You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
More and more people want to buy famous brands of clothes, cars and other items. What are the reasons? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
It is true that a growing number of people want to buy well-known designer labels of many consumer products. While there are some obvious reasons for this trend, I believe that it is a totally negative development.
The reasons for the increasing consumer concern with brand names are simple to explain. Firstly, the marketing departments of giant corporations aim to identify their goods with a glamorous and successful lifestyle, and people are easily swayed by advertisements. Companies often use celebrity endorsement to promote their products, with famous people like Cristiano Ronaldo or Victoria Beckham. Secondly, the possession of a Mercedes car or a Gucci handbag, for example, advertises one’s own wealth and taste to others. The idea behind owning a brand name is to make others jealous.
However, I would argue that this is a completely negative development. In terms of what ordinary people can afford, consumers are encouraged by corporations to squander their savings on designer goods which the companies promise will improve their lives and make them happy. From a social perspective, such messages are very dangerous, encouraging crime, for example to steal the latest cell phones from people in the street. The target audience is often young people, who companies seek to attract by promoting brand awareness of their products such as Coca Cola, Nike or Samsung. These are now considered to be essential items to have in our modern global village.
In conclusion, there are some important reasons to explain why many people find brand name products so attractive. Although famous designer labels are increasingly in demand, I would argue that this form of consumerism gives people a false idea of what is important in our lives.
281 words
Vocab Highlights
glamorous [adjective]: especially attractive, exciting and different from ordinary things
to be swayed by advertisements: to be influenced to buy things as a result of advertising
celebrity endorsement: A form of brand or advertising campaign that involves a well known person using their fame to help promote a product or service
to promote their products: to make products popular by advertising them
to squander savings: to waste money by not using it to your advantage
target audience: consumers whom businesses aim at when selling their products
brand awareness: the action of bringing the name of a company to the attention of the public
consumerism [noun]: the act of buying or using goods or services