Sales promotion

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Consumer-oriented sales promotion through sales and offers

As a sales promotion (Engl. Sales Promotion ) are within the communication policy of marketing comprises all temporary activities with action character, the activation of the operators (sales organs, distributors, customers) to increase sales results serve and other marketing measures support. “While advertising gives a reason to buy, sales promotion offers an incentive to carry out or promote the act of buying” (Kotler / Bliemel 2004). Sales promotions can be directed to consumers, to the sales force, as well as to retailers. The form of sales promotion varies depending on the addressee, whereby a distinction can be made between short-term and long-term sales promotion.

Manifestations

The promoter can take certain measures, such as cross-promotion or cooperation sampling, to promote sales. The more precise form is determined by the objective.

Trade promotions

Trade promotions (trade, dealer or retailer promotions) are directed by the manufacturer to the trade. The manufacturer is pursuing the goal of promoting a product in question d. H. to carry out a sales promotion to the end user. Short-term sales promotion measures aimed at retailers include sales letters and mailings, display material for shop windows and sales rooms, and partner campaigns. A dealer advisory board, an information center for the trade, seminars and presentations are counted among the long-term sales promotion measures.

Consumer-directed promotions

Consumer-oriented promotions (consumer promotion) aimed at the consumer. They can be carried out by the manufacturer (consumer promotions, for example the organization of an event in the parking lot of a supermarket), and initiated by the trade (dealer promotions, for example a special offer with display support as a result of a trade promotion ). In terms of consumer-oriented sales promotion tools, a distinction is made in particular between price promotions (e.g. special offers, special packs, coupons, loyalty discounts) and non-price promotions (e.g. flyers, inserts, displays, samples, competitions). Short-term promotions aimed at consumers include specials, discounts, coupons, flyers and mailings. In contrast, consumer newspapers, products with additional benefits, new consumption and application ideas and the like are referred to as long-term.

Field sales promotions

Whether field sales promotions ( staff promotions or sales force promotions ) are also part of sales promotion is controversial in the literature. The target group for field sales promotions is your own sales department. Training courses, brochures, rewards or field service competitions are intended to encourage salespeople to work more intensively on the market .

Sales promotion

Sales promotion as part of sales promotion does not only serve to carry out or promote the purchase act, but above all to achieve additional sales. If a product is sold at half price, that is sales promotion, if the campaign is advertised with "two packs for the price of one" instead, the customer has the same price advantage, he also only pays half the normal price for the product, but he buys two packs, which promotes sales (and mostly consumption ).

Demarcation

According to Heribert Meffert , sales promotion is differentiated from the contracting policy. B. supports the distributor or customer with the help of gifts , payment terms or improved delivery and payment conditions . Sales promotion is also differentiated from merchandising by the lack of added value of the measure itself. Sales representatives , dealers and customers are much more encouraged to identify more intensively with the offers and the presentation in the run-up to the sales process. Compared to advertising , the focus is not on the product message or the promise of performance or an image, but rather on the factual support during the sale itself or, in the case of customer promotion, the tasting as a direct purchase incentive or the generation of addresses for the actual product advertising. Here, however, there is indeed an overlap with classic advertising goals .

procedure

After an order has been placed with an agency, candidates (mostly nationwide) are selected from the pool of freelance employees ( promoters ) for a special order. In the following round, the promoters must first be prepared for the special requirements of the order. This is usually done through training courses that can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days. Following the training, the jobs for the freelance workers are defined and awarded.

aims

In addition to attracting first-time buyers, test buyers and repeat buyers, the main objectives of consumer promotions are to intensify purchase and use as well as to increase awareness and brand goodwill. Trade promotions aim to offer the trade a special incentive to buy the product more or at all and to support its sale through special measures. Staff promotions provide motivation and stimulate direct sales.

Conflicting goals between manufacturers and retailers

Manufacturers and retailers depend on each other; a dissolution of this coercive community is also not recognizable in the long term. Both sides pursue the goal of maximizing sales or turnover and profits as well as expanding their respective market importance. There are concentration developments on both sides, i. H. the weighting between big and small is developing more and more in favor of the big on both sides. But that's where the similarities end. The conflicting goals are obvious due to the different positions of the two sides:

In product policy

The manufacturer strives to build a clean product and brand image based on stringent positioning. It is part of his strategy to always align his product range in terms of variations, pack sizes and innovations to the needs of his target group and to secure it against competing brands. Of course, he does this based on market and consumer research. The design of its range is important to retailers - according to their own criteria, from their own positioning and their desired image to the focus on profit-oriented product range design and the promotion of their own brands. To be fair, retailers have to be credited with the fact that they also endeavor to present their customers with several brands, and that competition between manufacturers for their limited shelf space is only acceptable to them.

