Marketing Mix - Promotion

 

 

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  The Marketing Mix - Promotion
 

Establishing the right product, price, place and promotion for your business
 

Promotion

The fourth part of the marketing mix refers to process of informing your customers of your company's products.  

To make your customers aware that your products exist, there are a number of methods you may choose to use, they include:

  • Media Advertising (television, magazines, Internet, radio)

  • Personal selling (involving a sales person) 

  • Non-personal communication (persuasion advertising - competitions, free samples.

  •   Other promotional types include public relation exercises and free publicity.

Promotion needs to be carefully planned, and it is usual to decide on a new promotional plan each year. There should be one main objective to the promotion campaign and that particular emphasis should be projected during a certain time to a certain market segment.

Using market research establishes who are the best market segments to aim your campaign towards. The message of your campaign must be focused towards the market segment and it must relate to the promotional objectives. Time your promotion, when and where is the optimum impact likely to be. Which promotional technique you decide to employ must have a bearing on how best you can reach this segment and which technique would best put your message across favourably.  Here are a few techniques you might consider employing:

USE OF AN ADVERTISING AGENCY
The advertising agency consists of specialised people who are able to promote your campaign more effectively and can be called upon when needed to assist the operation without the necessity of having to employ full time staff dedicated to advertising within the business.

PERSONAL SELLING
Sales men selling to the customer on a one to one basis. Advantages being that questions can be answered straight away, problems can be sorted out at a personal level. The sales man remains with the customers case through to the completion of the sale.

THE PROCEDURE OF PERSONAL SELLING

  • Determine what is to be sold
  • Plan a programme
  • Prepare a sales call (making appointments etc.)
  • Record the interview
 


 

ADVERTISING
You will most probably produce a brochure for your business, but it is also a necessity for any operation to advertise their product.

Advertising can either be concentrated on the general image of the company or a specific product for example a special offer.

The main forms of advertising are:-

  • TELEVISION
  • RADIO
  • NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
  • TRAVEL TRADE PRESS
  • VIDEOS
  • POSTERS
  • CINEMA
  • EXHIBITIONS AND TRADE FAIRS
  • INTERNET
It is worth noting that the higher the profile the more expensive your advert becomes. Television is the most costly and can cost thousands of pounds for only a few minutes, National Radio and newspapers are cheaper ways to advertise and the local newspaper is even cheaper still. The Trade Press are another good option when wanting to aim your product at a particular market.

Whatever you decide you must ensure that it will have the right impact on the customers you are aiming at.  Conduct plenty of research; ask: 

  • Where do my customers "hang-out"? 
  • What would attract their attention?

 If you can answer these questions you will have some idea what type of promotion that would be the most effective. A bad decision could cost you a lot of money with poor results.

 

  
 
   
 

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Last updated: January 07, 2002.