Red Bull - elementary (April 2020 - updated)€¦ · Red Bull, the world leader in energy drinks with over 40% of the global market. Other companies are trying to compete with Red

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Marketing Techniques

Elementary Level:

• Reading: Red Bull marketing techniques

• Grammar: Present Simple and Continuous Tense

• Vocabulary: Marketing Expressions

• Pronunciation: 'R' and 'B'

• Cultural Awareness Point: What do you drink at work?

• Listening: Red Bull – origins and marketing

• Role Play: The Meeting – the new product


INTRODUCTION: Discuss these questions with a partner:

• What do you know about the energy drink, Red Bull? • What is the brand image of the product?

Discuss the meaning of these words / phrases? You will hear them in l is tening 1

LISTENING 1: A spokesperson talks about Red Bull and how its owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, started the company. Fil l the gaps with words you hear

Red Bull, the world …………. in energy drinks with over ……. % of the global market. Other companies are trying to ………. with Red Bull because they are attracted by the high ……….. in the industry, and an American company called ………… is closing the gap. Red Bull's chairman, Dietrich Mateschitz, …………… his product is more than an energy drink. It is a …………….. Red Bull is a powerful global brand that has made Mr. Mateschitz the only ………….. in Austria.

CULTURAL AWARENESS POINT: The Brit ish Like Tea The average Briton drinks over 1,000 cups of tea each year. At work, mineral water is more popular than tea.

Speaking Practice: Discuss these questions with your partner: • What drink do you like at work? • What is better for your health: tea, coffee, fruit juice, Red Bull, water etc.? • What about alcohol? Is it OK to drink alcohol with lunch?

share - high profits - closing the gap - l i festyle - bil l ionaire


GRAMMAR PRACTICE: PRESENT SIMPLE or CONTINUOUS? The simple present tense can be confused with the present continuous. The Simple Present Tense The simple present tense is used for two main types of action: Habits Actions that happen regularly (every day, every week, etc.) States Things that do not often change (opinions, conditions, etc.)

Some examples will help to make this clearer: Type of action

Examples Explanations

Habit Carla goes to Italy every year ‘Every year’ is a habit Habit It doesn’t rain a lot in Spain ‘A lot’ means habit Habit Thomas always talks quickly ‘Always’ is habit State Bob lives in Madrid Long term State Jane has blue eyes Eye colour doesn’t change State

Paul likes coffee

When we like/hate something, we usually always like/hate it

The Present Continuous Tense is used for: A temporary action happening now Something which is going on right now

(but it will stop in the future) Here are some examples: Type of action Examples Explanations Action happening now

Jack is speaking to Jane Right now he is speaking

A temporary action happening now

It is raining It is raining now, but it will stop

A temporary action happening around now

Thomas is learning to drive He is learning to drive around now - perhaps not right now

EXERCISE: Use the Simple Present or Present Continuous

1. John can’t come, he …………….. a presentation. writes - is writing

2. I …………… Red Bull every day. drink - am drinking

3. This morning, I ……. to Austria to see the factory. go - am going

4. Don't give Frank a beer. He ………….. i t . hates - is hating

5. Paula ………….. English so she can work in London. Learns - is learning


SPEAKING PRACTICE

Ask your partner questions using the Present Simple and the Present Continuous e.g. Where do you live? What are you doing now? Why are you studying Business English? What do you do in your free time? Discuss the meaning of these words / phrases? You will hear them in Listening 2

LISTENING 2: Listen and answer the questions below.

Introductory Question: • Who are Red Bull's competitors?

READING: Red Bull

Read the article, adding the correct form of the verb (simple or continuous). Dietrich Mateschitz started to sell Red Bull in 1987 and now the global market of energy drinks ……………. (double) every year. He developed the product image and ………. (use) students to promote the drink. Red Bull …………(be) a mix of taurine, caffeine, sugar and vitamins, and is “a beautiful product”, Mr. Mateschitz ………….. (say). He discovered it in Bangkok when he worked for a German toothpaste company. Red Bull …………. (need) to protect its market position because it has competitors. They ………….. (try) to take market share, but Red Bull …………. (continue) to be market leader in 2012. In 2019, the company sold 7.5 billion cans of Red Bull around the world. But a new competitor, Monster Energy, ………… (grow) quickly. It ………… (compete) directly with Red Bull in the drinks market and in 2019 Monster Energy’s company value was $20 billion.

1. What was Mateschitz's job before he started Red Bull?

2. What happened in 1982?

3. How much money did Mateschitz invest to start Red Bull?

4. When did Mateschitz quit his job?

cure - jet lag - r isk - quit - l icense


BUSINESS PHRASES – BRAND and MARKETING

EXERCISE: Choose the correct answer for the gaps: 1. Red Bull is market ……………. in energy drinks.

a) Leading b) Leader c) Manager d) Winner

2. Our ………. produce similar products but they don’t sell as many. a) Competitors b) Business c) Production d) Sellers

3. Red Bull has a 42% market ……………... a) Option b) Piece c) Portion d) Share

4. Brand ………… is very important for marketing. a) Like b) Time c) Recognition d) Type

SPEAKING PRACTICE: In pairs, discuss how Red Bull can compete with Monster

• Think of areas where Red Bull is not strong.

