This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from the newly released Cambridge 16 on the topic of businesses nowadays emphasising that their products are new in some way.
Find the other Cambridge 16 essays here:
Writing Task 1 Tests 1-4:
Cambridge 16: Ownership of Electrical Appliances Line Chart
Cambridge 16: Recycling Plastic Bottles
Writing Task 2 Tests 1-4
Cambridge 16: Driverless Vehicles
Cambridge 16: History of a House or Building
Cambridge 16: Manufactured Foods and Sugar
Cambridge 16: Advertising New Products
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Dave
IELTS Cambridge 16 Essay: Advertising New Products
In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasise that their products are new in some way.
Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?
It is becoming increasingly common for companies to place focus on the novelty of their products. In my opinion, this has its basis in the psychology of consumer behavior and is generally a negative development.
The reason many marketing departments present products as new is they are hoping to incentivize increased consumer demand. One of the chief principles of business is that products must meet a real consumer need and, ideally, be unique in some way. For example, advertising for the electronic vehicles made by Tesla highlights that they are different from traditional automobiles and this offers novel benefits for the environment and the individual motorist. This strategy created a niche in the automotive industry that they eventually expanded to become one of the largest companies in the world. It follows that every business attempts to present their products as new to inspire interest and compel demand.
There are exceptions, as in the case of Tesla mentioned above, however, this trend generally leads to disingenuous ads and consumer fatigue. Most companies framing their products as new in some aspect are actually attempting to mislead the public. This is often the case with soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi that regularly rebrand their bottles and cans to give the appearance of novelty. These tactics are recognizably dishonest and audiences are rarely convinced. In fact, the net effect is that consumers become tired of watching ads for familiar products pretending to be innovative. For many customers this leads to a growing feeling of apathy and disinterest towards the exploitive methods of advertisers.
In conclusion, the reason businesses often present their products as new lies in the importance of consumer psychology and the cynical impact this has in the aggregate is negative. More savvy companies often eschew this trend and produce honest advertisements.
Analysis
1. It is becoming increasingly common for companies to place focus on the novelty of their products. 2. In my opinion, this has its basis in the psychology of consumer behavior and is generally a negative development.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. The reason many marketing departments present products as new is they are hoping to incentivize increased consumer demand. 2. One of the chief principles of business is that products must meet a real consumer need and, ideally, be unique in some way. 3. For example, advertising for the electronic vehicles made by Tesla highlights that they are different from traditional automobiles and this offers novel benefits for the environment and the individual motorist. 4. This strategy created a niche in the automotive industry that they eventually expanded to become one of the largest companies in the world. 5. It follows that every business attempts to present their products as new to inspire interest and compel demand.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Stay focused on the same main idea.
1. There are exceptions, as in the case of Tesla mentioned above, however, this trend generally leads to disingenuous ads and consumer fatigue. 2. Most companies framing their products as new in some aspect are actually attempting to mislead the public. 3. This is often the case with soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi that regularly rebrand their bottles and cans to give the appearance of novelty. 4. These tactics are recognizably dishonest and audiences are rarely convinced. 5. In fact, the net effect is that consumers become tired of watching ads for familiar products pretending to be innovative. 6. For many customers this leads to a growing feeling of apathy and disinterest towards the exploitive methods of advertisers.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Continue developing it…
- as fully as possible!
- Detail the full result of this.
1. In conclusion, the reason businesses often present their products as new lies in the importance of consumer psychology and the cynical impact this has in the aggregate is negative. 2. More savvy companies often eschew this trend and produce honest advertisements.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
It is becoming increasingly common for companies to place focus on the novelty of their products. In my opinion, this has its basis in the psychology of consumer behavior and is generally a negative development.
The reason many marketing departments present products as new is they are hoping to incentivize increased consumer demand. One of the chief principles of business is that products must meet a real consumer need and, ideally, be unique in some way. For example, advertising for the electronic vehicles made by Tesla highlights that they are different from traditional automobiles and this offers novel benefits for the environment and the individual motorist. This strategy created a niche in the automotive industry that they eventually expanded to become one of the largest companies in the world. It follows that every business attempts to present their products as new to inspire interest and compel demand.
