TESTING THE MARKET

Ideally, before committing itself to a new product, a firm would be able to test its marketability in a laboratory in the __0__ way that technical aspects of, say, a new car can be tested. But marketing does not __21__ itself to this approach You can find out how a new car or machine will behave by testing it. But the only way to be sure what the __22__of a national advertising or price – cutting campaign will be is actually to carry it __23__That is not really a laboratory experiment but the real thing.

A practical alternative is to run a test in a __24__ area and then attempt to conclude from this what the national reactions would be. This procedure. For example, has been used for such products as confectionery and to test advertising slogans. There are a number of problems when it __25__to interpreting the results. For instance, no single area is typical in all respects of the country as a whole. Tests can usually only be __26__for relatively short periods and the result projected into the future. There is, of course, no __27__that these projections will be accurate. Allowance has to be made for the ‘novelty effect’ of a new product, or for __28__consumer resistance.

This form of test marketing may be the only method available to the smaller firm. __29__the resources or expertise to make use of other techniques, small firms may have no __30__but to introduce a new product or service and see what result brings.

20   A  similar          B  like               C  identical                 D  same

21   A  give                    B  set                C  lend              D   let

22   A  response        B  reaction                 C  end                     D   effect

23   A  on                      B  out               C  over             D   off

24   A  selected         B  proposed                C  picked            D   designed

25   A  moves                 B  comes            C  gets              D    goes

26   A  conducted      B  applied                  C  pursued                 D   piloted

27   A  insurance       B  warranty                C  security                 D   guarantee

28   A  primary         B  first                     C  initial             D   beginning

29   A  Lacking         B  Needing                 C   Wanting                D   Missing

30   A  course                 B  alternative               C  means            D  substitute