SALES PROMOTION: AN OVERVIEW

Abdul Majeed C. “A study of the effect of sales promotion on

consumption of fast moving consumer goods in Kerala” Thesis.
Department of Commerce & Management Studies, University of Calicut, 2007
CHAPTER 3
SALES PROMOTION: AN OVERVIEW

The marketing communication environment is undergoing a thorough

change due to the fragmentation of markets and vast improvements in
information technology. Mass marketing and mass media have been replaced
by segmented or one-to-one marketing and more specialized and highly
targeted communication efforts. Though mass media communication channels
like newspapers, magazines and television remain important, their dominance
is declining. Advertising was viewed as the crown jewel of marketing
communication and the primary tool for brand building for many years.
However, more marketers are recognising that brands are the sum total of all
marketing communications and that no single Integrated Marketing
Communication tool is capable of building brand image, sales and
relationship with consumers, as well as the trade, at the same time. A variety
of companies fiom package goods, fast food and electronic and automotive to
consumer electronics and financial services are making branding the core of
their marketing strategies. In the process, they are recognising that a solid
branding strategy requires true integration of all the various marketing
communication tools. Moreover, many are discovering that sales promotion is
the engine that drives the sales numbers.

Marketers generally agree that advertising is essential in positioning a

brand and building its promises, personality and image. But, today's
consumers are concerned about more than a promise or brand image. They
want image to be accompanied by an offer or extra incentive. Now sales
promotion is being used to build customer equity and is taking centre stage
alongside advertising. The new mandate is to deliver experience that deepens
each consumer's relationship with the brand. In the past sales promotion
specialists would be brought in aRer key strategic brand building decisions
were made. They were viewed as tacticians whose role was to develop a
promotional programme such as a contest or sweepstake, coupon or sampling
programme that would create a short-term spike in sales. However, many
companies are now making promotion specialists as part of their strategic
brand building team.

3.1 The Marketing Mix

Marketing mix includes everything that the marketer uses to create a

blend that would influence the demand for its products or services. It is a set
of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm uses to achieve its
objectives in the target market. Popularly, 4 PS are used to represent the
elements of marketing mix. Each 'P' stands for product, price, place and
promotion. A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention,
acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfL a want or need. The price
is the sum that the customer pays in exchange for the product or to get a
service performed. The place refers to marketing activities undertaken to
make the product or service available to consumers at convenient locations
where they are normally expected to shop for such things. Finally, promotion
includes marketing activities used to inform, persuade and remind the target
market of an organisation, its products, services and other activities.

Some people argue that 'people' is the most important element of the
marketing system and added another 'P' with the conventional 4Ps. 'People'
can be interpreted as customers or as staff. Service marketers have developed
a new approach by forming a 7 PS concept. Physical evidences (e.g. building
and uniforms) and Processes (methods of producing, delivering and
consuming the service) are the additional PS. Now fast moving consumer
goods marketers have also accepted 7Ps.

All of the marketing mix variables communicate in their own way. A '
poor-quality product or service generally says more than any amount of
advertising. A high price sends a different message to a low price. Some times
price is used by many buyers as an indicator of quality. The various places of
purchase give different experience to the buyers. For example, an item
purchased fi-om a super market has a different perceived value to an item
purchased fi-om a street stall. Promotion has its own communication tools like
advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and publicity. The fifth P,
people or staff creates a good or bad experience through the quality of service
delivered at any particular time. Physical evidence communicates, as
demonstrated by the physical presence, style, location etc. It grabs attention,
interest and, to some, creates the desire to enter and explore. Process the final
'P', also communicates in terms of likes or dislikes of the consumers about
the method of producing and delivering the goods or services.

3.2 The Promotion

Promotion is the communication process in marketing that is used to

create a favourable predisposition towards a brand of product or service, an
idea or even a person. It is the marketing h c t i o n , which is concerned with
persuasive communication of the components of marketing programme to
target audiences with the intent to facilitate exchange between the marketer,
and the customer, which may satisfjr the objectives of the consumers and the
organisation. Promotion seeks to persuade the audience in the target market to
develop a new attitude or change the existing one, as it is a persuasive
communication. It is goal oriented and the objective may be to create brand
awareness, to educate the consumers, to create positive image and the
ultimate goal is to sell the product or service.

3.2.1 Role of Promotion in the Marketing Mix

Marketing mix refers to a wide range of responsibilities of marketers

related to the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of a brand.
Promotion plays a key role in the marketing mix because it is essential to the
successful implementation of the three other mix factors, i.e., product, pricing
and physical distribution.
Promotion affects the product area of the marketing mix in four
important ways:

Information and Persuasion: -Target audiences learn about a brand's

features and benefits through the communication transmitted by
various promotional tools. Advertising and personal selling
communicate brand images to the targeted audiences.

Introduction of new brands or brand extensions: - When new brands or

extensions are brought to market, the promotion process is largely
responsible for attracting attention to the new market offering. Sales
promotion and POP displays are used for the purpose.

Building and maintaining brand loyalty among consumers: - Brand

loyalty occurs when a customer repeatedly purchases the same brand to
the exclusion of competitor's brand. While advertising reminds
consumers of the value of a brand, sales promotion provides an extra
incentive to consumers to remain brand loyal. When a hcreates and
maintain positive association with the brand in the minds of
consumers, the fm has developed brand equity

Building and maintaining brand loyalty with in the trade: - Wholesalers

and retailers will favour one brand over others if they get necessary
support fiom manufacturers. Marketers can provide the trade with
training programme, collateral materials, displays and traffic building
special events.

The promotional mix affects two aspects of price i.e., at a consumer

level and related to trade. In the consumer market sales promotion can offer a
price concession or an incentive to buy a brand. While coupons reduce the
price in an obvious way, rebates give consumers a choice on how to use an
extra bonus in the pricing system. Incentives like premium or sweepstakes
give reasons to buy a brand. In the trade market, special promotions like case-
lot discounts, cooperative advertising and incentive contests affect the end
price and can affect the wholesalers and retailers preferences for one brand
over others.

