Some of the consumers in the taste test preferred the flavor of the established brand. The other soft drink used in the taste test is also manufactured by Company X. The name of the new soft drink is very close to that of the established brand. The new soft drink will cost more than three times as much as any other soft drink on the market.
Company X conducted a taste test to determine whether its new soft drink had a good chance of commercial success. A sample of consumers was asked to compare the flavor of the new soft drink to that of an established brand without knowing the true identity of either beverage. Overwhelmingly, the consumers preferred the taste of the proposed soft drink to that of the established brand. Clearly, Company X has a good chance of commercial success with its new soft drink.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?