The upsides of branding in an ever-evolving world
Studies have shown that youngsters from age 2 already recognize brands and are loyal to them. Adults too are greatly influenced by publicities and a well-made ad can now make or break a product. Such an impact didn't go unnoticed and we now live in what is arguably the most ad-filled era to date. From newspapers to radio and television, publicities now invade restrooms, schools, internet and numerous other medias and locations. Branding is undisputably effective and beneficial for companies, but it is my opinion that it is in fact, in some effect, profitable for both parties.
First of all, publicities put the spotlight on some new products that would’ve never been known otherwise. Indeed, the best way for an emerging company to put itself on the map and be noticeable is by branding their product in an attractive way, tempting potential buyers to, at least, try their brand. Without this way into the consumers’ head, new companies wouldn’t stand a chance against the big players of the industry and only a few (if not none) of them would make it past the first fiscal year.
This beneficial aspect of branding is also profitable for consumers. As a matter of fact, it is the only way for customers to learn about new products, newer technologies and innovations in a specific field. Without the importance given to branding, consumers would probably stick with what they know and appreciate, and never realize that there is better products out there.
Also, a brand’s name can be a token of quality, effectiveness and durability. This, of course, is really advantageous for the company. Indeed, when a company makes good, durable and convenient products, they become recognized for that. This create brand loyalty among satisfied customers, guaranteeing them an allegiant consumer base, as long as their products represent the qualities they became known for.
This is a positive thing for customers too: when a person must decide between two or numerous different brands, this kind of good reputation for a company can cut the mustard. Consumers can trust certain brands for they are aknowledged for their reliability, or for their environmentally-friendliness, or simply for their effectiveness. The branding of the product, by creating a certain image, makes it easier for customers to identify themselves with a company, therefore facilitating their decision making process.
Although publicity is despised by the majority, these aspects of branding prove themselves beneficial for both the company and the customers. Without branding, new companies would get tossed out by large multinational players. Also, consumers would never get a grip on new products, for those would never be advertised. Likewise, branding generate the image of a company, making it more reliable for some, and it helps establish brand loyalty amongst customers. At the same time, this helps the consumers themselves choosing the right product for them. So, even though publicity is slowly getting everywhere, it is undeniable that it has a good side, even for the population. It has, in fact, grown to become essential in an industrial world getting larger by the minute.
512 words
Pascua Lama Simulation
Who? The world's largest mining company, Barrick Gold, The government of Chile and Argentina, environmentalists
What? it's an open pit mining project of gold, silver, copper and other minerals.
Where? The Pascua Lama project is located in the Andes mountains, overlapping Chile and Argentina.
When? The project became possible when Chile and Argentina signed a treaty regarding mining developpment in 1997.
Why? The project is controversial due to the fact that it is located near glaciers and that its completion will destroy 20 hectares of ice. The project may also affect the water supply of nearby farmers.
How? demonstrations and petitions were presented to the chilean government.
What? it's an open pit mining project of gold, silver, copper and other minerals.
Where? The Pascua Lama project is located in the Andes mountains, overlapping Chile and Argentina.
When? The project became possible when Chile and Argentina signed a treaty regarding mining developpment in 1997.
Why? The project is controversial due to the fact that it is located near glaciers and that its completion will destroy 20 hectares of ice. The project may also affect the water supply of nearby farmers.
How? demonstrations and petitions were presented to the chilean government.
Inherit the Wind
Bertram Cates
24 years old, teacher, defendant, quiet, shy, well-mannered, believer in evolutionism
Matthew Harrison Brady
Politician from Nebraska (ran 3 times to be President), leads the prosecution, strong Christian beliefs, talented orator
Henry Drummond
infamous and vilified defense attorney, humouristic, low-key, believes in freedom of thought
E. K. Hornbeck
cynical, wisecracking journalist, critic, despises Brady's religious fundamentalism
Reverend Jeremiah Brown
representative of fundamentalist Christian beliefs
Rachel Brown
22 years old daugther of Reverend Brown, grade two teacher, very close to Cates, feels conflicted
The Judge
as impartial as his deep belief in the Bible will allow him to be
The Townspeople
colourful bunch of people, represent a rural small town life of conventions and religious beliefs while showing the way in which the world is moving forward and modernizing.
