There is a federal law against false advertising in interstate business. False advertising is defined by the federal law as being «misleading in a material respect,» including the failure to reveal facts as to the consequences that may result from the use of the advertised commodities.
Permanent business success must be built upon honesty, understanding and fair practices. A businessman may be tempted occasionally to exaggerate or to imitate some other competitor who seems to be stretching the truth. In the long run it does not pay, however, to break the confidence of customers.
The National Better Business Bureau has established standards to be followed in selling and advertising. Particular attention is given to misleading statements. The following paragraphs give some examples off misleuding terms and statements that should not be used in selling and advertising.
Terms of Purchase. Statements such as «Pay as You Please» and "Your own Terms» are usually inaccurate, as the customer is seldom permitted to name his own terms. Credit terms should be stated explicitly.
Sales. The public construes or understands the term «sale» to mean an "Iforing of merchandise at a price concession.
Special Sales. Special sales or offerings should fulfill the accepted meaning of the word «special,» namely, «out-of-the-ordinary practices.»
Time Limits on Sales. Time-limited sales should be rigidly observed. All offers to purchase under the terms of a time-limited sale, received after 'he expiration of the period, should be refused. "One-Day Sale" means that merchandise either is taken off sale or reverts to a higher price on the May following the sale.
Going Out of Business. Such terms as "Going Out of Business", 'Selling Out", and "Closing-Out Sale" should not be used unless the concern so advertising is actually going out of business.".
Reliability of Guarantee. A guarantee is a promise of the seller or manufacturer to protect the buyer in some specific way if the merchandise is unsatisfactory. A guarantee is only as good as the concern that makes it When merchandise or service is "guaranteed", the consumer has a right to expect that the terms of the guarantee will be fulfilled by the guarantor. Accordingly, a guarantee should not be made on merchandise or services unless the guarantor is in a position to fulfill the guarantee in case he is called upon to do so. In their advertising, retailers should not use statements regarding a manufacturer's guarantee unless the manufacturer IN known to be in a position to carry out his guarantee; nor should retailers refer to their merchandise merely as "guaranteed" unless they are willing to make good if they are called upon to do so.
Free Offers. The common meaning of the word "free" is "without cost in obligation", or "gratuitous"; that is, given without recompense or payment. The word "free" may therefore have the capacity to mislead when used in any other sense.
Derogatory Statements. Statements derogatory (unfavorable or damaging) to the price, the merchandise, or the service of competitors should not be made. Such
statements not only are unethical and unfair but also destroy public confidence in advertising.
Satisfaction Guaranteed. When such claims as "satisfaction or your money back" are made, the customer should be the judge of whether or not he is satisfied, and such guarantees should be honored at once. If a guarantee covers a certain length of time, the amount of time should be specified definitely.
GRAMMAR
The questions (5 types) General questions:
1. Do businesses spend much on advertising in modern times?
2. Are products and services often advertised through mass media at present?
3. Do they prepare ad. copies for television in small business? Special questions:
4. In what business do they employ a great number of specialists for advertising purposes?
5. What do you mean under "a really effective advertisement"? Who-questions to the subject:
6. Who is responsible for working out an advertising programme in a company?
7. Who accepts an advertising programme? Disjunctive questions:
8. Today there are many types of advertising, are not there?
9. A good advertisement sells the product, does not it? Alternative questions:
10. Does any advertisement hold interest and make us buy things only a special one?
The Present Perfect Tense to have + Participle II The Present Perfect is used:
1) to denote a completed action connected with the present; it is frequently used with the adverbs just, yet, already, of late, never, ever;
2) to denote an action completed before a definite moment in the
future; it is often used after the conjunctions when, till, until, before, after, as soon as;
3) to denote an action which began in the past, has been going on up to the
present and is still going on; the prepositions for and since are used here.
Remember that both the Present Perfect and the Past Indefinite are used with today, this week, this year, this hour, this decade, etc.
But the Present Perfect is never used with yesterday, the other day, last week, last
year, last month, etc.
Remember that the Present Perfect is not used in the following cases.
1. What did you say?
2. Where did you buy this computer?
3. Now I see. / Now I understand.
4. I forget where Mary works.
Compare: I have forgotten to consult her. (a certain action is implied)
Exercises № 3. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the Present Perfect Tense.
1. He has just written to Ashley's office.
2. Melanie's heart in her throat, for she has lost her way.
3. Of late they have read a large number of books on Marketing.
4. Scarlett is waiting till you have answered her.
5. We are not going until the manager has explained everything just now.
6. She tries to remember exactly what she has planned to say to Rhett.
7. We can't do this for one reason: we have known them as good specialists in the field of advertising for many years.
8. My son has worked for this advertising agency since 2002.
9. I say I haven't seen the man since that night.
10. They have never seen such an agency.
11. We have been to the Crimea.
12. They were in the Crimea two years ago.
13. Margaret has already finished her work.
14. Last month she finished her work.
№ 4. Translate the sentences from English into Ukrainian. Transform all the
sentences in the Present Perfect into negative and interrogative forms.
For example:
Vivien has passed her last exam to-day.
Vivien has not passed her last exam to-day.
Has Vivien passed her last exam to-day?
1. Leslie has proposed to discuss the agenda.
2. Margaret Mitchell has never published any other book but "Gone with the Wind", a record best-seller.
3. The film "Gone with the Wind" is one of the most popular films, which American film-makers have ever produced.
4. I have seen the film starring V. Leigh, C. Gable and L. Howard.
5. The students have already taken text-books on Statistics from the library.
6. We have just discussed the topic.
7. My friend has taken notes during the lecture on Careers in Marketing.
8. Today we have prepared a copy and have given it to our local newspaper.
9. The owners of the company have discussed the new advertising programme.
10. You have looked through the copies this week.
№ 5. Use the Present Indefinite or Present Perfect. Translate.
1. It (to take) her an hour to translate such a text.
2. The teacher (to propose) to discuss those advertising texts.
3. Our monitor often (to propose) to discuss interesting economic problems.
4. The students just (to discuss) the forms of space advertising.
5. My sister (to be) happy because she (to pass) her last exam today.
6. We shall not be able to cope with this task until we (to study) new methods.
7. Advertising (to need) the whole army of talented men and women to prepare ads, circulars, billboards, etc.
8. Every year each developed country (to spend) billions on advertising.
9. My brother never (to be) to Greece.
10. Nancy (to be) in Italy last winter.
№ 6. Translate the Indefinite-personal sentencesinto Ukrainian:
1. They say millions of people in this country are engaged in agriculture.
2. They say the boss has just returned from his business trip to India.
3. They say that our advertising manager has already discussed the new advertising programme with our director.
4. They say this advertisement is full of exaggerations.
5. They say that the advertising agency in Bond Street always prepares effective advertisements that sell products very well.
6. He has never been to Western Ukraine but he dreams to go there this summer. They say his parents lived there many years ago.
№ 7. Read, translate the following text and put general, special and who-questions to it.
