[indianspur]

The following appeared in a memorandum from the new president of the Patriot Car manufacturing company.

"In the past, the body styles of Patrioit Cars have been old fashioned, and our cars have not sold as well as have our competitor's cars. But now, since many regions in this country report rapid increases in the number of newly liscenced drivers, we should be able to increase our share of the market by selling cars to this growing population. Thus, we should discontinue our oldest models and concentrate instead on manufacturing sporty cars. We can also improve the success of our marketing campaigns by switching our advertising to the Youth Advertising Agency, which has successfullypromoted the country's leading soft drink."



The argument concludes that Patriot Cars should discontinue their oldest models of cars and should concentrate on manufacturing sporty cars so as to entice the newly liscenced drivers and thus increasing their maket over their competitors. The author assumes that since the body styles of Patriot Cars were old fashioned, they have not sold as well as their competitors. The author also feels that , as per the reports of rapid increase of newly liscenced drivers in various regions of the country, Patriot Cars can increase their market share by manufacturing sportier cars. The author continues stating the success of the marketing campaigns can be increased by contracting Youth Advertising Agency to market their cars, as that agency had successfully promoted the country's leading soft drink. The argument is full of gaps and loop holes since it presents fragmentary evidence. Neither are the premises convincing nor is the conclusion compelling. The argument is very evidently the result of a hasty generalization.



The author clearly commits a non-sequiter fallacy. He feels that Patriot cars lost out to their competitors because of old fashioned body styles of the cars. He fails to take into consideration other factors that might have lowered the image or value of Patriot Cars. For instance, poor engineering, lack of timely and good service, availability of spare parts, general ride and handing or ownership experience may be factors that cause Partiots Cars to sell in small numbers. The conclusion that by changing the body style would improve sale numbers is illogical.



The author also commits a faulty analogy by believing that Youth Advertising Agency would help in improving marketing campaigns because the agency successfully promoted the country's leading soft drink. While Youth Advertising Agency may be effective in marketing soft drinks, it is not necessary that would be efficacious in marketing of cars. Also, the agency has had only one successful marketing campaign as mentioned in the argument. The overall success rate of the agency has not be mentioned. This only weakens the argument.



Furthermore, the author has based his argument on the premise that the newly liscenced drivers would prefer only sporty cars. It could be possible that the newly liscened drivers are of a older age and might prefer more practical and family cars. Additionally, the reports claim that many regions have shown an increase in newly liscenced drivers. It is not necessary that the region in which the cars of Patriot Car company are marketed would also see a similar rise. Lack of sufficient stastistical data evidently refutes that authors claim.



The argument is the result of a huge speculation in which the auhtor has comfortably assumed a considerable amount of data. Had he taken the above discussed factors into view it would have rendered the argument irrefutable. However whatever presented fails to provide a holistic picture to the superfluous claims being made.