Group #1: Analysis of Argument
The following was used as part of an internet advertising company's appeal to businesses: Furniture Depot employed our internet advertising company to help. Since then its sales increased by 10% over last year's totals. Furniture Depot's success demonstrates how using our internet services can increase your profitability.
Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
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The argument above is proponed in the light of how utilisation of new modes of communication like internet for advertising can increase business connectivity.
There is no doubt that internet has completely broken the geographical barrier and anyone can buy anything from any part of world through this. However, products like Furniture have a different story to tell. They are household products where " touch and test" form of traditional purchasing still applies.
Products are The argument casts a serious doubt over the rationale of sales improvement solely is because of internet advertising.
An advertisement like this principally casts a wrong notion among many gullible costumers. But a wise costumer might find the loopholes in it. One can surely raise questions on viewership : of all the extra sales attributing to addition of costumers, how many did really purchase after checking the website is not clarified. Normally websites like these, except for biggies like Ikea dont get many hits , so expecting a sales increase because of internet advertising is certainly doubtful.
A wise costumer would also notice that a 10% increase in sales because of last year is not a reliable value. There is no assurance that the 10% increase would last this year too. One cannot disregard a windfall increase in sales due to some marriage or increase in sales of houses closeby. Nothing can be said about advertising contributing to the gains mentioned.
Lastly, one can surely wonder if internet advertising was the"only" form of new advertising employed for increase in sales. Probably popular media like billboards and TV could well be used to attract the attention of potential costumers , based on which the claims of internet advertising company is surely fallacious.
In sum, internet advertising has no doubt brought dramatic change in the marketing world. Selling sites like Amazon and IMDB which were unknown almost a decade back have taken over the marketing world by storm and have erased names like Amway for their traditional model. However, a generalisation cannot be done and a company cannot claim its success based on projecting incomplete picture of one of its clients. Claims like this must be shunned away with.
The following was used as part of an internet advertising company's appeal to businesses: Furniture Depot employed our internet advertising company to help. Since then its sales increased by 10% over last year's totals. Furniture Depot's success demonstrates how using our internet services can increase your profitability.
Describe how well reasoned you find this argument. In the discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the argument's conclusion. You may also address possible changes in the argument that would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
======================================================================================
The argument above is proponed in the light of how utilisation of new modes of communication like internet for advertising can increase business connectivity.
There is no doubt that internet has completely broken the geographical barrier and anyone can buy anything from any part of world through this. However, products like Furniture have a different story to tell. They are household products where " touch and test" form of traditional purchasing still applies.
Products are The argument casts a serious doubt over the rationale of sales improvement solely is because of internet advertising.
An advertisement like this principally casts a wrong notion among many gullible costumers. But a wise costumer might find the loopholes in it. One can surely raise questions on viewership : of all the extra sales attributing to addition of costumers, how many did really purchase after checking the website is not clarified. Normally websites like these, except for biggies like Ikea dont get many hits , so expecting a sales increase because of internet advertising is certainly doubtful.
A wise costumer would also notice that a 10% increase in sales because of last year is not a reliable value. There is no assurance that the 10% increase would last this year too. One cannot disregard a windfall increase in sales due to some marriage or increase in sales of houses closeby. Nothing can be said about advertising contributing to the gains mentioned.
Lastly, one can surely wonder if internet advertising was the"only" form of new advertising employed for increase in sales. Probably popular media like billboards and TV could well be used to attract the attention of potential costumers , based on which the claims of internet advertising company is surely fallacious.
In sum, internet advertising has no doubt brought dramatic change in the marketing world. Selling sites like Amazon and IMDB which were unknown almost a decade back have taken over the marketing world by storm and have erased names like Amway for their traditional model. However, a generalisation cannot be done and a company cannot claim its success based on projecting incomplete picture of one of its clients. Claims like this must be shunned away with.
Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time ~Theodore Roosevelt
