Retail business promotion plan template. Development of a promotion program
2.2. Product promotion planning activities
TM "ASICS" of the company "ERCy" needs to develop a plan to promote its product in connection with entering a new market. Also, the need to develop a promotion plan is due to the fact that earlier the company specialized in the production of sports equipment for professionals, and only now the company decided to offer a range of its products to everyone, namely people for whom sports are not the main occupation in life.
In this regard, the company's management decided to develop a new plan to promote the product to the Russian market. The development of a product promotion plan was entrusted to the marketing department. Marketers proposed the main activities to promote the product after a thorough development of a promotion plan.
The development of a plan for promoting a product begins with determining the composition of the target segment.
The target segment of the enterprise TM "ASICS" of the company "ERCy" is not homogeneous, it can be divided into three components. 70.3% - amateur, 26.7% - athletics and running, 3% - tennis and volleyball. Based on the main selected groups, it is necessary to determine which of the promotional activities are most applicable to each segment. To do this, the marketing department conducted a survey, the results of which were entered in the table.
Dependence of the answer to the question: “What events did you want to take part in?”, on the group
Table 2.2.1.
To form an effective promotion complex, it is necessary to take into account the various interests of the groups that make up the target segment. In this regard, it is necessary to develop promotions for each group of the target segment. Representatives of these groups differ in their interests and in the goods they purchase. And you need to influence them in different ways. Professional athletes are interested in promotions that allow them to try out new technologies (Table 2.2.1.). One of these promotions is "Test Drive". World experience testifies to the effectiveness of the technique of the type: "Try it yourself." Consumer survey data supports this view. They indicate that 18.1% (this result is the second most important) of the surveyed buyers from group 1 would like to participate in the proposed event. Among amateurs, this coefficient is lower and amounts to only 8.9%, which indicates the inappropriateness of holding this event in this group.
For the first group from the target segment, professional track and field athletes and skiers, it is necessary to conduct a test drive.
The task of the action: a combination of the sale of the remnants of the model with a system to increase customer loyalty to the brand "ASICS».
Share content.A model is offered for participation in the promotion Grid Omni 4 Moderate. (RRP 2500 rub.) A professional model for long training sessions, which has a large margin of safety. It meets the highest requirements for professional running shoes in all respects, but during the season it was undeservedly ignored by consumers. In terms of its qualities, it is better than those models that professionals buy at the same price level. Within a month, buyers will be given the opportunity to buy this model for 990 rubles. and sign a symbolic contract. The essence of the contract: it is necessary to come to the store in a month from the date of purchase, or call by phone and describe your impressions of using the model. As a result, consumers will have the opportunity to get acquainted with this model and evaluate its capabilities. In the future, the action is aimed at stimulating sales of the next model of sneakers Grid Omni5, a batch of which has already been purchased.
Holding this campaign has a beneficial effect on the performance of employees, as it adds variety to their daily activities and serves as a means of developing communication and work skills. The same model of the next season will be easier for the seller-consultant to implement, since the model will be recognizable and correctly evaluated. Thanks to this, overall sales will increase, and this will be one of the stages towards the implementation of the task of developing the company as a whole. An additional number of buyers from the professional sports segment will be attracted. Buyers of this group, by purchasing the proposed model, will be able to improve their sporting achievements. To effectively and correctly hold this event, you need to carefully calculate the economic component. 120 pairs of models are allocated for the promotion Grid Omni4 brands ASICS. The retail price of the model in the XXX chain of stores is 2500 rubles, the cost price is 1395 rubles. During the "test - drive" campaign, the model will be offered at 990 rubles, so the loss on the sale of each pair is 405 rubles. A kind of contract (in printed form) will be concluded with the buyer in order to make the transaction official. Contracts must be printed in the amount of 130 pcs. (ten spares). The cost of printing one contract on chalky paper with color design is 2 rubles. for one copy. To familiarize buyers with the action, it is necessary to place information on the company's website (one week before the start of the program) and on the trading floor of the store "ASICS"(six posters in A3 scale). Table 2.2.2. the items indicate the cost of the costs for the implementation of the event. The result of the promotion should be 75% of the sale of the model of the next season Grid Omni5. This model has already been purchased in the amount of 240 pieces, so 75% of sales involve the sale of 180 pairs. Retail price Grid Omni5 will be 2790 rubles. 9% of the profit received will be directed to operating costs (rent, salaries of employees, etc.). The established rate of return for a test drive is 0.5 for each unit sold.
∑ profit \u003d (180 * 0.5 * 2790) \u003d 251,100 (all calculations in rubles)
Operating costs = 251,100/100*9 =22,599
∑ profit=251 100-22 599 =228 501
Budget for the marketing campaign "Test Drive"
Table 2.2.2.
∑ costs=50860+750= 51610
Delta Vr.= 228 501 – 51610 =176 891
As a result of calculations of the economic feasibility of introducing the Test Drive campaign, an estimated amount of revenue was received, which is 176,891 rubles. This is an ideal option, practice will reveal discrepancies with the forecast, both up and down, but not more than 5% of the result.
As the survey of consumers of the company "XXX" showed, seasonal sales are an event in which the absolute majority of the surveyed buyers wish to participate. This event takes first place in group 1, second place in group 2 and second place in group 3. (Table 2.2.1.).
In connection with these data, it is advisable to hold an action - a sale with elements of a lottery. This type of promotion is liked by all buyers in the XXX retail chain, regardless of the group. Title "The New Year will bring you money" Task: to attract the attention of young people to the brand ASICS. Duration 6 weeks.
Promotion Content: A holiday sale is announced for 6 weeks. 1000 items of goods for three groups of the target segment fell under the discount. When buying any product (including those that did not pass the discount), the buyer is given a banknote of various denominations, which corresponds to the amount of his purchase. 1000-50 units, 1500-100 units, 2000-200 units, 2500-250 units, 3000-300 units, 3500-350 units, etc. Each unit corresponds to one ruble in the stores of the XXX network
The buyer has the right to accumulate these units, or exchange their quantity, which he has, for the purchase of one of the goods.
The action is primarily aimed at young people. Representatives of this category in their bulk are schoolchildren or students and naturally cannot afford regular purchases of sporting goods. The company will be able to help them purchase everything they need for outdoor activities and sports at affordable prices.