In pricing policy

For the manufacturer, the price forms an essential part of its brand positioning, which initially remains inviolable. Ideally, the manufacturer strives for low trading margins and a clear package of conditions (discounts / bonuses / services / work surcharges) that he can keep the same with all trading partners. For retailers, due to the competitive situation, the price and price reaction options are the most important level of action in its marketing. Therefore, variable pricing with the highest possible trading margin is a top priority for him.

In distribution policy

For the manufacturer, the largest possible order quantities and a high distribution density with all important trading partners are essential and in this combination also the ultimate. Ideally, retailers should buy their entire product range and, through preferred placement, create the basis for quick sales. It would be desirable if the retail staff also had sufficient product knowledge to guarantee good advice to customers. Retailers would prefer just-in-time delivery of smaller quantities to avoid and / or reduce transport and storage costs. Of course, a selective or even exclusive distribution would get closer to its image goals. With regard to placement, retailers clearly see themselves as being in charge and solely competent in their product range design and weighting. Products that need advice have a hard time with him.

In communication policy

The manufacturer does everything to increase product and brand awareness and to pre-sell the product through communication. For him, building brand loyalty and the associated loyalty of consumers to the product is fundamental. Ideally, he wants to create demand pressure in retail with his communication pressure. The placement of sales promotions and materials in stores is part of his communication strategy. For the retail sector, communication is primarily an instrument for asserting one's own positioning, for maintaining customer frequency in the shops and for retaining and acquiring customers. He sees the placement of manufacturer sales promotion measures in his stores rather critically and often counterproductive with regard to his corporate appearance.

Legal evaluation in Germany

Sales promotion measures in Germany must comply with the transparency requirement of Section 4 UWG , because they naturally have a strong attractiveness. Therefore, the "conditions for their use" must be specified and "clearly and unambiguously". The conditions are, on the one hand, the authorized group of people (customers, anyone, people who have their birthday in a certain period of time, etc.) and, on the other hand, the modalities of the use (quantity restrictions, duration, etc.) be (readable, audible) and understandable.

Examples: If the promotion is only to apply for a certain period of time, the start and end must be specified and determined or determinable according to the calendar. The statement “only valid for 14 days” in a newspaper insert is not sufficient. If only individual articles are to be reduced, the exact discount must be stated. If, on the other hand, entire groups are reduced, "reduced by up to x%" is sufficient.

Professional associations

In the area of ​​sales promotion, no German-speaking professional association has prevailed to this day. There have been some attempts by agencies, but they have a commercial background and have failed. Sales promoters can find an umbrella organization in the professional association of sales promoters and trainers based in Cologne (BDVTREW).

literature

  • Philip Kotler and Friedhelm Bliemel : Marketing Management Schäffer-Poeschel Verlag, 2004, ISBN 978-3791016894 .
  • Mike Barowski: Sales promotion: dealer and consumer promotion, sales force promotion, implementation of campaigns Cornelsen, Berlin 2004, ISBN 978-3-589-23523-0 (= The professional 1x1 ).
  • Robert C. Blattberg, Scott A. Neslin: Sales Promotion, Upper Saddle River. 1990, (English standard work), ISBN 0-1378-8167-3 .
  • Wolfgang Fuchs, Fritz Unger: Sales Promotion. 2nd Edition. Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 3-4092-2101-8 .
  • Karen Memorial: Sales Promotion. Munich 2002, ISBN 3-8006-2763-9 .
  • Gerd Arthur Haisch: The supreme discipline of sales promotion. Orell Füssli, Zurich 1995 (continuously updated web version in www.fachtexte.net), ISBN 3-280-02338-6 .
  • Christofolini, Thies: Marketing 2. quoted from Berndt, p. 294 ff., 1979, ISBN 3-5405-3063-0 .
  • Jörg Tauberger: Consumer- oriented sales promotion. Eul Verlag, Lohmar / Cologne 2008, ISBN 978-3-89936-662-4 .

Web links

Commons : sales promotion  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Köhler / Bornkamm, UWG. 30 ed. § 4 marginal no. 4.9 ff.
  2. Higher Regional Court Brandenburg, judgment of November 16, 2004 - 6 U 38/04 - GRUR-RR 2005, 227 - 14-day validity
  3. ^ Heermann WRP 2011, 688.