Promotion can affect consumer access to a brand and securing trade

cooperation. When special POPS or brochure materials are used at the retail
level, consumer access to the brand is increased. Cooperative advertising will
inform the consumers about location of retail outlets. Cooperative advertising,
slotting fees, vendor support programmes and incentive programmes are
promotional techniques that convince wholesalers to carry brands.

3.3 The Promotion Mix

Promotion mix is a blend of promotion tools used by a firm to carry

out the promotion process and to communicate directly with target market (or
audience in the language of communication). These communication tools
include advertising, the internet, direct marketing and e-commerce, sales
promotion, event sponsorship, point of purchase displays, support
communications (like brand placements in films, and specialty items), public
relations and personal selling.

Figure 3.1
Diagrammatical Representation of the Relationship Between Promotion,
Promotional Mix and IMC

Promotion: Promotion Mix: IMC :

(Source: Promotion & Integrated Marketing Communication,

Richard J Semnik, page-9)
The Promotional mix can include some combination of many
approaches or just one or two promotional tools.

3.3.1 Advertising

It is the most glamorous and elaborate of all the promotional tools.

Advertising is defined as a paid, mass mediated attempt to persuade.)
Accordingly if a communication is not paid for, it is not advertising. For
example, a form of promotion called publicity is not advertising because it is
not paid for. Another feature of advertising is that it is mass mediated, i.e., it
is delivered through a communication medium designed to reach more than
one person- or mass of a people. Advertising media include television, radio,
newspapers, magazines, direct mail, billboards, internet and videocassettes.
The mass mediated nature of advertising creates a communication
environment where as the message is not delivered face-to-face. Finally,
advertising includes an attempt to persuade. Advertisements are
communications designed to get someone to do something. Thus
advertisements inform the consumer for the purpose of getting the consumer
to like the brand and eventually buy the brand.

According to Stanely M.Ulanoff, "advertising is a tool of marketing for

communication of ideas and information about goods or services to a group; it
employs paid space or time in the media or uses another communication
vehicle to carry its message; and it openly identifies the advertiser and his
relationship to the sales effort." '
Around $500 billion is spent around the world as the cost of media
time and space. If all the costs of producing ads and the salaries of people
working in the industry are added, the amount is well over $1 trillion a year

3.3.2 Internet Advertising

It is a form of advertising in which the message is carried over the

internet rather than the traditional mass media. Internet media for advertising
consists of e-mail, usenet and the World Wide Web. E-mail is fi-equently used
by marketers to reach potential and existing customers. A variety of
companies collect e-mail addresses and profiles that allow marketers to direct
e-mail to a specific group. People who wish to discuss specific topics through
the internet often join electronic mailing list. A message send to the list's e-
mail address is then resent to everybody on the mailing list. Usernet is a
collection of discussion groups in cyberspace. People can read messages
pertaining to a given topic, post new messages and answer messages. The
phenomenon of World Wide Web is the universal database of information
available to most internet users, and its graphical environment makes
navigation simple and exciting. Apparels, airlines and books were the most
frequently promoted goods through internet. Price of's followed by fiee gifts
6
offer was the most commonly used type of promotions. The scope of
internet is truly impressive given that it is a communication medium, which is
only a decade old. About 200 million people worldwide or 4.7 percent of the
population is online. 7

3.3.3 Sales Promotion

It is the use of incentives to generate a specific and short-term response

in a household consumer, trade buyer or business buyer. Free samples,
coupons, premiums, sweepstakes and contests, rebates, and price discounts
are some of the primary methods of sales promotion in the consumer market.
The business market relies more on trade shows, demonstrations, premiums,
price or merchandise allowances, and sales force or dealer contests as sales
promotion techniques. Sales promotion is designed to stimulate short-term
purchasing in a target market and enhance dealer effectiveness in promoting a
firm's brand. This promotional option is valuable to marketers because it
provides a way to get a consumer who is using a competitor's brand to switch
to the marketer's brand. It is also a way to move stagnant inventory and create
needed cash flows.
3.3.4 Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing that uses one or

more advertising media to effect a measurable response andlor transaction at
any location. 8

Direct marketing is interactive in that a marketer is attempting to

develop an ongoing dialogue with the customer. Direct marketing
programmes are commonly planned with the notion that one contact will lead
to another and then another, so that marketer's promotional message can
become more focused and refined with each interaction. Direct marketing is
designed to elicit a direct response by using a combination of media.
Moreover, transactions in direct marketing can occur anywhere.

It is a business conducted between buyers and sellers using electronic

exchange media. E-commerce is quickly emerging as a significant form of
direct marketing. The scope and nature of e-commerce is almost exactly the
same as direct marketing. In using an e-commerce structure and methods,
marketers make direct contact with consumers and business buyers; they
intent to communicate information, and they hope to bring about a transaction
through the contact. Where as the transaction in direct marketing takes place
through traditional means of contact between buyers and sellers i.e., by using
phone or mail, in e-commerce the transaction is electronic and typically takes
place by computer and internet.

3.3.6 Sponsorships, Point-of Purchase and Supportive Communications

Sponsorship involves funding an event (like a motocross competition)

or a charitable cause (such as public television fund raising) or creating an
event in order to highlight a firm's brand to a specific target audience.
Point- of -Purchase (POP) promotion refers to materials used in the
retail setting, to attract shopper's attention to a company's brand. In-store
displays, banners, end-of-aisle displays, wall units and floor stands are ways
to attract shoppers to a brand.

Supportive communication includes a variety of ways marketer

communicates to target audience outside of mainstream media or electronic
communications. Directories, specialty advertising items and brochures are
some of the examples for supportive communications.

3.3.7 Public Relations

Public relation is used to highlight positive events in an organisation,

such as quarterly sales and profit of noteworthy community service
programmes carried out by the firm.It uses techniques like press releases,
newsletters and community events to reach target audiences.

3.3.8 Personal Selling

Personal selling is the presentation of information about a h ' s

product or service by one person or a small group of people. It is the only
one-to-one communication that can deliver a completely customized message
based on feed back fiom the receiver of the message. Personal selling is the
dominant variable in the promotional mix of many corporate marketers.
Complex products and services, high purchase prices and negotiated contracts
warrant the customized communication of personal selling.

