Prep101 - free Writing Sample tutoring

[Nadil]

PreMed101 students,

My name is Nadil and I attend medical school at McGill University. In the summer, I teach the Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample sections of Prep101’s MCAT prep course in Montreal.

Prep101 has asked me to provide some pro bono tutoring and evaluate students’ essays on this Forum.

I will post one prompt (essay question) every 5 days starting today and give feedback on how to improve your essays as well as a score based on the AAMC scoring guidelines to anyone who posts an essay. Please reply on the thread and not as a private message, as this is meant to help all students.

Another instructor Sameer, also a medical student, will also post a prompt at 5-day intervals– that is, 2 prompts will go up on July 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, August 3, 8. We will provide feedback for essays posted for each pair of prompts for 5 days – i.e., until the next pair of prompts is posted.

There’s no catch. It’s plain and simple free tutoring.

And if you’re a fan of free stuff (who isn’t?), check out: http://www.prep101.com/mcat/study_aids.html

[Nadil]

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation, in business, in which the product itself might be more important than the image of the product. Discuss what you think determines, in business, whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Instructions:

In 30 minutes, write an essay for the prompt and instructions above.

 

Use the Notepad accessory on your computer so word processing functions are turned off.

 

Post your essay in this thread on the Forum and I will post comments and a score here

 

Note: Do not read other essays replying to this prompt on the Forum until after you have written and submitted your own essay.

 

Deadline to post your essay: Tuesday July 13 (I will post another prompt on Wednesday July 14)

[jab4eva]

...my first time here and this might be something that will help me greatly~

thank you~!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Nowadays, big businesses play an important role in our society. They provide living abilities to thousands of employees and make philanthropic decisions to improve the living standards of humanity. They, as already established big entrepreneurs, do not have to constantly worry about how many products are being sold or how much revenues are being generated. Their brand names and products’ quality are well known to consumers and are winning total support from the general public. Since these big chain stores are rooted in our society and are dependant on the people to make tons of money; they have the obligation to contribute back to the society. This means that they must obtain an image of philanthropists in order to receive further support and applause from the general public. For example, Tim Hortons has established a Camp Day campaign for allowing all children to be able to attend summer camps. They will donate a certain amount of profit earned during that period to allow camping for kids. Tim Hortons, as a multibillion dollar business, turns its attention to make itself a better player in the community to promote its image of philanthropy. Hence, big businesses try to promote their image as a company rather than product directly to help them maintain a high status of being a caring organization, not just a roaring money maker.

Small and relatively new businesses on the other hand, financially rely on the products to expand and earn profits, should care about their product more than the image of a community player. Many new businesses face the challenge of bankruptcy but believe that their product quality and uniqueness will eventually win some public support. At this stage of business development, they must focus all their attention on developing the ideal product and do not have the financial stability to become philanthropists. New companies often seek for various ways to make the public aware of its product. Many companies distribute samples to allow consumers try the product first. One advertising campaign on TV about an abdomen exercise machine even promises customers 30 days money back guarantee if by any ways customers do not want to keep the machine; the company is even willing to pay for return fees. As a result, these new businesses are not yet stable enough to do good deeds to improve the community conditions; their primary goal is to promote product and earn money.

As a result, business’ financial ability determines whether or not a business should care about its image more than the product itself. Big and already established businesses like McDonald, Microsoft have the freedom to not being constantly involved in money-making, rather they’ve want to earn a higher status by helping out those in need. Some big companies develop their own charity organizations to prevent world hunger or to save wild animals. However, new and developing businesses are not yet financially stable; they must seek for ways to promote their product and do what a start-up company intended to do: to make more money. Only when a new business earned attention from the public because of their outrageous product quality, and when they are making tons of money that they can turn their attention more to build a philanthropic image of themselves. That is when the product itself is no longer of priority, but rather an image of caring for the community dominates.

[Sebriz]

Hey there! thank you so much for doing this

 

 

I think that this statement means that for a business to succefully market a product, the image that they convey about their product

is a more deciding factor for consumers then what the actual product is. We can see the importance of image to businesses through the use of advertising.Businesses pay large amounts of money towards advertising to help establish their products image. During the superbowl, companies pay millions of dollers for twenty to thirty second ads and if it was not going to result in more business, it would not be economically feasable for them to do this. Psychological studies have proven the importance of advertising to a products success and businesses love to exploit this psychological tendancy in order to maximize revenue.

 

A specific situation that a product may be more important then the image of the product is in the business of tobacco. Although in the past

smoking conveyed an image of coolness, due to a large amount of negative advertising and statistics, smoking now conveys an image of black lungs, coughing and cancer. Governements even forced tabacco companies to label product packeges with shocking images and facts in order to give the product even more of a negative image. The surprising thing is that people still smoke and use tabacoo products even with that negative image because the product itself contains an addictive substance, nicotine. It is because of the nicotine in tobacco that people become hooked and that the companies that supply it are very profitable. Tabacco companies do invest in advertising because it does help to establish some amount of positive image for their product but this pales in comparison to anti-smoking campaigns that smear their products image. It is therefore the product and not the image that results in the success of these companies.

 

What determines whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself is the type of product the business is dealing with. If the product is addictive then it is the product that can sell itself but if not then establishing a good image results in big profits for businesses. In the world of illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin there is a very large negative image associated with them but it the products themselves, being addictive, that are important for their businesses success. A well known quote is that "image is everything" and for products that are not addictive it really is. We can see this through the success of corperations like Coca-Cola that are some of the worlds most well known due to the use of advertising. We may associate coke with a snack food drink that tastes good but is bad for you; it is the image that Coca-Cola gave its product that resulted in its success.

[Nadil]

...my first time here and this might be something that will help me greatly~

thank you~!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Nowadays, big businesses play an important role in our society. They provide living abilities to thousands of employees and make philanthropic decisions to improve the living standards of humanity. They, as already established big entrepreneurs, do not have to constantly worry about how many products are being sold or how much revenues are being generated. Their brand names and products’ quality are well known to consumers and are winning total support from the general public. Since these big chain stores are rooted in our society and are dependant on the people to make tons of money; they have the obligation to contribute back to the society. This means that they must obtain an image of philanthropists in order to receive further support and applause from the general public. For example, Tim Hortons has established a Camp Day campaign for allowing all children to be able to attend summer camps. They will donate a certain amount of profit earned during that period to allow camping for kids. Tim Hortons, as a multibillion dollar business, turns its attention to make itself a better player in the community to promote its image of philanthropy. Hence, big businesses try to promote their image as a company rather than product directly to help them maintain a high status of being a caring organization, not just a roaring money maker.

Small and relatively new businesses on the other hand, financially rely on the products to expand and earn profits, should care about their product more than the image of a community player. Many new businesses face the challenge of bankruptcy but believe that their product quality and uniqueness will eventually win some public support. At this stage of business development, they must focus all their attention on developing the ideal product and do not have the financial stability to become philanthropists. New companies often seek for various ways to make the public aware of its product. Many companies distribute samples to allow consumers try the product first. One advertising campaign on TV about an abdomen exercise machine even promises customers 30 days money back guarantee if by any ways customers do not want to keep the machine; the company is even willing to pay for return fees. As a result, these new businesses are not yet stable enough to do good deeds to improve the community conditions; their primary goal is to promote product and earn money.

As a result, business’ financial ability determines whether or not a business should care about its image more than the product itself. Big and already established businesses like McDonald, Microsoft have the freedom to not being constantly involved in money-making, rather they’ve want to earn a higher status by helping out those in need. Some big companies develop their own charity organizations to prevent world hunger or to save wild animals. However, new and developing businesses are not yet financially stable; they must seek for ways to promote their product and do what a start-up company intended to do: to make more money. Only when a new business earned attention from the public because of their outrageous product quality, and when they are making tons of money that they can turn their attention more to build a philanthropic image of themselves. That is when the product itself is no longer of priority, but rather an image of caring for the community dominates.

 

Hello, hope this helps.

 

The essay does not show a clear understanding of the prompt and, as such, does not address the tasks presented in the instructions. The first paragraph does not clearly define a situation in which the image of the product is more important than the qualities of the product. Along the same lines, the second paragraph also does not provide a specific situation in which the qualities of a product are more important than its marketing. Furthermore, the example in the second paragraph is weak and not specific. Finally, the essay is often repetitive and suffers from several grammatical errors and colloquial language. Suggestions for improvement would include ensuring a thorough understanding of the prompt before you begin writing, ensuring you have specific examples for your argument which are clearly explained, and spending more time outlining your essay to avoid repetitiveness. Furthermore, focus on writing clearly and concisely.

 

Score: 2.5/6 (Distortion of one or more tasks, problems with clarity or complexity of thought, numerous grammatical errors, usage and structure)

[Nadil]

Hey there! thank you so much for doing this

 

 

I think that this statement means that for a business to succefully market a product, the image that they convey about their product

is a more deciding factor for consumers then what the actual product is. We can see the importance of image to businesses through the use of advertising.Businesses pay large amounts of money towards advertising to help establish their products image. During the superbowl, companies pay millions of dollers for twenty to thirty second ads and if it was not going to result in more business, it would not be economically feasable for them to do this. Psychological studies have proven the importance of advertising to a products success and businesses love to exploit this psychological tendancy in order to maximize revenue.

 

A specific situation that a product may be more important then the image of the product is in the business of tobacco. Although in the past

smoking conveyed an image of coolness, due to a large amount of negative advertising and statistics, smoking now conveys an image of black lungs, coughing and cancer. Governements even forced tabacco companies to label product packeges with shocking images and facts in order to give the product even more of a negative image. The surprising thing is that people still smoke and use tabacoo products even with that negative image because the product itself contains an addictive substance, nicotine. It is because of the nicotine in tobacco that people become hooked and that the companies that supply it are very profitable. Tabacco companies do invest in advertising because it does help to establish some amount of positive image for their product but this pales in comparison to anti-smoking campaigns that smear their products image. It is therefore the product and not the image that results in the success of these companies.

 

What determines whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself is the type of product the business is dealing with. If the product is addictive then it is the product that can sell itself but if not then establishing a good image results in big profits for businesses. In the world of illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin there is a very large negative image associated with them but it the products themselves, being addictive, that are important for their businesses success. A well known quote is that "image is everything" and for products that are not addictive it really is. We can see this through the success of corperations like Coca-Cola that are some of the worlds most well known due to the use of advertising. We may associate coke with a snack food drink that tastes good but is bad for you; it is the image that Coca-Cola gave its product that resulted in its success.

 

Hello,

Thanks for posting, hope this helps.

 

 

Overall, the essay does provide somewhat logical arguments of both sides of the prompt. The second paragraph shows some depth of thought and a good example. However, there is a lack of complexity in paragraph one, as the prompt is only repeated and its meaning is not adequately developed. Furthermore, the example provided is very weak, unspecific and does not strongly support the argument. There is also a lack of unity and flow in the essay: paragraphs are not linked together and the structure of paragraphs is unorganized. Furthermore, the last paragraph does not provide closure to the essay, but merely a repetition of its arguments and more examples. Several spelling and grammar mistakes are also evident. Suggestions for improvement would include providing stronger examples and spending more time planning and outlining your essay to improve unity and structure and avoid repetitiveness.

 

Score 3.5/6

[gkdl823]

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself

 

 

Businesses sell products, and consumers buy them. What determines the consumers’ decision to buy the product? The image of the product gives the first impression and influences consumers the most. However, the image is heavily dependent not on the physical appearance, but rather on the brand name of the product. The name of the business and its reputation determines the image of its product, which in turn determines the consumers. Therefore, we can see that the reputation of the business is critical, and the image of the product is very important, since the objective of a business is profit. With a good reputation comes an inflated view of the product from the consumers, and their decision to buy this product produces profit.

 

However, a business’ reputation is not concrete solid; they are subject to, and sometimes very rapid, change. For example, Apple has an amazing reputation so far with their products. Anything they present to the consumers usually result in a sky-rocketing amount of profit. Actually, it is mostly because of this reputation that consumers are likely to buy whatever Apple brings to the table. Recently, Apple has come out with the new iPhone, and millions of people were eager to obtain this creature. However, not so long after its release, the “death grip”, where the phone loses signal when a certain area of the phone is blocked by the hand, has caused Apple’s reputation to fall. Whether or not this fall will continue, or Apple will be able to bring it back up remains a question, but we see how the product itself determines and alters a business’ reputation and thus, the product’s image.

 

Whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself seems to be an unanswerable question – the two factors are mutually exclusive. They determine and affect each other, and cannot be separated as individual, cause-and-effect factors. For a new business to gain a good reputation, the product itself must be better than great to compete with other already established businesses. Once this reputation is established, the image of the business’ future products will be affected, and at this point, this image will be most important in determining their profit. However, if the product does not meet its consumers’ expectations, which usually rises as the business’ reputation increases, their reputation will decline. Rather than a linear start to finish, it is an unstoppable cycle where businesses try their best to remain at the most beneficial step for as long as they can.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much!! My exam is on Friday and I've written essays, but had no idea where I was at, so I'm glad this opportunity is here. I mostly have problems with providing "real-life" examples. In this one, I somehow thought of one right away, but with those "political" prompts, I end up taking a hypothetical example. I've heard that that is okay, but it is much better to provide real examples.. what do you think? Will it affect my score drastically? Thank you again so much for your feedback! Hopefully I can improve in the next few days

[hailey_medschool]

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

this means... (brb)

[anna8]

Here's my essay. Thanks a lot!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself

 

 

Marketing strategies in the business world are known to be key to the success of a product. Marketing involves advertising a product in a way that catches the attention of the public, may it be positioning the product to be better than it actually is or to link the product with ideas that are favorable to the public. Hence, it seems that the image that the product projects is more important than the product itself when it comes to better sales output. After all, business is about making maximum profit, and profit is subsequently derived in the most part from product sales. For instance, the brand Coca-Cola takes advantage of this marketing phenomenon when it associates drinking Coke with happiness in its latest marketing slogan "Open Happiness". Here, the image that Coca-Cola projects is one of lightness and bliss. Hence, this image takes a central role in purchasing a Coca-Cola product, as one is instantly reminded of Coke when one is experiencing happiness, for instance.

 

However, it is not the case all the time that the image of a product takes precedence over the product itself. For a marketing strategy to work, such as in building the image of a product, it is still necessary that the product itself stands true to the image that it is projecting. Inevitably, what will drive business is the quality of the product rather than its image. When the public indeed purchases a product because of its favorable image but finds the product to be of low quality, then eventually the product will lose its favor and the business may no longer be profitable. Recently, the company Toyota has been in the news headlines due to the faulty brake systems in some of their manufactured cars. This has brought a negative impact on the business because it turns people away from buying cars from this company for safety reasons due to low quality. Thus, even though Toyota cars have projected a favorable image to the public for decades now, it is ultimately the quality of the product itself that will dictate whether the business is bound to fail or to succeed.

 

In business, the image that a product projects to the public seems to be more important that the product itself, provided that the product has merits in itself. When the product does not live up to its image due to it being of low quality, then any type of image building through marketing strategies will not prove to be effective. Therefore, whether or not the image of a product is more important depends largely on the quality of a product. For Coca-Cola, the image of happiness that they project works well because the product itself seems to be of good quality and somehow matches the image.

[Nadil]

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself

 

 

Businesses sell products, and consumers buy them. What determines the consumers’ decision to buy the product? The image of the product gives the first impression and influences consumers the most. However, the image is heavily dependent not on the physical appearance, but rather on the brand name of the product. The name of the business and its reputation determines the image of its product, which in turn determines the consumers. Therefore, we can see that the reputation of the business is critical, and the image of the product is very important, since the objective of a business is profit. With a good reputation comes an inflated view of the product from the consumers, and their decision to buy this product produces profit.

 

However, a business’ reputation is not concrete solid; they are subject to, and sometimes very rapid, change. For example, Apple has an amazing reputation so far with their products. Anything they present to the consumers usually result in a sky-rocketing amount of profit. Actually, it is mostly because of this reputation that consumers are likely to buy whatever Apple brings to the table. Recently, Apple has come out with the new iPhone, and millions of people were eager to obtain this creature. However, not so long after its release, the “death grip”, where the phone loses signal when a certain area of the phone is blocked by the hand, has caused Apple’s reputation to fall. Whether or not this fall will continue, or Apple will be able to bring it back up remains a question, but we see how the product itself determines and alters a business’ reputation and thus, the product’s image.

 

Whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself seems to be an unanswerable question – the two factors are mutually exclusive. They determine and affect each other, and cannot be separated as individual, cause-and-effect factors. For a new business to gain a good reputation, the product itself must be better than great to compete with other already established businesses. Once this reputation is established, the image of the business’ future products will be affected, and at this point, this image will be most important in determining their profit. However, if the product does not meet its consumers’ expectations, which usually rises as the business’ reputation increases, their reputation will decline. Rather than a linear start to finish, it is an unstoppable cycle where businesses try their best to remain at the most beneficial step for as long as they can.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much!! My exam is on Friday and I've written essays, but had no idea where I was at, so I'm glad this opportunity is here. I mostly have problems with providing "real-life" examples. In this one, I somehow thought of one right away, but with those "political" prompts, I end up taking a hypothetical example. I've heard that that is okay, but it is much better to provide real examples.. what do you think? Will it affect my score drastically? Thank you again so much for your feedback! Hopefully I can improve in the next few days

 

Hi,

Thanks for the response. In terms of your question, it is extremely important that you provide real examples for all of your arguments. Hypothetical examples will greatly lower the strength of your arguments and ultimately your essay. Hypothetical examples should only be used if you can't think of absolutely any other example (even local examples or historical examples). Hope this helps, here are my comments for your essay:

 

The essay does not exemplify a thorough understanding of the prompt or the instructions. Although the first paragraph had a catchy opening, it did not discuss in any depth how the image of a particular product may be more important than its qualities. Most significantly, the opening argument was not substantiated by an explicit example. As well, the second paragraph does not discuss a specific situation in which the qualities of a product are more important than its image in guiding its success. Instead, the argument made is that a negative quality (the “death grip”) decreases the image of the product. Finally, the last paragraph does not outline a clear resolution between when the image of a product is more important and when the qualities of a product are more important. The arguments are convoluted and do not provide evidence for depth of thought. As well, the ideas expressed are often difficult to understand due to convoluted sentence structure and frequent grammatical errors. Try to write sentences which are shorter and clearer; many sentences were convoluted and difficult to understand due to multiple ideas attempting to be expressed in one sentence. Also, focus on understanding the prompt and developing clear arguments addressing the instructions.

 

Score: 2.5/6 (Distortion of one or more tasks, problems with clarity or complexity of thought, numerous grammatical errors, usage and structure)

[Nadil]

Here's my essay. Thanks a lot!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself

 

 

Marketing strategies in the business world are known to be key to the success of a product. Marketing involves advertising a product in a way that catches the attention of the public, may it be positioning the product to be better than it actually is or to link the product with ideas that are favorable to the public. Hence, it seems that the image that the product projects is more important than the product itself when it comes to better sales output. After all, business is about making maximum profit, and profit is subsequently derived in the most part from product sales. For instance, the brand Coca-Cola takes advantage of this marketing phenomenon when it associates drinking Coke with happiness in its latest marketing slogan "Open Happiness". Here, the image that Coca-Cola projects is one of lightness and bliss. Hence, this image takes a central role in purchasing a Coca-Cola product, as one is instantly reminded of Coke when one is experiencing happiness, for instance.

 

However, it is not the case all the time that the image of a product takes precedence over the product itself. For a marketing strategy to work, such as in building the image of a product, it is still necessary that the product itself stands true to the image that it is projecting. Inevitably, what will drive business is the quality of the product rather than its image. When the public indeed purchases a product because of its favorable image but finds the product to be of low quality, then eventually the product will lose its favor and the business may no longer be profitable. Recently, the company Toyota has been in the news headlines due to the faulty brake systems in some of their manufactured cars. This has brought a negative impact on the business because it turns people away from buying cars from this company for safety reasons due to low quality. Thus, even though Toyota cars have projected a favorable image to the public for decades now, it is ultimately the quality of the product itself that will dictate whether the business is bound to fail or to succeed.

 

In business, the image that a product projects to the public seems to be more important that the product itself, provided that the product has merits in itself. When the product does not live up to its image due to it being of low quality, then any type of image building through marketing strategies will not prove to be effective. Therefore, whether or not the image of a product is more important depends largely on the quality of a product. For Coca-Cola, the image of happiness that they project works well because the product itself seems to be of good quality and somehow matches the image.

 

Hi,

Thanks for posting, hope this helps:

 

Overall, the ideas presented in the essay are well thought out and clearly written, as there is a natural flow between the ideas presented. The essay also adequately addresses the 3 parts of the question stem. Although the example presented in the first paragraph is well chosen, more detail and further explanation is required for it to fully substantiate the argument. Specifically, since the argument is made that marketing results in better sales output, perhaps the example should have outlined that the Coca-Cola “Open Happiness” campaign allows it to have better sales over competitors such as PC Cola or Pepsi, although their ingredients and therefore taste are essentially the same. As such, a better thought out explanation of the example would have increased the strength of the argument and therefore the score. Overall good job!

 

Score: 4.5/6 (Addressed all 3 tasks, clarity of thought with some depth/complexity, few grammatical/spelling errors).

[medhopeful64]

Thanks so much for marking these essays, much appreciated (and much needed for me lol)

 

Here's my essay, I did go a bit overtime though (it's my first real one). Hopefully I can manage my time better on the next one. Thank you!!

 

In order to be successful, businesses must make products that not only perform the best, but look the best. While the performance level of a product is often the foremost priority in the fabrication and design of a new product, smart businesseses recognize the key role that visual anesthetics play in the selling of the product. Often competing business companies engage in a race with each other; when one's performance outdoes the others, they respond with a much more visually appealing product. This most likely results in an increase in sales. Thus, in business, the image of a product is often more important than the actual product itself.

 

Appearance is often positively correlated with performance. Just as humans have a natural bias to expect more competence from a beautiful person than one who is not, so too do consumers when shopping for products. Businesses simply exploit this human bias to their own advantage. Take for example, hats. The function of hats is primarily to protect oneself from the scorching sun, but more often, the function is actually for appearance. This can be proven from the simple fact that there is an extreme variety in the colors, designs, and types of hats. There has been an explosion of creativity in the hats industry. Often, models wear hats to complement the outfit. Whatever the social event, there must be a hat to complement the outfit! The women of the royal british family are almost never seen without some sort of hat to go with their outifts. Queen Elizabeth II for example, has shown off an extremely diverse array of hats in the past few decades - from feathered hats, to sparkling diamond hats, rain or shine, she is wearing one. Thus, here, business companies who sell fashionable hats profit immensely from the image of the product rather than the function of the product itself.

 

While looks are important, they are not everything in business. A product's functions and performance level must be top notch as well. For example, personal laptops have become increasingly popular in the last few years. companies such as HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, etc are some of the major producers of laptops. While the slim and sleek Acer netbook, with array of bright colors, is anaesthetically pleasing, it does not have as many functionalities, nor the performance level of the other less visually pleasing laptops, such as Toshiba's laptops. These laptops often have more memory, hard drive space, RAM, built in devices such as webcams, and so forth, than the netbooks. Subsequently, they often make more sales than laptops that lack a similar level of performance, yet are more visually appealing. Thus, more often than not, the product itself is more important than the image.

 

Successful businesses are those that exploit human attraction towards anaesthetically pleasing products, or make their products' performance among the best. Both functionality and image are important in business; often image is the selling factor in areas such as clothing, while performance makes the cut in other areas such as technological devices. The factor that determines whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself is the type/amount of functions that product performs. If it fulfills numerous, essential functions (ie, there are many, many essential functions of a personal laptop, such as recreation, work, communication, and so forth) vs. less, basic functions (such as hats; the only real purpose is for protection from the sun). Image is less important for products that serve many essential functions, whereas it is more important than the product itself for products that serve a smaller, basic purpose. Nonetheless, businesses work hard to ensure their products not only look good, but serve well too.

[Wellington Boots]

Hi Nadil,

Thanks in advance for taking the time to review my essay. Here goes...

 

 

 

Businesses thrive by keeping operations “out of the red” – a metaphor that reflects accounting ledgers having greater revenues than expenses. In other words, businesses strive to attain maximum profits. Business - the commercial buying and selling of goods and services - seek strategies to attain these maximal profits by focusing on the products they market to the general population. One of these strategies is creating an appealing image, which is the face or recognizable element of the product in question. Put another way, this is the concept of “branding”, where a name or symbol becomes more recognizable – and important - than the product itself. The result is that the mere mentioning of the name or seeing the symbol generates value to the product, irrespective of that product itself. A prime example of this is the designer Louis Vuitton, maker of luggage, handbags and wallets for men and women. The trademark “LV” logo on these products gives them value and bestows social status on the people carrying these products. However, if one really looks at these products, they serve the same functional purpose as those made by any other manufacturer: a means to carry and secure personal belongings. As such, the branding effect – or image – has become more important than the product itself and given the Louis Vuitton business an edge in selling these products.

 

However, image need not always supersede the product in business; there are often times when the product itself is more important than its image. A prime example of this are radiation treatment machines made by the Siemens medical technology company. These machines have to be of high quality because they are used to treat cancer patients with radiation. As such, safety and quality are of paramount concern because people’s lives are at stake with this therapeutic technology. In turn, the product itself has to withstand intense scrutiny in order to meet the associated and stringent standards. The image, then, of Siemens is based on the quality of its products; the image is less important than the product itself.

 

Discerning, then, whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself, in business, depends on what the impact of said product is. If the product is merely for personal consumption and serves to adorn the individual, than image is more important, as seen with the Louis Vuitton products whose brand brings value to the product and social esteem to its owner. If, however, the products have an inherent danger to them and safety is of paramount concern, as seen with the Siemens radiation treatment machines, the product is more important than the image. Thus, in business, balancing the image against the actual product is a delicate task, especially in the context of maximizing organizational profits. Nevertheless, a wise businessman will find this optimal mix and be able to serve consumers in a safe and profitable manner.

[amh]

I think everyone preparing for the MCAT appreciates this type of help. I know I really do since it is a time for me to practice and warm up my skills before the actual test, so thank you!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Every two to five minutes we are subjected to commercials trying to sell us stuff we need and do not need. To assist in selling these items, companies come up with logos, slogans and names that will stick with the future consumer, so that when they think of a particular product, than an image of that brand, or the brand's slogan appears in their head. In many cases, determining and advertising these names and slogans are more important than the actual product since the goal of marketing is to get the consumer to buy their product. Tylenol, a commonly known pain killer, prided its name in many effective ads and commercials, so much so that the word Tylenol is generally the name said when someone needs to rid themselves of a headache. This shows how branding, or a products image, can be more important then the product itself.

 

Even though branding of the product is important to the marketing of product, there are many instanstances where the product itself is more important than its image or name. If we refer back to the example of Tylenol, the term acetaminophen is also becoming well known as well. This is the active ingredient in Tylenol and in many cases the name of no name products. In otherwords, one can go to a pharmacy and find tylenol along with other brands that are not as popular and may very well be the pharmacy's own brand, with the exact same ingredient. Therefore, if pain relief is needed, acetaminophen will do the job, not the word Tylenol. The product can be more important than the image of the product in this instance.

 

overall, what really distinguishes whether or not the products image or the product itself is more important? Basically, it comes down to the cost of the product. Generally brand names like Tylenol are often more expensive than no name brands. Most people feel that the brand names are more effective or of better quality than the no name brands but if a person really took the time to look at what differentiates the two products, generally it is the name, slogan or logo of the brand that is increasing the price. Acetaminophen, is just as effective as Tylenol since in essence they are they same thing. Therefore, the cost of the product, in marketing, determines whether the image of the product is more important than the product itself.

[bobwalberg]

are you limiting the number of people you are evaluating or can i submit one also?

thanks

Bob

[janetjade]

Here is my essay! Thanks!

 

Marketing plays a large role in the success of a business. It is evident especially in today’s society that advertisements are posted every where we go. A business company’s product relies heavily on its’ image to attract consumers. The image of a product includes all external features that enhance the look of the product, while the product itself includes all the internal elements which give it quality and performance. One example would be the popular products made by Apple iMac today. Apple’s large focus is put onto user interface, and the beautiful structure of their products. This has indeed attracted a lot of younger and some older generations. Realistically speaking, iMac computers are extremely pricey compared to other computers that are made with exactly the same specifications. When compared to the performance capacity of other computers and operating systems, Apple products are not up to par. Rather than improving the quality of their computer systems, Apple puts their focus onto how their products’ images appeal to the public. In the perspective of the business, a product’s image is more important than product performance when you want to attract consumers who enjoy beautiful looking products.

 

Even though the image of a product is important to marketing success of a business, this is not the case for all products. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly trying to improve their products not by making their drugs look “nicer” but to increase the effectiveness of the drug. The better the drug works on treating symptoms and illness, the more people it will appeal to. Take Tylenol for example. Tylenol used to be a drug that is just used for fever and pain relief. Now there are different forms of Tylenol that can be used for cough and cold symptoms. The company advertises the effectiveness and the variety of symptoms the drug can relieve. We don’t see any drug companies selling the fact that their pills look fancier than others. It is clear that products such as medicine rely heavily on the effectiveness and performance to attract consumers and doctors who can recommend them.

 

 

The image and quality of a product often comes hand in hand in the world of business. Whether one will favour over the other depends on what the product made for. Usually, if the product is not a necessity for life/living and used more for entertainment/hobby purposes, companies compete with each other on the image of their products. Products that are a necessity for life such as food, medicinal drugs, household cleaners, will rely more on product quality/performance over product image.

[Nadil]

Thanks so much for marking these essays, much appreciated (and much needed for me lol)

 

Here's my essay, I did go a bit overtime though (it's my first real one). Hopefully I can manage my time better on the next one. Thank you!!

 

In order to be successful, businesses must make products that not only perform the best, but look the best. While the performance level of a product is often the foremost priority in the fabrication and design of a new product, smart businesseses recognize the key role that visual anesthetics play in the selling of the product. Often competing business companies engage in a race with each other; when one's performance outdoes the others, they respond with a much more visually appealing product. This most likely results in an increase in sales. Thus, in business, the image of a product is often more important than the actual product itself.

 

Appearance is often positively correlated with performance. Just as humans have a natural bias to expect more competence from a beautiful person than one who is not, so too do consumers when shopping for products. Businesses simply exploit this human bias to their own advantage. Take for example, hats. The function of hats is primarily to protect oneself from the scorching sun, but more often, the function is actually for appearance. This can be proven from the simple fact that there is an extreme variety in the colors, designs, and types of hats. There has been an explosion of creativity in the hats industry. Often, models wear hats to complement the outfit. Whatever the social event, there must be a hat to complement the outfit! The women of the royal british family are almost never seen without some sort of hat to go with their outifts. Queen Elizabeth II for example, has shown off an extremely diverse array of hats in the past few decades - from feathered hats, to sparkling diamond hats, rain or shine, she is wearing one. Thus, here, business companies who sell fashionable hats profit immensely from the image of the product rather than the function of the product itself.

 

While looks are important, they are not everything in business. A product's functions and performance level must be top notch as well. For example, personal laptops have become increasingly popular in the last few years. companies such as HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, etc are some of the major producers of laptops. While the slim and sleek Acer netbook, with array of bright colors, is anaesthetically pleasing, it does not have as many functionalities, nor the performance level of the other less visually pleasing laptops, such as Toshiba's laptops. These laptops often have more memory, hard drive space, RAM, built in devices such as webcams, and so forth, than the netbooks. Subsequently, they often make more sales than laptops that lack a similar level of performance, yet are more visually appealing. Thus, more often than not, the product itself is more important than the image.

 

Successful businesses are those that exploit human attraction towards anaesthetically pleasing products, or make their products' performance among the best. Both functionality and image are important in business; often image is the selling factor in areas such as clothing, while performance makes the cut in other areas such as technological devices. The factor that determines whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself is the type/amount of functions that product performs. If it fulfills numerous, essential functions (ie, there are many, many essential functions of a personal laptop, such as recreation, work, communication, and so forth) vs. less, basic functions (such as hats; the only real purpose is for protection from the sun). Image is less important for products that serve many essential functions, whereas it is more important than the product itself for products that serve a smaller, basic purpose. Nonetheless, businesses work hard to ensure their products not only look good, but serve well too.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

The essay adequately addresses the three tasks outlined in the instructions. Although the first paragraph correctly outlines how the image of a product may be more important than the qualities of a product, the argument is very superficial and does not exemplify depth of thought. Both examples used are weak and unspecific (i.e. hats) and, thus, only weakly support the arguments. Finally, although the concluding paragraph provides an adequate resolution, it is convoluted and somewhat illogical. There are several mistakes in writing structure and the essay suffers from long, convoluted sentences. To improve your score, I would suggest taking more time thinking about the meaning of the prompt and also creating a clear outline before you begin writing in order to improve your argument/paragraph structure.

 

Score 4/6 (Adequately addressed the three tasks)

[Nadil]

Hi Nadil,

Thanks in advance for taking the time to review my essay. Here goes...

 

 

 

Businesses thrive by keeping operations “out of the red” – a metaphor that reflects accounting ledgers having greater revenues than expenses. In other words, businesses strive to attain maximum profits. Business - the commercial buying and selling of goods and services - seek strategies to attain these maximal profits by focusing on the products they market to the general population. One of these strategies is creating an appealing image, which is the face or recognizable element of the product in question. Put another way, this is the concept of “branding”, where a name or symbol becomes more recognizable – and important - than the product itself. The result is that the mere mentioning of the name or seeing the symbol generates value to the product, irrespective of that product itself. A prime example of this is the designer Louis Vuitton, maker of luggage, handbags and wallets for men and women. The trademark “LV” logo on these products gives them value and bestows social status on the people carrying these products. However, if one really looks at these products, they serve the same functional purpose as those made by any other manufacturer: a means to carry and secure personal belongings. As such, the branding effect – or image – has become more important than the product itself and given the Louis Vuitton business an edge in selling these products.

 

However, image need not always supersede the product in business; there are often times when the product itself is more important than its image. A prime example of this are radiation treatment machines made by the Siemens medical technology company. These machines have to be of high quality because they are used to treat cancer patients with radiation. As such, safety and quality are of paramount concern because people’s lives are at stake with this therapeutic technology. In turn, the product itself has to withstand intense scrutiny in order to meet the associated and stringent standards. The image, then, of Siemens is based on the quality of its products; the image is less important than the product itself.

 

Discerning, then, whether or not the image of a product is more important than the product itself, in business, depends on what the impact of said product is. If the product is merely for personal consumption and serves to adorn the individual, than image is more important, as seen with the Louis Vuitton products whose brand brings value to the product and social esteem to its owner. If, however, the products have an inherent danger to them and safety is of paramount concern, as seen with the Siemens radiation treatment machines, the product is more important than the image. Thus, in business, balancing the image against the actual product is a delicate task, especially in the context of maximizing organizational profits. Nevertheless, a wise businessman will find this optimal mix and be able to serve consumers in a safe and profitable manner.

 

Hey,

Hope this helps.

 

The essay addresses the three tasks outlined in the instructions and exemplifies depth of thought with regards to the treatment of the prompt. Furthermore, the essay shows a strong writing style with few (if any) spelling or structural errors. In paragraph 2, the example could have benefited from further specific explanation of how safer medical machines result in more business versus unsafe machines (e.g. safe dosing measures for radiation therapy?).

 

Score 5/6

[Nadil]

are you limiting the number of people you are evaluating or can i submit one also?

thanks

Bob

Hi,

I do not have a limit on the number of respondents, however, I will stop responding to this prompt once I post the new prompt on Wednesday (I will post a new prompt every 5 days). As such, I will try to get to as many as I can within those timeframes.

[Nadil]

I think everyone preparing for the MCAT appreciates this type of help. I know I really do since it is a time for me to practice and warm up my skills before the actual test, so thank you!

 

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

Every two to five minutes we are subjected to commercials trying to sell us stuff we need and do not need. To assist in selling these items, companies come up with logos, slogans and names that will stick with the future consumer, so that when they think of a particular product, than an image of that brand, or the brand's slogan appears in their head. In many cases, determining and advertising these names and slogans are more important than the actual product since the goal of marketing is to get the consumer to buy their product. Tylenol, a commonly known pain killer, prided its name in many effective ads and commercials, so much so that the word Tylenol is generally the name said when someone needs to rid themselves of a headache. This shows how branding, or a products image, can be more important then the product itself.

 

Even though branding of the product is important to the marketing of product, there are many instanstances where the product itself is more important than its image or name. If we refer back to the example of Tylenol, the term acetaminophen is also becoming well known as well. This is the active ingredient in Tylenol and in many cases the name of no name products. In otherwords, one can go to a pharmacy and find tylenol along with other brands that are not as popular and may very well be the pharmacy's own brand, with the exact same ingredient. Therefore, if pain relief is needed, acetaminophen will do the job, not the word Tylenol. The product can be more important than the image of the product in this instance.

 

overall, what really distinguishes whether or not the products image or the product itself is more important? Basically, it comes down to the cost of the product. Generally brand names like Tylenol are often more expensive than no name brands. Most people feel that the brand names are more effective or of better quality than the no name brands but if a person really took the time to look at what differentiates the two products, generally it is the name, slogan or logo of the brand that is increasing the price. Acetaminophen, is just as effective as Tylenol since in essence they are they same thing. Therefore, the cost of the product, in marketing, determines whether the image of the product is more important than the product itself.

 

Hello,

I hope this helps:

 

The essay does not address the tasks presented in the instructions. While the first paragraph adequately outlines how one product (Tylenol) may be more successful than other acetaminophen based pain medication due to a strong marketing campaign, the second paragraph uses the same example. Tylenol cannot effectively be an example of both a successful product due to marketing and also of an unsuccessful product due to similar acetaminophen pills. The arguments and examples presented are circular, illogical and do not exemplify depth of thought. As well, the concluding paragraph does not provide a clear and logical resolution between when the image is more important and when the qualities of a product are more important. Finally, the arguments are not balanced and seem biased and one sided.

 

Score 2/6 (Distortion of one or more of the tasks)

[Nadil]

Here is my essay! Thanks!

 

Marketing plays a large role in the success of a business. It is evident especially in today’s society that advertisements are posted every where we go. A business company’s product relies heavily on its’ image to attract consumers. The image of a product includes all external features that enhance the look of the product, while the product itself includes all the internal elements which give it quality and performance. One example would be the popular products made by Apple iMac today. Apple’s large focus is put onto user interface, and the beautiful structure of their products. This has indeed attracted a lot of younger and some older generations. Realistically speaking, iMac computers are extremely pricey compared to other computers that are made with exactly the same specifications. When compared to the performance capacity of other computers and operating systems, Apple products are not up to par. Rather than improving the quality of their computer systems, Apple puts their focus onto how their products’ images appeal to the public. In the perspective of the business, a product’s image is more important than product performance when you want to attract consumers who enjoy beautiful looking products.

 

Even though the image of a product is important to marketing success of a business, this is not the case for all products. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly trying to improve their products not by making their drugs look “nicer” but to increase the effectiveness of the drug. The better the drug works on treating symptoms and illness, the more people it will appeal to. Take Tylenol for example. Tylenol used to be a drug that is just used for fever and pain relief. Now there are different forms of Tylenol that can be used for cough and cold symptoms. The company advertises the effectiveness and the variety of symptoms the drug can relieve. We don’t see any drug companies selling the fact that their pills look fancier than others. It is clear that products such as medicine rely heavily on the effectiveness and performance to attract consumers and doctors who can recommend them.

 

 

The image and quality of a product often comes hand in hand in the world of business. Whether one will favour over the other depends on what the product made for. Usually, if the product is not a necessity for life/living and used more for entertainment/hobby purposes, companies compete with each other on the image of their products. Products that are a necessity for life such as food, medicinal drugs, household cleaners, will rely more on product quality/performance over product image.

 

Hi,

Hope this helps,

 

Although the arguments presented are coherent, they are not very well supported by the examples. In the first example, Apple computers are indeed more successful because of marketing campaigns and a catchy appearance. However, their performance is comparable if not better than most other brands (i.e. less susceptible to viruses and does not crash as often as Windows platforms). As such, the example would be stronger if presented more accurately. In the second paragraph, although the argument that medications are generally judged based on efficacy and not branding, Tylenol is an example of a product that is successful because of a strong marketing campaign, since many acetaminophen-based medications achieve the same results as Tylenol. As such, the second paragraph does not adequately address the second task presented in the instructions. Suggestions for improvement would include choosing stronger and accurate examples which directly support your arguments.

 

Score: 3/6

 

(Disclaimer: I do not own an iMac, in case you were wondering)

[premed14]

“In Business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself”

 

In general, the overall goal of a business is to maximize profits. One way that businesses try to achieve this is by presenting a good image of a product through packaging. Consider a major bodybuilding supplement company such as BSN who specializes in selling whey protein, pre workout supplements and multivitamins. The packaging of their “Syntha 6” whey protein blend includes a bright red label that has words such as “innovation” and “science” to try to create an image of a product that has been thoroughly studied and tested. Furthermore, Ronnie Coleman, who is an eight time Mr. Olympia record holder, endorses this whey protein supplement. For those seeking to compete in the bodybuilding world, they may be mislead that this product is a necessity to achieve such a title. However, the product is just a whey protein powder with quality that is equal to its competitors. In this sense, the image of the protein powder is more important than the product.

 

On the other hand, there are instances in which the product is more important than the image it upholds. For example, when a consumer chooses to purchase a new computer, they are more concerned with its hardware specifications than its appearance. The new HP netbooks appear to be slim and light weight, however, they lack the internal components that allows it to keep up with today’s memory consuming applications. Since computers have become an integral part of most people’s daily lives, it is essential that one chooses the best possible hardware to perform the tasks that needs to be accomplished.

 

In business, whether the image of a product should come before the product itself depends on the intended use of the product. With bodybuilding supplements, they are used to enhance the diet that the bodybuilder consumes and are not a necessary part of their diet since those macronutrients can be ingested with whole foods. As such, the image of the protein powder is what companies such as BSN will use to sell their products. However, if the product that is to be sold is a necessity to the consumer such as a computer, the quality of the product comes first.

[Nadil]

“In Business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself”

 

In general, the overall goal of a business is to maximize profits. One way that businesses try to achieve this is by presenting a good image of a product through packaging. Consider a major bodybuilding supplement company such as BSN who specializes in selling whey protein, pre workout supplements and multivitamins. The packaging of their “Syntha 6” whey protein blend includes a bright red label that has words such as “innovation” and “science” to try to create an image of a product that has been thoroughly studied and tested. Furthermore, Ronnie Coleman, who is an eight time Mr. Olympia record holder, endorses this whey protein supplement. For those seeking to compete in the bodybuilding world, they may be mislead that this product is a necessity to achieve such a title. However, the product is just a whey protein powder with quality that is equal to its competitors. In this sense, the image of the protein powder is more important than the product.

 

On the other hand, there are instances in which the product is more important than the image it upholds. For example, when a consumer chooses to purchase a new computer, they are more concerned with its hardware specifications than its appearance. The new HP netbooks appear to be slim and light weight, however, they lack the internal components that allows it to keep up with today’s memory consuming applications. Since computers have become an integral part of most people’s daily lives, it is essential that one chooses the best possible hardware to perform the tasks that needs to be accomplished.

 

In business, whether the image of a product should come before the product itself depends on the intended use of the product. With bodybuilding supplements, they are used to enhance the diet that the bodybuilder consumes and are not a necessary part of their diet since those macronutrients can be ingested with whole foods. As such, the image of the protein powder is what companies such as BSN will use to sell their products. However, if the product that is to be sold is a necessity to the consumer such as a computer, the quality of the product comes first.

 

Hello,

Hope this helps

 

 

The arguments presented could benefit from further explanation, especially in the second paragraph. The example provided is vague and needs greater detail to substantiate your argument. As such, the essay seems one sided, since one argument is presented in great detail (the whey protein) while the opposite argument is only briefly discussed (HP computers). The writing style is clear but lacks complexity and would benefit from further detail in order to adequately address the three tasks within the instructions and exemplify greater depth of thought.

 

Score 3.5/6 (The second paragraph requires further detail to adequately address Task 2 in the instructions)

[medhopeful64]

Hope this helps,

 

 

The essay adequately addresses the three tasks outlined in the instructions. Although the first paragraph correctly outlines how the image of a product may be more important than the qualities of a product, the argument is very superficial and does not exemplify depth of thought. Both examples used are weak and unspecific (i.e. hats) and, thus, only weakly support the arguments. Finally, although the concluding paragraph provides an adequate resolution, it is convoluted and somewhat illogical. There are several mistakes in writing structure and the essay suffers from long, convoluted sentences. To improve your score, I would suggest taking more time thinking about the meaning of the prompt and also creating a clear outline before you begin writing in order to improve your argument/paragraph structure.

 

Score 4/6 (Adequately addressed the three tasks)

 

Hi Nadil, thanks for the criticism. I guess I took the prompt too literally? It didn't even occur to me that a product's image actually meant it's reputation.

 

Also, you said there were several mistakes in writing structure - could you please pinpoint exactly what these were? Thanks

 

oh one more thing - could you tell me (if possible) what a 4 is on the WS scale (ie can you translate my 4/6 into a letter grade).

 

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

[PastaInhaler]

In business, the image of a product is more important than the product itself.

 

At the outset, there seems to be a dichotomy in the emphasis on products which satisfy the consumer. It is not to say there is a compromise in the quality of the product, but a far more important selling point of a product are the associated traits to which the product brings which is sought after. When ideas of status, and power, luxury, and class are the focus of a product, rather than the product's utilitarian functionality, businesses must focus on delivering an appropriate connotation to their product. Rolex has founded a multi-milliond dollar business with the emphasis on what their product brings. Those fortunate enough or capable enough to afford Rolex watches choose to wear the watch for the sense of luxury and wealth that is identified with it. Rolex watches are sometimes more difficult to read compared to cheaper digital watches, and often lack functionality features that may serve useful such as the ability to be read clearly at night, to offer alarm functions, as well as times for other time zones.

 

Rolex watches do serve their purpose in clarifying the status of the wearer, but are not primarily created for their utilitarian traits. This trait however, can be found in products by bicycle companies such as Specialized. Specialized is an American based company that specializes in the manufacture of bicycles for very specific purposes. Although Specialized is like Rolex in that it focuses on developing quality products, Specialized bicycles are meant for their purpose and functionality, rather than a

status symbol. Specialized bikes are useful in allowing people to travel from point A to B in an efficient manner, while allowing for the rider to exercise, and improve health and endurance. Specialized offers a line of commuter bicycles that offer fenders to stave off inclement weather as well as rear racks for installing baskets to carry groceries or other items during travel.

 

While Rolex may focus on developing high-priced luxury watches, their aim is different from businesses like Specialized. Rolex focusses its business model on allowing the wealthy to purchase a product primarily based on its image. When the consumer demands such a product, it is no wonder that a business

exists to meet this demand. However, when the consumer demands a product with much more utilitarian motives, such as to facilitate travel cheaply, and conveniently allowing functionality, products by Specialized Inc. are implicated. Whether the demands of the consumer focus on the importance of the image that a product portrays, or how functional and useful the product is solving problems directs the emphasis of business on style or utility.