Daily English 1228 Designing a Product Line

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:19
Explanation begins at: 03:31
Normal Speed begins at: 18:29

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,228 – Designing a Product Line.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,228. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

[start of dialogue]

Thomas: What do you think of my creations?

Celeste: These are . . . interesting?

Thomas: They’re part of my new product line to be sold under my own label.

Celeste: Really?

Thomas: Yeah, I’m jumping in with both feet. Everybody advised me to get my feet wet by licensing a collection, but I don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand.

Celeste: I thought you started all this by doing custom work.

Thomas: I did, but I’m ready to produce an entire line I’ve designed according to my vision, not work to a client’s specs.

Celeste: I can understand that. Will you be selling to trade or retail customers?

Thomas: Retail. I plan to have showrooms in every major city. See? This is a sample of our product catalog.

Celeste: I see. Your products look high-end, but they’re intended for the mass market.

Thomas: That’s right. Do you want to take home a sample?

Celeste: Um, I guess so. I’d never considered using anything like that.

Thomas: Once you sit on a designer toilet seat, you’ll never go back!

[end of dialogue]

Thomas begins our dialogue by asking Celeste, “What do you think of my creations?” Your “creations” (creations) are things that you create – that is, things that you make. Celeste says, “These are . . . interesting?” Notice she asks this almost as a question because she’s not really sure what to say about them. Sometimes when we don’t want to criticize someone when we don’t like something, we may use an expression like “Well that’s . . . interesting.”

Thomas says that his creations are part of his “new product line” to be sold under his “own label.” A “product line” is a group of related things or products that are sold by a certain company. They may be things that are all related to, I don’t know, haircare, or drinking coffee. A product line could include clothing that is related – a set of shirts or dresses might be part of a product line.

We’re not sure what Thomas’s product line is but we know that he’s going to sell it “under his own label” (label). “To be sold under” means it will be sold with the name of a certain “label.” A “label” is a part of the packaging of a product that indicates what company has made the product. It’s used here more generally to mean “brand” (brand). Your “brand” is the name that you use for selling certain kinds of products, certain kinds of things.

A big company may have several brands – several things that it sells under different names. For example, The Coca-Cola company has different brands that it sells. One of the brands is, of course, Coca-Cola, but there are other brands, other kinds of things that it sells, other drinks that use different names. Brands such as Fanta or Minute Maid Orange Juice. They’re made by the same company but they are different brands. Thomas is going to be selling his product line or group of products under his own brand or label.

Celeste is surprised by this. She says, “Really?” Thomas replies, “Yeah,” meaning yes. “I’m jumping in with both feet,” he says. The expression “to jump in with both feet” means to begin to do something completely and immediately, without waiting. If you’re “jumping in with both feet,” you’re going to commit 100 percent of your energy to do whatever it is you’re doing. You’re not going to go slowly or only commit part of your energy and money. You’re going to do it fully and immediately.

Thomas says, “Everybody advised me to get my feet wet by licensing a collection, but I don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand.” The expression “to get your feet wet” is somewhat of the opposite of “to jump in with both feet.” “To get your feet wet” means to move slowly without risking too much. You can think of going to a swimming pool. If you don’t want to get wet all right away, you might just put your feet in the water. You’re “getting your feet wet,” and then when you are ready, you’ll get the rest of your body wet – then perhaps you will jump in with both feet.

Thomas says that people told him, “advised” him, to get his feet wet “by licensing a collection.” “To license” (license) something is to give someone permission to sell what you have made, which often includes the right to make something and sell it to someone else. A collection is similar to a product line. It’s a group of products.

Some people told Thomas that he should license his collection – he should give his products to another person and have them make it and sell it. He wouldn’t make as much money that way, of course, but it would be less risky. It would not involve him as much, and therefore if things didn’t work out well, he wouldn’t lose a lot of money. However, Thomas says he doesn’t want “to sell under someone else’s brand.”

Celeste says, “I thought you started all this by doing custom work.” “Custom” (custom) means “customized,” or designed to meet one particular client or customer’s needs. If you buy a suit from a store and put it on, take it home and wear it, you’re not buying a “custom suit.” That suit, that jacket, and pair of pants wasn’t made for you. But if you go to someone who makes suits and measures them to your particular body to make sure that it fits you perfectly, then you would be getting a “custom-made suit.” Thomas began working by doing “custom work” for individual people.

Thomas says, “I did,” meaning yes, I did do that. “But I’m ready to produce an entire line” – a complete product line – “I’ve designed according to my vision, not work to a client’s specs.” Thomas has designed or created something with particular characteristics – an “entire product line.” He’s done this, he says, “according to his vision” (vision). Your “vision” is your image of what something should look like, your creative inspiration.

