct mail, product shows, exhibitions).

3) While speaking of advertising we should think of mass media as the most effective means (trading fairs, exhibitions, special confer-ences).

4) While speaking of mass media we should think of TV as the most powerful tool (radio, newspapers, magazines, posters, leaflets, booklets, other printed matter).

5) While speaking of market research we should think of market poten-tial as its most essential part (competition, domestic conditions and preferences, local trading customs, seasonal factors).

²⁷ наблюдение

²⁸ обзор, обследование

²⁹ опрос общественного мнения

³⁰ мероприятия по организации контактов с потребителями

5. Agree with the following statements according to the pattern. Use the phrases of agreement from the list below. Add a sentence of your own to justify your opinion:

Pattern:

- As far as I understand, the concept of marketing is not a simple one at the present moment.

- Right you are. Now we can speak of two meanings of this word.

List of useful expressions: That's (quite) right/true.

Exactly/definitely/precisely.

I quite/fully agree with you.

That's it. Beyond all doubt.

1) As far as I know, nowadays we have a different approach to the sales problem.

2) I believe, advertising is the most powerful tool for the promotion of products.

3) In my opinion, nowadays it is not enough to show the product at an exhibition or to present it at a special conference.

4) To my mind, advertising has become very expensive nowadays.

5) Actually, the marketing department is responsible for different kinds of analysis.

6. Act as an interpreter, make use of the prompts in the brackets. Here is an interview with Christine M., who holds an important post at a large market research firm.

[to provide services, insurance, medical service, to conduct telephone polls, buying trends and patterns, trash, a group of consumers, to find out, to feel self-conscious, to suppose, to select a shampoo brand, to set up a hidden (candid) camera, a shampoo display, to note people’s ex-pressions, to pick up, a two-way mirror, the final choice, to make notes, clearing instructions, to try on, to make a choice (decision), clerks, guards, a delicate subject.]

Interview: What business representatives ask you for market research?

Christine: Большую часть нашей работы мы выполняем для ком-паний, предоставляющих услуги, такие как

страхование, медицинские услуги.

Int: How do you get the information needed?

Chr: Это зависит от того какую информацию нам необходимо по-лучить. Например, иногда мы используем собеседование, опрос общественного мнения по телефону. Мы проводим исследование тенденций и образцов поведения среди поку-пателей. А также есть несколько необычных способов.

Int: What are they? Can you give any examples?

Chr: Ну,например,ниши агенты могут проанализировать мусор,оставленный группой покупателей для того, чтобы выяснить какие виды продуктов они предпочитают.

Int: Do consumers always know that they are being tested?

Chr: На самом деле,нет.Дело в том,что когда люди знают,чтоони являются объектом исследования, они могут чувство-вать себя неловко.

Int: How is the testing of that kind held?

Chr: Предположим,наши заказчики хотят выяснить как люди вы-бирают марку шампуня. Мы можем установить скрытую ви-деокамеру в супермаркете напротив витрины с шампунями. Позже мы изучим пленку с записью, чтобы записать слова людей, сколько бутылочек было взято в руки, прежде чем был сделан окончательный выбор и тому подобные вещи. Или предположим, они хотят узнать, как женщины покупа-ют сумки или перчатки. Мы можем использовать двусто-роннее зеркало в универмаге. Исследовать будет сидеть за зеркалом и делать различные заметки.

Int: What sort of notes?

Chr: Смотрят ли покупатели сначала на цену или на стиль изде-лия? Читают ли инструкцию по уходу за товаром? Сколько сумок или перчаток они пересмотрят (перемеряют) прежде чем примут решение?

Int: How do think, if the customers know they are being watched wouldthey object? Aren’t you spying upon them?

Chr: Думаю,нет.В магазине люди знают,что служащие или охра-на может наблюдать за ними. Но я согласна, что это дели-катный вопрос.

Role – Play

Promotion of Sales

Situation

“Smallcrown – St. Petersburg Ltd.” starts carrying out an adver-tising campain before participating in the coming international trade fair, and than tries to enter into relations with the potential customer.

What you must decide

Call to an advertising agency to find out what services it can of-fer. Imagine you take part in the international trade fair, try to start a relationship with the customer.