Abstract:

Sales Promotion is a strategic communications discipline at least for those client companies who use it properly. As a discipline it has a leading edge over most others in that it can be used tactically to produce a short term result but only within the framework of an overall promotional strategy which in turn must be developed as a key element of the total communications strategy. In total, the budgets for Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing exceed those of consumer advertising and this has become a fact of life in most major Western markets. Yet, in spite of this fact many, may be even a majority, of companies remain inconsistent in their use of these disciplines. The function of an advertising agency and agency/client relationships are clearly defined. Other disciplines still suffer from the "shop around" syndrome and this can and frequently does lead to, what one senior American promotion executive recently and rather aptly, called Marketing Strategy Erosion. Sales Promotion can and should contribute to the overall brand franchise and build on brand assets. Any Sales Promotion activity which is developed in isolation from the overall communications strategy will lead to a strategy erosion. A well planned Sales Promotion strategy will build on a brands assets, contribute to the long term consumer/trade franchise and be capable of producing effective and measurable results.