To conduct a sale - lottery, you need to reduce the prices of a number of goods (1000 items). Prices for each unit will be reduced by an average of 150-200 rubles. Place of sale - company store ASICSit is necessary to prepare for the sale, these are, first of all, promotional materials (3 posters in the trading floor). Each price tag of a product participating in the sale must be decorated with a New Year's tag with a colorful and brightly designed price, which indicates the percentage of the discount on the product. Every week in the shop ASICSan average of 200 purchases are made, the average check of which is 1500 rubles. As a result of the campaign, it is planned to increase the average check by at least 15% (1725 rubles), and the number of customers per week by 10% (220 people). Within six weeks, the company's revenue will amount to 277,000 rubles. Each buyer whose purchase amount is more than 1,000 rubles will be issued a conditional banknote, which can be exchanged for any product of the brand within six days after the sale ASICS. To do this, you need to make symbolic money in the amount of 228,000 (560 pieces with a value of 50; 2000 pieces with 100 each).
Budget for the action "The New Year will bring money to everyone"
Table 2.2.3.
Continuation of Table 2.2.3
In order to exchange “money” for goods, no more than 70% of people who received a banknote in the store will presumably come. Thus, it can be calculated that the total amount spent on providing goods to customers will be:
228,000/100*30=159,600 rubles, then the total cost will be:
∑ costs = 205,968 + 159,600=365,568
The amount of profit received can be calculated from the calculation of the increase in the average check and the number of buyers. For 6 weeks in normal operation, the amount of purchases is 200 * 6 = 1200, and the average check is 1500. As we plan, the increase in the number of customers by at least 10%, and the amount of the average check by 15%. For 6 weeks, instead of 1200 people, the promotions will purchase goods in the company store ASICS 1320, and their average cost of the check will be 1725 rubles. Economic efficiency consists in attracting 120 people in 6 weeks and increasing the average check for 1320 people by 225 rubles. (1725-1500)
Thus, the amount of profit will be:
∑ profits = (120*1725)+(1320*225)=207,000+297,000=504,000
delta Br=504 000-365 568=138 432
The revenue is not very high, but the main goal of the campaign is to attract the target segment to the brand ASICS.
According to a consumer survey, 18.4% of the surveyed buyers want to have a company discount card, and 81% already have a discount card. Of the 18% of shoppers without a card, 14% are sports enthusiasts. Discount cards exist in the company, but they are not cumulative and do not encourage the consumer to get a big discount when accumulating the amount of purchases. A 5% card is issued upon purchase of 1500, a 10% card upon purchase of 7000, a 15% card upon purchase of 20,000 rubles. You can make a recommendation to change the program of discount cards. The criteria for obtaining a card of 5% needs to be increased, since the average check in the company is 1500, it turns out that almost anyone who makes a purchase can receive a card. It is advisable to increase this amount to 4001 rubles, this amount should not seem large, since the new card will make it possible to accumulate purchases and get a big discount, which was not provided by the previous card. Having accumulated the amount of 10,001 rubles on a 5% card, the buyer can exchange it for a 10% card, and return the previous one. To get a 15% discount, you need to accumulate on the card 10% the amount of purchases of 15,001. The proposed cards can replace the previous discount cards, or they can act as additional cards intended for sports fans.
To introduce new discount cards, it is necessary, first of all, to calculate their number, it is equal to the number of regular customers to whom it could be offered. The social effectiveness of the program lies in the fact that a flexible pricing policy will allow a greater percentage of people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle to acquire good equipment. 21.2% of the third group of the target segment - sports fans, would like to have a discount card, the introduction of a new system will make it possible to fulfill their needs. The calculation of the economic efficiency of this action is difficult. According to the results of marketing research, the presence of a cumulative discount card increases the number of visits to the store by 20%., and the average check of its owner, so if the buyer visited the store 5 times a year, then the owner of the discount card will have 6 visits. The cost of one card, when ordering through the company name cardis $ 0.541 or 15 rubles 7 kopecks. Profit from having a card
It is obvious, since one visit on a store scale is equal to an increased average check.
All proposed activities do not contradict the law on advertising and the law on consumer protection.
materials4.3 Action plan to promote products to the markets
4.3.1 Marketing policy
In today's market, which is characterized by increased competition, any enterprise is faced with the problem of choosing the most effective distribution channels for products and the process of optimizing them. Increasing attention is being paid to this issue, since the stable operation of the enterprise depends on the successful sale of products. Ultimately, optimally formed channels for the distribution and sale of products increase the competitive stability of the enterprise, help attract new consumers and expand market influence.
JSC "Sukno" attaches great importance to the promotion of products to the markets. In the foreign and domestic markets, the marketing strategy is based on cooperation with long-term partners.
In order to promote goods on the market, SM and RP developed activities that include sections:
· Orientation of production to the production of fabrics, the parameters of which meet the requirements of the world market;
· development of a dealer network in Russia and far-abroad countries;
· release of fabrics in assortment and color drawings under the order of the concrete consumer;
production and shipment of products within the time specified in the contract.
In its activities, the company uses two main forms of product sales.
1. Wholesale. This type of trade is very important, as it allows you to sell products on the spot with a minimum of contact with consumers and minimal costs.
2. Brand trade. Currently JSC "Sukno" has a company store: "Runo" in Minsk and a branch of JSC "Sukno": "Runo" in Vitebsk. The company also has branded sections in the largest stores in Belarus:
· OOO "Danoton" (Mogilev);
· ALC store "Vyaselka" (Orsha);
· JSC "Brest Central Department Store" (Brest);
ChPTUP "Rainbow tex" (Gomel);
· Tekhnokommerts LLC (Brest).
In August 2007, in the Moscow region, a subject of the foreign commodity distribution network of JSC Sukno was created - OOO Trade House Sukno.
Sales of products in 2008 through the commodity distribution network of JSC "Sukno" abroad in comparison with 2007 in physical terms amounted to 199.7%.
4.3.2 Communication policy
The main means of communication policy of JSC "Sukno" are advertising, sales promotion activities and participation in exhibitions.
Website development and implementation;
Placement of information about the enterprise on the website www.export.by (Regional Unitary Enterprise "National Center for Marketing and Price Study");
In 2008, extended sales exhibitions were also held in such stores in Minsk as the department store "Belarus", the department store "Kirmash".
The company store "Runo" in Minsk took part in 5 fairs-exhibitions of goods of Minsk enterprises within the framework of the Days of Minsk in the Southern Administrative District of Moscow.
In March, a branch of JSC "Sukno" "Runo" in Vitebsk took part in the 7th International Universal Exhibition-Fair "Spring Kaleidoscope" in Smolensk.
