Davis Mortuary provides funeral and burial services for several rural communities. The trends indicate Baby Boomers may prefer cremation, although some are using pre$-$planning services and purchasing statuary or other memorials for their gravesites. As part of its marketing strategy, this example demonstrates how Davis Mortuary must consider $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_$ factors as an important aspect of the external marketing environment.

a$.$ social

b$.$ demographic

c$.$ competitive

d$.$ legal