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
(5) 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
(10) 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.
(15) These three groups are rarely identical. An exception
occurs occasionally in cases where customers for a
particular industrial product may be few and easily iden-
tifiable. Such customers, all sharing a particular need,
are likely to form a meaningful target, for example, all
(20) companies with a particular application of the product
in question, such as high-speed fillers of bottles at brew-
eries. In such circumstances, direct selling (marketing that
reaches only the program target) is likely to be
economically justified, and highly specialized trade
(25) 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
(30) 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
(35) 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
(40) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.