A business consultant advises a startup to invest heavily in social media advertising, claiming it's the most cost-effective way to reach their target demographic of young adults. The consultant points to a recent report showing that 90% of young adults use social media daily. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the consultant's advice?
- AMany young adults use ad-blockers, significantly reducing their exposure to social media advertisements.
- BTraditional media advertising, such as television and print, has seen a decline in engagement among young adults.
- CThe startup's product is a high-end luxury item, typically purchased by an older, wealthier demographic.
- DThe cost of social media advertising has increased by 15% over the past year.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The startup's product is a high-end luxury item, typically purchased by an older, wealthier demographic.
The consultant's advice is based on two premises: social media reaches young adults, and young adults are the target demographic. Option B directly undermines the second premise by stating that the startup's product is for an 'older, wealthier demographic', not young adults. If the target demographic is incorrect, then the advice to reach young adults via social media, no matter how cost-effective for that group, is fundamentally flawed for the startup's actual product.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Ad-blockers reduce *effectiveness* but don't undermine the claim that social media is *the most cost-effective way to reach their target demographic* if that demographic is indeed young adults.
- B. This strengthens the idea that social media is better than traditional media for young adults, but doesn't undermine the advice if the target demographic is wrong.
- D. Increased cost might reduce *cost-effectiveness* but doesn't undermine the core issue of whether 'young adults' are even the right group to target.
Challenging Foundational Assumptions
To seriously undermine advice or a claim, expose a critical, unstated assumption upon which the advice or claim is built as false or inappropriate.
- Identify the explicit claim or advice given.
- Uncover the implicit assumptions necessary for that claim/advice to hold true.
- Provide evidence that directly contradicts a crucial assumption.
Memory trick: Giving directions to the wrong destination.