Marketing director Amanda Foster used traditional print advertising throughout the early 2000s, focusing on newspaper and magazine campaigns that had...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Marketing director Amanda Foster used traditional print advertising throughout the early 2000s, focusing on newspaper and magazine campaigns that had proven successful for decades in her industry. In 2012, she shifted to digital marketing strategies, emphasizing social media and online content creation. Foster described this change as "adapting to where our customers spend their time" and noted the "necessity of evolution in a changing marketplace." Media analysts studying this transition argue that it represents "a response to declining print readership and shifting consumer attention patterns." Therefore, both Foster and these analysts likely agree that her strategic shift was primarily motivated by ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
the need to reduce marketing costs while maintaining effectiveness.
changing patterns in how target audiences consume media and information.
the desire to appear more innovative than her industry competitors.
regulatory changes that made traditional print advertising less viable.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Marketing director Amanda Foster used traditional print advertising throughout the early 2000s, focusing on newspaper and magazine campaigns that had proven successful for decades in her industry." |
|
| "In 2012, she shifted to digital marketing strategies, emphasizing social media and online content creation." |
|
| "Foster described this change as 'adapting to where our customers spend their time' and noted the 'necessity of evolution in a changing marketplace.'" |
|
| "Media analysts studying this transition argue that it represents 'a response to declining print readership and shifting consumer attention patterns.'" |
|
| "Therefore, both Foster and these analysts likely agree that her strategic shift was primarily motivated by ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[BACKGROUND: Foster's traditional approach (early 2000s)] → [KEY EVENT: Shift to digital (2012)] → [TWO EXPLANATIONS FOR THE SHIFT] Foster's view: adapting to where customers spend time / Analysts' view: response to declining print readership and shifting consumer attention → [INFERENCE QUESTION: What do both agree motivated the shift?]
Main Point: Amanda Foster's shift from traditional print to digital marketing in 2012 can be explained by changes in where and how customers consume media.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Foster's traditional marketing background, describes her strategic shift to digital platforms, then presents two aligned explanations—Foster focuses on following customers to where they spend time, while analysts emphasize declining print readership and changing consumer attention patterns. Both explanations point toward the same underlying cause.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at Foster's explanation, she talks about "adapting to where our customers spend their time"—this suggests customers changed their media consumption habits
- The analysts mention "declining print readership and shifting consumer attention patterns"—this also points to customers changing how they consume information
- Both explanations center on the same core idea: the target audience changed their media consumption behavior
- Foster had to follow her customers to new platforms because that's where they went
- So the right answer should reflect this shared understanding that customers/audiences changed their media consumption patterns, forcing the strategic shift
the need to reduce marketing costs while maintaining effectiveness.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses on cost reduction and maintaining effectiveness
- Neither Foster nor the analysts mention anything about costs or budget considerations
- Foster's quote emphasizes following customers, not saving money
changing patterns in how target audiences consume media and information.
✓ Correct
- This directly matches both explanations we analyzed
- Foster said she was "adapting to where our customers spend their time"—that's about changing consumption patterns
- Analysts mentioned "shifting consumer attention patterns"—exactly the same concept
- Both perspectives recognize that target audiences changed how they consume media and information
the desire to appear more innovative than her industry competitors.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the motivation was competitive positioning or appearing innovative
- Neither Foster nor the analysts frame the shift as being about competition or innovation
- Students might think digital marketing automatically means trying to be innovative, but the passage focuses on following customer behavior, not outpacing competitors
regulatory changes that made traditional print advertising less viable.
✗ Incorrect
- This introduces regulatory changes affecting print advertising
- The passage mentions no government regulations or legal restrictions
- Both explanations focus on customer behavior and market changes, not regulatory compliance