GRE作文范文 Argument-18

One year ago we introduced our first product, "Bargain Brand" breakfast cereal. Our very low prices quickly drew many customers away from the top-selling cereal companies. Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering their prices, and although several plan to introduce their own budget brands, not once have we needed to raise our prices to continue making a profit. Given our success selling cereal, Bargain Brand should now expand its business and begin marketing other low-priced food products as quickly as possible.

嘉文博译Sample Essay

Obviously, the marketing director is enthusiastic about Bargain Brand Cereals' success in selling low-priced breakfast cereal. The marketing director states that over one year, the very low prices of the cereal took many customers away from the top-selling cereal companies and that despite the top brand cereal companies reducing their prices and planning to introduce budget brands, Bargain Brand has never had to raise its prices to continue making a profit. The marketing director then comes to the conclusion that the company should expand the business and start selling other low-priced foods as soon as possible. At first glance, the marketing director would appear to have a good idea, but upon closer inspection one can see that more research should be done before such products are launched in the marketplace.

In the first place, Bargain Brand Cereals' low-priced breakfast cereals have only been on the market for one year - a very short time in terms of analyzing the overall success or failure of a product. With such a short history, it is impossible to evaluate the long-term viability of the product in the marketplace, particularly with respect to the actions and reactions of competitors. The marketing director even mentions in his or her memo that the top brands have already tried to compete by lowering prices. It is likely still too early to tell what effect that will have on the future sales of Bargain Brands cereal. Additionally, the marketing director states that several of the companies producing the top-selling brands plan to introduce their own budget brands, indicating that they have not yet done so. He or she also states that Bargain Brands has never had to raise its prices to continue making a profit. Although that may be true because the competition has not yet fully reacted, the other companies are organizing a direct attack on the Bargain Brands cereal - companies which likely have tremendous funds available for launching these new bargain products, possibly even selling them at or below cost to try to drive Bargain Brands cereal out of the market. Faced with these current and upcoming battles, the marketing director's conclusion that they should launch other low-priced food products as quickly as possible might be foolish rather than wise. The company may need to save its funds to try to survive in their current market rather than extending itself out into more fields of competition.

Secondly, the marketing director assumes that low prices are what attracted consumers to Bargain Brands cereal. It is possible that it was not price that attracted customers - rather the package, promotion or the fact that the other cereals were not as good as Bargain Brands cereal. The company may have some special advantage with its cereal that others do not have - and that it cannot duplicate in any other types of foods. Success in selling low-priced cereal does not indicate the chances for success with other low-priced foods. Indeed, there may be some industry-specific factors in cereal marketing that have allowed Bargain Brands to succeed in the short-term. Bargain Brands may have some special expertise with cereal that they cannot duplicate with other types of food products. The marketing director presents no direct evidence or market research to indicate that Bargain Brands can successfully expand its business into other food areas. Without such information, the marketing director's argument is unconvincing.

In summary, without detailed market research showing the true reason why Bargain Brands cereal has been successful, without knowing the likelihood of its continued success, and without showing how it can translate that success to other areas, the marketing director's argument is based on speculation and faulty logic. To strengthen his or her argument, market research should be conducted to determine how the marketplace is reacting to the competition's strategies in the cereal market, and whether there is a demand in any other particular areas for low-priced food products. Additionally, the marketing director must show that Bargain Brands has some type of competitive advantage that it can successfully apply to its strategies in the low-priced food product market.

(683 words)

参考译文

下文出自"特价谷类食品"公司销售部经理的备忘录：

一年前，我们推出了我们的第一个产品："特价谷类食品"早餐系列。我们非常低的价位很快就从销量最好的食品公司吸引了众多顾客。尽管那些生产优质食品的公司继而降低产品价格试图与我们竞争，而且有几次计划推广他们自己的廉价产品，但是我们从未需要靠提高价格来维持赢利。考虑到我们销售食品的成功，"特价谷类食品"公司现在应该扩大它的业务，开始尽快地把其他低价食品推向市场。

显然，销售部经理对"特价谷类食品"公司成功地销售低价位早餐系列极富热情。销售部经理说，仅仅一年多，非常低廉的食品就把销量最好的公司的顾客吸引过来，而且尽管优质食品公司降低价格并计划推出廉价产品，"特价谷类食品"公司却没有提高价格来维持赢利。销售部经理接着得出结论，公司应该扩大生产业务并开始尽早把其它低价食品推向市场。乍看起来，销售部经理似乎出了一个好主意，但仔细推敲我们就能发现，在这类产品推向市场之前应该做更多的调查研究。

首先，"特价谷类食品"公司推出的低价早餐系列仅投放市场一年--时间太短不足以分析一种产品的完全成功或失败。在这样短的时间内，不可能评价产品在市场上的长期发展，尤其针对竞争者的行动和反应更是如此。销售部经理在其备忘录中提到，优质产品已经试图通过降低价格与其竞争。断言对"特价谷类食品"未来将有什么影响现在尚为时过早。此外，销售部经理声称，几家生产销量优质产品的公司已经计划推出他们自己的廉价产品，暗示他们尚未做。他/她还说，"特价谷类食品"从未提高价格以维持赢利。虽然他/她的说明可能是真的，因为竞争尚未完全展开，但是其他公司已在组织对"特价谷类食品"的反击，而且这些公司很可能拥有巨额资金来推出这些廉价产品，甚至以成本价或低于成本价销售他们的产品以便把"特价谷类食品"挤出市场。面对这些目前的及即将出现的战斗，销售部经理的结论--他们应该尽快地把其他低价食品推向市场--与其说是明智的不如说是愚蠢的。公司需要积蓄资金以便在目前的市场上生存，而不是扩展到其他竞争领域。

第二，销售部经理假定价格低是吸引顾客购买"特价谷类食品"系列的因素。可能并非是价格吸引了顾客--而是包装、促销或因为其他种类的谷类食品不如"特价谷类食品"的好。公司的产品可能具有其他公司的产品所没有的某种特殊长处--而这个长处是在其他种类食品中不能仿效的。低价谷类食品的销售成果，并不意味着其他低价食品也有成功的机会。的确，可能是因为某些企业占有市场的因素使"低价谷类食品"在短期内获得了成功。"特价谷类食品"公司可能有一些专门技巧，而这些技巧是可能不能在其他种类食品中复制的。销售部经理没有提供直接证据或市场调查证明"特价谷类食品"公司可能成功地把其业务扩展到其他食品领域。没有这类的资料，销售部经理的论点是不能令人信服的。

总之，没有提供详细的市场调查来证明"特价谷类食品"成功的真正原因。不了解其继续成功的可能性，也没有说明它如何把成功移植到其他领域，只能说销售部经理的论点是基于空想和错误的逻辑。为了加强他/她的论点，应该进行市场调查以便确定市场对食品销售的竞争战略是如何反应的。此外，销售部经理必须说明"特价谷类食品"公司具有某种竞争优势足以使其成功地将其战略应用于廉价食品市场。