1. Interbrand is a marketing consultancy that evaluates the financial value of well-known corporate brands each year. 2. According to Interbrand's latest survey, Coca-Cola remains the world's top brand, valued at $68 billion, though down slightly from the previous year due to the recession. 3. The recession has impacted brand values in the corporate pecking order, with car companies and luxury brands like watchmakers seeing above average declines, while brands associated with cheaper products like McDonald's and Kellogg's have increased in value relative to others.

1. LISTEN TO :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2009/09/091002_witn_brands.shtml
BBC, Learning English, Words in the news, 9 October 2009
Answer the following questions.
1. What is ‘Interbrand’ ?
2. What do they say about Coca Cola ?
3. What does Interbrand’s latest survey say?

2. MOST VALUABLE BRANDS A
It's hard to put a fin__________ (A1) value on a well-known corporate (B1) name but every
year the marketing consult__________ (A2) Interbrand has a go. For example (B2) , it claims
the world's top br__________ (A3) Coca-Cola is currently worth(B3) $68bn, a couple of billion
dollars l__________ (A4) than 12 months earlier (B4) .
Its latest survey suggests the rece__________ (A5) has had a considerable impact (B5) on the
corpor__________ (A6) pecking order. Car companies (B6), s__________ (A7) as BMW
and Toyota, along (B7) with Harley Davidson motorc__________ (A8) , have seen above
average declines in the value (B8) of their brands - as have some lux__________ (A10) firms,
like watchmakers ( B10) Cartier and Rolex, and Armani __________thing (A11). The
lesson seems to be consumers(B11) don't value exp__________ (A12) things they don't
actually need to buy so much when times are hard (B12).
Mean__________ (A13) , firms associated with relatively cheap (B13) products - McDonalds
f__________ (A14) food and Kellogg's cornflakes (B14), for example - have seen the value
of their brands r__________ (A15) relative to others in the recession. The Google brand (B15)
has also done well - maybe that's because more people are b__________ (A16)-hunting on the
internet.
According to the survey, the world's five most valuable (B16) brands are Coca-Cola, IBM,
Microsoft, General Electric and Nokia, unchanged from last year.
Mark Gregory, BBC News

3. MOST VALUABLE BRANDS B
It's hard to put a financial(A1) value on a well-known corp__________ (B1) name but every
year the marketing consultancy(A2) Interbrand has a go. For ex__________ (B2) , it claims
the world's top brand (A3) Coca-Cola is currently w__________(B3) $68bn, a couple of billion
dollars less (A4) than 12 months ear__________(B4) .
Its latest survey suggests the recession (A5) has had a considerable imp__________ (B5) on
the corpororate (A6) pecking order. Car comp__________ (B6), such(A7) as BMW and
Toyota, al__________ (B7) with Harley Davidson motorcycles (A8) , have seen above
average declines in the val__________ (B8) of their brands - as have some luxury (A10)
firms, like watchm__________ ( B10) Cartier and Rolex, and Armani clothing (A11). The
lesson seems to be cons__________ (B11) don't value expensive (A12) things they don't
actually need to buy so much when times are h__________(B12).
Meanwhile (A13) , firms associated with relatively ch___________ (B13) products -
McDonalds fast (A14) food and Kellogg's corn__________(B14), for example - have seen the
value of their brands rise(A15) relative to others in the recession. The Google
br__________(B15) has also done well - maybe that's because more people are bargain
(A16)-hunting on the internet.
According to the survey, the world's five most val__________(B16) brands are Coca-Cola, IBM,
Microsoft, General Electric and Nokia, unchanged from last year.
Mark Gregory, BBC News