Tag: business and business english

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Stanley has been around for more than a century. However, it is not until 2017 when the brand gained traction and became viral which lead to their annual sales going up from 73 to 750 million.

In the past few years, the Stanley Tumbler has become super popular, not just for holding drinks, but also because it’s everywhere on social media and loved by lots of different people. Even though it was made for just being useful, it’s turned into a big trend that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

Watch the video to know why the Stanley Cups became famous so quickly and be able to answer the questions below.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does the idiom “a slow build” mean? “So it was a slow build over many months and then you could see that the waiting list began to grow.” Give two (2) synonyms or similar expressions and use ‘a slow build’ in your own sentence.
2. What does “to take a liking to something” mean? “At first, the quencher was a flop. It wasn’t until a group of working moms running the popular blog ‘The Buy Guide’ took a liking to it in 2017.” Make a sentence using the phrase.
3. What does the expression “to seize that opportunity” mean? “At this point, the quencher rise putting Stanley on the radar for more consumers and the company is looking to seize that opportunity.” Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can other brands learn from Stanley’s rise to popularity?
2. What do you think are the other key factors that contributed to the Stanley Tumbler craze becoming a viral sensation?
3. How has social media played a role in amplifying the popularity of the Stanley Tumbler?
4. Do you believe the design and functionality of the Stanley Tumbler played a significant role in its viral success, or was it primarily driven by social influence? Explain.
5. What impact has the Stanley Tumbler craze had on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions?
6. In your country, are there any similarities between the Stanley Tumbler craze and other viral sensations in recent years? If so, what are they?

B2 – Upper  Intermediate 

The super-rich are people who are absolutely not like you and me. To say the least, they can pretty much afford anything in this world, including luxury clothes.

However, most of them try to make themselves look like they are just like any of us by wearing outfits that seem so plain and ordinary, having houses and cars that seem basic, and living a lifestyle that seem simple and frugal.

Do you ever wonder why some of the top billionaires in the world appear in public looking so simple in their regular-looking outfits like basic t-shirts instead of donning Italian custom-made suits?

Watch the video that explains the concept of poverty peacocking.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “folksy image” mean, “SBF and the rest of the gang were all frauds, but putting a lot of effort into crafting a folksy image is done by most prominent business leaders for three simple reasons.” Use this expression in your own sentence.
2. What does “stealth wealth” mean? “Billionaires doing a Bloomberg or NAS Daily interviews featuring their basic car and geeky wardrobe is not the same thing as stealth wealth.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
3. What does “grift” mean? “An important element of any grift like this is that people need to believe that someone has become wealthy and that they can do it too.” Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on poverty peacocking?

2. Discuss each of the 3 reasons rich people try to look poor:

– It gets them what they want.

– It is an effective sales tactic.

– It helps them keep their workers in line.

3. Share your opinion on this, “Humble CEOs are the new fashion.”.

4. What are your thoughts on ‘Get Rich Quick Course’?

5. Talk about your insights on this, “Corporations became people, as people too, became corporations and every corporation needs a media relations department.”.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The tire business is characterized by slow change and growth and low margins. Fortunately, electric vehicles (EVs) might be a gamechanger for the tire industry in the future.

Tire companies are looking forward to earning 50% more. They are also expecting more EV users to change their tires 20% more often.

Watch the entire video below about why tire companies love EVs.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. Define the phrase “regenerative braking”. “EVs, however, deliver about two thirds of their energy to the wheels, more if there are energy recovery technologies like regenerative braking.”? Use it in a sentence.
2. What does the term “differentiated product” mean in the sentence “One of the main ways that tire companies compete with each other is by creating a differentiated product.”? Use it in a sentence.
3. What does the phrase “compound annual rate” mean? “Analytics form AlixPartners says the total market for EV tires is expected to grow at a 33% compound annual rate through 2031.”? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the video all about?
2. How do tire manufacturers view tires as commodities in the market?
3. From a business perspective, should tire companies consider deliberately reducing the lifespan of tires to increase profitability?
4. How do electric vehicles (EVs) impact the tire industry?
5. As tire companies benefit from electric vehicles, which other industries do you think might be affected by this trend?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the constantly changing world of what consumers like and the partnerships between brands, the competition among big soda companies has always been exciting to watch. But lately, things have gotten even more intense because Subway, the famous sandwich chain, has decided to switch from serving Coca-Cola to Pepsi.

Watch the video and take a closer look at this cola clash and how it might affect the soda business.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does the expression “to tug at the heartstrings” mean? “Pepsi tapping into star power. While Coca-cola tugs on [sic] heartstrings.” Use the idiom in a sentence.
2. What does the phrase “to bubble up” mean in this sentence? “The battle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi has been bubbling up for two decades.” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does the phrase “to ramp up” mean? “The clash of colas ramping up as they try to prevent business from going flat.” Give one sentence using this expression.

Discussion Questions:

1. In your opinion, which soda brand—Coca-Cola or Pepsi—holds greater influence over consumer preferences and brand loyalty in today’s market? Why do you think so?
2. Do you believe Subway’s decision to switch to Pepsi will have a significant impact on its customer base and overall sales? Why or why not?
3. As a consumer, would Subway’s choice of soda supplier influence your decision to visit their restaurants? Why or why not?
4. Do you think Subway’s switch from Coke to Pepsi will spark similar changes in other fast-food chains’ beverage partnerships? Why or why not?