Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Benetton. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Benetton is a globally known fashion brand based in Italy. It was founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other family members. He had the idea of selling very colorful clothes at a local market and it caught on. Continuing with this theme, the company marketed itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now has 6,000 stores around the world and produces 150,000 items of clothing. Its website says it is “a group with a strong Italian character whose style, quality and passion are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton is famous for its clever advertising campaigns. The company name was put on a series of shocking photographs, such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby. The shock tactics worked to greatly increase market share and profits.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Benetton on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. BENETTON MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Benetton. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Benetton. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Benetton and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Benetton. 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 Benetton. 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
Benetton ___________________ fashion brand based in Italy. It was founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other family members. He ___________________ very colorful clothes at a local market ___________________. Continuing with this theme, the company marketed itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now has 6,000 stores ___________________ and produces 150,000 items of clothing. Its website says it is “a group with a strong Italian character whose style, ___________________ are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton is famous for its clever advertising campaigns. The company name was ___________________ of shocking photographs, such as two horses mating or a ___________________ baby. The shock tactics worked to greatly ___________________ and profits.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Benetton is a obylagll known fashion brand based in Italy. It was founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other family smrmebe. He had the idea of selling very colorful clothes at a local market and it tghcau on. Continuing with this emhte, the company marketed itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now has 6,000 stores around the world and udrpocse 150,000 items of clothing. Its website says it is “a group with a strong Italian rhetccaar whose style, quality and aspsino are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton is famous for its clever advertising campaigns. The company name was put on a series of nkogichs photographs, such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby. The shock iccttsa worked to eartygl increase market share and profits.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Benetton based a known brand is globally fashion in Italy. It was founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other He . members family of idea the had selling very colorful local on market clothes and at it a caught. Continuing with this theme, the company marketed itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now has 6,000 stores around the world and produces 150,000 items of clothing. Its website says it is “a group with a strong Italian style quality passion whose , and character are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton is famous for its clever company The . campaigns advertising name was put shocking of series a on photographs, such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby. The shock tactics market increase greatly to worked share and profits.
benetton is a globally known fashion brand based in italy it was founded in 1965 by luciano benetton and other family members he had the idea of selling very colorful clothes at a local market and it caught on continuing with this theme the company marketed itself as the “united colors of benetton” it now has 6000 stores around the world and produces 150000 items of clothing its website says it is “a group with a strong italian character whose style quality and passion are clearly seen in its brands” benetton is famous for its clever advertising campaigns the company name was put on a series of shocking photographs such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby the shock tactics worked to greatly increase market share and profits
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Benetton .......... (be) a globally known fashion brand based in Italy. It was .......... (found) in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other family members. He .......... (have) the idea of .......... (sell) very colorful clothes at a local market and it caught on. Continuing with this theme, the company .......... (market) itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now .......... (have) 6,000 stores around the world and produces 150,000 items of clothing. Its website .......... (say) it is “a group with a strong Italian character whose style, quality and passion are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton .......... (be) famous for its clever advertising campaigns. The company name .......... (be) put on a series of shocking photographs, such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby. The shock tactics .......... (work) to greatly increase market share and profits.
Benetton is a globally ____________ fashion brand based in Italy. It was founded in 1965 by Luciano Benetton and other family ____________. He had the idea of selling very colorful clothes at a local market and it ____________ on. Continuing with this theme, the company ____________ itself as the “United Colors of Benetton”. It now has 6,000 stores around the world and ____________ 150,000 items of clothing. Its website says it is “a group with a strong Italian ____________ whose style, quality and ____________ are clearly seen in its brands.” Benetton is famous for its clever advertising campaigns. The company name was put on a ____________ of shocking photographs, such as two horses mating or a bloodied newborn baby. The ____________ tactics worked to greatly increase market ____________ and profits.
caught
character
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PROJECT BENETTON
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Benetton. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Benetton 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.
BENETTON – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Benetton 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 – Benetton 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 – Benetton customer
You are a customer of Benetton. 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 Benetton. 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.
BENETTON – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Benetton New Products Director
You have created a new product for Benetton. 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 Benetton.
Role B – Benetton 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 – Benetton 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 – Benetton Shareholder
You know a lot about Benetton’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 Benetton. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Benetton. 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. BENETTON POSTERMake a poster about Benetton. 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 BENETTON LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Benetton. 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 Benetton. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
