Promotions

Promotion is the activity of stimulating the demand for goods by advertising, publicity and events to attract attention and create interest among consumers. Promotions use techniques that persuasively communicate favorable information about a seller’s product to potential buyers, including advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations.

The main programs, which are used by retailers in the promotion activities, are as follows:

Advertising

Indirect, Impersonal Communication carried by a mass medium and paid for by an identified retailer. An example of such program is advertising in newspapers or on television or celebrity endorsements.

Sales Promotions

Direct and indirect impersonal inducements that offer an extra value to consumers. An example of sales promotions is price discounts, season sales off etc.

Publicity

Indirect, Impersonal communication carried by a mass medium but not paid for nor credited to an identified retailer. The publicity can be positive or negative and could be in the form of Press Conferences etc.

Advertisements are usually of three main types. Product advertisements present specific merchandise for sale and urge the customers to come to the store immediately to buy. Institutional advertising advertising on the other hand sells the store generally as an enjoyable place to shop. Co-operative advertising is the last but one of the most effective and cheapest advertising methods used by retailers where the manufacturer prepares the handouts and other print and broadcast material and the retailer just insert its own name and address into the advertisements and share the cost with the manufacturers.

Some of the main objectives of Promotional activities are as following:

• Creating the Store image
• Establishing a Store Position
• Generating Store Traffic
• Promoting a Store Event
• Increasing Average Purchases
• Expanding Total Sales

Usually for every promotion activity carried out by a retailer, the Media Characteristics like Media Effectiveness, Impact, Coverage, Selectivity, Flexibility, Immediacy, Frequency, Life, Prestige, Costs etc. as well as Media Alternatives like Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television, Sign, Transit, Direct etc. are considered.