JSC "Sukno" took part in the XXX Federal Fair of Goods and Equipment for Textile and Light Industry "TEXTILLEGPROM" in Moscow. . 1759 and received the “Certificate of the winner of the first stage of the competition”, also at the XXXI Federal Fair of Goods and Equipment for the Textile and Light Industry “TEXTILLEGPROM” in Moscow. At the fair, a diploma "For the active development of the market of textiles and accessories for the production of clothing" was awarded. Fabric "Patricia" became the winner of the competition "Best Fabric of the Year - 2009".
§ it is planned to participate in exhibitions-fairs, both in the Republic of Belarus and in the Russian Federation;
§ participation in sales fairs in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation;
§ development of a blanket booklet with an updated assortment;
§ development of new gift wrapping for blankets;
§ constant updating of information on the site;
§ placement of information in printed publications.
4.4 Development of the commodity distribution network
In the foreign market, the subject of the commodity distribution network of JSC "Sukno" is LLC "TD" Sukno "(Moscow region), which was opened in 2007. The volume of shipment in 2008 in value terms will amount to 1430 US dollars.
This entity may well satisfy consumer demand in Russia.
JSC "Sukno" does not plan to create new trade union entities abroad, because this requires investment.
In the domestic market JSC "Sukno" plans to open a branded section in Brest.
4.5 Analysis of product sales indicators in 2008
Sales of products in 2008 are expected to be 1,096 thousand linear meters. m, and in 2007 amounted to 1070 thousand linear meters. m, which is equal to 102.4% as a percentage. A comparative analysis of the shipment of products by sales regions is shown in Figure 4.5.
Figure 4.5. – Dynamics of product sales by regions
In order to promote goods on the foreign market, it is planned:
Focus production on the production of fabrics, the parameters of which meet the requirements of the world market;
Develop and improve the dealer network in Russia and non-CIS countries;
To provide production of fabrics in assortment and color scale under the order of consumers;
Produce and ship products on time.
It has the right to independently carry out foreign economic activity, which is regulated by the current legislation of Russia. When performing foreign economic activity, the enterprise enjoys the full scope of the rights of the subject of foreign economic activity in accordance with the current legislation. The main directions of foreign economic activity are the export and import of goods, ...
l: Publishing house ORAGS, 2000. - 91 p. Kovalev V.V. Introduction to financial management. - M .: Finance and statistics, 1999.-381s. Trenev N.N. Financial management. - M .: Finance and statistics, 1999.-352s. V) taxes and taxation 1. The economic essence of taxes The concept of tax. Taxes as an economic category. Principles of taxation: equality and fairness, universalization, simultaneity...
Step 1. PAY ATTENTION!
When determining how to promote your products, there are four main factors to consider: the size of your target market, its characteristics, the type of your product or service, and such an important detail as the size of the budget allocated for promotion.
Target market size. If the size of the target market is large enough (many target consumers) and / or they live far enough from each other, it is more appropriate to use advertising (mostly) to promote your product or service. If there are few consumers, and they are concentrated within the same area (city, region - depending on the scale of the business), which is most often the case in the business goods market, then personal sales can be successfully used.
Target market features. Learning about the characteristics of your customers can tell you the best way to connect with them.
For example, if it turns out that the majority of your dry cleaner's customers are residents of the neighborhood, the most logical way to promote it would be to send flyers to their addresses or advertise on cable TV.
Product type. To promote consumer goods, as a rule, advertising is used; personal selling is better for promoting complex and expensive products.
The size of the allocated budget. It is quite logical that the set of ways to promote your product should be determined in such a way as to make the most efficient use of the allocated funds. For example, it makes sense to consider the expediency of using expensive means of promotion - advertising on television and radio, only with a sufficiently large budget for promotion. If you think you can't allocate a lot of money for promotion, it is better to opt for more cost-effective ways to promote your products: press advertising, mail advertising, etc.
Consider the size and characteristics of the target market, the type of your product and the amount of budget you can allocate for promotion.
Step 2: SET GOALS
The goals of promotion can be divided into two main areas: stimulating demand and improving the image of the company (which, again, is ultimately done to increase sales). The demand for your product consists of three main parts:
The number of people who bought your product at least once (so-called initial market penetration);
Shares of those who buy your product again (percentage of repeat purchases);
The intensity of consumption (consumption ratio) of your product (i.e. how often consumers purchase your product on average).
In order to maximize the volume of demand in each of the listed areas, a model of the impact hierarchy was developed (See Fig.).
Rice. Hierarchy of impact and promotion goals
According to this model, each buyer, before purchasing your product, goes through six stages, from realizing the need for it to buying it. In the first two stages (comprehension - knowledge), the main goal of promotion is to provide information about your company or product. At the third and fourth stages (attitude - preference), it is necessary to form a positive attitude towards your company / product in the consumer.
In the fifth and sixth stages (persuasion - purchase), you need to convince the consumer that your product is better than competitors' products and he should buy your product.
However, this customer-specific model is easy to implement only if you work with large customers, each of whom you know personally and can provide information to each in accordance with the stage at which he is. If you are selling your product to many small buyers, then there will be people at different stages of the buying decision who will need different information. However, the same model can be applied to the stages of bringing your product to market, starting from the assumption that at each stage your customers will be dominated by people who are at the same stages of this model.
1. The first stage (comprehension - knowledge). At the first stage, when you are just starting to sell your product (or introducing an old product to a new market - you start selling it in another region or another group of consumers), most people do not know anything about it and have never bought it, and your task is to form primary demand. To do this, you need to inform as many of your potential buyers as possible about your product, its features, and encourage them to make a trial purchase. In other words, you need to ensure that people know about your offer, i.e. The main goal of promotion at the first stage is INFORMATION.
Tell the market about your new products / services / offers;
Suggest new ways to use your products /
Explain the purpose of goods / services;
Tell your customers about price changes.
2. The second stage (attitude - preference). In the second stage, when most of your potential buyers already know about your product and have made a trial purchase, your main goal is to encourage them to buy your product again, i.e. make them regular customers. To do this, with the help of promotion, it is necessary to ensure that consumers have a positive attitude towards your product, and they begin to give it preference over competitors' products. In other words, the main goal of moving forward in the second stage is to CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND PREFERENCE.
Main goals at this stage:
Ensure a good relationship with your company / brand / product / store;
Convince customers to buy the product;
Convince your customers that your products are better than those of your competitors.
3. The third stage (persuasion - purchase). In the third stage, when you have already managed to attract a sufficient number of regular buyers of your product, in order to increase demand, you should ensure that your potential buyers purchase your products more often or in larger quantities. The main goal of the promotion is to STIMULATE MORE PURCHASES AND KEEP THE INTENTION of the buyers to continue to purchase your product.