3.4 Promotion Mix Strategies

Marketers can choose fiom two basic promotion mix strategies- push
promotion or pull promotion. The relative emphasis on the specific promotion
tools differs for push and pulls strategies. A push strategy involves pushing
the product through the distribution channels to final consumers. The
producer directs its marketing activities (primarily personal selling and trade
promotions) towards channel members to induce them to carry the product
and to promote it to final consumers. Using a pull strategy, the producer
directs its marketing activities (primarily advertising and consumer
promotions) towards final consumers to induce them to buy the product. If the
pull strategies are effective, consumers will demand the product fiom the
channel members, who will in turn demand it fiom producers. Thus, under a
pull strategy, consumer demand "pulls" the product through the channel.

3.5 Integrated Marketing Communication

In the past companies around the world were engaged in mass

marketing i.e., selling highly standardised products to masses of customers.
They developed effective mass media advertising techniques to support this
strategy. Currently targeted marketing has taken the place of mass marketing.
Marketers are now developing focused marketing programmes designed to
build closer relationship with customers in more narrowly defined micro
markets. Moreover vast improvements in information technology are
speeding the movements toward segmented marketing. The shift fkom mass
marketing to segmented marketing has had a dramatic impact on marketing
communications. The dominance of mass-media communication channels like
television and magazines has declined. Marketers are now making increased
use of new and highly targeted media like highly focused specialty
magazines, cable television channels, CD catalogues, web coupon and airport
Kiosks.

Again, no one person or department was responsible for thinking

through the communication roles of various promotion tools and coordinating
the promotion mix. Today, however, more companies are adopting the
concept of Integrated Marketing Communication. Under this concept, the
company carehlly integrates and coordinates its many communication
channels to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling message about the
organisation and its products. It is a new way of looking at the whole where
once we only saw parts, such as advertising, public relations, sales promotion,
purchasing, employee communication and so forth. It is realigning
communication to look at it the way customer sees as a flow of information
from indistinguishable sources".

Figure 3.2
IMC- Carefully Blended Mix of Promotion Tools

Advertising
\ Personal

Sales
/
Promotion
Selling

1
Public
Relations
Consistent,
Clear and
+Compelling
Company and
Product Image

\ Direct
Marketing
/
Source: Principles of Marketing, Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong, Pearson-
education, P 470.

3.5.1 Factors Contributing to IMC's Raising Prominence

Several factors have contributed to the growing prominence of IMC:

Fragmentation of the media: - Proliferation of the media options

available to marketers, reach of advertising to precise locations such as
airport, and growth of print media have led to raising importance of
IMC. The proliferation and fragmentation of media have resulted in
less reliance on mass media and more emphasis on other promotional
options such as direct mail and event sponsorship.

Better audience assessment through data base technology: - Customer

and non-customer profiles can be created with the help of database
developed and managed by the h s . This lead the marketer away
fkom mass media to promotional tools that reach the segment that has
been targeted.

Consumer empowerment: - Consumers today are more powerful and

sophisticated than their predecessors. Empowered consumers are more
skeptical of commercial messages and demand information tailored to
their needs.

Increased advertising clutter: - The proliferation of advertising stimuli

has diluted the effectiveness of any single message.

Shifting channel power: - The new powerhl retailers are able to

demand promotional fees and allowances fiom manufacturers, which
divert funds away fiom advertising and into special events, in-store
displays or other promotions.

Desire for greater accountability: - In an attempt to achieve greater

accountability for promotional spending, firms have reallocated
marketing resources fiom advertising to more short-term and more
easily measurable methods such as direct marketing and sales
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3.6 Sales Promotion '

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Sales promotio& is h-key alternative for marketers within the

promotional mix. Sales promotion can attract attention and give new energy
to the promotional effort. Unlike advertising, effect of sales promotion can be
measured in the short-run. Sales promotion has proven to be a popular
complement to mass media advertising because it accomplishes things
advertising cannot.

3.6.1 Definitions of Sales Promotion

In the words of Richard, Sernnik, "sales promotion is the use of

incentive techniques that create a perception of greater brand value among
consumers, the trade and business buyers. The intent is to create a short-term
increase in sales by motivating trial use and encouraging larger or repeat
purchasing 3,
. 10
According to George, E., Belch and Michel, A., Belch, sales promotion
is "a direct inducement that offers an extra value or incentive for the product
to the sales force, distributors, or the ultimate consumer with the primary
objective of creating an immediate sale. 11

According to Roger, A., Strang, "sales promotions are short-term

incentives to encourage purchase or sale of a product or service".

In the opinion of John, A., Quelch, "sales promotions are temporary

incentives targeted at the trade (called trade promotions), or at end consumers
(consumer promotions). While sales promotions generally aim to change
purchase behaviour, they vary in whether they attempt to persuade trade
customers or end consumers to buy a product for the first time, to buy more,
to by earlier, or to buy more often".

Philip, Kotler is of the view that "sales promotion consists of a diverse

collection of incentive tools, mostly short-term, designed to stimulate quicker
andfor greater purchase of particular products/service by consumers or the
trade".

In the words of Robert, C., Blattberg and Scot, A., Neslin, "sales
promotion is an action-focused marketing event whose purpose is to have a
direct impact on the behavior of firm's customers".
"Sales promotion comprises that range of techniques used to attain
saleslmarketing objectives in a cost effective manner by adding value to a
product or service either to intermediaries or end users, normally but not
-
exclusively within a defined time period". Institute of Sales Promotion, UK.

According to Stanely, M., Ulanoff "sales promotion consists of all the

marketing and promotion activities, other than advertising, personal selling
and publicity, that motivate and encourage the consumers to purchase by
means of such inducements as premiums, advertising specialties, samples,
cents-off coupons, sweepstakes, contests, games, trading stamps, refunds,
rebates, exhibits, displays and demonstrations. It is employed, as well as, to
motivate retailers, wholesalers, the manufacturers, sales force to sell through
the use of such incentives as rewards or prizes (merchandise, cash and travel),
direct payments and allowances, cooperative advertising and trade shows".

