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A Stroke of Genius British English Student Ver2
A Stroke of Genius British English Student Ver2
A STROKE
OF GENIUS
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet
Expemo code:
13ZJ-65EC-KM53
1 Warm-up
1. What company is this commercial for? What kind of products do they sell?
2. What is the main message of this commercial?
3. Have you been to their shops?
4. What did you buy?
5. When you buy furniture from these shops, what do you usually have to do?
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
A STROKE OF GENIUS
2 Reading (introduction)
Read the title and introduction of the article on the next page, using the glossary to help.
• stationery = pens and papers; things used for writing, study or office work
• stockings = a type of clothing that women wore to cover their feet and legs before tights were
invented
• flat-pack furniture = furniture that you have to assemble, or build, yourself
• shop layout = the plan of a shop, the way things are organised and displayed
Before you read the rest of the article, look at these phrases from the text. Predict which section
of the text they relate to, and write A (= flat-pack furniture) or B (= a shop layout that encourages
people to buy more products). Then read the text to check your ideas.
A STROKE OF GENIUS
1.
On January 27 2018, Ingvar Kamprad, who started 6.
Round and round in circles
Ikea as a teenager, died at the age of 91. Starting The layout of the Ikea stores has also paved the
with stationery and stockings, he had built one of way for a more creative way of thinking about how
the world’s biggest furniture companies. And the to guide shoppers. If you have ever visited one of
way he did it has revolutionised how retailers its huge warehouse stores, you may have gone in
operate. thinking you were only buying a few items, to find
2.
There are two features of modern life that we have yourself coming out of the store with a trolley full
Ikea to thank for: flat-pack furniture and a shop of things. This is because of its circular design and
layout that gets you buying more of its products one way system.
than you initially intended to. Both are principles 7.
This design means you often can’t see what is coming
that a number of other companies have copied. next and fear you’ll miss something you need if you
3.
Ikea first brought out its flat-pack furniture in the don’t continue all the way along the path. There
1950s. Whether you love or loathe this concept, are potential escape points throughout the store,
it was a stroke of genius and an effective way but that would mean that you will miss several
of making customers value the brand. There are sections. Consumers are rarely prepared to take
the obvious aspects of cost and the practicality that risk.
of shipping. But flat-pack furniture also has an 8.
Because you know it may be tricky to go back for a
important subconscious influence on consumers. particular item later on, you want to pick it up when
4.
When Ikea stopped selling furniture that was already you see it and put it in your big trolley. This ensures
assembled, it was probably unaware of how this that the customer touches the product, which in
would influence its consumers. Scientists have since turn again generates a psychological sense of
managed to identify exactly why consumers simply ownership and decreases the chance that it will be
can’t get enough of building their own furniture. put down before you get to the tills.
The act of touching products while assembling the 9.
The fact that you can’t see around the next corner
furniture can increase your perceived value of the also creates a sense of mystery. Environments
product. In addition, the more effort a consumer has perceived to be mysterious usually generate a
to put into building something the more they like it stronger liking and so encourage shoppers to keep
– a winning formula. walking through the store. And the more you do
5.
Tests have shown that the actual act of putting this, the more likely you are to buy something –
something together (so that it becomes a complete especially all the smaller items on display such as
object) generates a much more positive perception candles, napkins and picture frames as they seem
of that object than purchasing it in a completed cheap compared to the larger more expensive
form. This is known as the Ikea effect. Furthermore, items.
touch itself is associated with emotion. This means 10.
Ikea’s creative ability to influence the subconscious
that when we touch something, the emotive part of consumers is undoubtedly a big part of its
of our brain is activated and we experience a close success
connection with the product. Touch creates feelings – and also why it’s been copied by many other
of ownership and increases the perceived value of companies. Even though Ingvar Kamprad is no
items. We feel proud of our achievement and longer with us, Ikea has inherited from him a way of
experience feelings of being closely connected to thinking outside of the box to communicate with
the assembled item. consumers. It will be interesting to see what follows
next.
A STROKE OF GENIUS
A STROKE OF GENIUS
Read the text again to find the words in bold. Use the context of the article to guess what they
mean. Then check your ideas and the pronunciation in a dictionary.
1. loathe (verb) – Dislike.
2. subconscious (adj.) - mind
3. ownership (noun) - property
4. warehouse (noun) - storage
5. trolley (noun) - shopping cart
6. tricky (adj.) - twisted
7. tills (noun - plural) – cash register
8. mystery (noun) - secracy
5 Business vocabulary in the text
How could you translate these phrases into your language? Translate the idea, not each word.
a. time sequence
b. cause and effect
c. contrasting points
d. additional points
Part 1 Part 2
The more effort a consumer has to put the more they like it.
into building something,
The more you walk through the store, the more likely you
are to buy something.
A STROKE OF GENIUS
Notice the comparatives in both Part 1 and Part 2. We can also express the same ideas as a
conditional sentence, for example:
If/when a consumer has to put some effort into building something, they like it more.
If/when you walk through the store for a long time, you are more likely to buy something.
Complete these sentences with your own ideas, expressing cause and effect. Use comparative forms
(more/better/less/etc) in the second part, as in the model.
7 Summary
This word cloud comes from the article. Using these words, or forms of these words, summarise the
main points.