Main goals at this stage:
Remind your customers of the existence of your company/products/services;
Remind your customers what products they can buy from you;
Remind your customers of the characteristics of your products.
Define promotional goals: Decide whether you will inform,
to convince or remind your customers about the product.
Step 3: IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience is the group of your real and potential buyers to whom you address your messages.
If your products are bought by several groups of consumers that differ greatly from each other, then you have several target audiences. For each of them, you need to develop your own informational message, focusing on the qualities that are most important to them in your product and the benefits that they want to get from buying it. In other words, it's about a different focus of competition for your client groups.
To determine your target audience, answer yourself the question: who uses (will use) your products or services? Find out what they already know about your product, what are the motives for purchasing it (this can be done by surveying your potential and / or actual consumers). If it turns out that when purchasing your products, different consumers pay attention to different parameters of the product / service (for example, for pensioners, the price of a haircut at your hairdresser plays an important role, and young women are interested in the professionalism of hairdressers and the opportunity to get advice on choosing a hairstyle), divide them into groups and prepare a message for each group.
At the third stage, identify the target audience and determine what they already know about your company, product or service.
Step 4. DEFINE THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE The topic of your appeal should correspond to the goals of promotion, your product, service, company, and should be traced in all the activities you take to promote your product. The process of choosing a message subject consists of three steps:
Stage 1. "List of proposals". Make a list of everything you can offer the buyer;
Stage 2. "Motivational analysis". Imagine yourself in the place of a consumer of your product and answer the questions: why would I use (not use) this product, why is it better (worse) than other products, what characteristics of the product convince me to make a purchase, which ones make me doubt buying it. The result of this stage will be a list of the main motives leading to the purchase and preventing it. Note that it is better to do such an analysis not only on the basis of your own conclusions, but also using the results of a survey of your consumers.
Stage 3. "Market Analysis". Compare the characteristics of your product with the characteristics of competitors' products and market requirements, and highlight the characteristics of your product that are important to your consumers and absent from competitors' products - formulate your unique selling proposition (USP).
After that, you can formulate the main theme of activities to promote your product based on the USP.
Determine what you want to communicate to your consumers.
Step 5. DEFINE THE FORM OF THE MESSAGE
In your message, not only its content is important, but also its form. Of course, each promotional medium has its own characteristics, but there are some general tips for the form of your message:
Speak simply: use everyday words and short expressions, avoid professional expressions;
Speak interestingly: try to arouse curiosity, focus not on the product, but on the benefits that the buyer will receive with its acquisition;
Speak directly: do not overload the text with unnecessary words;
Speak affirmatively: replace negative
sentences with affirmative statements of a motivational nature;
Use common sense: try to be persuasive and understandable to the average person;
Speak briefly: short texts are read more often because they are faster and easier to read;
Be truthful: false claims may initially attract buyers, but once convinced of the deception, they will no longer believe you;
Be original: express your thoughts in an original way, try not to repeat the messages of other companies in your messages;
Repeat the most important points: focusing on them, you make the consumer remember the main idea of your promotion program. Arguments can be repeated in different ways, in different formulations;
Strive to attract and hold attention: break your text into paragraphs, blocks, add headings;
Avoid mentioning the names of competitors: firstly, comparative advertising is prohibited, and secondly, do not remind your consumers of them once again;
Pay attention to the last phrase: it is she who is remembered;
Address the message not to the void, but to the person: address your consumers;
Offer an action plan: give your customers clear instructions on what exactly they should do after reading this text (contact you for more information, make a purchase, etc.)
Decide what form your message should take.
Step 6. CALCULATE YOUR BUDGET
After you have determined why, to whom, what and how you want to communicate about your product or service, you need to determine how much money you can spend on it - what will be your promotion budget.
The promotion budget is the amount of funds allocated for all activities to promote your product.
To date, there are five main methods for setting a promotion budget, namely: the residual method, the increment method, the parity method, the share of sales method, and the target method.
remainder method. Under this method, the entrepreneur first allocates funds for all elements of marketing, and the balance goes to the promotion budget. This method is sometimes referred to as "whatever you can afford". It is the simplest, but also the weakest of all, but it is the one most often used by small, production-oriented companies. Disadvantages of this method: little attention paid to promotion, lack of connection of expenses with the set goals, the danger of a "zero" budget for promotion in case there are no funds left.
growth method. In the case of using this method, the company builds its promotion budget, focusing on the budgets of previous years, increasing or decreasing them by a certain percentage. The advantages of this method: the presence of a reference point, the ease of determining the budget, the use of past experience of the company. Disadvantages of the method: the size of the budget is determined largely intuitively and is rarely linked to goals.
Method of parity with competitors. The promotion budget in this case is determined on the basis of estimates of the budgets of competing firms. This method is used by both large and small companies. The advantages of this method: it provides a starting point, is market-oriented and quite conservative, sets clear limits on promotion costs. However, it is quite difficult to determine the costs of competitors for promotion. If there are significant differences between your firm, goods and services from firms, goods and services of competitors, this method is not applicable.
share of sales method. When using this method, a certain percentage of the income from the sale of goods is allocated for promotion. The advantages of this method: the relationship between sales and promotion, the use of a clear base, and, as a result, the simplicity of budgeting. Weaknesses of the method: promotion follows sales, and not vice versa; promotion costs are automatically reduced during periods of poor sales (when their growth can be beneficial). Therefore, when opening a company, releasing a new product, or during a losing streak, it is better not to use this method.
target method. When using this method, the company first determines what goals need to be achieved with the help of promotion, then formulates the tasks that need to be solved for this, and only then determines how much it will cost to complete these tasks. This amount is included in the promotion budget. This is the best of the five methods. Its advantages: a clear definition of goals, linking costs with the implementation of tasks, adaptability, the ability to relatively easily evaluate success or failure. The weak side is the difficulty of calculating the budget using this method: you need to set goals and objectives, determine the means of promotion, the use of which will allow you to solve these problems, find out how much it will cost you to use these funds.
Calculate the budget you need to allocate for promotion.
Step 7: MAKE A PROGRAM
A promotion program is a set of promotional tools used by a firm (advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, and public relations).
In order not to experience disappointment, having implemented a promotion program that seems to have been developed according to all the rules, first draw up a work schedule, clearly defining who, what and when should be done. With this plan in hand, you will drastically reduce the likelihood of a new product, the appearance of which has already been announced by flyers to residents of all nearby houses, will appear at your place only in two weeks.
In addition, the work plan will help you not only implement the promotion program without any problems, but also evaluate the results of its implementation.
Determine which promotional tools will be most effective for promoting your product, and draw up a work schedule.