24 years old, teacher, defendant, quiet, shy, well-mannered, believer in evolutionism
Matthew Harrison Brady
Politician from Nebraska (ran 3 times to be President), leads the prosecution, strong Christian beliefs, talented orator
Henry Drummond
infamous and vilified defense attorney, humouristic, low-key, believes in freedom of thought
E. K. Hornbeck
cynical, wisecracking journalist, critic, despises Brady's religious fundamentalism
Reverend Jeremiah Brown
representative of fundamentalist Christian beliefs
Rachel Brown
22 years old daugther of Reverend Brown, grade two teacher, very close to Cates, feels conflicted
The Judge
as impartial as his deep belief in the Bible will allow him to be
The Townspeople
colourful bunch of people, represent a rural small town life of conventions and religious beliefs while showing the way in which the world is moving forward and modernizing.
Branding
FOOD
- Score's
- Coca-Cola (700 products in 200 countries)
TECHNOLOGY
- Sony
- Intel (key partnership with Nokia)
CARS
- Mitsubishi
- Toyota (the Toyota Prius Hybrid is the best-selling car)
ENTERTAINMENT
- Pixar
- Disney (innovative new formats)
COMPUTERS
- Apple Computers
- IBM (received the most U.S. patents)
FINANCIAL
- Bank of America
- American Express (extensive investments - iconic status)
CLOTHES
- Bikkembergs
- Louis Vuitton (425 stores)
ELECTRONICS
- Apple
- Nokia (fast developping market - targeting younger audience)
HOUSEHOLD
- Johnson & Johnson (A family company)
- GE (touch consumers on an emotional level)
SOFTWARES
- Apple
- Microsoft (game console - Bing)
- Score's
- Coca-Cola (700 products in 200 countries)
TECHNOLOGY
- Sony
- Intel (key partnership with Nokia)
CARS
- Mitsubishi
- Toyota (the Toyota Prius Hybrid is the best-selling car)
ENTERTAINMENT
- Pixar
- Disney (innovative new formats)
COMPUTERS
- Apple Computers
- IBM (received the most U.S. patents)
FINANCIAL
- Bank of America
- American Express (extensive investments - iconic status)
CLOTHES
- Bikkembergs
- Louis Vuitton (425 stores)
ELECTRONICS
- Apple
- Nokia (fast developping market - targeting younger audience)
HOUSEHOLD
- Johnson & Johnson (A family company)
- GE (touch consumers on an emotional level)
SOFTWARES
- Apple
- Microsoft (game console - Bing)
Mid-term Writing Test
Photography is etymologically the composition of light and writing. It is, thus, the art of imprinting on paper an image, to capture a moment and fix it on film. Altough it is a form of art pretty recent, it seems to have taken the world by storm, as almost everyone now owns at least one camera. The advent of digital technologies furthered the user-friendliness that made the photography such a big success when manual settings were replaced, in entry-level cameras, by automatic ones. But, those innovations had a price; photography became less and less an art, and morphed into a hobby. That is, at least, the thesis of the research conducted by Andrée-Anne Lorrain and myself. Indeed, we think that, nowadays, people use their cameras strictly for recreationnal purposes and that the art of photography is pretty much left in the dark, even more so by the younger generation.
To validate those theses, we decided to ask a group of people 30 years old and up a bunch of questions that we also asked to a group of younger subjects. Those questions were related to the use of their camera, the type of camera they use, the technics behind photography and the general knowledge of the art form. Both groups were constituted by 20 people or so, and the survey we asked them to fill contained 10 questions, most of them being matrices and questions with multiple-choice.
We found out that, without any distinction of age, people tend to buy digital compacts more than any other types of cameras. Of course, due to their age, older people may also possess older models, such as analogue compacts using a 35 mm film. Most of our respondents use their cameras for recreational purposes and souvenirs, which we foretold. In corollary, the most popular subjects are landscapes and portraits and, to a lesser degree and only in the older group, architecture and structures. As we expected, facebook is the most used image-sharing website, taking almost 50% of the market-share, which also explain why people tend to only keep their pictures on their computer, instead of printing them. As for the technical side, we weren’t surprise to see that almost no one could name one professionnal photographer. But, we didn’t expect people to pay so much attention to composure and to be so knowledgeable when it comes to technical terms, and surprisingly enough, a great deal of younger people use image-editing softwares.
To conclude, we speculated that newer technologies may rebuff older people, but the ease of use of digital cameras is undeniable and attracts everyone. But digital technologies also change our habits regarding photography. Also, as we imagined, photography, as a form of art, is sadly pretty much unknown.
