Advertising Products as New: Causes and Effects

In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasise that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

Annotated response

3 correction notes

Showing 3 correction notes.

In their advertising, businesses today often promote the idea that there is something new in their products. I believe they do this because it can help them beat their competitors. This should be seen as a positive development because .

By advertising something new they have created, brands can increase their chances of staying ahead of their competitors. No matter what product a company sells, there are always hundreds, if not thousands, of similar ones on the market that consumers can choose from. If the company does not inform consumers through its marketing that the product is innovative in some way, it will just be one of the many out there, rather than one that is different and grabs consumers’ attention. For example, in an iPhone commercial, Apple effectively delivers the message that the latest version of iOS allows users to disable cross-app tracking. This new feature which no other smartphone has can definitely help Apple attract new buyers since nowadays people are becoming more and more concerned about their online privacy.

I think this is a positive development because consumers . For example, with all the digital devices at their fingertips, people nowadays want to limit their screen time more than they did a decade ago. Noticing this change, Amazon has launched a screenless fitness band called the Amazon Halo. This screenless feature is something existing fitness trackers such as Apple Watches and Fitbits cannot offer.

In conclusion, emphasizing the newness of their products in advertising is an effective way for brands to stand out from the competition. This is a positive development because new features can meet customers’ new needs.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response's strongest aspect is its clear, well-developed argument, with relevant and specific examples such as Apple and Amazon supporting both parts of the question. The main limitation is some repetition of ideas and phrasing around newness and consumer needs, which slightly limits range and progression.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.0

Both parts of the task are fully addressed with a clear position that advertising novelty is competitive and positive, and main ideas are developed with relevant, specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically across well-structured paragraphs with effective use of cohesive devices, though some ideas and phrasing are restated rather than extended.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and precise for the topic, including items like cross-app tracking and screenless, with only minor repetition of key phrases such as new features and new needs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A good range of structures, including conditionals and complex relative clauses, is used with flexibility and accuracy, and errors are rare and non-impeding.