1-Which of these statements do you agree with? Which do you disagree with? Why?
1 There are no new ideas.
2 Most of the best ideas are discovered by accident.
3 Research and development is the key to great business ideas.
4 There is nothing wrong with copying and improving the ideas of others.
5 The best way to kill an idea is to take it to a meeting.
2- Discuss these questions.
1 What do you think are some of the best ideas in the last 20 years?
2 What is the best idea you have ever had?
3 Which creative person do you most admire? Why?
4 What should companies do to encourage new ideas?
3- Match the word partnerships (1-6) to their definitions (a-f).
1 to take advantage of an opportunity
2-
to raise some body's status
3-
4-
to extend a product range
5-
6-
4- complete the gaps (1-6) with the correct form of a word partnership
5- Listen carefully to the last part of the talk and complete the gaps to form word partnerships
6- Work in pairs.
Exercise 4-5 refers to the Sony Walkman. Can you think of any other examples of products which:
1 were completely original and later copied?
2 are green?
3 won an award?
4 were developed from customer ideas?
Listening
A- Dr Kate Pitts is a researcher at the e-Research Centre, University of Oxford.
She was asked the question: In your opinion, what were the best business
ideas of the last 15 years? Predict what she will say. Think of products and
services.
D- Listen to the second part again and complete the gaps in the audio script.
Reading
Reading
What makes a business idea a really great idea? Brainstorm as many points as you can.
EXAMPLE: It results in an increase in sales and profit.
2- Work in groups of three.
Make quick notes in answer to the questions below about your article.
Student A: Read Article 1 on the opposite page.
Student B: Read Article 2 on the opposite page.
Student C: Read Article 3 on the opposite page.
| Questions | Who needs translators? | Safer cycling | Going for gold |
| What is the great/unusual idea? | | | |
| What problem does this idea solve? | | | |
| Which markets are mentioned in relation to this idea? | | | |
| In terms of time, at what stage of development is the idea? | | | |
Article 1 : WHO NEEDS TRANSLATORS?
Google is developing software for the first phone capable of translating foreign languages almost instantly. By building on existing tecl1nologies in voice recognition and automatic translation, Google hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years. If it works, it could eventually transform communication among speakers of the world's 6,000-plus languages.
The company has already created an automatic system for translating text on computers, which is being honed by scanning millions of multilingual websites and documents. So far, it covers 52 languages. Google also has a voice-recognition system that enables phone users to conduct web searches by speaking commands into their phones rather than typing them in.
Now it is working on combining the two technologies to produce software capable of understanding a caller's voice and translating it into a synthetic equivalent in a foreign language. Like a professional human interpreter, the phone would analyse "packages" of speech, listening to the speaker until it understands the full meaning of words and phrases, before attempting translation.
Article 2 : SAFER CYCLING
Swedish designers have created a cycling "collar" that is worn around the neck with an airbag hidden inside. When sensors in the device determine a crash has happened, an airbag instantly inflates around the cyclist's head to form a helmet.
The invention was presented today in Stockholm. It will go on sale in Sweden
early next year for about £50. The designers have spent six years developing it .
Terese Alstin. one o f the inventors, said. "The protection should include keeping
the sense of freedom and not ruining your hairstyle.
The device has been improved by recreating hundreds of' accidents using crash-test dummies and real riders. "We have developed a unique. patented, mathematical method to distinguish these movement patterns," say the inventors. A small helium-gas cylinder in Oates the airbag in 0.1 seconds and is designed to let cyclists see at all times .
The airbag stays inflated for several seconds. It is powered by a rechargeable battery. Coinventor Anna Haupt said. "The shell of' the collar is removable and available in many different styles and fabrics, and will be launched in new fashion collections."
Article 3 : Going for Gold
Apart from being gold-plated - and the fact that they are bulletproof - they seem much like any other vending machine .
But instead of chocolate bars , a network of "gold -to-go" machines dispenses 24- carat bullion in a smart presentation box .
Originally designed as a marketing device for an online gold-trading business, the machines have become such a success that their inventor plans to build a global network, installing them everywhere from fitness centres to cruise ships.
Thomas Geissler, the German businessman behind the machines, said their unexpected success was the result of a recent interest in gold. " Our customers are those who are catching on to the idea that gold is a safe investment at a time of financial instability," he said.
Since the first machine was installed in May, in the lobby of Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace hotel, 20 gold-to-go machines have appeared across Europe. Germany already has eight. Next month, the first machines will open in the United States - in Las Vegas and Florida.
The company claims its gold is cheaper than that available from the banks, largely because its overheads are lower, and that unlike at a bank, the machine gold is available immediately.
C- Ask your partners the four questions in Exercise B and make notes on what they say.
D- Discuss these questions in pairs.
1 Which of the ideas do you find the most interesting? Why?
2 Which idea do you think will be the most profitable?
3 Which idea will reach the most markets?
4 Can you think of any problems any of the ideas might have?
Language Review : Pat Simple & Past Continuous
Study these examples.
a) Yesterday afternoon, the CEO was meeting the research team in Dublin.
(past continuous)
b) We were having a successful negotiation when suddenly they made new demands.
(past continuous) (past simple)
c) The advertising agency started in 1982, and Wieden came up with the 'lust Do It ' slogan for Nike in 1988. (past simple) (past simple)
Now read through these rules.
• We use the past continuous to talk about something that was going on around a
particular time in the past, as in example a).
• We often use the past continuous to describe an action which was already in progress
when something else happened, as in example b).
• We use the past simple to talk about actions or events that we see as completed,
as in example c).
Practice here
Skills : Successful meetings
Which of these statements do you agree with? Why?
1 The best number for a meeting is six people or fewer.
2 Never have food or drink during a meeting.
3 Always start and finish a meeting on time.
4 You should sit round a table when you have a meeting.
5 A meeting must always have a leader.
6 At a formal meeting, each person should speak in turn.
2- Listen to the meeting, then answer these questions.
DC Dynamics is an electronics company based in Boston, USA. The marketing department held a meeting to discuss their new smartphone. Listen to the meeting, then answer these questions.
1 What were the main aims of the meeting?
2 Which month did they choose for the launch?
3- Listen again and tick the expressions which the chairperson uses.
4- Listen to the meeting again and complete these extracts.
5- Work in groups
5- Work in groups
GLP of Buenos Aires has developed a new wallet, code-named 'The Hipster'. It will be launched in the US. The marketing department holds a meeting to discuss a strategy for selling it.
Read your role card, then hold the meeting.
Student A:
Chairperson
You will lead the meeting. Ask for the participants' opinions, encourage discussion and help them reach agreement. You must decide these points concerning the marketing of The Hipster.
1 its selling price
2 its target consumer
3 special offers for first purchase
4 advertising
Student B :
Participant
You have the following opinions concerning The Hipster:
Selling price: $10 approximately
Target consumer: Young people aged 15-25
Special offer for first purchase: Discount of 10% for orders over 20
Advertising/promotion: Advertisements in magazines aimed at young people
Student C :
Student C
Participant
You have the following opinions concerning The Hipster:
Selling price: $25 approximately
Target consumer: Professional people aged 20-40
Special offer for first purchase: Discount of 20% for orders over 100
Advertising/promotion: Advertisements in upmarket magazines and TV commercials
Student D :
Participant
You have the following opinions concerning The Hipster:
Selling price: $15 approximately
Target consumer: All age groups from 20 years old upwards
Special offer for first purchase: 5% discount for orders over 50
Advertising and promotion: Advertisements in national and regional newspapers/magazines
