THE PROMOTIONAL MIX

The promotional mix is the blending of five promotional areas of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing and personal selling.

• Advertising. Advertising is any form of paid public and impersonal communication utilizing the mass media. The purpose of advertising is to emphasize the benefits and characteristics of products or services, often using special effects including graphics, color, sound, music, famous personalities, testimonials and related methods.
• Sales promotion. Sales promotions consist of various types of incentives including discounts, rebates, contests, etc., intended to induce a positive response from consumers. Although they are short-term in nature, promotions are designed to induce a rapid increase in sales.
• Public relations. Public relations is communication to an organization`s public that extends beyond its immediate target market. The purpose of public relations is to create a positive image of the organization by providing and explaining information. One of the outcomes of public relations is the creation of publicity for all forms of the mass media. Publicity is advantageous since it normally appears as a news story and there is no cost to the organization.
• Direct marketing. Direct marketing consists of various types of marketing intended to solicit a direct consumer response. Forms of direct marketing include direct mail, telemarketing, and electronic marketing. Direct marketing is aimed at specific individuals in the target market rather than being broadly disseminated.
• Personal selling. Personal selling is the oldest and most successful form of sales promotion. Personal selling is contingent on developing personal long-term one-on-one relationships. Personal selling depends on the development of an organizational sales force.