It can be argued that much consumer dissatisfaction with marketing str

Question

It can be argued that much consumer dissatisfaction with marketing strategies arises from an inability to aim advertising at only the likely buyers of a given product.

There are three groups of consumers who are affected by the marketing process. First, there is the market segment—people who need the commodity in question. Second, there is the program target—people in the market segment with the “best fit” characteristics for a specific product. Lots of people may need trousers, but only a few qualify as likely buyers of very expensive designer trousers. Finally, there is the program audience―all people who are actually exposed to the marketing program without regard to whether they need or want the product.

These three groups are rarely identical. An exception occurs occasionally in cases where customers for a particular industrial product may be few and easily identifiable. Such customers, all sharing a particular need, are likely to form a meaningful target, for example, all companies with a particular application of the product in question, such as high-speed fillers of bottles at breweries. In such circumstances, direct selling (marketing that reaches only the program target) is likely to be economically justified, and highly specialized trade media exist to expose members of the program target—and only members of the program target—to the marketing program.

Most consumer-goods markets are significantly different. Typically, there are many rather than few potential customers. Each represents a relatively small percentage of potential sales. Rarely do members of a particular market segment group themselves neatly into a meaningful program target. There are substantial differences among consumers with similar demographic characteristics. Even with all the past decade’s advances in information technology, direct selling of consumer goods is rare, and mass marketing—a marketing approach that aims at a wide audience—remains the only economically feasible mode. Unfortunately, there are few media that allow the marketer to direct a marketing program exclusively to the program target. Inevitably, people get exposed to a great deal of marketing for products in which they have no interest and so they become annoyed.   1 
 B 
 1. The passage suggests which of the following about highly specialized trade media?

(A) They should be used only when direct selling is not economically feasible.
(B) They can be used to exclude from the program audience people who are not part of the program target.
(C) They are used only for very expensive products.
(D) They are rarely used in the implementation of marketing programs for industrial products.
(E) They are used only when direct selling has not reached the appropriate market segment.

2 
 E 
 2. According to the passage, most consumer-goods markets share which of the following characteristics?

I. Customers who differ significantly from each other
II. Large numbers of potential customers
III. Customers who each represent a small percentage of potential sales

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

3 
 C 
 3. The passage suggests which of the following about direct selling?

(A) It is used in the marketing of most industrial products.
(B) It is often used in cases where there is a large program target.
(C) It is not economically feasible for most marketing programs.
(D) It is used only for products for which there are many potential customers.
(E) It is less successful at directing a marketing program to the target audience than are other marketing approaches.

4 
 D 
 4. The author mentions “trousers” (lines 9 and 11) most likely in order to

(A) make a comparison between the program target and the program audience
(B) emphasize the similarities between the market segment and the program target
(C) provide an example of the way three groups of consumers are affected by a marketing program
(D) clarify the distinction between the market segment and the program target
(E) introduce the concept of the program audience

5 
 E 
 5. Which of the following best exemplifies the situation described in the last two sentences of the passage?

(A) A product suitable for women age 21-30 is marketed at meetings attended only by potential customers.
(B) A company develops a new product and must develop an advertising campaign to create a market for it.
(C) An idea for a specialized product remains unexplored because media exposure of the product to its few potential customers would be too expensive.
(D) A new product is developed and marketers collect demographic data on potential consumers before developing a specific advertising campaign.
(E) A product suitable for men age 60 and over is advertised in a magazine read by adults of all ages.

6 
 A 
 6. The passage suggests that which of the following is true about the marketing of industrial products like those discussed in the third paragraph?

(A) The market segment and program target are identical.
(B) Mass marketing is the only feasible way of advertising such products.
(C) The marketing program cannot be directed specifically to the program target.
(D) More customers would be needed to justify the expense of direct selling.
(E) The program audience would necessarily be made up of potential customers, regardless of the marketing approach that was used.

7 
 D 
 7. The passage supports which of the following statements about demographic characteristics and marketing?

(A) Demographic research is of no use in determining how successful a product will be with a particular group of consumers.
(B) A program audience is usually composed of people with similar demographic characteristics.
(C) Psychological factors are more important than demographic factors in defining a market segments.
(D) Consumers with similar demographic characteristics do not necessarily form a meaningful program target.
(E) Collecting demographic data is the first step that marketers take in designing a marketing program.

8 
 E 
 8. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true for most consumer-goods markets?

(A) The program audience is smaller than the market segment.
(B) The program audience and the market segment are usually identical.
(C) The market segment and the program target are usually identical.
(D) The program target is larger than the market segment.
(E) The program target and the program audience are not usually identical.

ID 16882

ajaysonu · Answer

Well an excellent passage ... tough to understand but if you just have a clear undersanding of 
1. The three catgories of marketing from the passage.
2. Why the "trouser" example is given?
3. Difference between them...

