Last visit was: 17 May 2026, 19:37 It is currently 17 May 2026, 19:37
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2 
605-655 (Medium)|   Strengthen|                              
avatar
skycastle19
avatar
Joined: 22 Dec 2018
Last visit: 29 Jan 2021
Posts: 11
Own Kudos:
6
 [1]
Given Kudos: 94
Posts: 11
Kudos: 6
 [1]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 28 Aug 2020, 13:22
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi experts, GMATGuruNY AndrewN sayantanc2k AjiteshArun

Could you please help clarify what "other forms of advertising" mean?
I eliminated E because I thought it's irrelevant to compare the response rates to targeted mail advertisement to those to "other forms of advertising", for example, advertisement by telephone, magazines, etc. Could you please help explain what's wrong with this process of elimination?

Thanks a lot!
avatar
AndrewN
avatar
Volunteer Expert
Joined: 16 May 2019
Last visit: 29 Mar 2025
Posts: 3,489
Own Kudos:
7,686
 [1]
Given Kudos: 500
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 3,489
Kudos: 7,686
 [1]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 28 Aug 2020, 17:04
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
skycastle19
Hi experts, GMATGuruNY AndrewN sayantanc2k AjiteshArun

Could you please help clarify what "other forms of advertising" mean?
I eliminated E because I thought it's irrelevant to compare the response rates to targeted mail advertisement to those to "other forms of advertising", for example, advertisement by telephone, magazines, etc. Could you please help explain what's wrong with this process of elimination?

Thanks a lot!
Show more
Hello, skycastle19. You are correct in saying that we are not necessarily interested in other forms of advertising. However, the recommendation is based on targeted advertising by mail: to improve response rates, [corporations should] more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising. Thus, if response rates are considerably higher to such ads delivered by mail, as choice (E) informs us, then it would not make sense to adopt the same approach by other means, such as those advertising vehicles you mentioned, and the recommendation would be supported or sound more reasonable. That is all we are after here. Choice (D), as others have pointed out above, focuses on the quality of the ads, which is truly an irrelevant concern. No other answer choice is really in the running. Watch out for those adverbs—significantly here cues us in on a common GMAT™ CR tactic to reveal the correct answer, as though the question-writer wanted to make sure that the statement was qualified enough to make its impact unequivocal. I have pointed out this very tendency in two of my other posts, here and here.

I hope that helps. Thank you for seeking my opinion alongside so many other GMAT Club legends.

- Andrew
avatar
Vartikaa14
avatar
Joined: 05 Sep 2018
Last visit: 08 Oct 2022
Posts: 8
Own Kudos:
1
Given Kudos: 60
Posts: 8
Kudos: 1
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 17 Oct 2020, 11:16
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Can someones please elaborate on D?
If it is out of scope due to ' quality of advertising materials' then the same reasoning can be true for E- comparison with other mediums
User avatar
svasan05
User avatar
CrackVerbal Representative
Joined: 02 Mar 2019
Last visit: 24 Feb 2023
Posts: 269
Own Kudos:
313
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 269
Kudos: 313
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 21 Oct 2020, 05:20
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vartikaa14
Can someones please elaborate on D?
If it is out of scope due to ' quality of advertising materials' then the same reasoning can be true for E- comparison with other mediums
Show more

Hi Vartika

We should not only consider parts of the option to be out of scope but the statement as a whole. For instance, in this stimulus, the conclusion is derived as follows:

Too much junk mail --> customers discard all mail --> low response rates of ads by mails

Therefore, carefully target customers --> less junk mail --> better response rates

Option (D) is about the consequence of "quality of advertising materials". This does not appear anywhere in the reasoning chain in the stimulus and is hence out of scope. Option (E), on the other hand, talks about the consequence of "carefully targeted advertisements by mail", which is part of the conclusion of the stimulus and is very much relevant. Merely because there is another factor (comparison with other media) does not make an option out of scope. We need to identify the key issue which is addressed by the option and decide whether it is pertinent to the conclusion or not.

