V37-05

Official Solution:


A publishing company, renowned for its high-quality, collectible illustrated hardcover editions of classic literature, is observing the e-book trend while choosing to continue focusing on their niche market. The company plans to expand globally, relying on the unique appeal of their editions to drive sales in the face of digital competition.

Which of the following, if true, would provide the strongest evidence that the publishing company's global expansion strategy will be commercially successful?


A. Demographic studies indicate a growing segment of young adults who show interest in building personal libraries with aesthetically appealing and collectible book editions.
B. An international survey of reading habits reveals a sustained interest in classic literature, with a significant number of readers expressing a preference for physical books over e-books for certain genres.
C. Data from book fairs and literary festivals around the world show an increasing engagement with and spending on deluxe editions of classic titles.
D. Analysis of global book sales trends shows a niche but steadily growing market for collectible editions of books, contrasting with the plateauing growth of e-book sales.
E. Market research indicates that high-quality, physical book editions are increasingly viewed as luxury items, with several countries showing a rising trend in luxury goods spending.


A. Incorrect. It doesn’t provide comprehensive evidence of a global trend or the potential success of the company's specific expansion strategy.

B. Incorrect. This answer choice supports the idea that there is a market for the company's products, but it doesn't specifically indicate a growing market for collector's editions (there is a growing fiction market which may or may not transalte into premium collectible sales), thus provides a potential contender for the supporting answer but a weak one. As the question is asking for the Strongest evidence, it is OK to have a contender.

C. Incorrect. This suggests interest in deluxe editions. We are not sure what exactly these editions are. They seem something else so we have to make an assumption that deluxe editions would also mean growth for collectible editions. We do not know if that is the same market/book type and therefore this answer choice is lacking strength on its own. We can hang on to it but likely this won't be the correct answer choice as we have to make the assumption that deluxe=collectible.

D. Correct Answer. This choice provides the strongest evidence for the success of the publishing company's global expansion strategy. It does 2 things:

1) it addresses the market trend, showing that there is a growing interest in the specific type of product the company offers (collectible editions of books), which answer B does not do.2) it contrasts this growing interest with the stagnating growth of e-books, which is the digital competition the company faces, suggesting that the plan aligns well with bigger market trends.
Note that while we are not told that specifically collectible editions of classic titles are growing, we are told that the overall category of collectible books is growing and that would include classic titles in that category.

E. Incorrect. This choice could be a third contender for some stretched evidence that the company plan will be successful but it is quite weak and requires several assumptions such as that the luxury spend is indeed going to happen in the collector book category and not art for example, and that the increased spend is in the same countries that the company is targeting. Too weak compared to D.


Answer: D