Promoting the Product

Advertising, personal (face-to-face) selling, and sales promotion are the methods for inducing people to buy.

The primary objective of advertising is to pre-sell the product, that is, to convince consumers to purchase an item before they actually see and inspect it. Most companies consider this function so important that they have allotted extensive budgets and engaged special advertising agencies to develop their program of advertising. By repeatedly exposing the consumer to a brand name or trademark, to the appearance or package of a product, and to special features of an item, advertisers hope to incline consumers toward a particular product. Advertising is most frequently done on television, radio, and billboards; in newspapers, magazines, and catalogues; and through direct mail to the consumers. In recent years, advertising agencies have been joining forces to become giant agencies, making it possible for them to offer their clients a comprehensive range of world wide promotion services.

As the costs of personal selling have risen, the utilization of salespeople has changed. Simple transactions are completed by clerks. Salespeople are now used primarily where the products are complex and require careful explanation or customized application. For example, in the typical automobile sale, the salesperson's activities generally centre on negotiating price and arranging terms of payment; the actual product has usually already been pre-sold through advertising. The purpose of sales promotion is to supplement and co-ordinate advertising and personal selling; this has become increasingly important in marketing. Often it is necessary to work closely with the dealers who handle a manufacturer's products if the products are to move satisfactorily. Displays must be supplied and set up, and co-operative advertising programs may be worked out. Store clerks should be trained in the knowledge of the manufacturer's products. Often the manufacturer must provide services such as installation and maintenance for a specified time period. On the consumer level, sales promotion may involve special inducements such as discount coupons, contests, a premium with the purchase of a product, or a lower price on the purchase of a second item.