Step 8. DEFINE HOW TO EVALUATE RESULTS
The issue of measuring the effectiveness of promotion is quite complicated. On the one hand, without knowing how effective your promotion program is, you can neither improve it nor correct errors. From this point of view, the measurement of efficiency is simply necessary, it will fully pay off and bring undoubted benefits.
On the other hand, the methods used to measure performance (for example, measuring your market share before and after a promotion program) tend to be expensive and time-consuming, and the cost of evaluating performance can be comparable to the amount spent on the promotion program itself.
Therefore, if your budget is limited, then use the simplest and cheapest methods for evaluating effectiveness. The easiest way, used almost everywhere, is to contact customers with the question “How did you hear about us?”. You can also compare the volume of sales of your products / services (let's say per week) before and after the release of advertising, sales promotion campaigns. Another way to evaluate the effectiveness of promotion is to conduct a simple telephone survey of consumers, which will allow you to find out how the attitude of buyers towards your company, product or service has changed.
So, to develop a program to promote your company, product or service, you need to:
Take into account the size of your target market, its features, features of your product or service, as well as the size of the budget allocated for promotion;
Set promotion goals;
Determine the target audience;
Select the subject of the message and determine its form;
Draw up a promotion program and work schedule;
Evaluate the results of the promotion program.
More on the topic PROMOTION PLAN:
- 4.1. Planning as the main function (principle) of marketing
- 4.3.2. Economic management and strategic planning in the enterprise
- GENERAL ISSUES OF PLANNING THE MARKETING ACTIVITY OF THE ENTERPRISE
- METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF PRODUCTION PLANNING ON THE BASIS OF MARKETING
- Copyright - Advocacy - Administrative law - Administrative process - Antimonopoly and competition law - Arbitration (economic) process - Audit - Banking system - Banking law -
Low-budget marketing… Every business owner's dream. And even “dreamer” - if, at the same time, the recognition of the company (product) would grow exponentially ... and the sales curve would bend more and more upward from day to day ..
But the reality is that marketing budgets ( advertising, PR - underline what is necessary) are made up according to known only to the "layout" himself ( read - marketer, advertiser ...) laws... And, with rare exceptions, they are a weak reflection of reality and the company's need for contacts with the target audience.
They say that the true professionalism of a marketer is to bring a company (product) to the market without a budget ... Well, or with the minimum necessary cash injections.
I don’t know how true or controversial this statement is - I can hardly imagine Coca-Cola, Mars and Adidas on the market without budgets ... but still. The fact remains, and the reality of the market is that not everyone has the budget to pay for "multi-layered" advertising campaigns. In addition, due to the still prevailing mentality of Russian business owners, who are skeptical and distrustful of their own marketing services, small and medium-sized businesses are not yet ready to part with money for advertising and other marketing communications ( because there is no clear understanding, “how can we get all this back…”).
So, what low-budget ways do you use to market your company or product?
I can offer you tools that I have used quite often in my practice, which have been tested by the market and have shown their effectiveness, and which have helped me more than once.
1. Barter. A lot of people don't like this word. Especially in accounting. I don't like it very much myself. But I must admit that such a scheme of cooperation is quite common in the Russian business segment, even among large and respected players (for example, such as Rosinter). Of course, if you have something to offer your potential partner. And, obviously, the value of your proposal for a partner should be no less than what you expect (ask) from him.
2. Exhibitions. Yes, your industry exhibitions are a good opportunity to promote yourself in your own market among your partners and target audience. And no - it is not necessary to buy an expensive place and mount a stand. Be creative - push the boundaries of your imagination. There are many other ways to make yourself known at the exhibition, give away your contacts and collect the ones you need.
Carefully study the proposal of the exhibition organizer, the site where the exhibition will be held - look for opportunities for a low-budget "performance".
It can be just placement in the exhibition catalog, placement on the website, renting 2-3 square meters at the entrance to the exhibition, putting a girl / boy with the distribution of samples (or just some “goodies” - usefulness with your contacts), investing in a package participant, organization of a photographer with instant printing of photos on the background of a press-wall with your logos, and so on - think of it! (by the way, such participation can also be closed by barter)
3. Events are internal. Meaning - your personal events for your target audience, for your potential customers. Create some kind of useful event for your customers - what is their most pressing problem? What critical question do they have that they usually pay money to answer?
Give them this answer for free! Perhaps in the form of a mini-seminar or micro-training for 4 hours, maybe together with a representative of an authoritative opinion for them (for example, if this is medicine, then this can be the head physician of a serious clinic, if trade is the manager of a large network, the head of the tax, top - bank manager, etc.).
You can arrange such a seminar with the owner of the premises, who is also interested in an audience that intersects with you, but is not a competitor to you in terms of services. For example, it can be a cafe, club or restaurant that is simply interested in visitors and sales of the kitchen and bar. In addition, in your pre-PR campaign to recruit listeners for your event, you will promote them, as well as in post-releases and reports after the seminar. Do not forget to mention this in negotiations with the site owner.
4. Events external. Many people forget about the most useful semi-informal hangouts or, on the contrary, professional “meetings” of their decision makers (persons making decisions about cooperation) in the form of various chambers, clubs, communities, and so on.
Look - there is probably a Chamber of Commerce and Industry in your city, which periodically arranges parties for general or financial directors. Look for different trendy features, such as a mafia game club for HR directors. For accountants, these may be seminars conducted by the local IFTS. Find out where CMOs hang out in your area (if you offer printing, design, or advertising services, for example...). Find out where the logistics directors live (if you are a courier service or a transport company).
If it’s completely boring in your city and poor decision makers stupidly go home after work - see the paragraph above: think of it yourself! Your events. Finally create your club of mafia players for ____ ( insert the position you want)! Your costs are buying or ordering printing of special cards, blindfolds and beautiful rules on A4 sheets!
Any restaurant in the city will be happy to lend you space on Wednesday evenings with this theme. In addition, it is not necessary to make such evenings free. Freebie relaxes. And the mafia club requires discipline ( read the rules online). Therefore, take 100-500 rubles from the players. per evening (the amount should be such that it is dealt with painlessly, and the value received in return at times blocked such a “loss” from the wallet).
5. Press releases. Get in the habit of issuing press releases about your company every Tuesday. Releases should not be large and voluminous - make text on 1/2 printed sheet plus a couple of key sentences about the company.
Look for information breaks within the company all week long! Establish a system for collecting and processing news and, in general, everything that happens in the company. Any sneeze should flock to your department. And you yourself decide whether to air it or not ( together with the business owner, of course).
