GUIDE PÉDAGOGIQUE - Hachette

Mr. Schaffner said: “People thought it would be just
a novelty and would wear off, but we are booked
solid for months ahead for the evening sessions, and
most lunchtimes are packed to our capacity of sixty
as well. Both sighted and blind customers are willing
to wait to experience what is perhaps the oddest
dining adventure in Europe.
“Blind” dates are a big hit at the Blind Cow, and
several dating agencies arrange for people to meet
in the total darkness of the restaurant where they
can ask questions and be themselves without once
seeing the person opposite. Later, if they choose,
they can reveal themselves in the lighted lobby.
The popularity of the Blind Cow is growing, making
it a hot destination for locals and visitors alike.
The menu is a la carte and a dinner including starter,
entrée and dessert is around $32.00. Drinks are
extra.
Musical events are often held at the Blind Cow,
including regular programs called ’Blind Monday’s
for special guests’ The musical offerings range from
classical to folk to modern. The musical evenings
cost between $38 and $55 for dinner and concert,
without drinks”.
Dans un premier temps, faire découvrir le thème du
texte en faisant lire le court paragraphe page 71.
Faire exprimer où cela se passe et pourquoi des objets
sont interdits.
Faire commenter rapidement le nom du restaurant aussi
et montrer la double originalité du lieu.
Ensuite, faire écouter la partie enregistrée en leur demandant
de prendre des notes sur ce qu’ils entendent. Puis
travailler les questions posées à l’oral.
Cet exercice peut également être donné en devoir en
classe.
1. Five people are at the origin of the project. The
leader seems to be Rev. Spielmann. Together with four
other blind colleagues, he got the idea of opening a
restaurant of a special kind. The restaurant is totally in
the dark, so that sighted and blind people meet on an
equal basis. More precisely, he wanted sighted people
to experience what it is like to be blind.
The second aim of the enterprise was to provide work
for blind people.
These five entrepreneurs raised money for their
project by asking businessmen and the town council.
It all started in 1999 in an old church building.
2. It has become a marketing concept through its huge
and quick success. In addition it is going to be exported
to the US after several concept designers been to see it,
and are ready to buy the concept from its inventor.
50 Unit 7 – Marketing
3. They are already trying to diversify the concept by
organizing special nights like “Blind Date” evenings
where people who don’t know each other meet for
the first time through an agency that rents the place
for the evening.
They also organize musical events with different
programmes: classical, folk or modern music. They
have a package price for the music and the meal.
3. Shoppers at these stores urged
to loiter, not buy
1. Samsung’s New York store is very unconventional
since it is a store in which you cannot buy a single
product. You can only go there to look at the Samsung
items and try them, fiddle with them, or get a lesson
on how to use them.
2. It is different because it is not based on the notion
of buying and selling. It relies on the experience it can
offer to potential customers, transforming itself into
a kind of theatre or even theme park where people
can watch demonstrations and learn how to use the
products.
3. It works because potential customers love to
be able to touch and use items freely, to get to
know a product before owning it. So far it has
been proven by market studies that the people
who go firstly to this demo store, then go to their
local electronics retailer and automatically ask for
the Samsung product that they have tried before.
Furthermore, they are often ready to spend more
than they intended, buying an upgraded version
of the item they first intended to buy, because
having tried it, they want it and are prepared to
make the financial sacrifice. They have had the time
to imagine themselves with this product and they
can’t wait to own it and use it.
4. Ici, les étudiants peuvent donner leur avis mais ils
doivent essayer de l’argumenter à chaque fois.
YES: it must be really fun to discover new products
and be able to try them or learn how to use them as
well as seeing the whole range and deciding on the
one that corresponds best to the way you intend to
use it. My aim would be to try the different articles
in a range to see which one corresponds best to my
taste and financial situation.
NO: I’d rather not waste my time and be tempted to
spend more money than I should. I can learn to use
it by myself or with the help of my friends. With the
Internet, you can see the different products before
going to the store.
© Éditions Foucher