Essay Review

[Anupam Pandey]

Please review my essay response for the following argument task:

The following was presented as part of a business plan by Apex Corporation.

"To answer the increased demand for artisan coffee, Apex Corporation is releasing a new line of coffee, "Gourmet Select." Apex Corporation will first introduce the coffee into major supermarkets, where it hopes word-of-mouth advertising will sustain sales. After a few months Apex Corp. will run an advertising campaign aimed at television and radio while simultaneously releasing the brand to several major chain restaurants. Based on this strategy, Apex Corporation hopes to make "Gourmet Select" one of the top sellers in the coffee market."

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted

My response:-

The given argument is flawed for many reasons.First of all,it is assuming that people will like a new line of coffee to fulfill their need for artisan coffee.If it doesn't exactly match their needs,they will not buy it.

A new line of coffee may not be having the requirements of the users in terms of what they are expecting as an artisan coffee.FIrst,we need to test the new line on targeted customer segment before releasing it into supermarkets by investing good amount of money on renting a store inside supermarket and keeping some stock.If they simply start with a supermarket without analysing and forecasting their revenue properly,the business will not succeed.Word of mouth advertisement may not be enough.Thus,we need to have a free trial before going big in business.

It is assuming a sequence of marketing process without backing up with any evidence about how the steps taken in this order could help them become one of the top sellers of coffee in the market.And going for advertisements in TV and radio after a few months doesn't make that much sense.They could start advertising immediately on these platforms to attract wider users and to understand whether their new product will succeed.Then,if it does,they can release it several major chain restaurants.Therefore,advertisements need to be done carefully. Their is no comparison indicated with other coffee brands to provide evidence for why this brand will succeed and become one of the best sellers.

It is not clear why are they hoping that this brand will succeed based on one marketing strategy which may not work out.Business depends on proven models and strategies,not on vaguely hoping to succeed.They need a marketing strategy in which they also need to explain about their product's unique features which makes it stand out in the market such as how good it tastes and how healthy it is etc..It can be endorsed by a renowned celebrity who actually liked the product and he/she can explain his/her experience with the product.This keynote needs to be broadcasted to wider audience.If it succeeds,it will increase brand loyalty and this new product will work once it launches in the market.Thus,we need to have very strong marketing strategy to make the new product a success.

In a nutshell,the argument depends of various unstated assumptions discussed above to become true before we can conclude anything about the success of the new product.