"The term sales promotion refers to many kinds of selling incentives

and techniques intended to produce immediate or short-term sales effects.
Typical sales promotion includes coupons, samples, in-pack premiums, self
liquidating premiums, value-packs, refirnds and rebates, price-off packs,
contests, sweepstakes, trade shows, continuity plans and others. Sales
promotion techniques can be applied across a broad range of products- fiom
chewing gum to houses and cars. Perhaps the only unifjring theme among
these various methods is that they all must be communicated to the
appropriate audience to be effective". - John, C. ,Totten and Martin, P., Block

3.7 Importance and Growth of Sales Promotion

Most advertising designed to affect demand have awareness and

preference building effect for a brand over a long run. On the other hand the
role of sales promotion is to elicit an immediate purchase fiom a customer.
+. Sales promotions are used across all consumer goods categories and in the
trade market as well. Sales promotion involves some type of inducement that
provides an extra incentive to buy. This incentive is usually the key element
in the promotional programme. The incentive may be a coupon or price
reduction, the opportunity to enter a contest or sweepstake, a money-back
refund or rebate, or an extra amount of a product. The incentive may also be a
free sample of the product, given in the hope of generating a future purchase,
or a premium that serves as a reminder of the brand and reinforces its image.
Most sales promotion offers attempt to add some value to the product or
service. Sales promotion can also provide an inducement to marketing
intermediaries such as wholesaler and retailer.

Sales promotion is essentially an acceleration tool, designed to speed

the selling process and maximise sales volume. By providing an extra
incentive, sales promotion techniques can motivate consumers to buy a larger
quantity of a brand or shorten the purchase cycle of the trade or consumers by
encouraging them to make more immediate action. Moreover, sales
promotion activities can be targeted to different parties in the marketing
channel. Sales promotion can be broken in to major categories: consumer
oriented, sales force oriented and trade or business oriented promotions.

Table given below shows the role of advertising and sales promotion:

Table 3.1
Role of Advertising and Sales Promotion

Purpose of sales promotion I Purpose of advertising

Stimulate short-term demand Cultivate long-term demand
Encourage brand switching Encourage brand loyalty
Induce trial use Encourage repeat purchase
I Promote price orientation I Promote hagelfeature orientation I
Obtain immediate, often Obtain long-term effects often difficult
measurable result to measure
Source: (Richard Semnik, Integrated Marketing Communication, p 384)
3.8 Growth in the Use of Sales Promotion

The role and importance of sales promotion in a company's integrated

marketing communication programme has increased dramatically over the
past decade. Marketers have shifted the emphasis of their promotional
spending fiom mass media towards consumer and trade promotions. The
strong economy has resulted in massive consumer spending, which has helped
push the sales promotion industry to annual growth rate of 5 to 7 percent.
In1999 spending on promotion reached a record of $93 billion, while another
$155 billion was spent on promotions targeted at retailers and wholesalers.
Consumer packaged firm continues to be the core user of sales promotion
programmes and tools. However sales promotion activity is also increasing in
new categories, including health care, computer hardware and software,
electronics and deregulated utilities.I2

Currently the budget allocation stands at about 46 percent for

advertising, 29 percent for trade promotions and 28 percent for consumer
promotion.l3

Some of the reasons for this shift are as follows:

Demand for greater accountability: - Immediate effect of sales

promotion can be measured easily as compared to advertising.

Short-term orientation: - Many organizations are developing marketing

plans based on short-term revenue generation.14This along with the
pressure fiom stock holders to produce better quarter-by-quarter
revenue and profit per share prompt marketer to turn to sales
promotion.

Consumer response to promotion: - Coupons, premiums, price-off

deals and other sales promotions increase the value of a brand in the
minds of consumers.
Proliferation of brands: - In order to gain consumers attention in a
market flooded with numerous brands, marketers often use sales
promotion strategies.

Increased powers of retailers: - Powehl retailers are now demanding

more deals fiom marketers. Moreover manufacturers use more and
more sales promotion devices to gain and maintain good relations with
the new, powerfbl retailers.

Media clutter: - Advertising media are cluttered with ads all seeking
the attention of a common target. The combination of advertising and
creative sales promotion has proven to be a way to break the clutter.''

3.9 Sales Promotion Objectives

Sales promotion can accomplish the following tasks:

Stimulate sales force enthusiasm for a new, improved, or mature

product.
Invigorate sales of a mature brand.
Facilitate the introduction of a new product to the trade.
Increase on-and off-shelf merchandising space
Neutralise competitive advertising and sales promotion.
Obtain trial purchase fiom customers.
Hold current users by encouraging repeat purchases.
Increase product usage by loading consumers.
Pre-empt competition by loading consumers.
Reinforce advertising.
Target a specific market segment.
Enhance integrated marketing communications and build brand equity.
3.10 Consumer Sales Promotion

There are different groups who might be targeted by sales promotion:

consumers, trade and .the sales force. Sales promotions originating fkom
manufacturers may be directed at consumers, resellers, or both.
Simultaneously, the manufacturer may also have a promotion programme for
its own sales force. Sales promotion may also be originated fiom retailers and
aimed at consumers, though their objectives are different from those of the
manufacturers.

Consumer promotions are that a manufacturer offers consumers

directly. In the use consumer goods marketers allocated only 30 percent of
their budget to sales promotion, with about 70 percent allocated to mass
media advertising. Today the percentages are just the opposite according to
some recent estimates.16

3.11 Objectives of Consumer-Market Sales Promotion

In every product category, whether durable products or consumer

packaged goods, there are several brands available to wholesalers and retailers
to choose among and for consumers ultimately to select or reject for personal
or family consumptions. Consumer promotions are used because they
accomplish goals that advertising by itself cannot achieve. Consumers
oftentimes need to be introduced to buy now rather than later, to buy your
brand rather than a competitor's, and to buy more rather than less. Sales
promotions are uniquely suited to achieving these imperatives. Following are
the important objective of consumer-market sales promotion:

Stimulate trial purchase: - A reduced price or offer of a rebate may

stimulate trial purchase. Sales promotion reduces customer risk on trial
purchase.
Stimulate repeat purchase: - In-package coupons good for the next
purchase, or the accumulation of point with repeated purchase, can
keep consumers loyal to a particular brand.

