12.Promotional schemes
As with other weapons in the marketing armoury, be crystal
clear about what you're trying to achieve with a promotional scheme. They can
be very costly and very time-consuming if you allow your enthusiasm to run away
with itself.
Conversely it can be a very targeted weapon and
an appropriate creative approach can increase its perceived value well above
its actual cost. An example I would cite of this is a promotion carried out by
a leading condom brand to young people to encourage them to carry condoms just
in case. The condom key-ring was developed which was a small plastic sleeve on
a key-ring and just large enough to hold a single condom.
These plastic sleeves were produced with
appropriate "slogans" on the front face. The result of this promotion was that
the company were inundated with requests for this item by both consumers and
health care professionals involved in promoting safer sex. This then resulted
in considerable media attention and hence considerable free advertising of the
brand. It even resulted in this promotional item being sold to health care
professionals as they proceeded to be of great help in spreading the safer sex
message.
This promotion did not cost money; it
actually turned in a profit!
Your promotional scheme might be aimed
at:
- consumers
- your retailers
- your distributors
With your customer audience of
consumers/retailers/distributors. The objective of your promotional scheme
might be:
- to generate new customers
- to entice current customers to use the
product more frequently
- to entice current customers to purchase
other products from your company
- to reward current customers
Suffice it to say promotional schemes
can be put together to meet a wide range of marketing objectives. All I would
add is that they can become quite costly and they can take up considerable
management time if they are to work effectively.
|
Tel: 01202-257423 