TASK 1 – READING

PRE-ACTIVITY

Look at the cartoon below and choose the right

alternative:
a) Culture is not necessary to understand people from other countries.
b) It is only necessary to speak English since it is a lingua franca worldwide.
c) Culture awareness is key to solve the problem illustrated in the cartoon below.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9b/91/7f/9b917f0e9286e795d97ac72df3209586.jpg

WHILE READING ACTIVITY

Read the text below and answer the following questions:

Cultural Sensitivity: How to Market Your Brand to

Other Cultures

Expanding into new markets is increasingly becoming a priority for growing

businesses around the world. Targeting lucrative, overseas markets is not
only a linguistic challenge, but differences in culture can present an
additional barrier to success.

While language is the carrier of culture, we also can’t forget the impact of
the internet over the last 15 years. Not only does it reflect culture back at
us, it also has the ability to change culture at a global level as we move into
a digital future.

Ecommerce has vastly changed the way we purchased goods and

services, and social media has a made significant impact in the way brands
communicate with their customers. Misunderstand the cultural needs of a
new market, and it can have a negative impact on how your product or
service is received.

“Brands that are serious about engaging with consumers in foreign markets
need to offer a more culturally relevant connection with their audience.”
That’s a statement found in a study commissioned by CMO Council, which
looked at how successful global brands – including PepsiCo, Visa and
Johnson & Johnson – use cultural sensitivity in order to stand out from the
crowd, add value to their brand and remain relevant to their international
customers.

Cultural sensitivity is the awareness of specific cultural factors that can

influence research. For brands, it requires marketing teams to be aware of
local cultural nuances and develop appropriate messaging that engages
their target audience. If you’re embarking on a localisation project for the
first time, cultural sensitivity will definitely need to be taken into
consideration before you approach a language service provider.

But what are some of the key issues brands should take into account when
adopting cultural sensitivity into international marketing campaigns or
launching products into a new market?

Gender stereotyping

In Western markets, navigating away from gender stereotypes is probably

one of the most common trends that brands are adopting when engaging
with consumers. Marketers are beginning to realise that modern 21st-
century consumers live more diverse, nuanced lives and aren’t necessarily
governed by the traditional gender roles of the past.

In 2016, Unilever called for brands to consider the way they portray men,
women and children in advertising. Based on multiple research studies in
25 markets over two years, the British-Dutch FMCG company revealed that
50% of ads showed a negative or “not progressive” stereotype of women
and only 3% depicted them in managerial or professional roles.
Furthermore, it urged brands to do better when marketing products and
services to consumers and a year later, brands including Facebook,
Google and Alibaba joined Unilever by joining the Unstereotype Alliance.
But this isn’t the first time Unilever has attempted to tackle old-fashioned
depictions of women when marketing its products to consumers.

In 2004, Dove launched its Campaign for Real Beauty to celebrate body
positivity. The initial campaign was led by a striking image featuring a group
of women with different body types and skin tones in their underwear –
none of whom were professional models.

Although controversial at the time, the campaign followed up with

headshot images of older women with captions such as “Will society ever
accept ‘old’ as beautiful?”, promoting people to join an online debate on
the brand’s website.

The campaign is still ongoing and has evolved into multiple, global TV
and online campaigns, workshops, sleepover events, a book and even
the production of a play. It’s considered one of modern marketing’s most
talked-about success stories.
Brands in the fashion and beauty industry are also taking a leaf out of
Unilever’s book by taking their marketing strategies into a new direction
when engaging with younger audiences. A new athleisure campaign by
ASOS titled, More Reasons to Move, featured women taking the lead in
sports that are usually associated with men, including football and boxing.

A) Is it TRUE (t) or FALSE (f) according to the text?

• ( ) Internet has made a significant impact over the last 15

years.

• ( ) Misunderstanding cultural needs of a new market create

positive impact on how the product or service is perceived.

• ( ) Cultural sensitivity influence foreign markets.

