Writing task 2 CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 16 TEST 2

 

CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 16 TEST 2 WRITING

 

Writing task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: 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? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience. Write at least 250 words.

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ANSWER KEY

Sample essay 1 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.   Sample essay 2 Companies often advertise their merchandise as having novel features. The reason for this is that product differentiation is often critical to convincing consumers to purchase. This is a progressive development as it leads to more informed consumers. The motivation for commercials to highlight product innovations is to persuade consumers to purchase the featured products. By communicating the unique features of a product consumers may be convinced to purchases it. This is because they will see the featured product as being better than others. For instance, every time Apple releases a new version of their I-phone the new features of it are clearly articulated to potential purchasers.  This highlights the value that can be derived from upgrading your phone to the latest version of the Apple brand, which increases the likelihood of a purchase. This is phenomenon is highly beneficial to consumers as they become more informed shoppers. By having the information about a products unique and novel features savvy consumers are able to make product comparisons and choose the exact product that best suits their unique circumstances. For instance, I purchased an I-phone 12 because I saw that it has the highest camera resolution of all phones currently available. As an amateur photographer, the purchase of this phone ensures that I can take the best photos possible with a smartphone, and this feature was well worth the high price tag to me. In conclusion, companies are choosing to advertise the new features of their products as a way of convincing shoppers to purchase their products. This is a highly constructive phenomenon as it is leading to more informed consumers who are making better purchasing decisions.