Thomas has designed this product line according to his vision, not according to his “client’s specs.” “Client” is another word for “customer” – someone who buys what you make or uses you for a certain service. The word “specs” (specs) refers to the requirements or detailed information for something. “Specs” is short for “specifications” – the particular details about how something should be made or done. Celeste says, “I can understand that,” meaning she can understand Thomas wanting to work according to his own vision.

She says, “Will you be selling to trade or retail customers?” “Trade (trade) customers” are other companies who will sell what you make. “Retail” (retail) are customers who buy directly from you. So if you make, say, coffee cups and you want to sell them, you could sell them to a store which would then sell them to individual people. That would be an example of a “trade customer.” The store is your customer. A “retail customer” would be someone who bought the cups directly from you – from your store, or perhaps nowadays online. Thomas says he’s going to sell to retail customers.

He explains, “I plan to have showrooms in every major city.” A “showroom” (showroom) is a large room or a building where people can come and see the things that you have made. You are showing them the things you have made so they will then, of course, buy them. A “major city” is a large city. Thomas says he’s going to have “showrooms in every major city.” He continues, “See? This is a sample of our product catalog.” A “catalog” (catalog) – it can also be spelled (catalogue) – is basically a book that shows people photographs of the things that you are selling.

Celeste says, “I see. Your products look high-end.” “High (high) – end (end)” means very expensive or of a very high quality. Celeste says that Thomas’s products look high-end in the photographs, “but they’re intended for the mass market.” “Intended for” means they are meant to be sold to. The “mass (mass) market (market)” is the average consumer or the average buyer. The “mass market” refers to perhaps the majority of people in a certain area who might buy something. Normally, things that are intended for the “mass market” are of a lower price and often of a lower quality.

Thomas, however, says, “That’s right,” meaning yes, my products look high-end – they have the appearance of being high-end – but they’re intended for the average person, the mass market. He asks if Celeste wants to take home a sample of his product. Celeste says, “Um, I guess so.” We use that expression “I guess so” when we’re not very sure of our answer. She says, “I’d never considered using anything like that.” We’re not sure exactly what Thomas is giving her, but Celeste says she had never considered using something like his product.

Thomas then tells us what his product is. He says, “Once you sit on a designer toilet seat, you’ll never go back.” A “toilet seat” (seat) is what you sit on in the bathroom to do what your normally do in a bathroom – use the toilet. A “designer toilet seat” would be a special toilet seat that is made perhaps of a higher quality or has some sort of special look to it.

Thomas says, “Once you sit on a designer toilet seat, you’ll never go back.” That expression “you’ll never go back” means you will never use a regular toilet seat again, in this example. “You’ll never go back” means, more generally, you’ll never use what you used to use before, because now you’ve experienced this new wonderful thing.

I’m not sure if I’d recommend buying a designer toilet seat, but I would recommend listening to our dialogue one more time, this time at a native rate of speech.

[start of dialogue]

Thomas: What do you think of my creations?

Celeste: These are . . . interesting?

Thomas: They’re part of my new product line to be sold under my own label.

Celeste: Really?

Thomas: Yeah, I’m jumping in with both feet. Everybody advised me to get my feet wet by licensing a collection, but I don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand.

Celeste: I thought you started all this by doing custom work.

Thomas: I did, but I’m ready to produce an entire line I’ve designed according to my vision, not work to a client’s specs.

Celeste: I can understand that. Will you be selling to trade or retail customers?

Thomas: Retail. I plan to have showrooms in every major city. See? This is a sample of our product catalog.

Celeste: I see. Your products look high-end, but they’re intended for the mass market.

Thomas: That’s right. Do you want to take home a sample?

Celeste: Um, I guess so. I’d never considered using anything like that.

Thomas: Once you sit on a designer toilet seat, you’ll never go back!

[end of dialogue]

All of our dialogues are custom-made for you by our wonderful scriptwriter, a designer of beautiful things, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

product line – a group of related products sold by a particular company or manufacturer

* The makeup in this product line is very popular with teenagers.

label – brand; the part of the packaging that indicates which company has made or sold something

* I’ve never understood why some people pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans just because of the label.

to jump in with both feet – to begin doing something completely, fully, and immediately, without any delay or gradual increase

* They’re jumping in with both feet, investing all of their savings in building the biggest and most luxurious restaurant in the city.

to get (one’s) feet wet – to begin doing something slowly or gradually, without risking too much and without making a significant commitment

* Before you decide to move overseas, it might be smart to get your feet wet with a two-week trip to see if you like it.

to license a collection – to get permission to market someone else’s products as one’s own, putting one’s labels and mark on them

* Did you develop these perfumes yourself, or are you licensing a collection?

brand – the name and image associated with a product, used to increase sales and customer loyalty

