Today we’re introducing our first Business English News podcast for intermediate listeners. This will now be a regular show with new episodes each month. Most of the time, we’ll cover a similar topic to the current Advanced Business News podcast but the articles and vocabulary will be simplified to make them more suitable for intermediate learners.

The topic today is marketing and, in particular, Reebok’s new advertising campaign and slogan.

Key Vocabulary:
1. to launch – to release a new product
2. Ad campaign – a campaign is an organized series of activities and Ad is short for advertising.
3. to motivate – to get people interested in something
4. take a swipe at something – take a hit at something or to make fun of something.
5. slogan – a short memorable phrase used to promote a product.
6. strategy – a plan or approach intended to achieve a major aim or goal.
7. compete – to try and win a game or to gain an advantage over somebody.
8. competitors – other companies that Reebok is competing against.
9. purportedly – to claim to do or say something.
10. ties to something – connections.
11. celebrity endorser – a famous person who publicly promotes a product.

This weekend we will also release an enhanced MP4 version of this podcast with text and pictures.

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3

Today we have a Business English News story on a recent study by several universities that looks into the ”˜selling power’ or influence – of celebrities. Celebrity is another word for famous person, such as a movie or sports star.

The vocabulary we discuss in this podcast expands on the marketing terms we covered in Video Vocab 04.

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3