Hope this helps.
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 11 May 2026
Posts: 5,631
Own Kudos:
33,458
 [1]
Given Kudos: 707
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 5,631
Kudos: 33,458
 [1]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 06 Jan 2021, 15:43
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vartikaa14
Can someones please elaborate on D?
If it is out of scope due to ' quality of advertising materials' then the same reasoning can be true for E- comparison with other mediums
Show more

Hey Vartikaa14,


Option D - This ultimately reiterates the proposed careful targeting of consumers. Improvements in the quality of mails will work only if the targeting of consumers works. This option does not indicate that targeting the individuals will work or not.

Thus, this is not the correct answer choice.

Option E - This option gives a general data point that acts as evidence to prove the effectiveness of careful targeting of mail recipients.

This is in line with our pre-thinking. If response rates to such carefully targeted mails have been observed to be significantly higher, on average, than those to any other form of advertising, then it stands to reason that the corporations can use this tool to improve response rates to advertising offers sent via mail.

Thus, this is the correct option.

Hope this helps.
avatar
abhimehrotra
avatar
Current Student
Joined: 01 Dec 2018
Last visit: 15 Feb 2022
Posts: 19
Own Kudos:
11
Given Kudos: 51
Location: India
Concentration: Marketing, Strategy
Schools: Harvard '24 (D) LBS '24 (D) Wharton '24 (D) ISB '23 (A) Kellogg '24 (II) Yale '24 (S) Booth '24 (D) Tuck '24 (S) Columbia CBS '24 (D)
GMAT 1: 580 Q46 V26
GMAT 2: 650 Q49 V31
GMAT 3: 710 Q48 V39 (Online)
GMAT 4: 730 Q49 V40
GPA: 4
WE:Operations (Manufacturing)
Schools: Harvard '24 (D) LBS '24 (D) Wharton '24 (D) ISB '23 (A) Kellogg '24 (II) Yale '24 (S) Booth '24 (D) Tuck '24 (S) Columbia CBS '24 (D)
GMAT 4: 730 Q49 V40
Posts: 19
Kudos: 11
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 05 Mar 2021, 22:16
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
After going through the passage, I could identify the following gaps:

1) What if the target marketing is done and even then customers do not respond to the mail because of the poor content?
2) What if the careful targeting still does not reduce the overall number of junk mail customers receive


Moving on to the option choices, I had a confusion between Option D and Option E

Option D: It suggests that the quality improvement of the advertising content results in better response rates. If we include this premise in the argument, it indicates more that the plan will be executed will and response rates will be better. Hence D should be the strengthener.

Option E: It shows that targeted advertising is better than "most" of other forms. Even though it indicates that response rates will be better, but our main point of discussion is between targeted and untargeted way of advertising over mail. Hence this would have no impact on the argument.

What is the flaw in my thinking?
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 15 May 2026
Posts: 7,393
Own Kudos:
70,924
 [2]
Given Kudos: 2,137
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,393
Kudos: 70,924
 [2]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 18 Mar 2021, 12:38
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
abhimehrotra
After going through the passage, I could identify the following gaps:

1) What if the target marketing is done and even then customers do not respond to the mail because of the poor content?
2) What if the careful targeting still does not reduce the overall number of junk mail customers receive


Moving on to the option choices, I had a confusion between Option D and Option E

Option D: It suggests that the quality improvement of the advertising content results in better response rates. If we include this premise in the argument, it indicates more that the plan will be executed will and response rates will be better. Hence D should be the strengthener.

Option E: It shows that targeted advertising is better than "most" of other forms. Even though it indicates that response rates will be better, but our main point of discussion is between targeted and untargeted way of advertising over mail. Hence this would have no impact on the argument.

What is the flaw in my thinking?
Show more
When analyzing a passage, it's a dangerous game to focus on specific "gaps" that pop out to you, for a couple of reasons.

First, there are likely gaps that you haven't identified. For instance, what if a zombie apocalypse breaks out, society degenerates, and there is no mail service any more? That would certainly impact the effectiveness of targeted ads. This is an extreme example, but it shows that there are infinite "gaps" in any argument, so picking out a few is kind of pointless.

Second, by focusing on certain "gaps," you may end up misreading answer choices so that they fit with your pre-thinking.

The author concludes that "an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising."

