promotion
Still from a recent Cadbury TV advertising campaign
So you have your product, you know who will buy it, you know where to sell it and you’ve set the price. Now you need to work out how to get the message about the product out to your target market. This is where decisions need to be made on promotion.
There are many different types of promotion, and these are sometimes referred to as the "Marketing Toolkit". These include:
- Advertising
- Sales Promotions
- Direct Mail
- Public Relations
1. Advertising
Advertising is an industry that involves using different media to inform consumers about products and persuade them to buy. These can include:
- Television and radio
- Newspapers and magazines
- Billboards
- Internet
Delivery methods used with the different types of media can include:
- Unpaid Product placement (e.g. companies can supply their products to be used on screen by characters or in locations).
- Split Screen – advertising on screen at the same time as broadcasts such as F1
- Internet Advertising – information windows and ‘pop ups’
2. Sales Promotions
These are techniques used to keep a product name in the mind of the consumer without using the direct advertising mentioned previously. Possible promotions might be:
- Discounts – a temporary reduction in the price of a product to increase the likelihood of the customer ‘trying’ it.
- Free samples – giving away examples of the product for consumers to try before they buy.
- Special stand in a shop – a display of goods which is intended to catch the consumer’s eye.
3. Direct Mail
This is the process by which the company contacts the customer directly with information and/or incentives to buy the product from outlets. New laws on sending direct mail and the growth of email marketing have significantly changed how customers are contacted. Plus, advances in technology mean that companies are now better able than ever to effectively target customers through direct mail.
4. Public Relations (PR)
Public relations is all about making sure that a company builds and maintains good relations with their target audience. This includes such activities as working to make sure newspaper journalists write positive things about the product or service, or organising events to help raise the profile of the product or service.
Can you think of examples of each of these different types of promotion strategies?