457 words
To validate those theses, we decided to ask a group of people 30 years old and up a bunch of questions that we also asked to a group of younger subjects. Those questions were related to the use of their camera, the type of camera they use, the technics behind photography and the general knowledge of the art form. Both groups were constituted by 20 people or so, and the survey we asked them to fill contained 10 questions, most of them being matrices and questions with multiple-choice.
We found out that, without any distinction of age, people tend to buy digital compacts more than any other types of cameras. Of course, due to their age, older people may also possess older models, such as analogue compacts using a 35 mm film. Most of our respondents use their cameras for recreational purposes and souvenirs, which we foretold. In corollary, the most popular subjects are landscapes and portraits and, to a lesser degree and only in the older group, architecture and structures. As we expected, facebook is the most used image-sharing website, taking almost 50% of the market-share, which also explain why people tend to only keep their pictures on their computer, instead of printing them. As for the technical side, we weren’t surprise to see that almost no one could name one professionnal photographer. But, we didn’t expect people to pay so much attention to composure and to be so knowledgeable when it comes to technical terms, and surprisingly enough, a great deal of younger people use image-editing softwares.
To conclude, we speculated that newer technologies may rebuff older people, but the ease of use of digital cameras is undeniable and attracts everyone. But digital technologies also change our habits regarding photography. Also, as we imagined, photography, as a form of art, is sadly pretty much unknown.
457 words
Course 1: Synonyms & Antonyms #1
1. Interest Level
I think this exercice will prove itself quite useful in the future. Even though I had no problem with the synonyms, the antonyms were a tad harder to guess and I sometimes had to rely on my common sense to deduce a meaning for some of the words that were shown to me. There were a couple of words that I would'nt have understood if it wasn't for the choice that were given to me, which mean that I would've never used them in a conversation. Now, I can use those words and, therfore, enrich my vocabulary.
2. Difficulty
The first part of the exercice, focused on synonyms, was pretty easy. But the second part, on antonyms, was a bit more difficult. Indeed, some variations in the meaning of certain words made it hard to decide which answer was the most opposite to the word that was given to me.
3. What I learned (3)
I certainly learned quite a few vocabulary words that I'll try to force into my every-day thesaurus.
4. My score
80/100
5. Course rating
I think the course was pretty well done. I would, though, make the first part a bit more difficult as it was too easy compared to the second part.
Course 2: Word Analogy #3
1. Interest Level
I think this exercice was very different than anything I've ever done before. The idea of going bewond antonyms and synonyms to search words that relate to each other is pretty interesting.
2. Difficulty
I think this exercice was, overall, pretty though. Some analogy were really easy and evident, but most of them were not so easy and you had to think about it a couple of seconds before you could answer.
3. What I learned (3)
I learned to really take my time to chose a word wisely. It also forced me to approach a problem in a logical fashion. Of course, I also learned new vocabulary words.
4. My score
85/100
5. Course rating
I think this course was well-balance overall and the difficulty level was just right for a potential student to actually learn and test his knowledge at the same time. I would probably reorder certain questions in order to make them more and more difficult instead of having different difficulty level all over the place.
1. Interest Level
I think this exercice will prove itself quite useful in the future. Even though I had no problem with the synonyms, the antonyms were a tad harder to guess and I sometimes had to rely on my common sense to deduce a meaning for some of the words that were shown to me. There were a couple of words that I would'nt have understood if it wasn't for the choice that were given to me, which mean that I would've never used them in a conversation. Now, I can use those words and, therfore, enrich my vocabulary.
2. Difficulty
The first part of the exercice, focused on synonyms, was pretty easy. But the second part, on antonyms, was a bit more difficult. Indeed, some variations in the meaning of certain words made it hard to decide which answer was the most opposite to the word that was given to me.
3. What I learned (3)
I certainly learned quite a few vocabulary words that I'll try to force into my every-day thesaurus.
4. My score
80/100
5. Course rating
I think the course was pretty well done. I would, though, make the first part a bit more difficult as it was too easy compared to the second part.
Course 2: Word Analogy #3
1. Interest Level
I think this exercice was very different than anything I've ever done before. The idea of going bewond antonyms and synonyms to search words that relate to each other is pretty interesting.
2. Difficulty
I think this exercice was, overall, pretty though. Some analogy were really easy and evident, but most of them were not so easy and you had to think about it a couple of seconds before you could answer.
3. What I learned (3)
I learned to really take my time to chose a word wisely. It also forced me to approach a problem in a logical fashion. Of course, I also learned new vocabulary words.
