Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument for continuing direct mail marketing?

A) The consumers that direct mail marketing reaches are much better prospects compared to those reached by advertising.
B) Direct mail marketing accounts for 34 percent of all U.S. direct marketing spending.
C) Direct mail marketing has proven to be successful for promoting certain product types, such as cosmetics and designer apparel.
D) The growth of direct mail marketing has been explosive, with customers being flooded with such material.
E) Telephone marketing, another form of direct marketing, is becoming easier to use due to auto-dialers.

Answer: A
Explanation: A) Riverdale will continue with direct mail marketing if it is a successful marketing tool and is likely to continue to succeed. Choice A tells us that direct mail reaches better prospects than advertising does, which, at the very least, recommends direct mail over traditional advertising for Riverdale. Choice B provides a national statistic but doesn't specifically address the effectiveness of direct mail marketing for Riverdale. Choice C is somewhat favorable toward direct mail marketing, but we don't know if it has proven to be successful for the types of products marketed by Riverdale. Choice D weakens the argument, suggesting that customers are so overwhelmed with direct mail that they are less likely to pay attention to it. Choice E does not say much about the issue at hand—whether to continue direct mail marketing—but, if anything, it slightly weakens the case for direct mail by suggesting a better alternative.