Informal Meetings 2009 Lesson 4 Changing Names: pre-test NAP09

Today, we are going to have a practice session with feedback. We need to consider:

1. Timing. Ten mins preparation, minimum ten, maximum fifteen minutes for exam itself.

2. Lay out. Group number 4 or 5.

3. Style: informal. Conversations are relaxed, even though business needs to be done. The
chair joins in discussions. Concrete decisions are taken or not, depending on the nature of the
meeting eg, time or ability to agree. You will not be punished for not being able to reach a
concrete decision, because the aim is to brainstorm, not take decisíons.

4.Roles: you will be given a situation to read through and a role, which is shared by a partner.
Discuss together what you would like to address at the meeting, what you would like to
acheive. You may also discuss with the other two members of the group. One player is the
chaír, who is responsible for writing an agenda and making sure everyone has a fair say, that
the agenda is followed, that the meeting is opened and closed properly.

5. Grading criteria (5 x 5 = 20)

Stylistic features, accuracy, discourse management, interactive communication, task
completion

Situation

You work for Kerékpárosok Nemzetközi Üzlethálózata. the biggest manufacturer of bicycles
in Europe. You have factories in Miskolc and Debrecen in Hungary, at Evreux in France, and
at Cambridge in England. The head office is in Debrecen, Hungary. You have six different
brand names:
Bico, Pedalissimo, Biketung, Evelo, Rose, and Wheeler.
You are meeting today to discuss both the group name and the brand names. It has been
suggested that your group name is unsuitable for the following reasons:
• It’s Hungarian, so not really suitable for the European market leader
• It’s too long and diffícult to say
• Awareness of the name is poor
Informal Meetings 2009 Lesson 4 Changing Names: pre-test NAP09

Some of your managers think the group has too many brand names. They argue that as the
products are much the same whichever factory they are made in, sales would improve if you
could concentrate advertising and marketing effort and budgets on fewer brands. The reason
you have so many names is that when the different subsidiaries manufacturing bicycles and
using their own brand names were taken over by Kerékpárosok Nemzetközi Üzlethálózata,
these names were kept. Different brands of bicycle are strong in the markets of different
European countries, but at least three of your brands are unavailable nearly everywhere.
So, an informal meeting has been set up to discuss matters on changing names. Any
suggestions are welcome. Also, you should think about ways how to create a better name for
the company and brands throughout Europe.

Head Office Managers.

You are both from the head office in Debrecen; one of you shall act as chair. You want to
create some sort of corporate identity and group culture which would help to bring the
different subsidiaries together, and make your employees proud to be working for the group.
It seems obvious that the starting point for all this must be the name of the group and the
names of the products. Nobody has ever heard of Kerékpárosok Nemzetközi Üzlethálózata, so
a completely new name would be an excellent idea. As long as you have each factory making
its own brand, you will have damaging rivalry between each subsidiary. You should get rid of
some brand names straight away, and gradually phase in a common name. You should come
up with some suggestions for new names for the company as well as the brand names. This is
the perfect time to change names. The majority of new companies and name changes take
place during recession. Changing names does not have to cost much money either. Once this
is established, you should consider ways of creating a better name for the company and
brands throughout Europe.

The Production Manager and financial Controller.

You think any change in company name or brand name will create terrible problems in the
factories. As far as the corporate name is concerned, you know that the French and English
factories were worried that at the time of the take over, they would have to adopt one of the
Hungarian brand names like Bico; they thought Kerékpárosok Nemzetközi Üzlethálózata was
easier to accept as a corporate name while retaining the brand name. This is because all the
brands are associated with a factory, eg at Evreux, they are proud of Evelos, etc. Rose is the
name of a good selling girl’s bike, and Biketung has an excellent name in Germany.
What’s more, although you know the group is not well known ‚you are worried that changing
names will mean a huge cost. After all, this is a time of recession, and cut backs are needed,
not expenses. If only one or two brand names are retained, then costs could be kept down. An
angiophonic name may not be the solution, however, since the group sells the least bicycles in
England. You are also keen to promote the company’s new name and brand names as soon as
possible. How? You are should come up with some suggestions.