[originaltext]W: Frank, we just got our sales figures in and the numbers are ve

W: Frank, we just got our sales figures in and the numbers are very disappointing. What’s going on here?
M: Maybe we should brainstorm some ideas for a radical reinvention of our sales and marketing plan.
W: Yeah, let’s do that right now. What do you think the problem is?
M: Well, it seems our competitors have managed to carve a niche in the market.(6)They are now perceived as " cooler" or trendier than we are. Perhaps we should consider getting some celebrity endorsements.
W: That’s not a bad idea.
M: I’d also suggest we reevaluate our packaging. Right now the box we sell our product in seems a little drab and colorless.
W: Yes, we could redesign our packaging. But on the other hand, there is a recent trend to move away from excessive packaging. You know, to help save the environment.
M: That’s another way we could go.(7)We could reduce our packaging, and then advertise our environment-friendly business policies. Being "green" is definitely cool these days.
W: What about our pricing? Are we competitive?
M: Actually, we are roughly 15% more expensive than our closest competitors.(8)But it’s going to be hard to cut costs any further, seeing as we are already operating on a very slim margin.
W: There’re always ways to cut costs: we just have to think outside the box. Perhaps we should consider re-locating one of our factories to a more cost-efficient country.
M: We can also talk to our vendors about where they place our products. Perhaps if they’re placed in a more prominent location in stores, they’ll catch the eye of more customers.
W: Would it help if we offered a mega sale to clear out some of our inventory? We might not make a lot of money, but we might gain some brand awareness.
M: That’s a great idea. Getting people talking about our brand would be a big boost.
W: Another idea is for us to reevaluate where we are spending our advertising dollar.
M: Right now, we break it down between all the major media outlets. Television advertising gets 45% of our budget, 30% goes to print media, 20% goes to radio and 5% goes towards advertising online.
W: I think we should boost our online advertising. Online ads are cheap and they can reach a much wider audience.
M: All right, I’ll ask the advertisement department to make the changes.
W: If we can implement these new ideas by the end of this quarter, we might be able to reverse our sales slide and put ourselves in position for a major rebound to come next year.
M: That would be great.
6. What is the man’s idea about being trendy?
7. What is the way to deal with packaging to follow the recent trend of being "green"?
8. What does the man imply about their pricing?
9. Why does the woman suggest offering a mega sale?
10. What takes up the most part of their advertising cost?