A peculiarity of marketing campaigns across several social media websites is that, to compete effectively for people's attention, such campaigns...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
A peculiarity of marketing campaigns across several social media websites is that, to compete effectively for people's attention, such campaigns require multiple daily updates of small amounts of information. At first glance, this would seem to require a smaller time commitment than would most traditional marketing campaigns, but the fragmentation of target audiences across different social media websites means this time commitment, and the necessary marketing budget, is often quite comparable. Furthermore, different social media websites have different limitations and user interfaces. However, by understanding these differences and the audiences that use each of the social media sites, a company has the unique opportunity to shape messages to appeal specifically to each audience.
Statement: As compared to most traditional marketing campaigns, a peculiarity of marketing campaigns across several social media websites is that they require 1, but a company can turn this feature to its advantage by creating 2.
Phase 1: Owning the Dataset
Argument Analysis Table
| Passage Statement | Analysis & Implications |
|---|---|
| "A peculiarity of marketing campaigns across several social media websites is that, to compete effectively for people's attention, such campaigns require multiple daily updates of small amounts of information." |
|
| "At first glance, this would seem to require a smaller time commitment than would most traditional marketing campaigns, but the fragmentation of target audiences across different social media websites means this time commitment, and the necessary marketing budget, is often quite comparable." |
|
| "Furthermore, different social media websites have different limitations and user interfaces." |
|
| "However, by understanding these differences and the audiences that use each of the social media sites, a company has the unique opportunity to shape messages to appeal specifically to each audience." |
|
Key Patterns Identified
- Established Facts: More frequent updates, small content pieces, comparable time/budget, platform differences, opportunity for targeted messaging
- Key Comparison: Social media requires frequent updates vs. traditional campaigns
- The Advantage: Platform differences allow message customization for specific audiences
Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking
Understanding Each Part
- Part 1 Focus: What do social media campaigns require compared to traditional campaigns?
- Part 2 Focus: What advantage can companies create from this requirement?
- Relationship: The requirement in Part 1 creates the opportunity for the advantage in Part 2
Valid Inferences (Prethinking)
- For Part 1: Must be something explicitly different about social media campaigns - the passage directly states they need "multiple daily updates"
- For Part 2: Must be an advantage companies can create - the passage mentions "shape messages to appeal specifically to each audience"
Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation
Option Analysis
| Answer Choice | What It Claims | Fact Support | Logical Validity | Part Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| more frequent updates | Social media needs more posts | "multiple daily updates" directly stated | ✓ Necessary conclusion | Part 1 only |
| greater time commitments | Social media takes more time | Passage says "quite comparable" | ✗ Contradicts passage | Neither |
| greater amounts of information | Social media uses more content | Passage says "small amounts" | ✗ Contradicts passage | Neither |
| more-specific message targeting | Companies can target audiences | "shape messages...specifically to each audience" | ✓ Necessary conclusion | Part 2 only |
| larger marketing budgets | Social media costs more | Passage says "quite comparable" | ✗ Contradicts passage | Neither |
Answer Selection Process
Part 1 Selection: "more frequent updates" - This directly matches the passage's statement about "multiple daily updates" being a peculiarity of social media campaigns.
Part 2 Selection: "more-specific message targeting" - The passage explicitly states companies can "shape messages to appeal specifically to each audience" by understanding platform differences.
Verification:
- Part 1 is directly stated as the peculiarity
- Part 2 follows logically as the advantage companies can create
- Both answers stick strictly to passage facts without speculation
Common Traps Avoided
- Over-inference: We didn't assume social media requires more time/budget when the passage says they're comparable
- Reversed logic: We correctly identified the requirement (frequent updates) leading to the opportunity (targeted messaging)
- Speculation: We stuck to what's explicitly stated, not what seems reasonable
Final Answer
- Part 1: more frequent updates
- Part 2: more-specific message targeting