Google first 100 billion dollar brand
Google just keeps _____ bigger and bigger. The search engine giant is not only the world’s biggest brand, it is also the first brand _____ $100 billion. A report from the market research firm Millward Brown shows Google has kept its _____ as the world’s most powerful brand. It _____ the company at $101.4 billion. This is 25 per cent higher than its biggest rival Microsoft, which is the second most valuable brand. The “Top 100 Most Powerful Brands” report lists Coca Cola at number three, _____ by IBM and McDonalds. Technology companies _____ up eight of the top ten. Google’s brand is helped because it is now also a ______ in everyday use. It is very _____ to hear people say “Google it” when they want some information.
The report is the world’s largest _____ of what consumers and businesses think of brands. It says a brand name is _____ for any business to grow. “A strong brand can help protect a business from risk, and position it for future _____,” it says. The authors believe a strong brand name is “the ultimate _____ on investment”. Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown, told reporters: "In the _____ [economic] environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in _____ times." Her report says brand value has grown, even through the recession: “The value of brands _____ strong…the total _____ of the top 100 most valuable brands has increased to just under $2 trillion.”
C. AFTER LISTENING
Answer the following questions.
1) What springs to mind when you hear the term ‘search engine’?
2) What do you think about Google?
3) Do you always try to buy or use top brands?
4) How important is a company’s name in making it successful?
5) What does Google do to promote its brand name?
6) Will technology companies always be the most powerful?
7) What do you think of the use of “Google” as a verb?
8) Would you use other company names as verbs? (Try some.)
9) What are your favourite brands?
10) How important is Google in your life?
11) Is it important for international brands to sound English?
12) Can a brand become powerful globally if it uses non-English characters in its logo (Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, etc)?
13) Why is a brand name important to survive tough economic times?
14) Why has brand value increased, even in a recession?
15) If you were to start a company, what brand name would you decide on?
Match the following synonyms from the text.
| 1) giant 2) firm 3) to keep 4) to help 5) common 6) study 7) to protect 8) return 9) current 10) to remain | a) to maintain b) present c) usual d) research e) company f) profit g) colossus h) to stay i) to aid j) to safeguard |