Skywalker18 wrote:
Veterinarians generally derive some of their income from selling several manufacturers' lines of pet-care products. Knowing that pet owners rarely throw away mail from their pet's veterinarian unread, one manufacturer of pet-care products offered free promotional materials on its products to veterinarians for mailing to their clients. Very few veterinarians accepted the offer, however, even though the manufacturer's products are of high quality.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the veterinarian's reaction to the manufacturer's promotional scheme?
(A) Most of the veterinarians to whom the free promotional materials were offered were already selling the manufacturer's pet-care products to their clients.
(B) The special promotional materials were intended as a supplement to the manufacturer's usual promotional activities rather than as a replacement for them.
(C) The manufacturer's products, unlike most equally good competing products sold by veterinarians, are also available in pet stores and in supermarkets.
(D) Many pet owners have begun demanding quality in products they buy for their pets that is as high as that in products they buy for themselves.
(E) Veterinarians sometimes recommend that pet owners use products formulated for people when no suitable product specially formulated for animals is available.
Hi Folks! Even though all the experts have explained the answers very well, I would add my 2 cents with some actual scenarios. This passage is an interesting one and a real-life situation that happens in the veterinary medicine world. (My wife is a veterinary pathologist. This question is an apt recreation of her workplace) My
We need to find an answer which will explain why the paradox is happening in the first place - Why is it that vets don't want to market the manufacturer's products to their clients in the mail list?
Let's call the manufacturer of these pet-care products - M Inc
(Trivia: Mars International - The makers of Mar's chocolate - is a leading major in the pet-care industry).
The discussion is concentrated between options A and C, but even option E is interesting. Let's think as a Vet doctor -
Option A -
Most of the veterinarians to whom the free promotional materials were offered were already selling the manufacturer's pet-care products to their clients.
This means that we (as vets) already have a deal with M Inc, and we are selling kibbles (Pedigree, Whiskas), dog chews and other pet products.
If this were true, then the vets should have accepted M Inc's offer without fuss; everyone would make money, and everyone is happy (M Inc + Vets). But, this didn't happen. Why did the vets refuse to market M Inc's products? This option doesn't answer the question of Why? Discard it.
Option E -
Veterinarians sometimes recommend that pet owners use products formulated for people when no suitable product specially formulated for animals is available.
This part is definitely true in the real world. It is a common occurrence that pets are commonly prescribed human medicines and even baby formulas (Yes, dogs can be safely prescribed Tylenol and puppies are fed Cerelac baby formula). This option is a trap, because we will be using real-world knowledge to answer this question, and it seems like the paradox is resolved.
This option says that - sometimes, the vets are giving non-animal (human) medicines/products to their client's dogs and cats, so it makes sense as a vet to not market M Inc's products. This looks like a strong reason. However, this is a very tactfully crafted option, because - if we don't restrain our real-world knowledge, then we are toast on this question. Discard this option.
Option C -
The manufacturer's products, unlike most equally good competing products sold by veterinarians, are also available in pet stores and in supermarkets.
This option means that - Vets are already selling (Nestle Foods (NF) - they make pet foods) products, and NF is a competitor of M Inc. Also, M Inc's products are available in stores and markets. It now makes sense that my income is from NF sales, and M Inc wants me to sell the same products. Will the marketing boost my income? Most likely not!
This explains my hesitation as a vet to decline M Inc's offer.
I hope it helps!
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