GMAT Essays (AWA)

""A recent survey commissioned by the market research department of XY Gen Stores indicated a high level of recognition among consumers of the brand and the nature of the apparel sold in XY Gen Stores. However, the survey also indicated that approximately 60% of those surveyed that recognized the name of XY Gen Stores had never shopped at one of the company's stores. Because of this result, XY Gen Stores executives should launch a significant rebranding and marketing campaign to change the company's image and thereby bring new consumers into the stores. "

Today's consumer looks for products that are both of high quality and are affordable. In the preceding claim, the author believes that it is lack of marketing because of which the consumers do not prefer to buy products from XY Gen Stores. However, this claim is based in various assumptions and lacks evidentiary support because of various reasons.
The primary reason is the weak premises the author puts forward. The author claims that 60% of people surveyed did not buy any products from XY Gen store. But this premise fails to throw light on whether it was reasoned out with the customers as to why they do not prefer buying products from the store. The first line of the claim indicates that the store was well known among consumers. Hence, simply marketing does not look to be an issue. Due to this lack of evidentiary support, I find the premises of the claim weak.
In addition, the claim is based on many assumptions which are not explicit in the statement. People may not prefer to visit XY Gen store because its stores may not be located at good locations and people might find it difficult to approach them. Further, the author assumes that the store has enough variety of products for people of different age groups and need. Also majority of consumers belong to middle class and they look for affordable clothings. So it is assumed in claim that the store has clothes in affordable range for people. Hence, the claim fails to explicitly cover these assumptions.
It is not that the claim is all together void looking at the survey results. There could be more detailed analysis is needed to further strengthen it. The store should analyze its range of products to make sure that they are affordable and targets a bigger consumer group. It stores should be suitably located. It floats suitable deals to attract more customers in order to get competitive edge over its rivals. Once the store is able to ensure majority of these points, it will be able to decide if its really marketing that needs to be strengthened.
In Sum, the author needs to explicitly analyze various assumptions and provide evidentiary support to his premises to make his claim acceptable to the audience.
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