Stimulate larger purchase: - Price reduction or two-for-one sales can

motivate consumers to stock up on a brand, thus allowing h s to
reduce inventory or increase cash flows.

Introduce a new brand: - As sales promotion can attract attention and

motivate trial purchase, it is commonly used for new brand
introduction.

Combat or disrupt competitor's strategies: - Because sales promotion

often motivates consumers to buy larger quantities or try new brands,
they can be used to disrupt competitor's marketing strategies.

Contribute to integrated marketing communication: - In conjunction

with advertising, direct marketing, public relations and other
programmes being carried out by a fm, sales promotion can add yet
another type of communication to the mix. It is an additional and
different message with in the overall communication effort.

3.12 Benefits of Sales Promotion to Consumers

All promotion techniques provide consumers with rewards that

encourage certain forms of behaviour desired by brand managers. These
rewards or benefits are both utilitarian and hedonic. Consumers who use sales
promotions receive utilitarian or hctional benefits of obtaining monetary
savings, reducing search and decision costs and obtaining improved product
quality made possible by a price reduction that allows consumers to buy
superior brands they might not otherwise purchase. Hedonic benefits that
sales promotion imparts to consumers include, accomplishing a sense of being
a wise shopper when taking advantage of a sales promotion, achieving a need
for stimulation and variety when trying a brand one might not otherwise
purchase if it were not for an attractive promotion and obtaining
entertainment value when the consumer competes in a promotional contests or
participates in a sweepstakes. Monetary and non-monetary promotions
provide consumers with different levels of three hedonic benefits
(opportunities for value expression, entertainment and exploration) and three
utilitarian benefits (savings, higher product quality and improved shopping
convenience). A sales promotion's effectiveness is determined by the
utilitarian and hedonic nature of the benefits it delivers and the congruence
these benefits have with the promoted product.'7

The rewards consumers receive fkom sales promotion sometimes are

immediate, while at other times they are delayed. An immediate reward is one
that delivers monetary savings or some other forms of benefit as soon as the
consumer performs marketer specified behaviour. For example, the customer
receives cash savings at the time he redeems a coupon. Delayed rewards are
those that follow the behaviour by period of days, weeks, or even longer. For
example, the consumer may have to wait six or eight weeks before a mail-in
premium item can be enjoyed.

3.13 Decomposing the Promotional Bump

The increase in response to a promotion is called the promotional

bump. Decomposing the bump means breaking down the bump in to its
various components. Analysis has identified four sources for the sales
increase due to promotion. These are incremental consumption, brand
switching, stockpiling and store switching. Cross brand effect (secondary
demand), cross period effect (primary demand borrowed fiom other time
periods), and category expansion effect (remaining primary demand)
contribute about one-third on average to the sales promotion bump.'*
3.13.1 Incremental Consumption

Incremental consumption is the consumer's higher use of a product

relative to the normal level. In general, for many products incremental
consumption is low. Consumption of many routine grocery items such as
toilet tissue, milk, or pickle is unlikely to increase much because the items are
on discount. The reason is that even consumers who are price sensitive are
likely to buy based on needs. However, consumption for all these categories
may increase substantially for discounts that are very steep, atypical, or
unexpected.l9

One study shows that sales promotion increases consumption because

of higher usage rate and stockpiling.20

Stockpiling indeed causes people to consume products at a faster rate,

especially when the product is convenient to consume. This is because
stockpiling accelerates both consumption incidence and quantity when the
product is convenient to consume, but only influences consumption quantity
when the product requires preparation. In addition, stockpiling triggers
impulse consumption incidences because it raises the salience of these
products at the point of consumption. When a product is being consumed,
however, stockpiling increases the quantity consumed because the product is
perceived as relatively inexpensive to consume?' Moreover consumers tend to
conserve diminishing resources so that the amount they would use generally
decreases as the supply decreases?

3.13.2 Brand Switching

Brand switching is the consumer's purchase of a rival brand rather than

one he or she regularly buys. The biggest component of incremental sales for
most consumer products and service comes fiom brand switching? This is
mainly because retailers offer many brands marketed by competing
manufacturers which are quite similar to each other, especially in price. In
such a scenario, when any one brand is on a promotional offer, it is often
preferable to its rivals. More than 80% of the sales increase due to promotion
comes fiom brand switching.24

3.13.3 Forward Buying and Stockpiling

Forward buying means buying future requirements in the current

period to take advantage of current trade deal. Stockpiling refers to holding a
higher inventory of goods than needed to meet current demand. Analysis of
consumer's response to sales indicate that forward buying and stockpiling in
response to promotions are not a major component of incremental sales. Dips
in sales before or after a promotion are not very big?'

For durable products, one of the reasons for the absence of forward
buying or stockpiling may be the hassle of stockpiling, the lack of storage
space, the tie-up of capital or the danger of spoilage or obsolescence. But for
some grocery products, consumers tend to stock up because they are
inexpensive, easy to store and do not spoil. Another reason for low
stockpiling by consumers may be that retailers offer an abundance of
promotions, so that consumers can always buy one or another brand on
promotion.

3.13.4 Store Switching

Store switching refers to a change in the store that a consumer

frequents because of a promotion. The store switching on a consumer's
purchase occasion depends on the price of a brand and savings during a retail
promotion relative to the basket of items that a consumer purchases on that
occasion.
3.14 Consumer Sales Promotion Techniques

Table 3.2
Types of Consumer Promotions Used by Packaged Goods Manufacturers
and Consumer's Response
Promotion Types Percentage of Respondents
Couponing - consumer direct I
100%
Cents-off promotions I P-
98%
Couponing in retailer's ads 93%
Couponing in store (shelf dispenser, handouts) 88%
Sampling new products 85%
Sampling established products 78%
I Money-back offerslother refunds I 78% I
I Premium offers I 78% I
[ Electronic retail promotions 1 76%
I
I Intemet promotions I 71% I
Contests 7 1%
Prepricing (on product package) 58%
Other 27%
(Source: George E. Belch and Michel A. Belch, "Advertising and Promotion -
An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective" page 539.)

