Promotions. This is the final P which I introduced at the end of the previous blogpost about the P’s of the marketing mix. Today I will provide you with some insight into Promotions – what it’s all about and importantly, the pitfalls to avoid.
What is a promotion? It is a term which describes ”the primary communications elements in the marketing mix”. It includes all methods of communication between the supplier and its targets, and includes physical evidence (signage, flyers) and personal selling (direct interpersonal communication).
What is the purpose of promotions? The wide array of communications tools at your disposal can be used to deliver five broad objectives, namely:
1. To generate desire
2. To stimulate interest
3. To create awareness
4. To build the reputation of the product or organisation, and
5. To differentiate it from its competitors.
Each promotional activity which a business undertakes should be designed to meet a clear communications objective which will fall into one of these five goals. Last week, I asked the followers of my business Facebook page to let me know whether they thought that this blogpost should be illustrated by a peacock or a flock of seagulls. Fortunately, the majority favoured the peacock, which was also my preference. Here’s why:
A peacock displays his feathers not out of vanity but with a clear purpose in mind: to initiate courtship when attracting a mate. The larger and more colourful the tail feathers on display, the more attractive that male will be to candidate pea-hens, just like when you begin to attract your target customer. There are several factors which need to be combined to deliver the desired outcome. For example, peacock feathers are visually arresting and abundant. They have approximately 200 feathers which combine to make the fan and the many elements are integrated to make a single, compelling impression. You must aim to achieve a similar effect with your communications activities. Special effects, the dazzling impact of the peacock’s tail, is further leveraged and enhanced by rapid shaking of the tail feathers which scientists have recently identified takes advantage of the phenomenon of resonance. In physics, the addition of rapid movement ensures that the colours become iridescent for the onlooking pea-hen.
In summary, your approach to your promotional activity should resemble a peacock by being:
•Visual with a clear purpose
•Integrated, working together like all the tail feathers, to magnify the overall effect
•Boosted with added effects, like the way that peacocks shake their feathers to make the colours iridescent
Avoid being like a noisy herring gull. Those birds are known for being very vocal. They make lots of noise but without a clear purpose. They are, in fact, a species which is red-listed by the RSPB. Their numbers are in decline owing to the lack of food supply for them. Their constant cries can become irritating to the listener and you don’t want your Promotions to make lots of noise without any clear purpose as you may risk alienating your customers. Please think of your business as a peacock, not a noisy herring gull.
To discuss an effective Promotional plan, please visit me at a marketing clinic , or contact me by email at [email protected]