The Marketing Trick of the Century

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

What product do you buy for health reasons?

Would you feel embarrassed to be seen in public with a McDonald’s bag?

Yes

A little

Absolutely not

When you hear the phrase The Marketing Trick of the Century, what products do you think of?

What’s your opinion of tap water?

Amazing!

It's fine

Don't like it much

Disgusting!

The Marketing Trick of the Century

Match the words with their meaning. Write them down in your notebook (3 minutes). You may use a dictionary.

1) perspective

2) to take advantage of

3) a slogan

4) a glacier

5) municipal

6) contaminant

7) to decompose

8) ridiculous

9) no wonder

a) a phrase used to advertise a product

b) point of view; viewpoint

c) a slowly moving mass of ice found in mountains

d) to break down; to decay or become rotten

e) silly; stupid; unbelievable

f) it’s not surprising; obviously

g) to use something for your own benefit

h) relating to a city or town or its government

i) impurity; a polluting substance

Reading: The Marketing Trick of the Century

What do North Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and Western Europeans pay up to 10,000 times the price for even though it’s available for free? The answer is bottled water, and the success of this $13-billion-dollar industry (in the U.S.) is what some people call the marketing trick of the century.

Waarom wordt het succes van de waterflessen industrie ook wel de marketing truc van de eeuw genoemd?

From a marketing perspective, bottled water companies such as Coke and Pepsi have taken advantage of people’s wish to be healthy with slogans such as ‘hydration is healthy’ (Dasani) or ‘a naturally pure and mineral-balanced water supports your body’s youth’ (Evian). These slogans are often completed with images of glaciers that give consumers the idea the water is taken fresh from a mountaintop.

According to the article, why do many people buy bottled water? They think.....

1. it is cheaper
2. it helps the environment
3. it is healthier
4. it saves water

The truth is that nearly half of bottled water in the US, Canada, and U.K., is just treated tap water from municipal sources. This message can be seen in the small print on bottles since companies are now required by law to reveal it. 

Wat is er veranderd op flessen water en waarom is dat nu zo?

If it is ‘treated’ tap water though, doesn’t this mean it’s better? Not really, according to a 2008 study by the Environmental Working Group. They found that bottled water had the same contaminants as tap water. Also, in the U.S, U.K, and Canada, tap water has stricter health standards than bottled water, so bottled water may be even unhealthier. Lastly, regarding taste, countless blind taste tests (one conducted by the New York Times) have shown that tap water was equal or better tasting to consumers.

According to the author, is bottled water healthier?

1. Yes
2. No

Why ? Discuss and answer in pairs. You need to read the text carefully again. Please answer in Dutch.

The victim of the bottled water industry is not only the consumer. The majority of the 3 million tons of plastic used yearly worldwide ends up in garbage dumps or the ocean. Additionally, it takes 3 litres of water to package one bottle, which can take 700 years to decompose.

Who (or what) does the second last paragraph suggest is the other victim of this industry?

What’s more ridiculous, consumers are paying high prices for a product that, being municipal water, they have already paid for with their own tax money. The water they use is also unbelievably cheap. For example, the province of British Columbia only charges companies $2.50 for every 1 million litres of water. Considering a single bottle of water is sold for approximately the same price, it’s no wonder giant corporations like Nestle are happy to be involved in this profitable market.

How much profit does a bottled water company in British Columbia make (only considering the cost of water)?

Comprehension Questions

Wat is de hoofd boodschap/ de belangrijkste boodschap van de tekst?

What’s your opinion on bottled water? (in a few words, in English)

In pairs, fnd an image of a bottle of water on the internet. What is its slogan? Where does it say the water comes from?
( you have 3 minutes)

Now watch & listen

Try and listen for the answers to these two questions:

1. Why are marine animals harmed by ocean plastic? 

2. What is one way we can reduce plastic's impact on the environment?

Why are marine animals harmed by ocean plastic?

1. It is full of toxins
2. It takes up space in their natural habitat
3. They eat it, think they are full, and then starve

What's one way we can reduce plastic’s impact on the environment?

A. By burying it

B. By burning it

C. By shredding it into pieces

D. By recycling it

How did you find this lesson?

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