Advertising's Future Challenges
Before you read: Some questions to help you to think about the topic.
1. What problems do you think advertisers have now? in the future?
2. Do you have an Internet T.V.? How do you like it?
Unless you are one of the lucky ones to have an interactive Internet T.V. then I'm sure you will understand what a pain in the neck it is to have to channel surf every time annoying advertisements break into a good movie. Well in the future adverts will be contextual and highly interactive, in fact, you might even enjoy them.Imagine pointing at the BMW in the latest James Bond movie and receiving information on available models, incentives and being able to compare specials from local car sales shops. Imagine a T.V. that remembers your past viewing habits and tailors adverts that will suit your needs and interests and even entertain you!
I think this is only a taste of what is to come as advertisers get more and more creative in a world where it gets harder and harder to capture the attention of consumers. It poses both exciting and challenging times for both consumers and advertisers.
Guessing meaning from context
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
interactive A 1 invade, get into by forcing
a pain in the neck B 2 made exactly for, perfect fit
break into C 3 something that is ideal, it is what you want/require to be able to do something
incentives D 4 things offered to someone to make them want something
tailored to E 5 cause/make you look/notice/see
suit your needs F 6 to experience
a taste of G 7 action between 2 things/people
capture your attention H 8 suggest/display/show something to you that you need to do something about
pose I 9 something that really annoys/bothers
answers
A=7, B=9, C=1, D=4, E=2, F=3, G=6, H=5, I=8
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
1. You will be able to interact with future televisions that have the Internet
2. People who speak loudly on their cell phones on the subway are a pain in the neck.
3. We must be careful with Internet security because hackers want to break into our computers.
4. Every cafe offers incentives such as "one free coffee after 10 cups" to get you to keep visiting their cafe.
5. Car manufacturers are getting better at tailoring their cars to suit the needs of individual car buyers.
6. My first vacation to Guam gave me a taste of what it is like to visit new and interesting places.
7. There are so many advertisements in the subway and everywhere, so it is hard for advertisers to capture our attention and this poses a problem for how to advertise effectively.
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand their meaning and correct use. Try to use the words in your answer.
1. How do you think advertisers will need to interact with buyers/consumers in the future?
2. What kinds of adverts do you find a pain in the neck?
3. Can you describe how Korean companies were able to successfully break into foreign markets.
4. What incentives make you want to buy a product/service?
5. Which shops tailor best to your buying needs? Why or how?
6. How well does your cities public transport suit your needs?
7. Now that you have read/heard the story, do you think that you have a taste for wanting the new technologies that care coming? Have these new technologies captured your attention? How?
8. Does new technology pose any problems for you? for society? Explain.
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