Marketing Promotions

Equity Marketing Company

Insignia Systems, Inc.

Valassis Communications Inc

Guide to Marketing Promotions

Impress your target market with carefully planned marketing promotions
By Judy Artunian

	Essentials of Marketing Promotions Make your marketing promotions memorable by tapping into your customers’ interests. Reduce the costs or your promotional products by joining forces with a supplier who wants to promote his products. Draw customers with marketing promotions in the form of events that feature entertainment or product demonstrations.

Marketing promotions can be designed to introduce new products, differentiate your products or services from competitors, or simply increase sales. Let your creative juices flow when developing a marketing promotion. Look for unique promotional products, design attention-grabbing point-of-purchase displays or create contests that help sell products while keeping customers entertained.

Some points to consider when planning a small business promotion:

1. Consider your goals before laying the groundwork for a new marketing promotion. Goals can change from one promotion to the next. The promotion you launched last year to introduce a new product line can’t necessarily be re-tooled for the unveiling of this year’s new offerings.

2. Ask a vendor to share the cost of your marketing promotion by supplying products for the promotion. In return, make his products part of your promotion.

3. Whether you promote a product or service, you’re ultimately promoting your brand. Make sure that your marketing promotions reflect your brand’s image in the best possible light.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Events: the marketing promotion that entertains Plan marketing promotion events that suit your customers' interests and lifestyle. Promotional events can range from a regional golf tournament to an in-store battle of the bands.

I recommend:  Get help with marketing promotion details such as event registration and equipment rentals by consulting SalesAdvantage.com. If you have the budget for a high-end sports promotion check out Odds On Promotions.

Small business promotion sweepstakes and contests get customers involved Design a sweepstakes or contest that awards the winners with prizes that will motivate people to enter.

I recommend:  Get ideas for sweepstakes drawings and prizes that would wow your target market, and hire a sweepstakes planner at American Sweepstakes and Promotion. Manage your marketing promotions contest online with the help of ennect Sweepstakes Software, which is geared to small and medium-sized businesses. Promote your contests and events with a text-messaging campaign with Advanced Telecom Services.

Feature your logo on promotional products Keep your company name in front of your customers by presenting them with promotional products in the form of a stylish complementary coffee mug or other practical product that features your company logo. Include your phone number or website URL if there is room.

I recommend:  Vendors of promotional products are continuously introducing creative new gift items. 4imprint and Marketing Promotions provide a seemingly endless selection of promotional products.

Put point-of-purchase displays to work for your marketing promotions In-store advertising in the form of point-of-purchase displays, also called POP displays, can be a pivotal part of your marketing promotion strategy. Eye-catching POP displays can energize a product launch, revitalize a product line's image and introduce your products to new markets.

I recommend:  Avante, which has produced award-winning point-of-purchase displays, promises quick turnaround on display prototyping and manufacturing. Display Smart creates attractive, traditional POP displays as well as interactive kiosks. You can find many more suppliers of point-of-purchase displays at Business.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Develop marketing promotions for holidays, but stand out from the crowd. Offer discounted or free products and services on lesser-known holidays like Groundhog Day, or on anniversaries of notable events such as the first moon landing.
• When projecting your small business promotion expenses, don't forget costs such as shipping and storage.
• When consumers scan store shelves, they usually decide what to buy within 10 seconds. To grab their attention, your point-of-purchase displays should be at eye level and feature dramatic, contrasting colors.