Question

    When most people think of the word, “brand”, they think of the Nike Swoosh, Ford “blue oval,” McDonalds Golden Arches, or the “State Farm is There” jingle. They know what theywill get with a wellbranded product or service as promised. Think of Volvo, for instance, and your first thoughts are probably something like “well built, comfortable, Swedish” and, most of all, “safety”.

So a brand is a lot more than a logo, icon, or slogan. Catchy as it may sound, it isn’t the “brand” in the true sense—and it certainly isn’t what makes the brand valuable.A company’s brand is a promise. It’s a description of the company’s character. To some extent, it’s a mission; it’s how the company creates and delivers value. Also, it’s the feeling the company conveys to its stakeholders. Successful brands meet various challenges and consistently deliver on their promises, which is how they create brand value.To illustrate it, here are some brand promises from three highly successful, world-wide brands:The NFL: “To be the premier sports and entertainment brand that brings people together, connecting them socially and emotionally like no other.”Coca-Cola: “To inspire moments of optimism and uplift.”VirginAtlantic: “To be genuine, fun, contemporary, and different in everything we do at a reasonable price.”

Interesting. In none of the above cases does the brand promise describe what these companies do or provide. The NFL’s brand promise says nothing about football. Coca-Cola doesn’t talk about providing the best soft drinks in the world. And Virgin Atlantic’s promise goes a lot farther than seating passengers in its aircrafts.

Of course, a promise is nowhere near enough. The promise along with look, personality, time, money, and hard work combined can eventually help to build and maintain great brands and acquire a special patina(光泽) of what I call “me” appeal, showing my personal appetite. Apple has that patina. All of this can lead to sub-brands, like iPhone and iPad which acquire the glory of the parent brand.

Sometimes a brand is memorable because of little things. TD Bank has a special place in their branches for you to deposit all those coins you collect in jars. It is called the Penny Arcade that turns depositing your coins into a fun game in which you can even win prizes. Years ago, Dime Savings Bank in New York had a small dime(十分硬币) carrier. It was given to kids and then they’d fill up its 50 slots (投币口) with a dime in each one and bring it to exchange for a $5 bill.

1.What can we know from the first 2 paragraphs?

A. People tend to believe in top brands because they deliverwhat is promised.

B. Well branded Swedish products are of good quality but more costly than others.

C. Well branded products are faced with great challenges of quality currently.

D. A company shouldn’t care about logos because they can’t make the brand valuable.

2.In the author’s opinion, a brand promise is ___________.

A. thecontract between a company and the people who interact with it

B. the only way to build and maintain a great brand’s value

C. a description of what a company actually does for its consumers

D. an important factor contributing to the success of a brand

3.According to the passage, what isprobably “Virgin Atlantic”?

A. A financial company. B. A high-tech software product.

C. An airline company. D. An entertainment product.

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Buying a certain brand says nothing about the person who buys it.

B. Little things can mean a lot and make a brand memorable.

C. Sub-brands are relatively easy to build and generate huge profits.

D. Dime Savings Bank’s dime carriers are difficult for kids to operate.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.C

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文。当大多数人想到“品牌”这个词时，他们想到的是耐克的标志，福特的“蓝色椭圆”。文章告诉我们“小事情可以意味着很多，让一个品牌令人难忘。”

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中They know what they will get with a well branded product or service as promised.第二段中A company’s brand is a promise. It’s a description of the company’s character. To some extent, it’s a mission; it’s how the company creates and delivers value.可知，从第二段我们知道“人们倾向于相信顶级品牌，因为他们兑现了承诺。”故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中Successful brands meet various challenges and consistently deliver on their promises, which is how they create brand value. 笔者认为，品牌承诺是一个品牌成功的重要因素。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据第三段最后一句Virgin Atlantic’s promise goes a lot farther than seating passengers in its aircrafts.根据文章，“Virgin Atlantic”可能是“一个航空公司。”故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段第一句Sometimes a brand is memorable because of little things.从这篇文章可以推断出“小事情可以意味着很多，让一个品牌令人难忘。”故选B。