We're trying to support that recommendation. Let's look at (D) and (E):
Quote:
(D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.
Show more
The author's plan is to more carefully target the recipients of mail ads. (D) talks about an entirely different factor: the quality of advertising materials.

Knowing that increased quality of ads improves response rates doesn't tell us that targeted ads THEMSELVES are effective. So, (D) doesn't support the author's argument. Instead, it just gives us an additional factor to think about.

(D) is out.

Quote:
(E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.
Show more
You're right that the most relevant comparison in the passage is targeted ads vs. non-targeted ads.

(E) tells us that targeted ads are better than most other forms of advertising.

While there is no proof that non-targeted ads are included in "most other forms of advertising," it's not too much of a leap to say that non-targeted ads are PROBABLY included in that group. So, (E) tells us that targeted ads are PROBABLY more effective than non-targeted ads. So, (E) does provide some support for the argument, even if it doesn't PROVE that targeted ads are more effective than non-targeted ads.

Since we're just looking for the answer choice that supports the argument more than the other answer choices do, (E) is the correct answer.

I hope that helps!
User avatar
ashmit99
User avatar
Joined: 20 Feb 2019
Last visit: 09 Apr 2025
Posts: 91
Own Kudos:
38
Given Kudos: 192
Location: India
Schools: Oxford Said'25 (II) LBS '26 (A)
GPA: 3.2
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Oxford Said'25 (II) LBS '26 (A)
Posts: 91
Kudos: 38
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 02 Jun 2021, 23:32
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
WillGetIt
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consumers responding. Because consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of junk mail they receive, most discard almost all offers without considering them. Thus, an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising, thereby cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives.

Which of the following, if true, would most support this recommendation?


(A) There are cost effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.

(B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

(C) Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it is very likely to discard it.

(D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.

(E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.

Show more


ChiranjeevSingh

Do you think choice B and E both have the same 'direction' but different 'magnitudes'?
Can you help me with how can one decide that whether choice B has greater magnitude or E?

I eliminated E because the comparison is with other forms of advertising, and we are not sure whether "other" contains "Mails not targeted."

Thank you in advance!
User avatar
ChiranjeevSingh
User avatar
Joined: 22 Oct 2012
Last visit: 17 May 2026
Posts: 427
Own Kudos:
3,223
 [2]
Given Kudos: 162
Status:Private GMAT Tutor
Location: India
Concentration: Economics, Finance
Schools: IIMA  (A)
GMAT Focus 1: 735 Q90 V85 DI85
GMAT Focus 2: 735 Q90 V85 DI85
GMAT Focus 3: 735 Q88 V87 DI84
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V47
GRE 1: Q170 V168
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: IIMA  (A)
GMAT Focus 3: 735 Q88 V87 DI84
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V47
GRE 1: Q170 V168
Posts: 427
Kudos: 3,223
 [2]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 03 Jun 2021, 05:45
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ashmit99
WillGetIt
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consumers responding. Because consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of junk mail they receive, most discard almost all offers without considering them. Thus, an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising, thereby cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives.

Which of the following, if true, would most support this recommendation?


(A) There are cost effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.

(B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

(C) Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it is very likely to discard it.

(D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.

(E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.



Do you think choice B and E both have the same 'direction' but different 'magnitudes'?
Can you help me with how can one decide that whether choice B has greater magnitude or E?

I eliminated E because the comparison is with other forms of advertising, and we are not sure whether "other" contains "Mails not targeted."

Thank you in advance!
Show more

B has no impact since it doesn't say anything about 'response rates' and we're trying to improve response rates. Are these corporations which are doing targeted mail advertising seeing any good response rates? We have no idea.

- CJ
User avatar
Namangupta1997
User avatar
Joined: 23 Oct 2020
Last visit: 05 Apr 2025
Posts: 142
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 63
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V38
Posts: 142
Kudos: 9
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 14 Jun 2022, 10:37
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi AndrewN KarishmaB

The fact that other successful companies have started targeting individuals would result in the delivery of less junk mails to people as a whole. So people are not overwhelmed by the excessive emails anymore. Now since people receive limited amount of mails, sending advertisements to the targeted would now increase the probability of their response as now they have less mails to go through. This could possibly strengthen the argument.