3.15 Coupons

A coupon is a promotional device that rewards consumers for

purchasing the coupon-offering brand by providing either rupees-off savings
or fiee merchandise. Free merchandise offer typically comes in the form of
"buy 2, get 1 fiee" in which fiee item is either another unit of the same brand
or a different brand. A coupon entitles a buyer to a designated reduction in
price for a product or service. In 1999 marketers invested $6.9 billion in
coupons as a sales promotion technique.26
Exhibit 3.1 AVT's Swarnadhara Gift Scheme

3.15.1 Forms of Conponing

-
Instantly deemable capons: Instantly deemable coupons me
peelable from the package end are designed to be removed by the ccmsumer
and deemed at cheek& d a g with phase of the mupond brand Instant
coupons pmvide a signihnt price mhctioa and an immediate point-of-
purchase incentive for ccmsumm.

Shelf-deliveredC -
O ~ L ~ SShelfdelivd
: coupon devices m attached
to the shelf alongside coupon sptmring brands. Consumers interested in
pmhasing st particular brand can putt a coupon firom the device and tben
redem it whm checking out.
Scanner-delivered coupons: - Several electronic systems for dispensing
coupons at the point of purchase have been introduced in recent years.

Mail-delivered coupons: - Marketers typically use mail delivered

coupons to introduce new or improved products. Mailing can be directed
either at broad cross-section of the market or targeted to a specific geo-
demographic segments. The major disadvantage of mail-delivered coupon is
that it is relatively expensive compared with other coupon distribution
methods.

FSIs and other media delivered coupons: - Coupons are also distributed
as freestanding inserts in Sunday newspapers. The cost of distributing
coupons under this method is comparatively low. Coupons are also distributed
in magazines and as part of the regular newspaper page. Redemption rate of
coupons so distributed is very low.

In- and on-pack coupons: - Here, coupons are included either inside a
product's package or as part of a package's exterior. Such coupons cannot be
removed until the buyer reaches home and redeemed on subsequent purchase
occasion. It is a very successfbl method of coupon distribution since the cost
of distribution is very low and the redemption rate, and hence the repeat
purchase prospect, is very high.

Online couponing: - A number of internet sites now distribute coupons.

Consumers print the coupons on their home printers, and then redeem the
printed coupons along with the purchased item at checkout.

3.15.2 Advantages of Coupons

Coupons make it possible to give a discount to price sensitive customer

while still selling the product at full price to other consumers.

Coupons can induce brand switching.

A manufacturer can control price discounts through appropriate timing
of coupons.

Coupon is an excellent method of stimulating repeat purchasing.

Coupons can get regular users to trade up with in brand array.

3.15.3 Disadvantages of Coupons

Marketers cannot control the redemption timing of coupons, which

may affect its impact.

Heavy use of coupon by regular users of a firm's product reduces its

profitability.

Couponing is very expensive (cost of production, distribution and

handling charges is nearly two-third of the face value of coupons

Fraud is very common in the redemption of coupons.

3.16 Price-off Deals

Price-off deals offer a consumer rupee off merchandise at the point of

purchase through specially marked packages. A 10 percent or 20 percent price
reduction is a typical price-off offer. A price-off is clearly labeled as such on
the package. Price-off reduces the price of a brand to that of a competitor and
gives a direct and positive benefit to the consumer. It increases the value of
the brand. Immediate price reduction is the technique that exerts greatest
influence on the brand choice process of the consumer.27 This type of
promotion is effective when the marketer's objective is any one of the
following: (1) to reward present brand users; (2) to get consumers to purchase
larger quantities of a brand than they normally would, thereby effectively
preempting the competition; (3) to establish a repeat purchase pattern af'ter an
initial trial; (4) to ensure that promotional offers do, infact, reach to
consumers; (5) to obtain off-shelf display space when such allowances are
purchase behaviour. Under in-, on-, and near-pack premium offers a fiee item
inside or attached to a package or make the package itself the premium item.
Such premiums offer consumers immediate value and encourage increased
product consumption fiom customers who like or prefer the premium offering
brand. Finally, self-liquidating offer is another scheme where the cost of the
premium item is payable by the consumer himself and hence it is self-
liquidating. The cost covers marketers purchasing, handling and, sometimes,
the mailing charges.

Consumer appreciation of premium-based promotional offers is more

positive when the premium is direct than when it is delayed, when there is a
relatively lower quantity of product to purchase, when the value of the
premium is mentioned, when brand attitude is positive, when interest in the
premium is great, and when consumers are characterised by deal-proneness
and compulsive buying tendencie~.~~

3.18 Bonus Packs

Bonus packs are extra quantities of a product that a company gives to

consumers at the regular price. Bonus Pack results in a lower cost per unit for
the consumer and pr6vides extra value as well as more products for the
money. They are sometimes used as an alternative to price-off deals or
coupons when these tools are either overused or resisted by the trade. The
extra value offered to the consumer is readily apparent and for that reason can
be effective in loading current users and thereby removing them fiom the
market.
force enthusiasm, and reach specific groups through a prize structure that is
particularly appealing to consumers in the group.

Unlike sweeps and contests, which delay gratification and require the
consumer to wait an extended period before determining whether he or she
has been a winner, games provide an instant reward. In this case, the
consumer learns on opening the package at home whether he or she has been
fortunate enough to win a grand prize.

Contests and sweepstakes often create excitement and generate interest

for a brand, but the problem of administering these promotions is substantial.
Moreover, the contestant's interest may be limited to the contest rather than
the message a promotion carries.

3.20 Sampling and Trial Offers

Sampling is a sales promotion technique designed to provide a

consumer with an opportunity to use a brand on trial basis with little or no
risk. Sampling includes any method used to deliver an actual or trial-sized
product to consumers.29It is a very useful technique of promotion. Estimates
suggest that nearly 90 percent of consumer-product companies use sampling
in some manner and invest approximately 1.12 billion a year30

A study shows that consumers are very favourable towards sampling,

with 43 percent indicating that they would consider switching brands if they
liked a fiee sample that was being ~fferd.~'
Sampling is very u s e l l for new
products and in areas with weak market share for an established brand.