There are exceptions, as in the case of Tesla mentioned above, however, this trend generally leads to disingenuous ads and consumer fatigue. Most companies framing their products as new in some aspect are actually attempting to mislead the public. This is often the case with soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi that regularly rebrand their bottles and cans to give the appearance of novelty. These tactics are recognizably dishonest and audiences are rarely convinced. In fact, the net effect is that consumers become tired of watching ads for familiar products pretending to be innovative. For many customers this leads to a growing feeling of apathy and disinterest towards the exploitive methods of advertisers.
In conclusion, the reason businesses often present their products as new lies in the importance of consumer psychology and the cynical impact this has in the aggregate is negative. More savvy companies often eschew this trend and produce honest advertisements.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
increasingly common more and more pervasive
place focus highlight
novelty newness
products items
basis foundation
psychology how people think
consumer behavior how consumers make decisions
generally overall
marketing advertising
present show
hoping wanting
incentivize give a reason to do something
consumer demand people wanting to buy something
chief principles of business main tenets of business
meet a real consumer need address an actual desire
ideally in a perfect world
unique different and special
electronic vehicles cars that don’t run on gas/oil
highlights focuses on
traditional automobiles normal cars
offers novel benefits provides new advantages
environment nature
motorist person who drives
strategy tactic
niche small market
automotive industry car companies
eventually expanded at some point grew
largest biggest
follows naturally makes sense that
attempts tries
inspire interest make people care
compel demand make people buy
exceptions outliers
as in the case of for example
mentioned above written about before
trend pattern
leads to disingenuous ads causes ads that are dishonest
consumer fatigue people getting tired of it
framing contextualizing
new in some aspect novel in some way
actually attempting in fact trying
mislead lie
public people in general
This is often the case with soft drink happens a lot with soda companies
regularly often
rebrand change the way a product looks
give the appearance of novelty seem to be new
tactics strategies
recognizably dishonest clearly lying
audiences consumers, those watching/reading
rarely convinced not often fooled
in fact actually
net effect overall impact
tired fed up, fatigued
familiar known
pretending lying
innovative new
leads to causes
growing feeling increasing sense
apathy not caring
disinterest not interested
exploitive methods trying to take advantage
advertisers people in charge of the ads
lies in has its source in
cynical impact distrustful effect
in the aggregate all together
savvy smart
eschew avoid
produce make
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli ˈkɒmən
pleɪs ˈfəʊkəs
ˈnɒvəlti
ˈprɒdʌkts
ˈbeɪsɪs
saɪˈkɒləʤi
kənˈsjuːmə bɪˈheɪvjə
ˈʤɛnərəli
ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ
ˈprɛznt
ˈhəʊpɪŋ
ɪnˈsɛntɪvaɪz
kənˈsjuːmə dɪˈmɑːnd
ʧiːf ˈprɪnsəplz ɒv ˈbɪznɪs
miːt ə rɪəl kənˈsjuːmə niːd
aɪˈdɪəli
juːˈniːk
ɪlɛkˈtrɒnɪk ˈviːɪklz
ˈhaɪˌlaɪts
trəˈdɪʃənl ˈɔːtəməʊbiːlz
ˈɒfəz ˈnɒvəl ˈbɛnɪfɪts
ɪnˈvaɪərənmənt
ˈməʊtərɪst
ˈstrætɪʤi
niːʃ
ˌɔːtəˈməʊtɪv ˈɪndəstri
ɪˈvɛnʧəli ɪksˈpændɪd
ˈlɑːʤɪst
ˈfɒləʊz
əˈtɛmpts
ɪnˈspaɪər ˈɪntrɪst
kəmˈpɛl dɪˈmɑːnd
ɪkˈsɛpʃənz
æz ɪn ðə keɪs ɒv
ˈmɛnʃənd əˈbʌv
trɛnd
liːdz tuː ˌdɪsɪnˈʤɛnjʊəs ædz
kənˈsjuːmə fəˈtiːg
ˈfreɪmɪŋ
njuː ɪn sʌm ˈæspɛkt
ˈækʧʊəli əˈtɛmptɪŋ
mɪsˈliːd
ˈpʌblɪk
ðɪs ɪz ˈɒf(ə)n ðə keɪs wɪð sɒft drɪŋk
ˈrɛgjʊləli
ˌriːˈbrænd
gɪv ði əˈpɪərəns ɒv ˈnɒvəlti
ˈtæktɪks
ˈrɛkəgnaɪzəbli dɪsˈɒnɪst
ˈɔːdiənsɪz
ˈreəli kənˈvɪnst
ɪn fækt
nɛt ɪˈfɛkt
ˈtaɪəd
fəˈmɪliə
prɪˈtɛndɪŋ
ɪnˈnɒvətɪv
liːdz tuː
ˈgrəʊɪŋ ˈfiːlɪŋ
ˈæpəθi
ˌdɪsɪnˈtɜːrɪst
ˈɛksplɔɪtɪv ˈmɛθədz
ˈædvətaɪzəz
laɪz ɪn
ˈsɪnɪkəl ˈɪmpækt
ɪn ði ˈægrɪgɪt
ˈsævi
ɪsˈʧuː
ˈprɒdjuːs
Vocabulary Practice
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
It is becoming i_______________________n for companies to p______________s on the n__________y of their p____________s. In my opinion, this has its b______s in the p_____________y of c_________________________r and is g___________y a negative development.
