GROUP: 2

Name: Khang Ninh

Yến Linh

Tiến Thịnh

Bả o Trâm
Thanh Vân

Class: READING 3 – WED AFTERNOON

UNIT 2: INTERNATIONAL MARKETS (HOMEWORK)

A/ READING 1: DIEGO DELLA VELLE: ITALIAN ATMOSPHERE IS

CENTRAL TO TOD’S GLOBAL EXPANSION.

Activity 6: Discuss these questions. (2-3 bullet points)

1. What products do you know that rely on their heritage and cultural background?
- In Vietnam, there are so many merchandises that have their very own heritage.
- For example, we have pottery from Bat Trang village, brocade weaved in Chau
Giang village, silk produced in Van Phuc,…

3. Would you ever buy a fake luxury product?

- No

- For luxury goods, even a fake one can cost a huge amount of money.

- Instead of buying a fake luxury product, I can purchase genuine high-quality goods at
the best prices.

4. Do you agree that designer luxury goods are always higher quality than non-designer
goods?

- Definitely, designed luxury goods are always much better than non-designed goods.

- They are sophisticated in making progress so that the quality will be guaranteed.

B/ READING 2: BIG NAMES PROVE WORTH IN CRISIS

READING 2: GLOBAL BRANDS

Activity 1: Before you read.

Which do you think are the top ten brands in the world at the moment, in terms of their
value? Make a list.
1. Amazon
2. Apple
3. Google
4. Microsoft
5. Tencent
6. Facebook
7. Alibaba
8. Visa
9. McDonald’s
10. MasterCard

Activity 2: Useful Vocabulary

Wor
Word/Phr
d Definition and Example
ase
form

noun A recession is a period when the economy of a country is

doing badly, for example because industry is producing less and
more people are becoming unemployed.
recession

Verb When people preach a belief or a course of action,

they try to persuade other people to accept the belief or to take the
course of action.
preach

comply Verb If someone or something complies with an order or set of rules, they

 are in accordance with what is required or expected.

Noun

If you talk about a likely or possible scenario, you are talking about

scenario
the way in which a situation may develop.

Verb

If one person or thing outperforms another, the first is

outperform
more successful or efficient than the second.

adj

sustainable is kept at a steady level that is not likely to damage the environment.

Verb If one person outranks another person, he or she has a higher

position or grade within an organization than the other person.
outrank

adj If something continues unabated, it continues without

any reduction in intensity or amount.
unabated

tribute noun

A tribute is something that you say, do, or make to show your

admiration and respect for someone.
 Verb

If something is embodied in a particular thing, the second thing

embody
contains or consists of the first.

Activity 3: Read the article from the Financial Times by John Gapper and do
the exercises that follow.

Big names prove worth in crisis

John Gapper

For companies whose financial value depends heavily on the health of their brands, the
severity and abruptness of the recession was a challenge. The abruptness with which
many consumers stopped spending, and large companies reduced capital investment,
caused a shock to the system. Many companies experienced not only the financial crisis,
but also a crisis of confidence.

Marketers and advertising agencies preach the gospel that the companies that emerge
best out of recessions are those that maintain their marketing budget and protect brands
when the going gets tough. In practice, few companies were certain enough of the future
to comply. Yet some of the Doomsday scenarios about the value of brands in the post-
recession world have not come to pass. Emerging from the recession, luxury goods
companies and many other consumer brand companies are enjoying a rebound.
The underlying value of any brand – the premium commanded by products and services
with strong reputations and identities – has not been eliminated by the crisis. Even
those companies that did not invest heavily in their brands in the worst times are
regaining some confidence. “Brands outperform in good times and when there is a
recession they do go down, but they come out the other side with a sustainable
advantage,” says Joanna Seddon, chief executive of MBO, the organisation that compiles
the ranking.