And distribute your press releases regularly across the network and through all communication channels available to you: website, corporate newspaper for clients, newsletter, bulletin board in the trading floor or reception… Register your press releases in free press release directories ( they are easily found in any search engine). Send your news to interested publications in your region - both print newspapers and magazines, and online media.
6. Publications. The same goes for larger press releases - provide free content to journalists and the media. These can be interviews on your market, on some problem of your consumers, analytical reports and sections, statistical data ( many media outlets love different statistical compilations), just interesting publications “in the subject”. Invite the leading publication in your region to organize and maintain some special interesting column - and supply your column with relevant and fresh information weekly.
Everyone needs interesting and useful content! Finally, ask your buyers or potential clients - what is THEM interested in your topic, what do they want to know about?
7. Cases. Or case studies. Or success-story. The nature is slightly different, but the point, in principle, is one - to show your target segments by example the solution to THEIR problems. Write stories according to the formula "Problem - Solution - Result", "how bad it was before - and how wonderful it became after", the principle, I think, is clear. Stories in this vein are very attractive and have.
8. Reviews. Customer feedback is something you should collect from when your company was still a baby business. Especially if your client is a more or less well-known company in your region. On corporate color forms, with a beautiful seal, signed by the first person or a key top manager of your client.
Collect and store your reviews in a separate folder, each in a separate file, treat them carefully and with respect -) Well, without fanaticism, of course. You just have to understand that these are the results of your work. These are your "thank you, you helped us a lot" from your customers. And don't forget to digitize all your customer testimonials. Only rovnenko, in color, with high resolution and readable text.
9. "Word of mouth". Involve the local population in promoting your company, products, brands. It has long been no secret to anyone that the “dress” works best in the service market. But in order for your “dress” to work, you need to work on it! What did you think? They just launched a rumor to the people - and he picked it up and carried it to the masses? Of course, it would be great if everything was so simple - no one would spend money on expensive TV and radio advertising, but only would be engaged in “injecting” rumors into the masses.
The simplest and most effective thing is to remember yourself. What information have you personally ever transmitted by word of mouth? It was probably something shocking, out of the ordinary, or terribly funny, or curious, or disgusting, or improving some aspect of your life ... Feel what I mean? Yes, that's right - it should be something that will hook.
But here, be careful - your legend should support and enhance your company/product image, not destroy it.
10. Free consultations, demonstrations, samples. The name speaks for itself. Don't be afraid to give! Nobody likes to buy a pig in a poke. Everyone wants to try first, and then make a buying decision.
Here your marketing should work in close connection with sales as never before. Because it’s not enough just to give a try - after that you need to constantly ask at a given frequency - “Well, how did you like it? Let's buy the full version. Did not like? Why? and so on...". Keep in touch, monitor your potential client. Offer him special offers, inform about new products, promotions, discounts.
But at the same time, do not be afraid to calculate and cut off “eternal tryers” - these are those who initially know that they will never buy, but they will never refuse a freebie ... You should not waste your precious time on such “non-customers” ...
11. Atmosphere and design of the client office/service hall, reception, meeting room/. In these rooms, EVERYTHING should speak about your professionalism, the quality of your services and the specialists who, in fact, provide these services, inspire confidence in you, your company, your product - every little thing and every element.
Remove already, finally, all these antediluvian letters and thanks of 2003-2007, issued to you by someone for something! Leave one - but a normal, fresh, up-to-date solid professional license, or a certificate, or a diploma, or whatever you need according to the specifics ...
No wobbly chairs, tattered tables, scorched sofas, cracked glass surfaces… Well, you remove this piece of furniture if you don’t have money yet to reupholster, repair, buy a replacement. It’s better to throw a couple of frameless “pears” for one and a half thousand rubles if you need to somehow take up space - well, let no one sit on them, but they will give some kind of “their dude” - freshness and dynamism to your office.
12. Gift certificates, loyalty programs. That is, make sure that the client wants to not only come to you again, but bring someone else with him next time. By the way, this also works with corporate clients. You just need to think a little longer ... And ask around / observe clients, what can stimulate them to such an action.
A great example is large cosmetic chains, fitness clubs, mobile operators ( least). Copy this ready-made and perfectly working model and apply it to your business - what exactly is stopping you? ( the first gift certificates can also be printed on a color printer, if it’s really tight ... get rich - print plastic, that’s okay!)
In addition, if you have a representative office of some federal discount coupon network in your city ( like Groupon, but there are a lot of them now), or perhaps there is a local company with this kind of working principle, contact them, let them plan an advertising campaign for you. They won’t take money from you for this, but on the other hand, you will clearly see how much you can earn in one day of such a promotion with zero investment in reach and attraction. The decision is yours.
13. Cross marketing promotions with partners. Organize joint promotions with your colleagues, with whom your products can complement each other for the same target audience ( “Blah blah printing house and blah blah furniture salon — only from May 1 to May 20 they are holding a joint promotion: buy office furniture and get 80% discount on any advertising printing!”). Promote them well in the region ( You can also partner with the media), share contacts with each other, and work with the resulting client base, each in its own format.
14. Contests, quizzes. This is about the same as cross-marketing, only a more entertaining format. Each partner performs its own function, makes its contribution - provides prizes of various formats and nature, covers the event, prints banners, programs the web, deals with logistics, photographs, shoots videos, feeds, clothes, etc. But someone has to take on the role of organizer and coordinator. For example, you are the initiator and creator of the concept ( which you pre-send to the partners you need for your contribution).
15. Cultivate feedback from your customers. Build relationships with them. And develop them. Invite them to express their opinion on any occasion - about your services, about the same services on the market in general, conduct surveys, call for action in your communications, provoke them to respond to your messages, conduct surveys on the site or together with partners, give them free advice and ask them to evaluate them, get their consent to receive your marketing materials (only useful to them and not often!).
Final word
Of course, all these low-cost marketing methods do not require a lot of money, but they require the investment of other resources - this is time, effort, patience, energy, imagination and your knowledge.
Yes, and you should not be scattered on all of the methods of promotion described - try each of them in turn, see - which works best for you, brings the most customers? Focus on the few that are most optimal for you in terms of time and labor costs / number of deals closed.
And one more piece of advice that I would like to mention, but which everyone often forgets about ... Due to blurryness and immersion in routine, probably ...
Promote and sell not your company and your products, but the "emotion" and "result" from using your services and contacting your company!
The services of a beauty salon are few people need, but a beautiful haircut and a perfect manicure - yes! I'm not at all interested in the services of an advertising agency, but here's a 20% increase in sales in 6 weeks - let's discuss this soon! There are plenty of tours to Egypt and Greece for cheap, but a complete disconnection from current worries and immersion in absolute relaxation for two weeks - there are few such offers! (if they exist at all...)
