Jumping on the Green Bandwagon
Before You Read
What is your opinion about green issues?
Do you believe that companies are always honest when they say they are ‘green’ (environmentally friendly)?
It seems that every company is touting itself as a green company. A long time ago when I was a student I worked in BP Oil and I remember how BP changed its logo (company sign) to show the new image it wanted to promote. That image was, “clean green BP”. They wanted to show that they were an oil company that is concerned about the environment. Well everyone knows the news about BP in 2010 and the big oil disaster and pollution in the Mexican gulf. And so perhaps now when you think of BP you don’t think of a green company. Many companies are needing to promote a green image and are doing very good things to be environmentally friendly, clean and green.
Perhaps another example of a company jumping on the green bandwagon is SK Energy. They have rebranded themselves as SK Innovation as they are going all-out to make eco-friendly products such as batteries for electric vehicles and eco-friendly plastic products. It’s all very admirable, but of course smart business needs to read the trends and stay ahead of the game if they want to stay profitable or stay in the black. Perhaps in the future we will live in a healthier world. If you go back more than a hundred years you will discover that London was a dirty place because of all the horses and their animal pollution. Then along came the motorcar. The innovation of the motorcar was seen as something that would make the streets cleaner. I guess cars did make things cleaner in London, but now we know that cars are one of the pollution problems.
So do you buy into all they hype about being green?
Guessing Meaning From Context
Now, match the letters of the phrasal verbs/words with the closest numbered meaning in the right column. The answers are at the bottom.
|
touting |
A |
1 |
Make a new image for a company or product |
|
jumping on the bandwagon |
B |
2 |
Selling an idea strongly |
|
rebrand |
C |
3 |
Great respect because of some action |
|
going all-out |
D |
4 |
Winning, coming first in a competitive situation. Doing something before other competitors |
|
admirable |
E |
5 |
In accounting this is a positive or credit situation. Not a loss. |
|
trends |
F |
6 |
Fashion changes |
|
stay ahead of the game |
G |
7 |
Joining and doing what everyone else is doing. Copying. |
|
stay in the black |
H |
8 |
Arrived. Something or someone new arrives like a new fashion. |
|
along came/come |
I |
9 |
Accept. Be part of something |
|
buy into |
J |
10 |
Making a complete and full effort. Trying very hard to do/achieve something |
A=2, B=7, C=1, D=10, E=3, F=6. G=4, H=5, I=8, J=9
Some Questions to help you use the new words/phrases
1. How do you feel about companies touting themselves as being environmentally and green?
2. Have you noticed how everyone is jumping on the café bandwagon? What is your opinion of this?
3. Can you describe a company or organization that rebranded itself? Were they successful? For example you could think of a company that has tried to change its image from cheap to high quality or how some food company has tried to make healthy food now and make a new image.
4. When you were at university did you go all out to get the best grades? Why or why not?
5. Describe someone who has admirable behavior or actions.
6. What do you think will be the trends in some industry or fashion that will come along in the future?
7. How is Korea or some Korean company staying ahead of the game in competition?
8. Why do you think Korean banks were able to stay in the black during the world-banking crisis?
9. Do you buy into free trade agreements (FTA)? Why or why not?
Some example sentences using the new words/phrases
1. I went to the Sting concert and there were many touts. They were touting tickets are higher prices.
2. Four years ago there was a big trend towards well-being food products and every company was jumping on the bandwagon, even ice-creams were touting themselves as being well-being.
3. I think it was hard for Hyundai cars to rebrand themselves as being exclusive so they created a new brand called Genesis.
4. The politician is going all out to try and create an honest image, but I don’t buy into what he says because I know about his history.
5. I think that what Korea has achieved since the 1950’s is very admirable.
6. In the 1970s Korea made cheap products, but now China makes cheaper products, so to stay ahead of the game Korean companies have had to make higher quality ones.
7. One of the reasons that Korean banks stayed in the black during the banking crisis was that they didn’t loan lots of money to people to buy houses at no deposit (zero deposit).
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