4. My score
85/100
5. Course rating
I think this course was well-balance overall and the difficulty level was just right for a potential student to actually learn and test his knowledge at the same time. I would probably reorder certain questions in order to make them more and more difficult instead of having different difficulty level all over the place.
Strategies
Guessing meaning:
1. Tome = Book
2. Treacherous = Dangerous
3. Vanished = Disappeared
4. Anticipating = Thinking ahead, expecting
5. Appease = Satisfy
6. Dispute = Argument, debate
7. Sapped = Take away, drain
8. Obscures = To hide, conceal
9. Chattering = Talking
10. Giggle = Laugh
Prefixes
1. Arch-
Starting tomorrow, I am your arch-ennemy.
2. Mis-
No more misbehaving in here... let's be a wee bit civilized!
3. Pre-
Did you pre-order your copy of her upcoming album?
4. Out-
I'm not really an outgoing person, you know.
5. Dis-
Come on, McGyver! Dismantle this bomb using what you always have in your pockets!
6. Post-
I'd like to postpone my meeting with Mr. Yamasaki.
7. Un-
What you're saying is unbelievably accurate!
8. Self-
Your gesture is an act of utter selflessness.
9. Crypto-
Cryptozoology is still a pretty controversial field of study.
10. Under-
Her talk left me underwhelmed.
Suffixe
1. -ful
Her merciful behavior will serve her later!
2. -ness
Blindness is quite a hard disability to overcome.
3. -less
He was left powerless by the situation.
4. -ism
As you know, canibalism still exists in remote areas of the world!
5. -ly
She's an overly protective mother.
6. -ise/ize
The teacher never ceased to emphasize on the important parts of the lecture... You are a clueless chump if you failed the exam, my dear!
7. -ive
God, you are expressive!
8. -al
Their father is in pain! He's in the final stage of cancer. Poor man!
9. -able/ible
No, that sentence was bloody unintelligible! You, aussie blokes, should know that the proof of what you're saying is in the pudding!
10. -fy
I'm going to exemplify my point using this figure.
Collocations
1. Step up
My students will have to step up their game if they want to succeed.
2. Dress up / dress down
What's wonderful with jeans, is that you can alway dress them up, or dress them down!
3. Get going
We should get going, or else, we'll be late for our flight!
4. Get wet
Then, she told me: ''I'm getting wet at all the right places!'' I looked at her, a bit uneasy, and turned away.
5. Step back
I once met a old and wise man. He was always saying ''Step back, and let yourself be seduced.''
6. Pay attention
Pay attention, you little bastards!
7. Get lost
How can you get lost in Bandol? That's unbelievable!
8. Come under attack
This city came under attack in the middle of the 13th century.
9. Save someone a seat
I saved someone a seat in the theatre... Some people weren't too happy about it though... That's their problem!
10. Break the ice
That incident broke the ice between us two! What a relief!
1. Tome = Book
2. Treacherous = Dangerous
3. Vanished = Disappeared
4. Anticipating = Thinking ahead, expecting
5. Appease = Satisfy
6. Dispute = Argument, debate
7. Sapped = Take away, drain
8. Obscures = To hide, conceal
9. Chattering = Talking
10. Giggle = Laugh
Prefixes
1. Arch-
Starting tomorrow, I am your arch-ennemy.
2. Mis-
No more misbehaving in here... let's be a wee bit civilized!
3. Pre-
Did you pre-order your copy of her upcoming album?
4. Out-
I'm not really an outgoing person, you know.
5. Dis-
Come on, McGyver! Dismantle this bomb using what you always have in your pockets!
6. Post-
I'd like to postpone my meeting with Mr. Yamasaki.
7. Un-
What you're saying is unbelievably accurate!
8. Self-
Your gesture is an act of utter selflessness.
9. Crypto-
Cryptozoology is still a pretty controversial field of study.
10. Under-
Her talk left me underwhelmed.
Suffixe
1. -ful
Her merciful behavior will serve her later!
2. -ness
Blindness is quite a hard disability to overcome.
3. -less
He was left powerless by the situation.
4. -ism
As you know, canibalism still exists in remote areas of the world!
5. -ly
She's an overly protective mother.
6. -ise/ize
The teacher never ceased to emphasize on the important parts of the lecture... You are a clueless chump if you failed the exam, my dear!
7. -ive
God, you are expressive!
8. -al
Their father is in pain! He's in the final stage of cancer. Poor man!
9. -able/ible
No, that sentence was bloody unintelligible! You, aussie blokes, should know that the proof of what you're saying is in the pudding!
