Soạn unit 1

Nguyễn Thanh Hằng

UNIT 1: BRANDS
READING 1: BUILDING LUXURY BRANDS
Activity 1: Discussion

Which of these are luxury brands?

Answer: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior are luxury brands.

Activity 2: Useful Vocabulary

Word / Part of
Definition and Example
Phrase Speech

adjective unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because

you are worried or bored:
restless
--I spent a restless night

to follow someone or something, usually to try to catch him, her,

or it:
verb
pursue
--The car was pursued by helicopters.

executive Noun someone in a high position, especially in business, who makes

decisions and puts them into action:
--She is now a senior executive, having worked her way up
 through the company.

adjective limited to only one person or group of people:

exclusive --This room is for the exclusive use of guests.

noun a person who owns shares in a company and therefore gets part
of the company's profits and the right to vote on how the
company is controlled:
shareholder
--Shareholders will be voting on the proposed merger of the
companies next week.

adjective main or most important:

prime --This is a prime example of 1930s architecture.

Noun the designing, making, and selling of expensive fashionable

clothing, or the clothes themselves:
couture
--a couture show/collection/house

Verb to imagine or expect that something will happen:

anticipate --We don't anticipate any trouble.

Noun (an area of) land, or sometimes sea, that is considered as

belonging to or connected with a particular country or person:
territory
--He was shot down in enemy territory.

Verb unable to pay what you owe, and having had control of your
financial matters given, by a law court, to a person who sells
your property to pay your debts:
bankrupt
--He went bankrupt after only a year in business.

Activity 3:
What is the brand image of Dior?
Dior’s image as a Brand Dior is a French brand known for its highend
products and excellent quality in the fashion industry since 1947
Activity 4:
Skim the article quickly and say which of the following points are mentioned:
1. The high profit margins on bags
2. Investing in markets that may take some time to grow
3. People are ready to pay a lot of money for very high-qualty things because they are beautiful.
4. Building customer loyalty through ready-to-wear

Activity 5: Read the following article:

Restless pursuer of luxury’s future

by Vanessa Friedman
Sydney Toledano (Dior’s Chief Executive) is one of the longest serving chief executives in the
luxury industry. As the industry goes global, he must balance the demands of shareholders and
the values of a historic label, the need for exclusivity and the need for expansion.
He routinely communicates with his demanding boss, Bernard Arnault, main shareholder of
Christian Dior, and a number of creative types, including Dior’s clothes designer John Galliano
and jewellery designer Vicwire de Castellane.
‘The best advice I ever got was that, when times are bad, you need to get out of the office; when
things are good, you can spend time on the organisation,' says Mr Toledano, who travels almost
every week to one of Dior’s 224 stores round the world. ‘You have to look for newness, look for
what is happening next. Forget the calculator. Understand the people from different countries
and what they want.’
It was by spending time in China the 1980s, for example, when he worked at the French leather-
goods house Lancel, that Mr Toledano first realised China would one day be prime territory for
luxury.
‘I met some factory owners, and they were working so hard, but then they would bring you to a
restaurant and it was clear they wanted to enjoy life,' he says. ‘And I thought: one day these
people are going to have money and they are going to spend it.’
A few years later, Bernard Arnault contacted him. 'The interview took 15 minutes. He knew
exactly what he wanted.' says Mr Toledano: to take a small couture house he had bought out of
bankruptcy and build it into the biggest luxury group in the world. Mr Arnault has used Dior to
create LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, the world’s largest luxury group).
‘Christian Dior can double in five years,’ he says. ‘There may be difficult times coming, but if
you look at the Middle East, China, even Europe, I believe there is growth coming and we have
to develop our network and perfect our supply chain.’
The next wave of luxury buyers is now in the new territories: the Middle East, Russia, Hong
Kong and South Korea.

Mr Toledano believes not only that a brand should go to its customers but that it should
anticipate their needs and invest early in markets that may not show real growth for up to six
years.

Activity 6: Complete the notes in the maps below. Then correct the ten mistakes.
Answer
1. Demands
2. Label
3. Exclutivity
4. Look for
5. Understand
6. Forget
7. Double
8. Of luxury

Activity 7: Choose the correct answer A, B or C

1. …………… is the world’s largest luxury group.
A. Christian Dior
B. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy)
C. Gucci
2. …………… is not a new territory for luxury.
A. Japan
B. Russia
C. South Korea
3. Sydney Toledano realized China would be prime territory for luxury when working in China
in …………….
A. the 1970s
B. the 1980s
C. the 1990s

Activity 8: True/False/Not Given

Decide whether these statements are True, False or Not Given.
F-1. Sydney Toledano is the main shareholder of Christian Dior.
T-2. Dior has 224 stores all over the world.
T-3. Sydney Toledano was very successful when he worked at the French leather-goods house
F-4. Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy was created by John Galliano.
T-5. There are now more luxury buyers in the Middle East, Russia, Hong Kong and China.

Activity 9: Words in Phrases

Go back to the article. Find prepositions to complete the following phrases and write them
in the blanks.
1. Sydnedy Toledano routinely communicates ……with……… his demanding boss and a
number ……of…… different
types.
2. A brand should anticipate customers’ needs and invest early ………in…… markets that may
not show real growth ……for……… up to six years.
3. The new wave of luxury buyers is now ……in……… the new territories: the Middle East,
Russia, Hong Kong and China.
4. You have to look ……for……… newness, understand people ……from……… different
countries and what they want.
5. It was ………by…… spending time ……in……… China ……in……… the 1980s that Mr
Toledano first realized China would one day be prime territory ………for…… luxury.

Activity 10: Pronoun Reference

What does the underlined pronoun refer to?
1. “… when he worked at the French leather-goods house Lancel …”
A. Bernard Arnault
B. John Galliano
C. Sydney Toledano

2. “… it should anticipate their needs…” (line 69).

A. Markets
B. Customers
C. Factory owners

Activity 11: Word Form

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the word.
1. anticipate
After months of ……anticipation………, the holiday was a bit of a disappointment.
2. exclusivity
The company has an ……exclusive……… focus on success and making money. Its products are
……exclusively……… produced for independent retailers.
3. creative
He has been working ……creatively……… in papermaking and prints since the 1970s.
Everyone is deeply impressed with his ……creativity……….
4. demand
She has a busy and ……demanding……… job. Her boss …………… asks for an increase in
sales every month.
5. develop
These green industries can not only create more jobs, but also promote sustainable ………
development…… of the land.
6. routinely
As a matter of ………routine……, a report is sent to the director at the end of the month.

Activity 12: Focusing on Words

Fill in each blank in the sentences below with one suitable word. When you finish, turn
back to the article and check your answers.
Sydney Toledano is Dior’s Chief (1) ……execultive………. As the luxury industry goes global,
he must (2) ……meet……… the demands of shareholders and the values of a historic label. He
has regular communication with his (3) ……demanding……… boss and some creative
designers. He believes it is important to (4) ……anticipate……… needs and there is growth
coming to new (5) ……territories……… such as the Middle East, Russia, Hong Kong and South
Korea.

Activity 13: Discussion

What should be done to

develop a brand name?

To develop a brand name, we should follow some steps:

1. Decide what you’re going to brand
2. Do some market research to learn about the products, service and the
demand of customers
3. Position your product or service.
4. Write your brand definition, describes what you offer, why you offer it,
how your offering is different and better, what unique benefits your
customers can count on
5. Develop your name, logo and tagline
6. Launch your brand
7. Manage, leverage, and protect your brand.