The nature of brands continues to evolve. Technology rather than marketing is now the
defining characteristic of seven of the top 10 brands, with Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and
Marlboro making up the other three. Google remains the world’s most valuable brand,
but edging up close behind it are two other technology companies, IBM and Apple. Both
of these outrank Microsoft, whose brand value was stable during the year. The
resurgence in Apple under Steve Jobs, through the iPod, the iPhone and now the iPad,
continues unabated and, on present trends, it could be pressing Google for first place
within a year or two. That is a tribute to a company that inspires devotion among
customers.

It may also be a reflection of the value of inspirational leadership, and the way in which
consumers identify some of the world’s most valuable brands, such as Oracle and
Starbucks, with founders who embody their qualities. Larry Ellison of Oracle and
Howard Schultz of Starbucks are not only the founders but keepers of the flame. The
social media boom led by companies such as Facebook and Twitter - as well as the rise
in smartphones led by Apple – has had a broader impact on the top 100. It has boosted
mobile operators such as Verizon and AT&T, despite the complaints of iPhone users
about AT&T’s 3G coverage.

Activity 4: Complete this table with words and grammatically related words
from paragraph 1.
 noun adjective

Abruptness abrupt

Confidence confident

Health healthy

finance Financial

Severity severe

Value valuable

Activity 5: Now match the adjectives above to their meanings.

a. in good condition healthy

b. very difficult severe

c. worth a lot of money valuable

d. feeling good about the future confient

e. very sudden abrupt

f. relating to money financial

Activity 6: Use forms of expressions from paragraph 2 to correct these

statements.

a. If you say that something is true and that people should act in accordance with it, you
preach the bible about it. Preach the gospel

b. If conditions become difficult in a particular situation, the journey gets hard.The

going get tough

c. A series of very bad events that might happen is a fateful narrative. Doomsday
scenarios
d. A formal way of saying that something has happened is to say that it has come past.
Come to pass

e. If a company does well after a period of doing badly, it undergoes a bounce. Enjoying
a rebound

Activity 7: True or false? (paragraphs 2-3)

a. The value of brands was completely destroyed during and after the recession. F

b. Companies that did not invest in their brands have been totally eliminated. F

c. The value of brands goes down during recessions. T

d. Companies with valuable brands do better than those without in the long run. T

Activity 8: Which of the brand(s) mentioned in paragraphs 4-5.

a. relate to technology-based companies or their products? Google,IBM, Apple,

Microsoft, Verizon, AT&T, Oracle

b. relate to non-technology companies? Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Marlboro, Starbuck

c. is top in the rankings? Google

d. is technology-based, and below three other technology companies? Microsoft

e. are names of products related to a technology company? iPod,iPhone, iPad

f. have grown partly because of the success of other brands? Verizon, AT&T

Activity 9: Find expressions that refer to (paragraphs 4-5).

a. the thing that people think about most in relation to a brand. (8 letters, 14 letters)
defining characteristic
b. a period of success following a period of decline. (10 letters) resurgence

c. makes you admire a person, brand, etc. (8 letters) inspired

d. a feeling of complete admiration, respect, etc. (8 letters) devotion

e. company founders who are still building their companies. (7 letters, 2 letters, 3 letters,
5 letters) keepers of the flame

f. companies such as Facebook and Twitter. (6 letters, 5 letters) social media

Activity 10: Discuss these questions.

2. Which of the above brands will still be important 10 years from now, and which will
have declined? Give your reasons. (2-3 bullet points)

1. The top brand the rankings is Google, which is also my speculation.

The presence of Coca-Cola surprises me a lot. I am aware that Coca-Cola now is the
number one soft drink in the world. I have always thought that top companies in the
word ought to be about technology or economic-related base such as finance or real
estate. Coco-Cola have done very well in expanding and asserting its value in the market.

2. In my opinion, technological companies will continue to thrive because of the fact that
computers, machines, AI equipment, etc. have played such a crucial role in operation of
many businesses. On the other hand, companies whose field is to produce fast food and
soft drinks such as Mc Donald’s and Coca-Cola may decline in their performance. The
reason behind this is that in recent years, people have had a strong conscience toward
their health. Healthy-eating has never been trendy than nowadays. With that being said,
Mc Donald’s should introduce healthier combos.