* Which brands of laundry detergent are most affordable, and which ones do the best job cleaning clothes?

custom – customized; tailored; designed or modified to meet the specific needs of one particular client or customer

* If none of these software programs meets your needs, maybe you need to pay for a custom program.

to design – to create something with particular characteristics, features, or functionality

* We designed the hotel rooms to provide the best views of the ocean.

vision – a mental image of what one wants to see in the future, or what one is planning to achieve in the future

* What is your vision for the business in the next five years?

specs – specifications; technical requirements; detailed information

* Does our team have all the programming skills and experience needed to meet the technical specs for the project?

trade – companies that sell other companies’ products and services to different companies; intermediary

* A lot of leading trade companies will be at this event, so it would be good to bring some product brochures to share.

retail – with facilities or resources to sell directly to consumers in small quantities

* Retail stores are struggling to attract customers, who often find it easier to buy things online.

showroom – a large room or building that allows buyers to see displays and to interact with a company’s products, but may not sell those actual items

* We saw some beautiful furniture in the showroom and decided to buy the pieces, but they won’t be delivered until next week.

product catalog – a book with many photographs and descriptions of the products available for purchase, generally used to increase sales online or over the phone

* Product catalogs for clothing are effective even though shoppers can’t touch the fabric or try on the clothing before deciding what to buy.

high-end – very nice, fancy, high-quality, and expensive; the best that one can buy

* These high-end speakers are very expensive, but the quality of the sound they produce is extraordinary.

mass market – the buying and selling of products and services to many consumers

* If we are successful in the mass market, we’ll need to open some new factories very quickly in order to meet demand.

once you (do/experience something), you’ll never go back – a phrase meaning that once someone has had a certain enjoyable or luxurious experience, he or she will have higher standards and will never want to use the simpler, plainer version that one was used to before

* Once you’ve tasted this gourmet chocolate, you’ll never go back to supermarket candy bars.

Comprehension Questions

1. Which of these requires custom work?
a) Licensing a collection
b) Meeting a client’s specs
c) Selling to retain customers

2. Which of these phrases shows the most enthusiasm?
a) Jumping in with both feet
b) Getting one’s feet wet
c) Designing according to one’s vision

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to get (one’s) feet wet

The phrase “to get (one’s) feet wet,” in this podcast, means to begin doing something slowly or gradually, without risking too much and without making a significant commitment: “I don’t know if I’m ready for college, so I’m taking just one course this semester to get my feet wet.” The phrase “(someone) is all wet” means that someone is entirely wrong or incorrect: “Whoever made these financial projections is all wet and should be fired.” The phrase “wet behind the ears” describes someone who is very young, immature, and inexperienced: “These job candidates are asking for big salaries even though they’re still wet behind the ears and have almost no professional experience.” Finally, a “wet blanket” is an informal term for a person who spoils other people’s fun: “Don’t be such a wet blanket! Stop talking about work, and start having some fun!”

trade

In this podcast, the word “trade” refers to middlemen, or companies that sell other companies’ products and services to other companies: “The trade company represents our services to potential buyers and receives a percentage of each sale.” The phrase “tools of the trade” refers to the things one needs to complete a particular type of work: “Paintbrushes, canvas, and wet rags are tools of the trade for professional artists.” The phrase “tricks of the trade” refers to clever ways to do one’s job well: “Heath has been working in sales for 30 years and has mastered many tricks of the trade.” Finally, the word “trade” can also refer to international imports and exports: “The two countries are negotiating new international trade agreements.”

Culture Note

White-Label Products & Services

“White-label” products and services are products and services that are “manufactured” (produced), created, or delivered by one company, but branded for another company so it appears that the second company actually made or delivered it. White-label products are common among electronics. For example, a white-label alarm clock might be sold under many different brand names, even though all the “units” (individual items being sold) are coming from the same factory.

Many people refer to white-label products as “store brands” or “generic goods,” especially when referring to “groceries” (food items sold in stores) and household products. Most grocery stores sell generic goods next to brand-name products, and they are usually less expensive, although the quality may not be quite as good. The products are branded for each grocery store “chain” (group of businesses with the same name, in different locations), but the “contents” (what is inside) of the package are actually “identical” (the same; without any differences).

“White-label” products are a “win-win” (something that benefits both parties) for manufacturers and for “retailers” (stores that sell items to consumers). The manufacturer can focus on production without worrying about packaging, marketing, and sales to consumers. And the retailer can focus on packaging and marketing without being responsible for research, development, and product quality.

Consumers, however, may “have the most to lose” (be at the greatest disadvantages) if they do not realize that the white-label products at one store are identical to the white-label products at another store. If they are not “savvy” (very intelligent and clever), they might be paying more than they want to for a product that they could obtain for a lower price at another store using different packaging.

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - a