Question

Symbolize the following arguments then check for validity using a truth table. To simplify, leave the parenthetical parts out of your symbolization. All of the arguments are based loosely on arguments in Chapter One of The Branded Mind by Eric Du Plessis.

A.(The primary function of emotions is to direct attention, so) If your client’s purchase was motivated by emotion then it was related to attention. Your client’s purchase was (motivated by a desire for well-being or cultural acceptance and was) not related to attention. So, your client’s purchase was not motivated by emotion. [You can leave out the parenthetical parts in your symbolization.]

B. (Rewards in the pleasure center of the brain reinforce behavior so) Either we make decisions in order to feel good or the brain is not in control of our decisions. The brain is in control of our decisions, so we make decisions in order to feel good (and marketers should develop brands accordingly).

C.Humans can avoid dissatisfaction in the future (hunger, boredom, loneliness…) if and only if consumers plan for future problems. So, either humans can’t avoid dissatisfaction in the future or they don’t plan for future problems.

D. Brand choice decisions are based on how a consumer would feel if they decided to buy. If that’s true then the marketer’s job is to manage the feeling that the brain associates with the brand. It follows that the marketer’s job is to manage feelings associated with brands.

E.If the branding of soft-drinks (Coca-Cola in particular) plays a greater role in decision than taste does then more people will say they like Coke than Pepsi when told they’re drinking Coke than they do when they’re not told. (Montague’s experiments showed that) more people did say they like Coke than Pepsi when they were told they were drinking Coke (and showed that different regions of the brain were involved when participants considered the brand). So the branding of soft-drinks plays a greater role in decision than taste.   

Answer 1