TOPIC: ARGUMENT232 - The following appeared in a memo from the sales manager of Eco-Power, a company that manufactures tools and home appliances.
"Many popular radio and television commercials use memorable tunes and song lyrics to call attention to the products being advertised. Indeed, a recent study of high school students showed that 85 percent could easily recognize the tunes used to advertise leading soft drinks and fast-food restaurants. Despite our company's extensive advertising in magazines during the past year, sales of our home appliances declined. Therefore, to boost company profits, we should now switch to advertisements featuring a distinctive song."
WORDS: 458 TIME: 0:60:00 DATE: 2007-1-24
The argument recommends that the company should switch to advertisements featuring a distinctive song. To support this assertion the author cites that most popular radio and television commercials use memorable tunes and song lyrics to attract costumes. In addition, the author provides a result of a study in high school which indicates that 85% of them could easily recognize the tunes used to advertise leading soft drinks and fast-food restaurants. Finally, the author states the fact that despite the company's extensive advertising in magazine during the past year, sales of our home appliances reduced. However, I found the argument containing several facets that are questionable.
To begin with, there is no evidence to support that a popular radio or television advertisement which calls attention to the products being advertised would boost the company profits. While it is probably true that a popular radio ad would call attention to the product, but maybe there is not many people who would buy it. If the product is cheap and consumable, such as ice cream, fast-food or drinks, the popular song will possibly drawn many people to buy them. However, maybe there are not many people who can afford the product or prefer to buy the product just because of a popular song if the product is an expensive and long-time-lasting one such as refrigerator, bed or air-condition. For this reason, as a company that manufactures tools and home appliances, it may not be a wise decision to switch to advertisements featuring a distinctive song.
Secondly, the result of the study, as mentioned in the passage, is not very reliable. There is no evidence to show that high school students are the main costumes of the product of the company. For we all known, high school students, who are possibly more interested in radio and television, are always regarded as an emotional and accessible group. Subsequently, we can not conclude that a large number people would be interested in the product after listening to a popular song advertisement.
Thirdly, nothing is mentioned about the whole market of the same kind of product which the company product. Perhaps the whole sale is not well during the last year. Even better, it is possible that the relative sale is increasing. On the other hand, maybe the magazine advertisement is not well designed, or it is not thoroughly emphasizing the excellence of the product, or it is not in a proper magazine. In conclusion, there is no evidence to blame the form of magazine advertisement.
To sum up, there is no abundance reason that the company should switch to advertisements featuring a distinctive song. Before deciding the advertisement policy, the company needs the results of more specific surveys about the relationship between advertisements and profits. In addition, it also needs determining where it stands in the whole market.