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: Airport Map

Cambridge 16: Recycling Plastic Bottles

Cambridge 16: Sugar Cane

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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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.

  1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
  2. 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.

  1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
  2. Explain your main idea.
  3. Develop it with specific examples.
  4. Keep developing it fully.
  5. 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.

  1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
  2. Explain your new main idea.
  3. Include specific details and examples.
  4. Continue developing it…
  5. as fully as possible!
  6. 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.

  1. Summarise your main ideas.
  2. 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.

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