Which of the following is the most likely obstacle for a marketer to encounter when trying to maximize consumer surplus?

• A. Consumer surplus is always zero in competitive markets
• B. All consumers always pay the same price regardless of their preferences
• C. Marketers can perfectly predict each consumer's willingness to pay
• D. Consumers have different willingness to pay for the same product

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of consumer surplus: it is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay for a good and what they actually pay.
2. Recognize that consumer surplus varies because different consumers have different willingness to pay for the same product.
3. Identify that a marketer trying to maximize consumer surplus faces the challenge of heterogeneous willingness to pay among consumers.
4. Note that in competitive markets, consumer surplus is not always zero; consumers often pay less than their maximum willingness to pay, creating surplus.
5. Conclude that the main obstacle is the marketer's difficulty in perfectly segmenting the market and charging each consumer according to their individual willingness to pay.