So stop, colleagues, disconnect from the hustle and bustle, take a time out for the day, go to the park, turn off your mobile phone, sit on a bench, relax, look at the fountains, people watch - low-budget ways to attract customers are on the market, you can think of them. Just in pursuit of frenetic sales and abstract results, we don't always see them.
P.S. And don't forget that acquiring a new customer costs FIVE times as much as keeping an old one. Therefore, do not forget about your client after the first sale (obtained by one of the methods discussed in this report), in fact, work with him is just beginning here!
Developing a Marketing Plan: Promotion Policy (Part 1)
What you will find in this article
It is not enough to create a good product, set a reasonable price and choose winning places of sale, you also need to communicate your product or service to customers, convince them of the need to buy it and not let them forget about it later. Therefore, having talked about the marketing policy of the enterprise, in this article we will consider possible options for promoting your products.
Promotion is any form of action used by a firm to inform, persuade, and remind people of its products and services.
The main methods of promotion are advertising, sales promotion, public relations (publicity and public relations) and personal selling. However, we will return to the consideration of specific methods of promotion later, and first we will consider the general principles for developing a promotion program.
Development of a promotion program
Step 1. Pay attention!
When determining how to promote your products, there are four main factors to consider: the size of your target market, its characteristics, the type of your product or service, and such an important detail as the size of the budget allocated for promotion.
Target market size. If the size of the target market is large enough (many target consumers) and / or they live far enough from each other, it is more appropriate to use advertising (mostly) to promote your product or service. If there are few consumers, and they are concentrated within the same area (city, region depending on the scale of the business), which is most often the case in the business goods market, then personal selling can be successfully used.
Target market features. Learning about the characteristics of your customers can tell you the best way to connect with them. For example, if it turns out that the majority of your dry cleaner's customers are residents of the neighborhood, the most logical way to promote them is to send flyers to their addresses or advertise on cable television.
Product type. To promote consumer goods, as a rule, advertising is used; personal selling is better for promoting complex and expensive products.
The size of the allocated budget. It is quite logical that the set of ways to promote your product should be determined in such a way as to make the most efficient use of the allocated funds. For example, it makes sense to consider the expediency of using expensive means of promotion - advertising on television and radio, only with a sufficiently large budget for promotion. If you think you can't allocate a lot of money for promotion, it is better to opt for more cost-effective ways to promote your products: press advertising, mail advertising, etc.
Consider the size and characteristics of the target market, the type of your product and the amount of budget you can allocate for promotion.
Step 2. Set goals
The goals of promotion can be divided into two main areas: stimulating demand and improving the image of the company (which, again, is ultimately done to increase sales). The demand for your product consists of three main parts:
the number of people who bought your product at least once (the so-called initial market penetration);
share of those who buy your product again (percentage of repeat purchases);
consumption intensity (consumption ratio) of your product (i.e. how often consumers purchase your product on average).
In order to achieve the maximum increase in demand volumes at each of the listed sites, a model of the impact hierarchy was developed (Fig. 1).
According to this model, each buyer, before purchasing your product, goes through six stages, from realizing the need for it to buying it. In the first two stages (awareness knowledge), the main goal of promotion is to provide information about your company or product. At the third and fourth stages (attitude preference), it is necessary to form a positive attitude towards your company / product in the consumer. In the fifth and sixth stages (persuasion purchase), you need to convince the consumer that your product is better than competitors' products and that he should buy your product.
However, this customer-specific model is easy to implement only if you work with large customers, each of whom you know personally and can provide information to each in accordance with the stage at which he is. If you are selling your product to many small buyers, then there will be people at different stages of the buying decision who will need different information. However, the same model can be applied to the stages of bringing your product to market, starting from the assumption that at each stage your customers will be dominated by people who are at the same stages of this model.
1. The first stage (comprehension knowledge). At the first stage, when you are just starting to sell your product (or introducing an old product to a new market you start selling it in another region or another group of consumers), most people do not know anything about it and have never bought it, and your task is to form primary demand. To do this, you need to inform as many of your potential buyers as possible about your product, its features, and encourage them to make a trial purchase. In other words, you need to ensure that people know about your offer, i.e. The main goal of promotion at the first stage is INFORMATION.
tell the market about your new products / services / offers;
offer new opportunities to use your products / services;
explain the purpose of goods / services;
tell your customers about price changes.
2. Second stage (relation preference). In the second stage, when most of your potential buyers already know about your product and have made a trial purchase, your main goal is to encourage them to buy your product again, i.e. make them regular customers. To do this, with the help of promotion, it is necessary to ensure that consumers have a positive attitude towards your product, and they begin to give it preference over competitors' products. In other words, the main goal of moving forward in the second stage is to CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND PREFERENCE.
Main goals at this stage:
ensure a good relationship with your company / brand / product / store;
convince customers to buy a product;
Convince your customers that your products are better than those of your competitors.
3. The third stage (persuasion purchase). In the third stage, when you have already managed to attract a sufficient number of regular buyers of your product, in order to increase demand, you should ensure that your potential buyers purchase your products more often or in larger quantities. The main goal of promotion in this case is TO STIMULATE MORE PURCHASES AND RESERVE INTENT of buyers to continue to purchase your product.
Main goals at this stage:
remind your customers about the existence of your company / products / services;
remind your customers what products they can buy from you;
remind your customers of the characteristics of your products.
Define promotional goals: Decide whether you will inform, convince, or remind your customers about the product.
Step 3. Define the target audience
The target audience is the group of your actual and potential customers to whom you address your messages.
If your products are bought by several groups of consumers that differ greatly from each other, then you have several target audiences. For each of them, you need to develop your own informational message, focusing on the qualities that are most important to them in your product and the benefits that they want to get from buying it.
To determine your target audience, answer yourself the question: who uses (will use) your products or services? Find out what they already know about your product, what are the motives for purchasing it (this can be done by surveying your potential and / or actual consumers). If it turns out that when purchasing your products, different consumers pay attention to different parameters of the product / service (for example, for pensioners, the price of a haircut at your hairdresser plays an important role, and young women are interested in the professionalism of hairdressers and the opportunity to get advice on choosing a hairstyle), divide them into groups and prepare a message for each group.
At the third stage, identify the target audience and determine what they already know about your company, product or service.