Six methods of sampling are mainly in use. Firstly, in-store sampling is

a method used for food products and cosmetics. Consumers at the point of
purchase may be swayed by a direct encounter with the brand. A second
method of sampling technique is to distribute the sample door-to-door.
Though it is expensive, it can be effective if the market is able to identify the
correct market segment. Thirdly, samples are delivered through the postal
services. It is an expensive method of distribution and the sample must be
small item to be economically feasible. Fourthly, newspaper sampling is
another technique. This method is very popular for beauty and health care
products. On-or in-pack sampling is the fifth method of sampling. Here the
sample item is attached to another product package. In yet another method of
sampling, the sample is dispersed at malls -shopping centres, fair grounds and
recreational areas. Finally, brand managers are increasingly distributing
samples online by using the services of companies that specialises in online
sample delivery.

In a study on the effectiveness of sampling conducted over 30000

households, it was found that households who did not receive fiee samples, an
average of about 11 percent made trial purchases and 32 percent households
made repeat purchases of the brand. On the other hand these figures were 16
percent and 36 percent respectively for families who received samples?2

3.20.1 Sampling Problems

Sampling is expensive

Mass handling of samples can be mishandled by the postal service or

other distributors

Samples distributed door to door or high traffic locations may suffer

fiom wasted distribution and not reach the hands of potential
customers

In- or on-pack sampling excludes consumers who do not buy the

carrying brand.

In-store sampling often fails to reach sufficient number of consumers

to justifl its expense.

Consumers may misuse sampling

Pilferage can occur when samples are distributed through mail.

Trial offer, used for more expensive item, also aimed at inducing the
users to buy the brand. Exercise equipments, appliances, watches, hand tools
and consumer electronics are typical of items offered on a trial basis.
Segments chosen for this sales promotion technique may have high sales
potential.

3.21 Rebates

A rebate is a money back offer requiring a buyer to mail in a form

requesting the money back fiom the manufacturer rather than fkom the
retailer. Marketers are fond of rebates because they provide an alternative to
the use of coupons and stimulate consumer purchase behaviour. Rebate offers
can reinforce brand loyalty, provide the sales force with something to talk
about, and enable the manufacturer to flag the package with a potentially
attractive deal. R e h d offers are used both by CPG companies and durable
goods companies. A recent survey of the packaged goods companies revealed
that 76 percent had used a money back offer. This technique is helpkl to
increase the quantity of products purchased because it is offered for multiple
and large packets. Moreover only 5 percent to 10 percent buyers bother to
mail the rebate form and get the refund. 33

Rebate offer consumers delayed rather than immediate value, since the
consumer must wait to receive the reimbursement. In using these
programmes, manufacturers achieve customer-holding objective by
encouraging consumers to make multiple purchases or by rewarding previous
users with a cash discount for again purchasing the manufacturers brand.
Rebate offers also attract switchers fkom competitive brands who avail
themselves of attractive discount offers.

3.22 Frequency (Continuity) Programmes

Continuity programmes, also called loyalty programmes or point

programmes, reward consumer's repeat purchasing of a particular brand by
awarding points leading to reduced prices or fkee merchandise. Frequent flyer
programmes of airline companies, fkequent stay programmes of hotels and
frequent renter programmes of auto rental chains are examples of this type of
techniques. These programmes encourage consumers to stick with a particular
airline or hotel to accumulate requisite number of points as quickly as
possible. The programme need not be based on point accumulation and
instead may simply require a certain number of purchases to be eligible for
purchases. Continuity programmes have the greatest value when a consumer's
loyalty is divided among several brands since they will encourage the
consumer to buy the particular brand more frequently.

3.23 Event Marketing and Event Sponsorships

Event marketing is a type of promotion where a company or a brand is

linked to an event or where a theme is actively developed for the purpose of
creating experience for the consumers and promoting a product or service.
Marketers often do event marketing by associating their product with some
popular activity such as sporting event, concert, fair, or festival. Marketers,
sometimes, also create their own events to use for promotional purposes. An
event sponsorship is an integrated marketing communications activity where a
company develops actual sponsorship relations with a particular event and
provides financial support in return for the right to display a brand name,
logo, or advertising message and be identified as a supporter of the event.

3.24 Overlay and Tie-in Promotions

Promotions often are used in combination to accomplish objectives that

could be achieved by using a single promotional tool. These techniques,
individually or in conjunction with one another, are used oftentimes to
promote simultaneously two or more brands either fiom the same company or
fiom different firms.
3.24.1 Overlay Programmes

The use of two or more sales promotion techniques in combination

with one another is called overlay or combination programme. When used
individually, promotion tools (particularly coupons) may never be noticed by
consumers. A combination of tools, such as the use of a coupon offer with
another promotional device, increases the likelihood that consumers will
attend a promotional message and process the promotion offer. Moreover, the
joint use of several techniques in a well coordinated promotional programme
equips the sales force with a strong sales programme and provides the trade
with an attractive incentive to purchase in larger quantities and to display
activity.

3.24.2 Tie-in Promotions

The simultaneous use of promotion of multiple brands in a single

promotional effort is called a tie-in or group promotion. Growing number of
companies use tie-ins to generate increased sales, to stimulate trade and
consumer interest, and to gain optimal use of their promotional budgets. Tie-
in promotion is cost-effective because the cost is shared among multiple
brands. Two or more brands, either fiom the same company (intracompany
tie-ins) or fiom different companies (intercompany tie-ins) are involved in a
tie-in.

3.25 Trade Market Promotion

Promotion can also be directed at the members of trade i.e.,

wholesalers, distributors and retailers. Effective trade promotion can generate
enthusiasm for a product and contribute positively to the loyalty a distributor
show for a brand.
3.26 Objectives of Trade Promotion

Obtain initial distribution: - Sales promotion incentives can help a firm

gain initial distribution and shelf placement.

Increase order size: - Sales promotion techniques can encourage

wholesalers and retailers to order in large quantities, thus shifting the
inventory burden to the channel.

