English Learning: Marketing Vocabulary for Beginners

Dialogue

Alice: Bob, guess what I did today?

Bob: Alice, tell me! Did you finally start your own amazing… cupcake empire?

Alice: Even better! I tried to help my uncle with his marketing for his new pet rock business.

Bob: Pet rocks? Alice, are you serious? That’s a challenging product!

Alice: Exactly! He thinks everyone will be a customer. I told him we need a target audience. Maybe people who really miss their old pet rocks?

Bob: Good point! So, what was your big marketing idea? Did you advertise on a tiny rock-sized billboard?

Alice: Haha, not quite! I suggested a promotion. Buy one pet rock, get a free tiny leash!

Bob: A leash for a rock? That’s… unique. What about a brand name and a slogan?

Alice: We’re working on ‘Rocky & Friends: Your Unbreakable Companion!’ for the brand. And the slogan is ‘Always there, never sheds!’

Bob: Never sheds! I love it! That’s a strong campaign right there.

Alice: He even wants a logo. I suggested a happy rock with googly eyes.

Bob: Perfect! You’re a natural at this, Alice. Maybe we should open our own marketing agency for quirky products.

Alice: Only if you handle the sales calls, Bob. My voice isn’t ready for convincing people they need a rock.

Bob: Deal! So, when do we launch the ‘Buy 10, get 1 free’ sale?

Alice: Slow down, superstar! We need to analyze the market first. And maybe give the pet rocks tiny hats.

Bob: Tiny hats… brilliant! This is going to be huge!

Alice: Let’s hope so. My uncle is counting on us to make his pet rocks famous!

Current Situation

Marketing vocabulary is crucial in today’s world because marketing isn’t just for big companies anymore. From understanding advertisements on social media to choosing products in a store, basic marketing terms help us make sense of how businesses communicate with us. Learning these words can help beginners understand the commercial world around them better, whether they’re shopping, reading news, or even thinking about starting their own small business. It’s all about how things are presented and sold!

Key Phrases

Product: Something made or grown to be sold. Example: The new phone is their most popular product.
Customer: A person who buys goods or services from a store or business. Example: The store has many happy customers.
Marketing: The activity of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. Example: Good marketing helps companies sell more.
Target audience: A particular group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed. Example: Our target audience for the new toy is children aged 5-8.
Advertise / Advertisement: To advertise means to tell people about a product or service to make them buy it. An advertisement is the specific message or notice. Example: They will advertise the new movie on TV. I saw an advertisement for cheap flights.
Brand: A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. Example: Nike is a famous sports brand.
Slogan: A short and striking or memorable phrase used in advertising. Example: “Just Do It” is a famous slogan.
Promotion: An activity to help sell a product, often for a limited time (e.g., a special offer or discount). Example: The supermarket has a special promotion on vegetables this week.

Grammar Points

1. The Present Simple Tense

We use the present simple for actions that happen regularly, general truths, or facts. It’s often used when talking about how businesses operate or general marketing principles.

Form: Subject + Verb (add -s/-es for he/she/it)
Example from dialogue: “He thinks everyone will be a customer.” (a general belief)
Another example: “Good marketing helps companies sell more.” (a general truth)
Negative form: Subject + do/does + not + Verb (e.g., “They do not advertise on the radio.”)

2. Nouns vs. Verbs (Marketing Examples)

Many words in English can change their form or type. In marketing, you’ll often see words used as both actions (verbs) and things/ideas (nouns).

Advertise (verb): To make known publicly. Example: “They advertise the new car online.” (They perform the action.)
Advertisement (noun): A specific public notice or message. Example: “I saw a funny advertisement on TV.” (The ad itself is a thing.)
Promote (verb): To support or encourage the progress of something. Example: “We promote our products with special offers.” (We perform the action.)
Promotion (noun): An activity to publicize a product or cause. Example: “The store has a special promotion this weekend.” (The special offer is a thing.)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the best word to complete the sentence.

(product, customer, brand, slogan, advertise, promotion)

A new smartphone is a popular __________.
Nike is a very famous sports __________.
“Taste the feeling” is a well-known __________ for a drink.
The store has a special __________ today: buy one, get one free!
Many companies __________ their goods on TV.
A happy __________ often comes back to buy more.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences using the Present Simple tense.

Good marketing __________ (help) businesses.
The company __________ (sell) many different products.
She always __________ (talk) about her target audience.
They __________ (not/advertise) on the radio.
He __________ (think) his slogan is the best.

Answers

Exercise 1:

product
brand
slogan
promotion
advertise
customer

Exercise 2:

helps
sells
talks
do not advertise / don’t advertise
thinks

Marketing vocabulary