Step 4. Define the content of the message
The theme of your appeal should correspond to the goals of promotion, your product, service, company, and should be traced in all the activities you take to promote your product. The process of choosing a message subject consists of three steps:
Stage 1. "List of proposals". Make a list of everything you can offer the buyer;
Stage 2. "Motivational analysis". Imagine yourself in the place of a consumer of your product and answer the questions: why would I use (did not use) this product, why is it better (worse) than other products, what characteristics of the product convince me to make a purchase, what make me doubt buying it. The result of this stage will be a list of the main motives leading to the purchase and preventing it. Note that it is better to do such an analysis not only on the basis of your own conclusions, but also using the results of a survey of your consumers.
Stage 3. "Market Analysis". Compare the characteristics of your product with the characteristics of competitors' products and market requirements, and highlight the characteristics of your product that are important to your consumers and absent from competitors' products formulate your unique selling proposition (USP).
After that, you can formulate the main theme of activities to promote your product based on the USP.
Determine what you want to communicate to your consumers.
Step 5. Define the message form
In your message, not only its content is important, but also its form. Of course, each promotional medium has its own characteristics, but there are some general tips for the form of your message:
speak simply: use everyday words and short expressions, avoid professional expressions;
speak interestingly: try to arouse curiosity, focus not on the product, but on the benefits that the buyer will receive with its acquisition;
speak directly: do not overload the text with unnecessary words;
speak affirmatively: replace negative sentences with affirmative statements of a motivating nature;
use common sense: try to be convincing and understandable to the average person;
speak briefly: small texts are read more often, because reading them is faster and easier;
be truthful: false claims may initially attract buyers, but once convinced of the deception, they will no longer believe you;
be original: express your thoughts in an original way, try not to repeat the messages of other companies in your messages;
repeat the most important points: focusing on them, you make the consumer remember the main idea of your promotion program. Arguments can be repeated in different ways, in different formulations;
strive to attract and hold attention: break your text into paragraphs, blocks, add headings;
avoid mentioning the names of competitors: firstly, comparative advertising is prohibited, and secondly, do not remind your consumers of them once again;
pay attention to the last phrase: it is she who is remembered;
address the message not to the void, but to the personality: address your consumers;
offer a plan of action: give your customers clear instructions on what exactly they should do after reading this text (contact you for more information, make a purchase, etc.)
Decide what form your message should take.
Step 6. Calculate the budget
Once you have determined why, to whom, what and how you want to communicate about your product or service, you need to determine how much money you can spend on it what will be your promotion budget.
Promotion budget this is the amount of allocated funds for all types of activities to promote your product.
To date, there are five main methods for setting a promotion budget, namely: the residual method, the increment method, the parity method, the share of sales method, and the target method.
remainder method. Under this method, the firm first allocates funds for all elements of marketing, and the remainder goes to the promotion budget. This method is sometimes referred to as "whatever you can afford". It is the simplest, but also the weakest of all, but it is the one most often used by small, production-oriented companies. Disadvantages of this method: little attention paid to promotion, lack of connection of expenses with the set goals, the danger of a "zero" budget for promotion in case there are no funds left.
growth method. In the case of using this method, the company builds its promotion budget, focusing on the budgets of previous years, increasing or decreasing them by a certain percentage. The advantages of this method: the presence of a reference point, the ease of determining the budget, the use of past experience of the company. Disadvantages of the method: the size of the budget is determined largely intuitively and is rarely linked to goals.
Method of parity with competitors. The promotion budget in this case is determined on the basis of estimates of the budgets of competing firms. This method is used by both large and small companies. The advantages of this method: it provides a starting point, is market-oriented and quite conservative, sets clear limits on promotion costs. However: this is a catch-up method, not a market leader; in addition, it is quite difficult to determine the costs of competitors for promotion. If there are significant differences between your firm, goods and services from firms, goods and services of competitors, this method is not applicable.
share of sales method. When using this method, a certain percentage of the income from the sale of goods is allocated for promotion. The advantages of this method: the relationship between sales and promotion, the use of a clear base, and, as a result, the simplicity of budgeting. Weaknesses of the method: promotion follows sales, and not vice versa; promotion costs are automatically reduced during periods of poor sales (when their growth can be beneficial). Therefore, when opening a company, releasing a new product, or during a losing streak, it is better not to use this method.
target method. When using this method, the company first determines what goals need to be achieved with the help of promotion, then formulates the tasks that need to be solved for this, and only then determines how much it will cost to complete these tasks. This amount is included in the promotion budget. This is the best of the five methods. Its advantages: a clear definition of goals, linking costs with the implementation of tasks, adaptability, the ability to relatively easily evaluate success or failure. Weakness the complexity of calculating the budget using this method: you need to set goals and objectives, determine the means of promotion, the use of which will allow you to solve these problems, find out how much it will cost you to use these funds.
Calculate the budget you need to allocate for promotion.
Step 7. Program
Promotion program is the set of promotional tools used by the firm (advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relations).
In order not to experience disappointment, having implemented a promotion program that seems to have been developed according to all the rules, first draw up a work schedule, clearly defining who should do what and when. With this plan in hand, you will drastically reduce the likelihood of a new product, the appearance of which has already been announced by flyers to residents of all nearby houses, will appear at your place only in two weeks.
In addition, the work plan will help you not only implement the promotion program without any problems, but also evaluate the results of its implementation.
Determine which promotional tools will be most effective for promoting your product, and draw up a work schedule.
Step 8. Decide how to evaluate results
The issue of measuring the effectiveness of promotion is quite complicated. On the one hand, without knowing how effective your promotion program is, you can neither improve it nor correct errors. From this point of view, the measurement of efficiency is simply necessary, it will fully pay off and bring undoubted benefits.
On the other hand, the methods used to measure performance (for example, measuring your market share before and after a promotion program) tend to be expensive and time-consuming, and the cost of evaluating performance can be comparable to the amount spent on the promotion program itself.
Therefore, if your budget is limited, then use the simplest and cheapest methods for evaluating effectiveness. The simplest method, used almost everywhere, is to contact customers with the question “How did you hear about us?”. You can also compare the volume of sales of your goods / services (let's say per week) before and after the release of advertising, sales promotion campaigns. Another way to evaluate the effectiveness of promotion is to conduct a simple telephone survey of consumers, which will allow you to find out how the attitude of buyers towards your company, product or service has changed.
Summary
So, to develop a program to promote your company, product or service, you need to:
take into account the size of your target market, its features, features of your product or service, as well as the size of the budget allocated for promotion;
set promotion goals;
define the target audience;
choose the subject of the message and define its form;
draw up a promotion program and work schedule;
evaluate the results of the promotion program.
We will consider the features of applying specific promotion methods in the next article.
The following materials were used in preparing the article:
