Passage 1
Passage 2
PASSAGE 1: How to Make Millions with a Rock
By Carolynn Susannah Feasting
Rocks are everywhere, and they come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Most rocks are free, because you can simply pick one up off the ground and put it in your pocket. So, it is incredible that someone would be able to make millions of dollars from selling rocks to people that they could otherwise pay nothing for, but it happened! It is the “Pet Rock,” and over the last 40 years, consumers have spent millions of dollars buying them to keep on shelves or give away as gifts.
Pet Rocks were sold with a manual on how to train and raise a new pet rock. Dahl became a millionaire instantly after selling approximately five million Pet Rocks.
The Pet Rock’s creator, Gary Dahl, did not invent rocks, of course, but he did find a way to make people want to buy them. By using his skills as an advertising executive, he understood how to get people to buy something that they did not need and probably would not have ever thought of buying on their own. For years, Dahl had listened to people complaining about all of the trouble involved in raising a pet. Many parents would buy a pet for their children only to be stuck with feeding, bathing, walking, and doing the tasks necessary to keep the pet healthy and happy themselves. Dahl’s solution to this problem—invent a pet that never needed feeding, walking, bathing, or grooming, and would not die, become sick, or be disobedient, as with a real pet. Once he started selling his Pet Rock, the idea caught on. Within six months, he had made more than 15 million dollars.
It would be very difficult to set up a stand with a bunch of rocks on it and get people to buy them. Dahl had to do much more than that to convince people that the Pet Rock was something they had to have. This was where Dahl’s skills in advertising would pay off; he was able to come up with a marketing plan that made the Pet Rock a must-have item for everyone. The key to marketing the Pet Rock was convincing people that it was actually a pet; so, Dahl came up with a 32-page manual full of puns, gags, and plays on words that referred to the rock as an actual pet, which also included care instructions, a guide for training the new pet, and a backstory for the rock. It worked!
Many products use promotional gimmicks (like the one that sold so many Pet Rocks) that use strategies that grab the buyer’s attention and emphasize the idea that the product is something the buyer must have or must give as a gift. Over time, a product (such as the Pet Rock) can gain a cult following and become something fondly remembered.
WRITING TASK
There are several different strategies used to market products.
Think about the ideas in the two passages, and then write an explanatory essay in which you explain how marketing impacts product sales.
Be sure to use information from BOTH texts in your explanatory essay. Write your answer in the space provided.
Before you write, be sure to:
think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use;
think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph;
develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the source texts;
be sure to identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from the sources.
Now write your explanatory essay in the space provided. Be sure to:
Marketing plays a crucial role in product sales by utilizing various strategies to grab buyers' attention and persuade them that a product is a must-have. This is evident in both Passage 1, which discusses how the creator of the Pet Rock used marketing to make millions of dollars, and Passage 2, which mentions how promotional gimmicks can lead to a product gaining a cult following. In this essay, I will explain how marketing impacts product sales by examining the ideas presented in both passages.
In Passage 1, we learn about Gary Dahl, the creator of the Pet Rock, who was able to sell millions of rocks by employing his skills as an advertising executive. According to the passage, Dahl understood how to make people want to buy something they didn't need. He tapped into the frustration that many people experienced when raising a pet and offered them a solution. By inventing a pet that required no feeding, walking, or grooming, Dahl created a novelty item that appealed to a wide audience. However, he didn't just rely on the novelty factor. Dahl used his advertising expertise to market the Pet Rock as an actual pet, complete with a manual that described how to train and raise the rock. This marketing strategy worked, as consumers bought into the concept and the Pet Rock became a must-have item.
Passage 2 further emphasizes the impact of marketing on product sales by mentioning promotional gimmicks. The passage suggests that these gimmicks use strategies that grab buyers' attention and convince them that the product is something they must have or give as a gift. The Pet Rock can be seen as an example of a product with a promotional gimmick that gained a cult following. The 32-page manual that accompanied the Pet Rock was a clever marketing tactic that emphasized the rock's status as an actual pet. The manual included puns, gags, and plays on words that created a backstory for the rock, making it more than just a simple rock. This added value and personal connection led to increased sales and a devoted following.
Both passages highlight the importance of marketing in influencing product sales. Marketing strategies such as understanding consumer needs and preferences, creating novelty or unique selling points, and using promotional gimmicks can all contribute to the success of a product. Gary Dahl's ability to tap into the frustration of pet ownership and his clever marketing tactics with the Pet Rock demonstrate how marketing can transform an ordinary item into a must-have commodity. Similarly, the mention of promotional gimmicks in Passage 2 supports the idea that marketing strategies that grab buyers' attention and create a sense of urgency can lead to a product gaining popularity and becoming fondly remembered by consumers.
In conclusion, marketing plays a significant role in product sales by utilizing various strategies to capture buyers' attention and persuade them to purchase a given product. Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 provide examples of how marketing impacts product sales. From understanding consumer needs and preferences to creating novelty and using promotional gimmicks, effective marketing strategies can transform ordinary items into must-have commodities, leading to increased sales and a devoted following.