10. -fy
I'm going to exemplify my point using this figure.
Collocations
1. Step up
My students will have to step up their game if they want to succeed.
2. Dress up / dress down
What's wonderful with jeans, is that you can alway dress them up, or dress them down!
3. Get going
We should get going, or else, we'll be late for our flight!
4. Get wet
Then, she told me: ''I'm getting wet at all the right places!'' I looked at her, a bit uneasy, and turned away.
5. Step back
I once met a old and wise man. He was always saying ''Step back, and let yourself be seduced.''
6. Pay attention
Pay attention, you little bastards!
7. Get lost
How can you get lost in Bandol? That's unbelievable!
8. Come under attack
This city came under attack in the middle of the 13th century.
9. Save someone a seat
I saved someone a seat in the theatre... Some people weren't too happy about it though... That's their problem!
10. Break the ice
That incident broke the ice between us two! What a relief!
Student Interview
With an Emmy Award-winning personnality (sadly, that pun was intended), a bright smile and great glasses, Emmy is more than just a music student. After working two years as an assistant-receptionist at a veterinary clinic, and serving two other years in the Honoré-Mercier Senior Harmony, she is now hoping to complete her DEC in no time, with good grades. Though her short-term goals may be common for people her age, she also wants to master the piano and, later on, share her passion for music with others, by teaching.
Of course, as you may imagine, music is at the top of her list of interests, with her radar set on a variety of genres, ranging from classical music, to contemporary, passing through electronic music, and even more heavier styles. She is, for exemple, attracted the Thursday's music for their meaningful and relatable lyrics, yet can admire the talent and seeming ease of singers like the frontman of City and Color. But, she can also love a band, like Atreyu, just ''because''. Yet, Emmy is a multi-faceted individual that also enjoys movies (like her favorite: Shining), literature and animals (she did own a ferret, a crab, a squirrel and several lizards).
Skilled at her art (namely the saxophone) she also excels in drawing, in roller-blading and other sports. Yet, always eager to perfect her musical talents, she is now delving into piano and singing. A loyal friend to her high-school buddies, she also greatly appreciate her dad, who's always there for her.
Of course, as you may imagine, music is at the top of her list of interests, with her radar set on a variety of genres, ranging from classical music, to contemporary, passing through electronic music, and even more heavier styles. She is, for exemple, attracted the Thursday's music for their meaningful and relatable lyrics, yet can admire the talent and seeming ease of singers like the frontman of City and Color. But, she can also love a band, like Atreyu, just ''because''. Yet, Emmy is a multi-faceted individual that also enjoys movies (like her favorite: Shining), literature and animals (she did own a ferret, a crab, a squirrel and several lizards).
Skilled at her art (namely the saxophone) she also excels in drawing, in roller-blading and other sports. Yet, always eager to perfect her musical talents, she is now delving into piano and singing. A loyal friend to her high-school buddies, she also greatly appreciate her dad, who's always there for her.
Wiki Quiz
- What is the Learning Express Library? The LEL is a database which is designed to help mostly self-learning individuals through the process of learning english.
- Where is Mr. B's office? Mr. B's office is located at the c-150.
- What percentage of the course is reading and listening worth? Both reading and listening are worth 30% of the overall semester.
- How can I communicate with Mr. B through this Wiki? By clicking on the "Discussion" link.
- What are Mr. B's office hours? Mr. B is available on monday, from noon to 4:00, and on thursday from 3:00 to 4:00.
- What is the 48 hour rule? If you missed an exam, you have 48 hours to contact your teacher in order to dodge a big fat 0 on you report card... But, beware! This is only applicable ONCE in a semester!
- What is the first assignment? Our first assignment was to write a 250 words student profile based on an interview we had to do with one of our fellow classmates. We also had to answer the questions of this "wiki quiz"
- What is ELLLO? Elllo is a website where audio content is compiled and accessible in order to help student perfect their listening skills in english.
- How can I use the discussion forum? You can easily access the "discussion" forum, by clicking on the "discussion" tab at the top right of the class wiki.
- Do you have to go to the Grande Bibiliotheque to register?
- How many ways can I contact Mr. B.? 3 Name one. Through e-mails
- How many pages appear when you type "grammar" in the "Search this site" box? 10 results are shown when "grammar" is the entry in the "Search this site" box.
- What is the name of the class textbook? Learning English for Academic Purposes Do you need to buy it? Of course!
- How many items are there in the "Writing Correction Code"? There is 4 items in the "Writing Correction Code".
- Write two questions you have about the course.