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02 Oct 2024, 21:58
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A key decision required of advertising managers is whether a “hard-sell” or “soft-sell” strategy is appropriate for a speci ic target market. The hard sell approach involves the use of direct, forceful claims regarding the beneits of the advertised brand over competitors’ offerings. In contrast, the soft-sell approach involves the use of advertising claims that imply superiority more subtly. One positive aspect of the hard-sell approach is its use of very simple and straightforward product claims presented as explicit conclusions, with little room for confusion regarding the advertiser’s message. However, some consumers may resent being told what to believe, and some may distrust the message. Resentment and distrust often lead to counterargumentation and to boomerang effects where consumers come to believe conclusions diametrically opposed to conclusions endorsed in advertising claims. By contrast, the risk of boomerang effects is greatly reduced with soft-sell approaches. One way to implement the soft-sell approach is to provide information that implies the main conclusions the advertiser wants the consumer to draw but leave the conclusions themselves unstated. Because consumers are invited to make up their own minds, implicit conclusions reduce the risk of resentment, distrust, and counterargumentation. Recent research on consumer memory and judgment suggests another advantage of implicit conclusions. Beliefs or conclusions that are self generated are more accessible from memory than beliefs from conclusions provided explicitly by other individuals and thus have a greater impact on judgment and decision making. Moreover, self generated beliefs are often perceived as more accurate and valid than the beliefs of others, because other individuals may be perceived as less knowledgeable or may be perceived as manipulative or deliberately misleading. Despite these advantages, implicit conclusions may not always be more effective than explicit conclusions. One risk is that some consumers may fail to draw their own conclusions and thus miss the point of the message. Inferential activity is likely only when consumers are motivated and able to engage in effortful cognitive processes. Another risk is that some consumers may draw conclusions other than the one intended. Even if inferential activity is likely, there is no guarantee that consumers will follow the path provided by the advertiser. Finally, a third risk is that consumers may infer the intended conclusion but question the validity of their inference.
Question #1
It can be inferred from the passage that one reason an advertiser might prefer a hard-sell
approach to a soft-sell approach is that
A. the risks of boomerang effects are minimized when the conclusions an advertiser wants
the consumer to draw are themselves left unstated
B. counterargumentation is likely from consumers who fail to draw their own conclusions
regarding an advertising claim
C. inferential activity is likely to occur even if consumers perceive themselves to be more
knowledgeable than the individuals presenting product claims
D. research on consumer memory suggests that the explicit conclusions provided by an
advertiser using the hard-sell approach have a signi icant impact on decision making
E. the information presented by an advertiser using the soft-sell approach may imply
different conclusions to different consumers
Each of the following is mentioned in the passage as a characteristic of the hard-sell approach
EXCEPT:
A. Its overall message is readily grasped.
B. It appeals to consumers’ knowledge about the product.
C. It makes explicit claims that the advertised brand is superior to other brands.
D. It uses statements that are expressed very clearly.
E. It makes claims in the form of direct conclusions.
It can be inferred from the passage that advertisers could reduce one of the risks discussed in
the last paragraph if they were able to provide
A. motivation for consumers to think about the advertisement’s message
B. information that implies the advertiser’s intended conclusion but leaves that conclusion
unstated
C. subtle evidence that the advertised product is superior to that of competitors
D. information comparing the advertised product with its competitors
The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. point out the risks involved in the use of a particular advertising strategy
B. make a case for the superiority of one advertising strategy over another
C. illustrate the ways in which two advertising strategies may be implemented
D. present the advantages and disadvantages of two advertising strategies
E. contrast the types of target markets for which two advertising strategies are appropriate
Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in lines 25–28 in the
context of the passage as a whole.
A. It reiterates a distinction between two advertising strategies that is made in the irst
paragraph.
B. It explains how a particular strategy avoids a drawback described earlier in the
paragraph.
C. It suggests that a risk described earlier in the paragraph is less serious than some
researchers believe it to be.
D. It outlines why the strategy described in the previous sentence involves certain risks for
an advertiser.
