Promotion
AQA specification AQA amplification
Using Marketing Mix; Promotion
• The promotional mix includes factors such as PR, branding, merchandising, sales promotions, direct selling and advertising.
•Influences on the choice of mix
•Elements of the promotional mix
What this topic is about
• What is promotion?• Effective methods of
promotion for different types of product/business
• Factors to consider when choosing the promotional mix
Promotion = marketing communication
• Communication techniques aimed at informing, influencing and persuading customers to buy or use a particular
• It involves communication about the product or service
• Promotion is an element in the marketing mix
The Many Uses of Promotion• Increase sales• Attract new customers• Encourage customer
loyalty• Encourage trial• Create awareness• Inform• Remind potential
customers• Reassure new customers
• Change attitudes• Create an image• Position a product• Encourage brand
switching• To support a distribution
channel
Main Aims of Promotion
• The main aim of promotion is to ensure that customers are aware of the existence and positioning of products
• Promotion is also used to persuade customers that the product is better than competing products and to remind customers about why they may want to buy
Promotional mix• The specific mix of promotional methods that a
business uses to pursue its marketing objectives• The main elements of the mix are:
– Advertising (offline & online)– Sales promotion & merchandising– Personal selling– Public relations/publicity / Sponsorship– Direct marketing
• The elements must be integrated in a cohesive, consistent and logical manner
Reading• OTB page 264 - 269
“The Chapter!!”
Composition of promotional mix depends on:
Stage in the product’s life cycle
E.g. advertising & PR are often important at the launch stage
Nature of the product What information do customers require before they buy?
Competition What are rivals doing ? What promotional methods are traditionally effective in a market?
Marketing budget How much can the firm afford?
Marketing strategy Other elements of the mix
Target market Appropriate ways to reach the target market
Two tests of promotional effortWas it effective?
Did it achieve its objectives?How was response measured?
Was it efficient?
Were objectives achieved at the acceptable cost?Were any promotional overspends justified by better-than-expected sales?
Promotional effectiveness and efficiency
Effective Ineffective
Efficient Objectives achieved at lowest costsEffective and cost efficient
Low promotion budget but objectives not achieved
Inefficient Objective achieved but at high cost
Expensive promotion which fails to achieve objective
Advertising
• Paid-for communication• Many different advertising media
– TV & radio, newspapers & magazines, online, cinema, billboards
• Consumers subjected to many advertising messages each day = hard to get through
• Mass market advertising is very expensive
Advertising + / -Advantages Disadvantages
Wide coverage
Control of message
Repetition means that the message can be communicated effectively
Can be used to build brand loyalty
Often expensive
Impersonal
One way communication
Lacks flexibility
Limited ability to close a sale
Personal selling• Promotion on a person to person
basis• Two way communications• Meeting with potential customers
to close a sale• By telephone, at meetings, in retail
outlets and by knocking on doors• Highly priced, low volume and
highly technical products rely heavily on personal selling
Personal selling + / -Advantages Disadvantages
High customer attention
Message is customised
Interactivity
Persuasive impact
Potential for development of relationship
Adaptable
Opportunity to close the sale
High cost
Labour intensive
Expensive
Can only reach a limited number of customers
Sales promotion
• Tactical, point of sale material or other incentives designed to stimulate purchases
• Short term incentives to increase sales
• Some promotions aimed at consumers; -others at intermediaries or sales force
Examples of sales promotion
• Coupons• Money off• Competitions• Demonstrations• Free samples• Loyalty points
• Free gifts• Point of sale
displays• BOGOF• Merchandising• Trade in offers
Sales Promotion + / -Advantages Disadvantages
Effective at achieving a quick boost to sales
Encourages customers to trial a product or switch brands
Sales effect may only be short-term
Customers may come to expect or anticipate further promotions
May damage brand image
Merchandising
• The process of maximising the effectiveness of retail distribution
• Displaying products to maximise sales
• Usually operates at the “point-of-sale”
Public relations (“PR”)
Activities that create goodwill toward an individual, business,
cause or product
Main Aims of PR
• To achieve favourable publicity about the business
• To build the image and reputation of the business and its products, particularly amongst customers
• To communicate effectively with customers and other stakeholders
Typical PR Activities
• Promoting new products• Enhancing public awareness• Projecting a business image• Promote social responsibility• Projecting business as a good
employer• Obtain favourable product
reviews / recommendations
Sponsorship
• Sponsorship takes place when a payment for an event, person, organisation is given in return some consideration of benefit
• A specialised form of public relations• Common in the worlds of arts and
sport• Sponsorship should benefit both sides
Direct Marketing
Promotional material directed through mail, email or telephone to
individual households or businesses
Why Use Direct Marketing?
• Allows a business to generate a specific response from targeted groups of customers
• Allows a business to focus on several marketing objectives:– increasing sales to existing customers – building customer loyalty – re-establishing lapsed customer relationships – generating new business
Direct marketing + / -Advantages Disadvantages
Focus limited resources on targeted promotion
Can personalise the marketing message
Relatively easy to measure response & success
Easy to test different marketing messages
Cost-effective if customer database is well managed
Response rates vary enormously
Negative image of junk mail and email spam
Databases expensive to maintain and keep accurate
Task• OTB page 270
Questions 1, 2, 4 & 6 (20 marks)
Homework Task• OTB page 290
Data Response B1Green & Black’s second bite
ALL Questions30 marks
72. Promotion
Complete all parts
Test Your Understanding
http://www.tutor2u.net/business/quiz/promotion/quiz.html