Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Colgate Palmolive. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
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The Colgate-Palmolive Company is one of the world’s biggest producers of household and personal hygiene goods. The Colgate half was founded in 1806 by soap and candle maker William Colgate. The Palmolive half was a rival company founded by B.J. Johnson who made a soap from palm and olive oils. The two companies merged in 1953. Today the company generates over $15 billion a year in revenue. Its major competitor is Proctor and Gamble. Colgate-Palmolive have a very broad mix of brands, including Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman says the company is “deeply committed to advancing technology which can address changing consumer needs throughout the world”. His website message states: “Our goal is to…create products that will continue to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.”
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Colgate-Palmolive on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. COLGATE-PALMOLIVE MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Colgate-Palmolive. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Colgate-Palmolive. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Colgate-Palmolive and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Colgate-Palmolive. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Colgate-Palmolive. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
The Colgate-Palmolive Company __________________ biggest producers of household and personal hygiene goods. The Colgate __________________ in 1806 by soap and candle maker William Colgate. The Palmolive half was __________________ founded by B.J. Johnson who made a soap from palm and olive oils. The two __________________ 1953. Today the company generates over $15 billion __________________. Its major competitor is Proctor and Gamble. Colgate-Palmolive have a __________________ brands, including Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman says the company is “__________________ advancing technology which can address changing consumer needs throughout the world”. His website message states: “Our goal is to…create products that will continue __________________ quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.”
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Colgate-Palmolive Company is one of the world’s biggest producers of household and personal nehegiy goods. The Colgate half was endfudo in 1806 by soap and candle maker William Colgate. The Palmolive half was a vlari company founded by B.J. Johnson who made a soap from palm and olive oils. The two companies emgrde in 1953. Today the company eetaersgn over $15 billion a year in neereuv. Its major competitor is Proctor and Gamble. Colgate-Palmolive have a very broad mix of nbdsra, including Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman says the company is “deyple committed to advancing technology which can address changing rsucneom needs throughout the world”. His website message states: “Our goal is to…create products that will continue to rpvoime the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.”
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Colgate-Palmolive Company is one of the world’s producers biggest and household of personal hygiene goods. was half Colgate The in founded 1806 by soap and candle maker William Colgate. The Palmolive half was a rival company J founded . by Johnson B who made a soap from palm and olive oils. The two companies merged in 1953. company Today generates the over $15 billion a year in revenue. Its major competitor is Proctor and Gamble. - broad Palmolive mix have of a Colgate very brands, including Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman says the company is “committed technology to deeply advancing which can changing throughout consumer address needs the world”. His website message states: “Our goal is to…create products that will continue to improve the quality life of live they wherever consumers our for.”
the colgate-palmolive company is one of the world’s biggest producers of household and personal hygiene goods the colgate half was founded in 1806 by soap and candle maker william colgate the palmolive half was a rival company founded by bj johnson who made a soap from palm and olive oils the two companies merged in 1953 today the company generates over $15 billion a year in revenue its major competitor is proctor and gamble colgate-palmolive have a very broad mix of brands including ajax cleaner palmolive soap colgate toothpaste and fab detergent the chairman says the company is “deeply committed to advancing technology which can address changing consumer needs throughout the world” his website message states “our goal is to…create products that will continue to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live”
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Colgate-Palmolive Company .......... (be) one of the world’s biggest producers of household and personal hygiene goods. The Colgate half .......... (be) founded in 1806 by soap and candle maker William Colgate. The Palmolive half .......... (be) a rival company founded by B.J. Johnson who .......... (make) a soap from palm and olive oils. The two companies .......... (merge) in 1953. Today the company .......... (generate) over $15 billion a year in revenue. Its major competitor .......... (be) Proctor and Gamble. Colgate-Palmolive .......... (have) a very broad mix of brands, including Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman .......... (say) the company is “deeply .......... (commit) to advancing technology which can address changing consumer needs throughout the world”. His website message .......... (state): “Our goal is to…create products that will .......... (continue) to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.”
The Colgate-Palmolive Company is one of the world’s biggest producers of ____________ and personal ____________ goods. The Colgate half was founded in 1806 by soap and candle ____________ William Colgate. The Palmolive half was a ____________ company founded by B.J. Johnson who made a soap from palm and olive oils. The two companies ____________ in 1953. Today the company generates over $15 billion a year in revenue. Its major ____________ is Proctor and Gamble. Colgate-Palmolive have a very broad mix of brands, ____________ Ajax cleaner, Palmolive soap, Colgate toothpaste, and Fab detergent. The chairman says the company is “____________ committed to advancing technology which can address changing consumer ____________ throughout the world”. His website message states: “Our goal is to…create products that will continue to improve the quality of ____________ for our consumers wherever they live.”
rival
competitor
household
deeply
hygiene
life
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needs
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including
PROJECT COLGATE-PALMOLIVE
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Colgate-Palmolive. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Colgate Palmolive is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Colgate-Palmolive CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Colgate-Palmolive worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Colgate-Palmolive customer
You are a customer of Colgate-Palmolive. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Colgate-Palmolive. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Colgate-Palmolive New Products Director
You have created a new product for Colgate-Palmolive. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Colgate-Palmolive.
Role B – Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Colgate-Palmolive Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Colgate-Palmolive Shareholder
You know a lot about Colgate-Palmolive’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Colgate-Palmolive. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Colgate-Palmolive. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. COLGATE-PALMOLIVE POSTERMake a poster about Colgate-Palmolive. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY COLGATE-PALMOLIVE LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Colgate-Palmolive. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Colgate-Palmolive. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