• What possible things can Red Bull produce?

• Present your ideas to the class and take questions


PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE: 'R' and 'B'

Pronounce these words and sentences with your teacher:

Red - Bull - Relax - Rebrand - Bring - Brought - Barcelona - Rome - Revenue - Rent -

Break - Bank - Bankrupt - Receipt - Recipe - Receive - Review - Brilliant - Great

• The red lorry crashed into the yellow lorry and broke its radiator

• Bring me the green and brown bicycle that is broken

• Restructuring the business is a bad reaction to the bank's criticism

ROLE-PLAY

BACKGROUND: Red Bull wants to produce an energy snack bar and the

marketing team meet to discuss the launch of the new product.

THE MEETING: In small groups you need to discuss:

The Product - what is it? Fruit? Nuts?

The Price - compare to others in the market

The Place - where can you sell the snack bar and who will buy it?

The Packaging - slim silver wrapper?

Also, try to think of a slogan e.g. the drink slogan is: ‘it gives you wings’

REMEMBER to use the present simple and present continuous and

branding phrases that you have studied


Audio-script 1 – elementary – Red Bull

Red Bull - elementary level - listening 1 Red Bull, the world leader in energy drinks with over 40% of the global market. Other companies are trying to compete with Red Bull because they are attracted by the high profits in the industry, and an American company called Monster is closing the gap. Red Bull's chairman, Dietrich Mateschitz, believes his product is more than an energy drink. It is a lifestyle. Red Bull is a powerful global brand that has made Mr. Mateschitz the only billionaire in Austria.

Audio-script 2 – elementary – Red Bull

Listening 2 Mateschitz worked as a salesman for a toothpaste company before he started Red Bull. In 1982 Mateschitz was in Thailand and discovered an energy drink that cured jet lag after a long flight. It worked immediately and Mr. Mateschitz decided to develop the drink in Europe. With his client in Thailand they started the company with half a million dollars each. This was all the money he had in the bank and a big risk, but in 1984 Mateschitz quit his job, and applied for a license to sell the energy drink in Austria.


LESSON PLAN – RED BULL - ELEMENTARY Key objective – to practise f luency of Business English INTRODUCTION : Start by asking students if they have heard of Red Bull, the energy drink. Get them to say what they think of it. (If the haven’t heard of it ask them about a drink they know, Coca-Cola for instance). Ask them what image it has. Teacher (T) - Students (SS) 5 mins LISTENING 1: Next tell students they are going to hear a branding consultant talking about RED BULL. They need to fill the gaps. Play the listening and ask students comprehension questions. (T) - (SS) 10 mins CULTURAL AWARENESS: Ask the students about their drinking habits at work. Discuss the British tradition with tea. (T) - (SS) 10 mins GRAMMAR: Elicit why the present simple and present continuous is used Go on to overview rules of when we use the tenses. Ask students to read through the rules and check they understand them. Then complete the exercise. Get them to read out loud. Supplement with additional and appropriate grammar exercises for homework (S) – (T) 10 mins LISTENING 2: Check meaning of words. Play recording. Students need to answer the questions at the end. Discuss at the end (SS) – (T) 10 mins READING: Elicit the marketing style of RED BULL from the listening. Go through reading text instructions and ask students to read out loud and fill in the gaps with an appropriate verb form. (S) – (T) 10 mins SPEAKING PRACTICE: Ask students to discuss how competitors take market share from Red Bull (SS) – (SS) 5 mins BRANDING PHRASES: Ask the question about Brand Stretching and ask if anyone knows what it means = to have other products that are linked to the core product by the name association e.g. Calvin Klein perfume. Go to the exercise (T) - (SS) 5 mins PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE: Make sure the students understand the words and practice saying them together. Repeat sounds that are not correct (T) - (SS) 5 mins ROLE PLAY: Split students into groups and get them to read their role cards and prepare to discuss the situation. Make sure they practice the grammar and vocabulary learnt in the lesson and to try and use the case study material in their argument. (SS) - (SS) 10 mins


Exercise Answers:

Listening 1 See audio script – page 8 Grammar 1. Is writing 2. Drink 3. Am going 4. Hates 5. Is learning Listening 2 1. Toothpaste salesman 2. Mateschitz discovered a drink in Thailand that cured jet lag 3. Half a million dollars 4. 1984 Reading doubles - uses - is - says - needs - are trying - continues – is growing - is competing Marketing Phrases 1. Leader 2. Competitors 3. Share 4. Recognition

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Red Bull - elementary (April 2020 - updated)€¦ · Red Bull, the world leader in energy drinks with over 40% of the global market. Other companies are trying to compete with Red

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