What is wrong with this line of thought?
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 13 May 2026
Posts: 16,465
Own Kudos:
79,641
 [2]
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,465
Kudos: 79,641
 [2]
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 14 Jun 2022, 21:50
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Namangupta1997
Hi AndrewN KarishmaB

The fact that other successful companies have started targeting individuals would result in the delivery of less junk mails to people as a whole. So people are not overwhelmed by the excessive emails anymore. Now since people receive limited amount of mails, sending advertisements to the targeted would now increase the probability of their response as now they have less mails to go through. This could possibly strengthen the argument.

What is wrong with this line of thought?
Show more

The author gives an advice to companies - more carefully target individuals to send mails to cut down on what each person gets to get response from customers.

What strengthens it? Knowing that response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher. This is option (E)

Option (B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

This tells us that some companies are already carefully targeting. The advice is to "more carefully target..." So if you are not targeting, start carefully targeting and if you are already carefully targeting, target even more carefully. The point is to reduce the mail that reaches each consumer.
If some successful companies are already carefully targeting, does it strengthen that one should more carefully target? No. We don't know how and why those companies became successful. Carefully targeting may have nothing to do with the success of the company.
Option (E) clearly links response rate to carefully targeted advertisements and hence makes sense.
User avatar
jabhatta2
User avatar
Joined: 15 Dec 2016
Last visit: 21 Apr 2023
Posts: 1,251
Own Kudos:
329
Given Kudos: 188
Posts: 1,251
Kudos: 329
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume Updated on: 11 Jul 2022, 07:51
Originally posted by jabhatta2 on 10 Jul 2022, 20:18.
Last edited by jabhatta2 on 11 Jul 2022, 07:51, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
^^^ Just thinking out loud avigutman

In the world of SC -- the red text would be considered as a result of the conclusion in the blue text.

Comma + verb'ing : the present participle is an adverb - describing "How" the verb in the previous clause occurred.

I wasn't sure which of these two scenarios was the case.

I personally thought the 2nd scenario was more probable.
User avatar
avigutman
User avatar
Joined: 17 Jul 2019
Last visit: 30 Sep 2025
Posts: 1,285
Own Kudos:
916
Given Kudos: 66
Location: Canada
Schools: NYU Stern (WA)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V45
GMAT 2: 780 Q50 V47
GMAT 3: 770 Q50 V45
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: NYU Stern (WA)
GMAT 3: 770 Q50 V45
Posts: 1,285
Kudos: 916
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 11 Jul 2022, 17:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
jabhatta2
^^^ Just thinking out loud avigutman

In the world of SC -- the red text would be considered as a result of the conclusion in the blue text.

Comma + verb'ing : the present participle is an adverb - describing "How" the verb in the previous clause occurred.

I wasn't sure which of these two scenarios was the case.

I personally thought the 2nd scenario was more probable.
Show more
I'm not really following the importance of the distinction that you're making here, jabhatta2.
I believe the author used this particular structure because he or she is attempting to give actionable advice to corporations on what action they should take in order to improve their mail advertising response rate. Cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives is not actionable advice, but this is: to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising. So, I guess my answer to your question is: both of your scenarios are correct. The amount of junk mail will get cut down as a result of targeted advertising. So target the advertising -> cut down junk mail -> better response rate.
User avatar
MoPouyan
User avatar
Joined: 23 Mar 2021
Last visit: 07 Feb 2025
Posts: 16
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 198
Posts: 16
Kudos: 9
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 19 Nov 2024, 11:56
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Argument Breakdown:
Premise 1: Advertising by mail has become less effective because fewer consumers are responding.
Premise 2: Consumers are overwhelmed by junk mail and discard almost all of it without consideration.
Conclusion: An effective way to improve response rates is to more carefully target individuals, reducing the overall volume of junk mail each consumer receives.
Task:
The question asks which statement, if true, would most support the recommendation to "carefully target individuals" to improve response rates.

Analyzing the Answer Options:

A- There are cost-effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.