BECDEADE
The answers are clear. I got them 8/8 . But took a lot of time. Just tried to analyse the method to read this passage.

frank1 · Answer

i got 6/8 but i think i took more than 10 minutes and had priviledge to go back to passage again and again

so question seems to be not how to solve it but how to solve it with in given time and under that pressure. I think gmatprep software doesnt tell the passage will have 8 questions. So you really get scared seeing long passage and people make mistakes when they are scared. thanks

MBAhereIcome · Answer

i got the last one wrong, so happy with the performance. got fed up of answering 8 questions.

this is not a gmat RC though. in gmat, you'll see 4 or 5 questions for a single passage, not 8. doing such passages is a downer for my morale. and, the timing will be much better in this passage than on actual gmat questions because you get to read an entire passage to answer 4-5 questions.

my advice is not to do such passages. focus on the ones with 4-5 questions.

fidome7 · Answer

I quite didnt understand the 6th Question... it says "The passage suggests that which of the following is true about the marketing of  industrial products  like those discussed in the  third paragraph ?

There are no industrial products discussed in the third para.. And moreover the third para says that "consumer goods" are better mass marketed - so option (B)
However if option (A) was to be right, then we should have been looking in to 2nd para! (how does 3rd para even say anything about industrial products" - please explain !

tarunk31 · Answer

Following lines from the third paragraph supports option A for Question 6

These three groups are rarely identical. An exception occurs occasionally in cases where customers for a particular industrial product may be few and easily identifiable.
Since products like these industrial products are an exception to the generalization that "These three groups are rarely identical."

This implies that for such products market segment and program target are identical.

nandeta · Answer

1.The passage suggests which of the following about highly specialized trade media?

(A) They should be used only when direct selling is not economically feasible. 
Wrong. They are used in sync with direct selling.

(B) They can be used to exclude from the program audience people who are not part of the program target.  
Right. It is a more of a chanelised and direct selling. It excludes everyone and anyone who is not a 
part of the audience

(C) They are used only for very expensive products. 
Wrong. No mention of it.

(D) They are rarely used in the implementation of marketing programs for industrial products. 
Wrong. Industrial sector was one sector where this was implemented successfully.

(E) They are used only when direct selling has not reached the appropriate market segment. 
Wrong. No mention of this connection.

2. According to the passage, most consumer-goods markets share which of the following characteristics?  
I. Customers who differ significantly from each other
II. Large numbers of potential customers
III. Customers who each represent a small percentage of potential sales
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
  (E) I, II, and III

There are substantial differences among consumers with similar demographic characteristics.
there are many rather than few potential customers.
Each represents a relatively small percentage of potential sales.

3. The passage suggests which of the following about direct selling?

(A) It is used in the marketing of most industrial products. 
Wrong. Industrial products was just an example and cannot be generalized.

(B) It is often used in cases where there is a large program target. 
Wrong. Opposite. It is often used with small program market.

(C) It is not economically feasible for most marketing programs.  
Correct. Direct selling is not feasible for mass marketing programs.

(D) It is used only for products for which there are many potential customers. 
Wrong. It is only used for products with small potential customers

(E) It is less successful at directing a marketing program to the target audience than are other marketing approaches. 
Wrong. It has been proved successful in the case of industrial parts business.

4. The author mentions “trousers” (lines 9 and 11) most likely in order to

(A) make a comparison between the program target and the program audience 
Nope. Trousers were used to distinct between market segment and program target.

(B) emphasize the similarities between the market segment and the program target. 
Wrong. It was used to diffrentiate between market segment and the program target.

(C) provide an example of the way three groups of consumers are affected by a marketing program 
Wrong. Trousers only mention two groups. Market segment and program target.

(D) clarify the distinction between the market segment and the program target  
Correct.

(E) introduce the concept of the program audience 
Wrong. It was used to differentiation between two concepts.

5. Which of the following best exemplifies the situation described in the last two sentences of the passage?

(A) A product suitable for women age 21-30 is marketed at meetings attended only by potential customers. 
Wrong. The product was shown to people who were not in target group.

(B) A company develops a new product and must develop an advertising campaign to create a market for it. 
Wrong. No mention of advertising campaign related to it.

(C) An idea for a specialized product remains unexplored because media exposure of the product to its few potential customers would be too expensive. 
Wrong. Noting related to media exposure.

(D) A new product is developed and marketers collect demographic data on potential consumers before developing a specific advertising campaign. 
Wrong. Nothing related to collecting demographic data.

(E) A product suitable for men age 60 and over is advertised in a magazine read by adults of all ages.  
Correct.people get exposed to a great deal of marketing for products in which they have no interest and so they become annoyed.