Encourage cooperation with consumer-market sales promotion: -

Cooperation of the distribution channel members is very essential for
the success of any consumer market sales promotion, for this purpose,
marketers often run trade promotions simultaneously with consumer
promotions.

Increased store-traffic: - Retailers can increase store-traffic through

special promotion or events. It can be achieved through door-prize
drawings, parking-lot sales or live broadcast from the store. A
manufacturer designed promotion that generates interest with in target
audience can drive consumers to retail outlets.

3.27 Trade-Market Sales Promotion Techniques

Sales promotions directed to wholesalers and retailers take different

forms. These schemes are briefly discussed below.

3.27.1 Displays and Point-Of-Purchase Materials

POP displays are an important promotional tool because they can help
a manufacturer obtain more effective in-store merchandising of products.
They are usefbl in reaching the consumer at the point of purchase and often
encourage retailers to support one's brand. Point-of-purchase materials
usually supplied by manufacturers include end-of-aisle displays, banners,
posters, shelf cards, motion pieces, and stand-up racks, among other things.
POP promotion can help win precious shelf space and exposure in retail
setting. Advertisers invested $14.4 billion on POP materials in 1999. This is
more than the amount spent on magazine or radio advertising?*

3.27.2 Incentives

Manufacturers may develop contests or special incentive programmes

to stimulate greater selling effort and support fkom reseller management or
sales personnel. Contests or incentives programmes can ,be directed towards
managers who work for a wholesaler or retailer as well as towards store or
department managers at the retail level. Incentives to members of trade
include awards in the form of travel, gifts or cash bonuses for reaching
targeted sales level. Push money, another incentive, is carried out through a
programme in witch retail sales people are offered a monetary reward for
featuring a marketer's brand with shoppers.

3.27.3 Allowances

Various forms of allowances are offered to retailers and wholesalers. It

includes mercantile allowances, slotting fees, bill-back allowances and off-
invoice allowances. Under the mercantile allowance scheme, the reseller gets
extra cases of the product with the purchase of specific amounts. Slotting
allowances are fees retailers get for providing a slot or position to
accommodate a new product. Manufacturers often give retailers allowances or
discounts for performing certain promotional or merchandising activities in
support of their brands. Such a scheme is called bill-back allowances. In the
case of off-invoice allowances a certain amount or percentage is deducted
from the invoice.

3.27.4 Sales Training Programmes

Another form of manufacturer-sponsored promotional assistance is a

sales training programme. Under this technique marketer provides training to
retailer store personnel who sell consumer durables and specialty goods such
as cooling systems, exercise equipments and personal computer. Training
programmes equip sales personnel with sufficient knowledge about the
features, benefits and advantages of these products.

3.27.5 Cooperative Advertising

It is an advertising programme designed by the manufacturer of a

product in cooperation with other members in the channel. Under the
programme manufacturer either set specifications about the content and size
or send templates for an ad. More than one party shares the cost of the
advertising. Generally manufacturer pays a part of the advertising a retailer
runs to promote the manufacturer's brand and its availability in the retailer's
place of business.

3.28 Business -Market Sales Promotion Techniques

3.28.1 Trade Shows

At trade shows, related products fiom many manufacturers are

displayed and demonstrated to members of trade. Company representatives
display and demonstrate its products and explain its features and functions.
This technique is particularly suitable for small f m s that cannot advertise
and have a sales force too small to reach its potential customers.

3.28.2 Business Gifts

Business gifts are given as a part of building and maintaining a close

working relationship with suppliers. Gifts may include small items like logo
golf balls, jackets or small items ofjewellery

3.28.3 Premium and Advertising Specialties

Items carrying h ' s brand name like key chains, ball caps and t-shirts
are also appealing to business buyers.
3.28.4 Trial Offers

Trial offers are attractive to business buyers because the items they buy
usually involve high cost and long life. They can reduce risk of selecting a
wrong item.

3.28.5 Frequency Programmes

The high degree of travel associated with many business professions

make fkequency programme an ideal form of sales promotion for the business
market. Airlines, hotels and restaurants frequency programmes are dominated
by the business market travelers.

3.29 Sales Force Promotion Tools

3.29.1 Sales Contests

Sales contests offer prizes to sales representatives who perform better

than his fellow representative, which is judged on the basis of additional units
sold over and above one's quota. Though a very effective devise of
promotion, sales contests may create professional jealousy as well as
dissatisfaction among sales people.

3.29.2 Sales Conference

Meeting with sales people at regular intervals provide the senior

executives a chance to know the feelings, problems, work satisfaction and
apprehensions related to their work.

3.29.3 Personal Correspondence, Company Bulletins, etc

Personal correspondence and company bulletins help to stimulate the

work force because they increase the morale of their work.

Sales force can also be motivated by giving non-financial or psychic

wages in the form of providing opportunities to attain the desire for status or
recognition inside and outside of the company or desire to excel.
3.30 The Risks of Sales Promotion

Creating a price orientation: - Consumer perceives a brand that is

promoted as a cheap with no real value or benefit beyond low price.
This is against the concept of integrated marketing communication.
Price promotions affect pre-trial brand evaluations unfavourably in
some specific conditions i.e., when the brand has not been promoted
earlier; when promotions are used as a source of information about the
brand, when the evaluator is not an expert; and when promotion is
uncommon in the industry.

Borrowing fiom future sales: - Since a sale promotion strategy mainly

has a short-term effect, it can be used only to reduce inventories,
increase cash flows or periodic boosts in market share. Sales promotion
usually results in reduced sales during the next few times periods of
measurement.

Alienating customers: - When a firm heavily relies on sweepstakes or

fiequency programmes to build loyalty among customers, particularly
their best customers, there is the risk of alienating these customers with
any change in the programme.

Time and expenses: - Sales promotion is time consuming for the

marketers and the retailers in terms of handling promotional materials
and protecting against fiaud and waste in the process. Advertising
should not be compromised for sales promotion, as it is a long-term
franchise-building process.

Legal considerations: - Before initiating a sales promotion programme,

particularly coupons, games and sweepstakes and contests, a firm
should check in to various laws in order to safeguard its interest. They
should clearly state the rules and conditions related to the programme
so that customers are fully informed.
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al 1998,28.
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