Analysis: This statement speaks to the cost-effectiveness of improving response rates, but it doesn't directly support the recommendation of targeting individuals more carefully. The key to the argument is the effectiveness of targeting, not cost.
Conclusion: This is not the best answer because it doesn't strengthen the claim that targeting individuals will improve response rates.

B-Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

Analysis: This option shows that some corporations are already using targeted mailing, but it doesn't say whether targeting actually improves response rates or reduces junk mail. It simply states that the practice is common among successful corporations.
Conclusion: This is not the best answer because it doesn't establish the effectiveness of targeting.

C-Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it, is very likely to discard it.

Analysis: This option explains why junk mail is ineffective, but it doesn’t explain how targeting individuals would improve response rates. It focuses on consumer behavior, but not on the effectiveness of targeting.
Conclusion: This is not the best answer because it doesn't provide support for the recommendation of more targeted mailing.

D-Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.

Analysis: This statement suggests that improving the quality of materials used in targeted mail can improve response rates, but the focus is on the quality of the materials rather than on the benefit of targeting individuals per se. This partially supports the recommendation, but it adds an extra factor (quality).
Conclusion: This could be a good answer, but it slightly shifts focus from targeting to quality improvement.

E-Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.

Analysis: This directly supports the recommendation. It shows that carefully targeting individuals does improve response rates compared to other advertising methods. This aligns perfectly with the argument that targeting individuals would be an effective way to improve response rates.
Conclusion: This is the best answer because it directly supports the claim that targeting leads to higher response rates.
User avatar
bhanu29
User avatar
Joined: 02 Oct 2024
Last visit: 16 May 2026
Posts: 368
Own Kudos:
294
Given Kudos: 264
Location: India
Schools: Anderson '27 Booth '27 Foster '27 Haas '27 Kellogg Ross '27 Tepper '27 Sloan (MIT) Stanford '27 CBS '27 NYU Stern Johnson (Cornell) McCombs '27
GMAT Focus 1: 675 Q87 V85 DI79
GMAT Focus 2: 715 Q87 V84 DI86
GPA: 9.11
WE:Engineering (Technology)
Products:
My Reviews GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Schools: Anderson '27 Booth '27 Foster '27 Haas '27 Kellogg Ross '27 Tepper '27 Sloan (MIT) Stanford '27 CBS '27 NYU Stern Johnson (Cornell) McCombs '27
GMAT Focus 2: 715 Q87 V84 DI86
Posts: 368
Kudos: 294
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 24 Mar 2026, 11:15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
WillGetIt
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consumers responding. Because consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of junk mail they receive, most discard almost all offers without considering them. Thus, an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising, thereby cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives.

Which of the following, if true, would most support this recommendation?

(A) There are cost effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.

(B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

(C) Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it is very likely to discard it.

(D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.

(E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.


ID - CR08443
Show more
Strengthen question
CONCLUSION: an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising, thereby cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives.

  • (A) There are cost effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.
    Irrelevant: The existence of other methods doesn't prove the proposed targeting method works.
  • (B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.
    Weakens: If targeting is already widespread but overall response rates are still dropping, the strategy is likely ineffective.
  • (C) Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it is very likely to discard it.
    Irrelevant: Merely describes current discarding behavior without showing whether targeted mail changes this behavior.
  • (D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.
    Out of Scope: Introduces a new variable (material quality) instead of evaluating the argument's focus (reducing quantity).
  • (E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.
    Strengthens (Correct): Directly provides evidence that the proposed strategy (targeted mail) actually yields high response rates.
User avatar
SmileAndSolve
User avatar
Joined: 25 Aug 2024
Last visit: 17 May 2026
Posts: 46
Own Kudos:
34
Given Kudos: 300
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Entrepreneurship
GPA: 4
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 46
Kudos: 34
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 04 May 2026, 02:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The argument’s logic is:

Too much junk mail → people ignore it
👉 Solution: send mail to fewer, more relevant people (targeting)

So the recommendation is about:
👉 reducing irrelevant mail, not improving how fancy it looks.

⚠️ Your interpretation (very common trap)

“Targeted mail could mean better quality or personalized mail”

That’s possible in real life, but in CR:

You cannot assume extra benefits unless explicitly stated
The argument only talks about targeting → less junk → better response
💥 Why this kills option (D)

Option (D) says:

better quality improves response rate

But:

That’s a different mechanism
It doesn’t prove that targeting itself works

So it doesn’t strengthen the actual recommendation.