E. It introduces an argument that will be refuted in the following paragraph.
It can be inferred from the passage that one situation in which the boomerang effect often
occurs is when consumers
A. have been exposed to forceful claims that are diametrically opposed to those in an
advertiser’s message
B. have previous self-generated beliefs or conclusions that are readily accessible from
memory
C. are subjected to advertising messages that are targeted at speci ic markets to which those
consumers do not belong
D. are confused regarding the point of the advertiser’s message
E. come to view the advertiser’s message with suspicion
It can be inferred from the passage that the research mentioned in line 29 supports which of
the following statements?
A. Implicit conclusions are more likely to capture accurately the point of the advertiser’s
message than are explicit conclusions.
B. Counterargumentation is less likely to occur if an individual’s beliefs or conclusions are
readily accessible from memory.
C. The hard-sell approach results in conclusions that are more dif icult for the consumer to
recall than are conclusions resulting from the soft-sell approach.
D. When the beliefs of others are presented as deinite and forceful claims, they are
perceived to be as accurate as self-generated beliefs.
E. Despite the advantages of implicit conclusions, the hard-sell approach involves fewer
risks for the advertiser than does the soft-sell approach.
Question #1
It can be inferred from the passage that one reason an advertiser might prefer a hard-sell
approach to a soft-sell approach is that
A. the risks of boomerang effects are minimized when the conclusions an advertiser wants
the consumer to draw are themselves left unstated
B. counterargumentation is likely from consumers who fail to draw their own conclusions
regarding an advertising claim
C. inferential activity is likely to occur even if consumers perceive themselves to be more
knowledgeable than the individuals presenting product claims
D. research on consumer memory suggests that the explicit conclusions provided by an
advertiser using the hard-sell approach have a signi icant impact on decision making
E. the information presented by an advertiser using the soft-sell approach may imply
different conclusions to different consumers
Each of the following is mentioned in the passage as a characteristic of the hard-sell approach
EXCEPT:
A. Its overall message is readily grasped.
B. It appeals to consumers’ knowledge about the product.
C. It makes explicit claims that the advertised brand is superior to other brands.
D. It uses statements that are expressed very clearly.
E. It makes claims in the form of direct conclusions.
It can be inferred from the passage that advertisers could reduce one of the risks discussed in
the last paragraph if they were able to provide
A. motivation for consumers to think about the advertisement’s message
B. information that implies the advertiser’s intended conclusion but leaves that conclusion
unstated
C. subtle evidence that the advertised product is superior to that of competitors
D. information comparing the advertised product with its competitors
The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. point out the risks involved in the use of a particular advertising strategy
B. make a case for the superiority of one advertising strategy over another
C. illustrate the ways in which two advertising strategies may be implemented
D. present the advantages and disadvantages of two advertising strategies
E. contrast the types of target markets for which two advertising strategies are appropriate
Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in lines 25–28 in the
context of the passage as a whole.
A. It reiterates a distinction between two advertising strategies that is made in the irst
paragraph.
B. It explains how a particular strategy avoids a drawback described earlier in the
paragraph.
C. It suggests that a risk described earlier in the paragraph is less serious than some
researchers believe it to be.
D. It outlines why the strategy described in the previous sentence involves certain risks for
an advertiser.
E. It introduces an argument that will be refuted in the following paragraph.
It can be inferred from the passage that one situation in which the boomerang effect often
occurs is when consumers
A. have been exposed to forceful claims that are diametrically opposed to those in an
advertiser’s message
B. have previous self-generated beliefs or conclusions that are readily accessible from
memory
C. are subjected to advertising messages that are targeted at speci ic markets to which those
consumers do not belong
D. are confused regarding the point of the advertiser’s message
E. come to view the advertiser’s message with suspicion
It can be inferred from the passage that the research mentioned in line 29 supports which of
the following statements?
A. Implicit conclusions are more likely to capture accurately the point of the advertiser’s
message than are explicit conclusions.
B. Counterargumentation is less likely to occur if an individual’s beliefs or conclusions are
readily accessible from memory.
C. The hard-sell approach results in conclusions that are more dif icult for the consumer to
recall than are conclusions resulting from the soft-sell approach.
D. When the beliefs of others are presented as deinite and forceful claims, they are
perceived to be as accurate as self-generated beliefs.
E. Despite the advantages of implicit conclusions, the hard-sell approach involves fewer
risks for the advertiser than does the soft-sell approach.
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03 Oct 2024, 00:15
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sahilsahh
Discussed here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-key-decisi ... 06881.html
Hope it helps.
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Reading Comprehension (RC) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
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