• ( ) The Dove campaign “Campaign for Real Beauty” promotes

body negativity.
 B) MATCH COLUMN A WITH COLUMN B (the numbers from
column A are related to what topic on column B):

COLUMN A COLUMN B

• 25 • Women

• 50% • Markets

• Ads
• 3%

POST READING ACTIVITY

Read the following excerpt from the text:

“…PepsiCo, Visa and Johnson & Johnson – use cultural sensitivity

in order to stand out from the crowd, add value to their brand and
remain relevant to their international customers.”

Do you believe that the image below stand out from the crowd?
How?

HTTPS://TOPPANDIGITAL.COM/TRANSLATION-BLOG/CULTURAL-SENSITIVITY-MARKET-BRAND-CULTURES/
 TASK 2 - LISTENING
PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITY
IN GROUPS, STUDENTS SHOULD TRY TO
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

- What is the definition of Ad?

- Look at the slogans below:

- Can you relate them with cultural

sensitivity? How?
WHILE LISTENING ACTIVITY
Watch the video and
answer the questions:
“ For the ________.”
- A) What kind of
______ unwind.”
video it is?
“For the _______ time.”
- B) Describe the
public depicted in “_______ haters”.
the video. How do
“Because ______ say ______ couldn’t.”
they represent
diversity? “I’m here _____________.”

- C) Fill in the gaps “I am just here ____________.”

below:
“________?”

“Because I __________ this good.”

“Everyone has _______________.”

POST LISTENING ACTIVITY

IN GROUP, SUMMARIZE THE MAIN MESSAGE OF THE AD. THEN,

COMPARE THE CONCLUSION OF YOUR GROUP WITH THE REST OF
THE CLASS.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk12WZ-Co58&t=22s
 TASK 3 – GRAMMAR
Use of “By”

1) Read the text. Where did Robin and Theresa go?

Dear Mom and Dad,

My brother and I are going to sleep at a _________ house. The dinner made
______ Robin is in the refrigerator. The flowers were bought ______ me. But,
you can ________ mom that you bought __________.

Have fun at your romantic dinner!

Robin and Theresa.

GRAMMAR SPOLIGHT
- The dinner made BY Robin is in the
refrigerator.
- The flowers were bought BY me.

2) Read activity 1 again. Choose the correct answer by looking at the box
below.

FRIEND’s – BY – BY – TELL – THEM

3) Read the story below. Then, answer the questions:

Robin: Hello, my name is Robin.

Theresa: And I am Theresa.
Robin: Our parents need to have
some romantic dinner. Theresa
and I called some friends to help
us.
 Theresa: Our friend Jack helped us by bringing the perfect playlist.
Robin: We didn’t have candles, so we asked Tom to buy them.
Theresa: I bought the flowers.
Robin: And I made dinner.
Theresa: My brother and I cleaned the house and set everything to make
our parents time together very romantic.
Robin: Wish us good luck!

1) The playlist was made by ________________

2) The candles were bought by ________________

3) The dinner was made by ___________________

4) The flowers were bought by _________________

5) The house was cleaned by __________________

6) The house was set by _____________________

TASK 4 – SPEAKING
Use of “by”

Student B is at a job interview for a management position in an

automobile company. Student A is from HR and who is going to ask
the questions below:

STUDENT A STUDENT B
(Complete the questions below using what, (Complete the answers below.)
who, when or where. Then ask student B the
question.)
- The new device was created by
- _________ had the idea for the new _________.
device?

- The product was released in

- _________ was the product released? ___________ by the __________
- _________ did your last company department.
released the product?

- It was released by __________.

- ________ did you in the marketing
campaign?
- All the material for the social media
were created by _______.
 TASK 5 – WRITING
Brochure

1) Read and match the sentences below to the numbers located in the
brochure:

SPECIAL OFFER, CALL TODAY: ________

WINDOW WASHING: _________

TOILET SERVICES: _______

VACUUM CLEANING AND DRY CLEANING: _________

2) What information is repeating in the brochure?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3) What information below would you consider to replace the repeated information?

( ) Toilet services, window washing and vacuum cleaning are done by our company.

( ) By 48 hours, you will get results or your money back.

( ) Services done your way by 48 hours.

4) Imagine you work at the Home Cleaning service. You were asked to make a new brochure
again, but now with no repeating information.