The reason many m_____________g departments p_________t products as new is they are h__________g to i______________e increased c__________________d. One of the c_______________________s is that products must m__________________________d and, i__________y, be u__________e in some way. For example, advertising for the e_________________________s made by Tesla h____________s that they are different from t_________________________s and this o_____________________s for the e_________________t and the individual m____________t. This s_____________y created a n______e in the a_________________________y that they e______________________d to become one of the l___________t companies in the world. It f___________s that every business a____________s to present their products as new to i__________________t and c________________d.
There are e_______________s, a_____________________f Tesla m_________________e, however, this t________d generally l____________________________s and c___________________e. Most companies f___________g their products as n_____________________t are a_____________________________g to m_________d the p___________c. T_________________________________h s___________k companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi that r____________y r____________d their bottles and cans to g___________________________________________y. These t________s are r________________________________t and a_____________s are r__________________d. I_________t, the n__________t is that consumers become t________d of watching ads for f______________r products p_____________g to be i________________e. For many customers this l_______o a g______________g of a________y and d_____________t towards the e____________________s of a_____________s.
In conclusion, the reason businesses often present their products as new l_________n the importance of consumer psychology and the c______________t this has i_______________e is negative. More s________y companies often e________w this trend and p____________e honest advertisements.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/how-advertise-pandemic/610456/
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Describe a new advertisement that you watched recently. Include
- What it was for
- What it showed
- How you felt watching it
Writing Practice
Practice with the same basic topic below and then check with my sample answer:
Some feel that the effects of advertising are positive for individuals and businesses, while others think they are negative.
Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
I’ll be writing a new sample answer from Cambridge 16 every day until I have them all done FYI!
Thanx
You’re welcome!
very useful. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
very complex sentences saturated by new words and logic sense
Yep – thanks!
Nice!
This is what I had written, though I believe it lacks examples and reasons, anyways here it is:
Advertising has become ubiquitous and wherever we go we are likely to see one, from the billboards on the roads, in newspapers, and even for IELTS exam prep courses. However, the advertising phenomenon is taking a wrong turn and in my opinion, these ads have become quite deceptive and so are progressing in a negative way, though we have to consider the fact that businesses also have no other choice other than to make sure that profits are made.
The main reason why companies have to be crafty about selling their products, highlighting that their product is novel in some way, is that they need to grab the attention of the mass such that people become subconsciously biased toward buying that product the next time they see it in the shop. With the advent of the internet and ease of access to the international public, the impact of business globalization is huge and competition is only ever-increasing to the point that businesses have no option, but to always come up with creative ways to obtain the public attention. Otherwise, the chances of success for that company will be slim, as is seen by the shutting down of companies that had lost market by not capturing the attention of the mass through its advertisements.
The negative aspect of this is that people are fooled into buying products they don’t need with a lot of money they don’t even have. Sometimes people take loans because they are duped into thinking that they definitely need a product, and end up having to repay those loans over a long period of time, which for many is just an additional burden with the other ordeals in life. Hence, one should be wary of the tricks that are employed in every ad and not believe in everything that an ad claims to portray about a product.
To conclude, while businesses cannot preclude the possibility of all ads being veracious, people should be aware of the potential duplicity involved in ads and understand why an ad has been made in the first place.
Nice work, Nadeem – add a final thought into your conclusion too!