✅ Why (E) is still best

(E) directly says:
👉 Targeted mail → higher response rates

That’s exactly the missing link.
User avatar
Fictional26
User avatar
Joined: 20 Feb 2026
Last visit: 17 May 2026
Posts: 21
Own Kudos:
4
Given Kudos: 97
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Posts: 21
Kudos: 4
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consume 04 May 2026, 22:30
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Sometimes, it feels like double-checking the answers is a threat because most of the time you get the right answer in one go even if you have spent 3 mins but then comes the double-checking demon and then you come across a word that doesn't feel like it fits in the correct answer that you chose and you go back to the last 2 options that you short-listed and you pick the wrong one. I don't know if its just me or I don't know.
WillGetIt
Advertising by mail has become much less effective, with fewer consumers responding. Because consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of junk mail they receive, most discard almost all offers without considering them. Thus, an effective way for corporations to improve response rates would be to more carefully target the individuals to whom they mail advertising, thereby cutting down on the amount of junk mail each consumer receives.

Which of the following, if true, would most support this recommendation?

(A) There are cost effective means by which corporations that currently advertise by mail could improve response rates.

(B) Many successful corporations are already carefully targeting the individuals to whom they mail advertising.

(C) Any consumer who, immediately after receiving an advertisement by mail, merely glances at it is very likely to discard it.

(D) Improvements in the quality of the advertising materials used in mail that is carefully targeted to individuals can improve the response rate for such mail.

(E) Response rates to carefully targeted advertisements by mail are considerably higher, on average, than response rates to most other forms of advertising.


ID - CR08443

Show Spoiler
Junk Mail


Step 1: Identify the Question

The words if true and support in the question stem indicate that this is a Strengthen the Argument question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument

Mail ad à Less eff (++ junk)

Ó Target mail ads à improve resp rate

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

On Strengthen questions, the correct answer should make the conclusion more likely to be valid. What would make it more likely that the plan to more carefully target mailed advertisements will have its intended effect of increasing response rate?

Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right

(A) The argument focuses on the effects of a particular plan: more targeted advertising to improve response rates. Whether there alternative methods to improve response rates is not relevant.

(B) If anything, this choice weakens the argument. If some companies (successful ones!) are already targeting ads but overall response rates are still declining (as the argument states), then perhaps the plan is not a good one after all.

(C) The argument already states that consumers frequently discard advertisements. This answer does not provide any additional information.

(D) This answer provides an additional means that companies could use to improve response rates: improving the quality of materials. However, this answer does not address whether the plan in the argument (more targeted advertising) will be effective on its own.

(E) CORRECT. This answer provides evidence that the plan will have its intended effect: targeted advertising does generate higher response rates.

Evaluation of a Plan

Situation
Advertising by mail has become less effective because consumers overwhelmed with the amount of junk mail they receive discard almost all of it without considering it.

Reasoning
What would most help to support the claim that making mail advertising more carefully targeted would improve response rates? The passage recommends targeted advertising, reasoning that since targeted advertising would reduce the total amount of junk mail consumers receive, it would generate higher response rates. Any additional evidence for the claim that carefully targeted advertising would improve response rates would support this recommendation.

(A) Even if targeted advertising and every other means of improving response rates were too expensive to be cost-effective, targeted advertising could still be effective for any corporation willing to pay the expense.

(B) If many corporations already mail targeted advertising, and mail advertising is nonetheless yielding declining response rates, that suggests that targeted mail is an ineffective way to increase response rates.

(C) This could be equally true for targeted and untargeted mail advertising, so it does not suggest that the former is more effective.

(D) The question under consideration is whether more carefully targeted mail advertising would in itself increase response rates, not whether higher quality advertising would do so.

(E) Correct. This provides some evidence that carefully targeted mail advertising is associated with higher response rates than untargeted mail advertising is, and therefore that targeting mail advertising more carefully would improve response rates.
­
Show more
   1   2 
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7393 posts
AbhishekP220108
575 posts
bhanu29
368 posts