Promotion Decisions

4. Message Flow: One-Way vs. Two-Way Communication

Promotions can be classified based on whether the message source enables the message receiver to respond with immediate feedback.  Such feedback can then be followed with further information exchange between both parties.  Most efforts at mass promotion, such as television advertising, offer only a one-way information flow that does not allow for easy response by the message receiver.  However, many targeted promotions, such as using a sales force to promote products, allow message recipients to respond immediately to information from the message sender.

5. Demand Creation: Quick vs. Lagging

As we discussed earlier, the success of promotional activity may not always be measured by comparing spending to an increase in product sales since marketers may use promotion to achieve other objectives.  However, when a marketer is looking to increase demand, certain promotional activities offer advantages in turning exposure to promotion into a quick increase in demand.  In general, these activities are most effective when customers are offered an incentive to make the purchase either in a monetary way (e.g., save money) or in psychological way (e.g., improves customer’s perceived group role or status level).