6. The passage suggests that which of the following is true about the marketing of industrial products like those discussed in the third paragraph?  
  (A) The market segment and program target are identical.  
Correct. " Rarely do members of a particular market segment group themselves neatly into a meaningful program target."

(B) Mass marketing is the only feasible way of advertising such products. 
Wrong. Mass marketing is not the feasible way to advertise such products. Its Direct selling.

(C) The marketing program cannot be directed specifically to the program target. 
Wrong. It can be. " direct a marketing program exclusively to the program target"

(D) More customers would be needed to justify the expense of direct selling. 
Wrong. Nothing is mentioned about the marketing cost of the products.

(E) The program audience would necessarily be made up of potential customers, regardless of the marketing approach that was used. 
Wrong. It only has to be direct selling for it to be feasible.

7. The passage supports which of the following statements about demographic characteristics and marketing?

(A) Demographic research is of no use in determining how successful a product will be with a particular group of consumers. 
Wrong. No mention of it.

(B) A program audience is usually composed of people with similar demographic characteristics. 
Wrong. Similar demographic people have diffrent characteristics.

(C) Psychological factors are more important than demographic factors in defining a market segments. 
Wrong. No mention of it.

(D) Consumers with similar demographic characteristics do not necessarily form a meaningful program target.  
Correct. There are substantial differences among consumers with similar demographic characteristics.

(E) Collecting demographic data is the first step that marketers take in designing a marketing program. 
Wrong. No mention of this.

8. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true for most consumer-goods markets?

(A) The program audience is smaller than the market segment. 
Wrong. Program audience is bigger than the market segment.

(B) The program audience and the market segment are usually identical. 
Wrong. Program audience and market segment are diffrent than each other.

(C) The market segment and the program target are usually identical. 
Wrong. They are different.

(D) The program target is larger than the market segment. 
Wrong. Market segment is larger.

(E) The program target and the program audience are not usually identical.  
Correct. They are diffrent

Som324 · Answer

Someboby please explain me the passage especially the last one.

Posted from my mobile device

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Som324 ,

Let me know if this helps.

P1: Author starts the discussion with the argument that, mostly customer dissatisfaction arises with poor marketing strategy, which is the inability to focus the advertising on the likely buyers of a given product.

P2: Mostly focuses on the 3 categories of buyers who are affected by the marketing strategies. First Category: People who actually need the product. Second: People who can actually afford the product. Third: People who are actually exposed to the marketing program irrespective of whether they need the products or not.

P3: The above discussed 3 groups rarely contain the same set of people. This mostly is the case,where the customers are less and can be easily identified. Thus, they help in being a specific target audience for marketing strategies, which in turn is helpful for the companies.

P4: Discusses a different view of the consumer-good markets, compared to what's discussed in 3rd para. There are many potential customers and each contributes to a small %age of potential sales. It not easy to categorize consumers in proper target programs. There is lot of difference observed in consumers even with similar demographics. Mass marketing that targets a wide range of consumers, seems to be the only economic and viable option present. The downside of this method is that, people who don't need information about certain products also tend to receive them, thus annoying them.

Thanks.

bansalgaurav · Answer

Explanation: Q3 - The passage suggests which of the following about the direct selling?

Though in the first go, (A) may sound as the best choice, technically it is not.
choice (A) mentions a fact which is no where stated in the Passage. Also please note the following lines from the passage:: 
 -- "An exception occurs occasionally in cases where customers  for a particular industrial product  may be ...." 
 -- " In such circumstances, direct selling ...  is likely to be  economically justified "

Note: In answer choices, if any fact is mentioned that has to be supported by an existing premise in the passage. facts can not be assumed. They can't be believed.
 
B, D --> opposite to the intended meaning and also a fact nowhere mentioned or supported by the passage

E --> wrong. The opposite is true for some marketing campaigns, as for an industrial product.

Clearly (C) emerges as the best choice. The confusing part in (C) is "most marketing program" . Since (C) is an opinion, it can be infered from the facts given in the pasaage that direct selling is not feasible for most marketing programs. Check the line in the last paragraph "..... remains   the only   economiclly feasible mode."

Armaan209 · Answer

I got 7 questions correct . the main thing in this tyoe of paragraoh is to understand the authors feelings.

siddhantvarma · Answer

@GMATNinja Can you please help with Q6? 
I get that (A) seems correct here since it's mentioned that "These three groups are rarely identical. An exception occurs occasionally in case..." but how to eliminate (E)?
(E) says:
(E) The program audience would necessarily be made up of potential customers, regardless of the marketing approach that was used.
We know that the three segments are identical here plus it's also stated 
"Such customers, all sharing a particular need, are likely to form a meaningful target"
=> Potential customers are target audience?

It can be argued that much consumer dissatisfaction with marketing str

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It can be argued that much consumer dissatisfaction with marketing str

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