Promotion Mix

Promotion refers to the process of informing and persuading the consumers to buy certain product. By using this process, the marketeers convey persuasive message and information to its potential customers.

The main objective of promotion is to seek buyers’ attention towards the product with a view to:

  • arouse his interest in the product
  • inform him about its availability
  • inform him as to how is it different from others

It is a persuasive communication and also serves as a reminder. A firm uses different tools for its promotional activities which are:

  1. Advertising
  2. Publicity
  3. Personal selling
  4. Sales promotion

These are also termed as four elements of a promotion mix.

1. Advertising

Advertising is the most commonly used tool for informing the present and prospective consumers about the product, its quality, features, availability, etc. It is a paid form of non-personal communication through different media about a product, idea, a service or an organisation by an identified sponsor.

It can be done through print media like newspaper, magazines, billboards, electronic media like radio, television, etc. It is a very flexible and comparatively low cost tool of promotion.

2. Publicity

This is a non-paid process of generating wide range of communication to contribute a favourable attitude towards the product and the organisation. You may have seen articles in newspapers about an organisation, its products and policies. The other tools of publicity are press conference, publication and news in the electronic media, etc.

It is published or broadcasted without charging any money from the firm. Marketeers often spend a lot of time and effort in getting news items placed in the media for creation of a favourable image of the company and its products.

3. Personal selling

You must have come across representatives of different companies knocking at your door and persuading you to buy their product. It is a direct presentation of the product to the consumers or prospective buyers. It refers to the use of salespersons to persuade the buyers to act favourably and buy the product. It is most effective promotional tool in case of industrial goods.

4. Sales promotion

This refers to short-term and temporary incentives to purchase or induce trials of new goods. The tool include contests, games, gifts, trade shows, discounts, etc. Sales promotional activities are often carried out at retail levels.