PRO - Promotional Plan [LESSON]

Promotion Plan

A promotional plan identifies where, when, and how advertising, personal selling, PR, sales promotion, and direct marketing tactics will be used to support sales and branding objectives.

When assembling a promotional plan, marketers typically employ one or more of the following five promotional subcategories: personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and publicity (or public relations).

These communication tools serve as tactics within the promotional plan to accomplish objectives such as:

  • Increasing sales
  • Launching new products
  • Creating and building brand equity
  • Establishing market positioning
  • Retaliating against competition
  • Strengthening brand image

As organizations implement their promotional plan, they also seek to educate consumers, increase consumer demand, and differentiate their products and services in the marketplace.

Promotional Plan

The promotional plan is the activities and strategies that marketers use to promote a product. Listed below are the steps for reaching a promotional goal.

  1. Objectives - Have a clear starting position; awareness of opinions, behavior and knowledge of the target audience; and available time and resources.
  2. Market targets - Decide who exactly is to be the audience. Targeting the promotional activities and communications message to a specific audience guarantees a higher rate of success or return on investment.
  3. Contents:
    1. The message - There are three principles that should be remembered when developing the communications or promotional message:
      1. Budget - Determine a preliminary promotions budget. This initial estimate will be modified as the planning process proceeds and formal quotations are obtained.
      2. Promotional elements and tactics - Among the various elements of promotions are advertising, personal selling, reseller support, publicity, sales promotion and supplemental activities such as public relations.
      3. Measure results - Results must be evaluated. The results will determine whether the planned activities should continue or be revised.
        1. The KISS Principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)
        2. The AIDA Principle (Attention/Interest/Desire/Action)
        3. Communication objectives:
          1. to be received (heard or read)
          2. to be understood
          3. to be accepted
          4. to get action (change of behavior or attitude)

 

Public Relations Specialist Career

A public relations specialist educates the public about a client's products, accomplishments, or goals.

Duties:

  • Study an organization
  • Research public opinion
  • Put together a PR plan
  • Create events like fundraising events, speaking engagements, or tradeshows
  • Arrange promotional campaigns on the radio, television, and internet or through the press.
  • Counsel staff on how to answer the public's questions
  • Represent the company at government, social, or business gatherings
  • Write speeches, newsletters, annual reports
  • Create and manage blogs

Review

 

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