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-NiE ,
14 JUNE 2017
INTERMEDIATE The savvy consumer
Take control of your spending
A SAVVY consumer is well-informed about the products and services he buys, and the person(s) he is buying them from. He makes good choices about what he is buying. Being financially savvy is much more than simply finding the best discounts. Here are a few tips.
are often tempted to stretch our budget when we see good deals or “cooler” alternatives.
First off, savvy consumers never buy things impulsively. Yes, an item may scream “Best Buy” and “for a limited time only”, but is it something that you really need? Maybe you already have the same item at home but it’s broken. Can you repair and reuse it, or borrow it from someone else and even do without it? If it is something you need, then consider the points below.
● Best deal: A battle between price and
● Breathe… is it a need?
● Budget
Have a clear budget in mind before you go shopping. This should be a no-brainer, yet we
● Brand
Are you buying a particular brand because everyone else has it, or because it is of good quality and is something you can use for a long time?
quality
This is a tricky one. We don’t want to spend too much, yet we don’t want to buy something of poor quality. Do some research: read reviews, check out different shops and look out for discounts. Find the best value and quality for the budget you have set for yourself. ● Final check
Check that the item is in good condition. Ask about warranty and return policies, and keep the receipt.
As rational as we try to be, we can be heavily influenced by the advertisements we see. If you live in the city or watch a lot of TV, you may be exposed to advertisements more than you realise. Their slogans and jingles can get stuck in our heads from time to time.
NiE Activity 2 Advertisements aren’t evil. They are simply promoting a product or a service. Still, as savvy consumers, we want to make sure that our buying decisions are made by our rational minds, not on impulsive emotions. Some advertisements are informers, giving you factual information about the products. Other advertisements are persuaders, making you feel a certain way – cool, glamorous, scared, etc.
Critical thinking ● Measure
● Organise
Problem solving ● Recreate
● Present
NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
Communicating
● Measure ● Organise
● Oral
● Written
Collaborating ● Listen
● Contribute respectfully
Look in The Star for advertisements. In pairs, create a poster on a sheet of A3 paper by dividing the advertisements into two categories: informers and persuaders. For the persuaders, label each advertisement with the type of emotion it aims to create in its viewers. Compare your poster with another pair.
Discuss:
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Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm
Collaborating
● Connect
● Oral ● Non-verbal
● Written ● Aural
Imagine that you are working in an advertising company, and your client is not happy with an advertisement. For example, one of the “informer” advertisements didn’t stir up any emotions. Can you make it more effective by including a persuasive element? It could be a slogan, question, picture or speech bubble. In pairs, redesign an advertisement from The Star so that it has a good balance of being an informer and a persuader. Draft your poster on a blank sheet of A4 paper. Put it beside the original advertisement and be ready to present it to another pair. Each pair will take turns to role-play the lead designer and the client.
le Examp
Thank you for your feedback, Sir. We’ve made some revisions. Here, I’ll show you…
I’m not happy with this ad. It doesn’t have…
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● Contribute respectfully
Communicating
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● Listen