Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Quote of the Week
– Competition brings out the best in products &
worst in people. - David Sarnoff (1891 - 1971),
American business leader
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Definitions of Competition
– http://dict.die.net/competition/
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Discussion - Starting Up
– Do a quiz on how competitive you are ?
• Find out your score on p. 155
» Compare your score with a partner
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Discussion – Additional Resources
– The Faculty of Economics and Business at Monash
University, Australia
• http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/
– A excellent introductory guide to Marketing Theory and Practice
» http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/Subjects/MKT/MTPonline/inde
x.html#topics
– Market segmentation
» http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/Subjects/MKT/MTPonline/mkt
segment.html
– Product positioning
» http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/Subjects/MKT/MTPonline/posi
tioning.html
– Example of the repositioning of Swiss sports watch company
TAGHeuer, a prestige brand competing with Cartier and Rolex
» http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/Depts/Mkt/MtPonline/tag.html
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Discussion – Additional Resources
– Lycos Small Business offers some excellent small
business web guides
• http://www.lycos.com/business
– Marketing your product, which provides a good basic
introduction to key concepts and strategies
» http://www.lycos.com/business/cch/guidebook.html?lpv=1
&docNumber=P03_0101
– Product-development strategy
» http://www.lycos.com/business/cch/guidebook.html?docNu
mber=P03_4003
– An accessible introduction to positioning strategy and finding a
niche for your product
» http://www.lycos.com/business/cch/guidebook.html?lpv=1
&docNumber=P03_4009
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Language Review – Vocabulary: Describing
competition
–
–
–
–
» Exercise A
Market leader
Market challenger
Market follower
Market niche
» Exercise B
» Exercise C
» Exercise D, word partnership with competition
» Exercise E
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Texts - Reading: Competitive advantage (Wal
Mart, Caterpillar, Lexus)
– Strategies to gain a competitive advantage
• "Three Strategies to gain a competitive advantage"
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
Exercise A
Exercise B
Exercise C
Exercise D
Exercise E
Exercise F
Exercise G
Week 10 – Unit 14: Leadership
• Texts - Listening: Competition and the
market
– An interview with a senior executive about
competition, Kevin Warren, Vice President at
Coca-Cola & Schweppes Beverages (UK)
»
»
»
»
Exercise A, 1st part of interview, 15.1
Exercise B, 2nd part of interview, 15.2
Exercise C
Exercise D, 3rd part of interview, 15.3
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Language Review - Talking about the future
•
•
•
•
Going to
'll
Present continuous
Present simple
– We use going to to talk about what we intend to do or
what someone else has already decided to do.
– We use ‘ll to make a spontaneous promise or offer to do
something.
– We use the present continuous to talk about fixed plans
or arrangements.
– We use the present simple to talk about a schedule.
» Exercise A
» Exercise B
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Discussion - Competitive strategy
– Blues Fight The Reds
– Fly Me, I'm Cheap
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Skills - Negotiating
• Skills - Useful language
–
–
–
–
–
–
We must talk about price first
There's no way we can give you any credit
I want a discount
I won't lower my price
Can you alter the specifications ?
Your price is far too high
» Exercise A
» Exercise B
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Texts - Additional Reading
– Entreworld
• Designed as a resource for entrepreneurs, and provides
excellent practical introductory business information on a
variety of business and management topics
– http://entreworld.lycos.com/
• The section on niche marketing offers a list of useful articles
– http://entreworld.lycos.com/Default.cfm?Topic=Niche+Marketin
g
• Practical examples of different aspects of niche marketing
– All the World's a Niche
» http://entreworld.lycos.com/Perspectives.cfm?ArticleID=72
– Prospering in a Niche Market
»
http://entreworld.lycos.com/Perspectives.cfm?ArticleID=71
– The Two Faces of Niche Marketing
» http://entreworld.lycos.com/Perspectives.cfm?ArticleID=70
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Texts - Additional Reading
– The BusinessWeek online
• http://www.businessweek.com/
– An interesting article, Central Europe's New Consumers,
which looks at consumer trends in Central Europe and
competition between multinationals to capture their
business
» http://www.businessweek.com/1998/21/b3579013.ht
m
– An article which charts the failure of companies like Nike,
Pepsi Cola , Levi Strauss to appeal to the new Generation
Y youth market
» http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_07/b3616001.
htm
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Case Study - City Plaza Hotel
– Work out a new competitive strategy for a hotel
• Task
– Make advice
» Analyze & interpret the data
» Discuss each option
» Decide on a strategy & note down reasons
» Make an action plan
Week 11 – Unit 15: Competition
• Case Study - Writing: report
– Short report about recommendation
• Background
• Analysis of the data
• Recommended action, with reasons