GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文四四

　　44. The speaker claims that high-quality ads can sell almost anything, and that

　　companies should accordingly invest heavily in such advertising. I agree that the quality

　　of an ad can in some instances play a pivotal role in a products success or failure in the

　　marketplace. However, the speaker over-generalizes, for advertising is far more critical

　　in some businesses and for some products than for others.

　　Certain types of businesses benefit greatly from investing in high-quality

　　advertising. Fledgling companies, for example, may require an extensive top-notch

　　advertising campaign to achieve the name recognition that older competitors already

　　enjoy. Even established companies may need an expensive ad campaign. When

　　introducing new products or venturing into new markets. Companies selling products

　　that are no utilitarian value perhaps stand to gain the most from an extensive high-

　　quality advertising effort. Consider, for example, the kinds of products that are marketed

　　by means of the most extensive and expensive advertising: beer, cigarettes, soft drinks,

　　and cosmetics. None of these products has any utility. Their success depends on

　　consumers fickle tastes, their emotions, and their subjective perceptions. Accordingly,

　　influencing consumer attitudes through popular and appealing ads is about the only way

　　to increase sales of such products.

　　In some industries, however, substantial-investment in high-quality advertising

　　simply does not make sense from a cost-effectiveness viewpoint. Pharmaceutical

　　companies, for example, might be better off limiting their advertising to specialized

　　publications, and focus instead on other kinds of promotional programs, such as the

　　distribution of free samples. And widespread, flashy advertising would probably have a

　　limited effect on overall sales for companies such as Deere and Caterpillar, whose name

　　recognition and long-standing reputations for quality products are well established and

　　whose customers are unlikely to be swayed by sensational ads.

　　In sum, the speaker over-generalizes. Not all companies have an equal need to

　　invest heavily in high-quality advertising. Companies with new products and products

　　that have little utility stand to benefit most from expensive, high-quality advertising.

　　But other companies, especially those whose customers are businesses rather than

　　consumers, would be better off focusing on product quality and reputation, not on

　　sensational advertising.