An integral part in digital marketing

Promotion is a key tool used to deliver information about a product or service to consumers and the public at large. At the start of a marketing communication strategy, the first level involves developing a promotional strategy.

The process should include how to start business, who the consumer is, and what message needs to be delivered. There are three basic types of promotional strategies – push strategy, pull strategy or a combination of both. In general, a push strategy is sales oriented, a pull strategy is marketing-oriented and a push-pull strategy is both marketing and sales oriented.

Push Strategy

A push promotional strategy works to create customer demand for your product or service through promotion: for example, through discounts to retailers and trade promotions. Appealing package design and maintaining a reputation for reliability, value or style are also used in push strategies.

One example of a push strategy is mobile phone sales, where manufacturers offer discounts on phones to encourage buyers to choose their phone. Push promotional strategies also focus on selling directly to customers, for example, through point of sale displays and direct approaches to customers.

Pull Strategy

A pull promotional strategy uses advertising to build up customer demand for a product or service. For example, advertising children's toys on children's television shows is a pull strategy.

The children ask their parents for the toys, the parents ask the retailers and the retailers the order the toys from the manufacturer. Other pull strategies include sales promotions, offering discounts or two-for-one offers and building demand through social media sites such as YouTube.

Push-pull strategy

Some companies use a combination of both push and pull strategies. For example, Texas-based textile producer Cotton Incorporated uses a push/pull promotional strategy. They push to create customer demand through constantly developing new products and offering these products in stores; and pull customers towards these products through advertising and promotion deals.

According to marketing expert Blair Entenmann, in an article he wrote for his company Marketing Help! There is no single correct combination of push and pull. The amount spent on each type of strategy will depend on factors such as budget, the type of product, the target audience and competition.

When to Use

Push promotional strategies work well for lower cost items, or items where customers may make a decision on the spot. New businesses use push strategies to develop retail markets for their products and to generate exposure. Once a product is already in stores, a pull strategy creates additional demand for the product.

Pull strategies work well with highly visible brands, or where there is good brand awareness. By knowing the potential bottom-line impact of your promotion, you'll have the information you need to allocate a promotion budget, dedicate staff time and invest the

Energy necessary to host a strong promotion that will deliver business-boosting results over the time period it covers.

At RDM, clients understands all these values added through the strategies we put in place online that brings short or long term sales (ads and pay per click) to their business.

Article by Obinna Egbejiogu

This is a feature by RDM