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.
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.