Advertising :
Advertisement is a non-personal presentation of an idea or a product (where as personal selling or salesmanship help in personal promotional.) Advertisement supplements personal selling to a great extent. Advertising has, acquired great importance in the modern India characterized by tough competition in the market and fast changes in technology, and fashion and taste customers. It creates an active role in integrated marketing communication mix as it creates.
• Good image
• Top of the mind awareness
• Counterclaim the competitors
• Reinforce positive attitude
Publicity :
Publicity is the non-personal presentation. It originates from the desk of the editor. It aims at only informing the public about the events, person, firm etc. There is no control on the publicity by the advertiser as it comes from the media owner. Publicity can be favorable or unfavorable. Large firms have separate publicity or public relation department for publicity and cordial public relation.
The secret of the publicity is to get placement in the desired media. Thus the use of publicity provides various advantages to the seller they are:
• It is available free of cost
• It provides more information than advertising as it comes from the editors desk
• Consumer believe publicity more than advertising
Public relation :
A Public relations is defined as a management function which identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics. Public relations consider multiple audiences (consumers, employees, suppliers, vendors, etc.) and uses two-way communication to monitor feedback and adjust both its message and the organization's actions for maximum benefit. It is used to generate goodwill for the organization. Public relation help the company and its public by relating each other for mutual benefits. The main objective of public relation is :
• To remove misunderstanding, doubts, confusion, and wrong impression in the minds of different social groups.
• To maintain good corporate image.
• To have the public support to the future of the company.
• To fulfill social responsibility.
Sales promotion :
Sales promotions are direct inducements that offer extra incentives to enhance or accelerate the product's movement from producer to consumer. Sales promotion constitutes devices like contests, coupons, free samples, premium, and point of purchase material. Sales promotion is action oriented. It motivates customers to buy the goods under incentive plans. Sales promotion not only covers consumers but also dealers and wholesalers. It acts as a connecting link between advertising and salesmanship. Thus in a competitive marketing sales promotion act as a effective tool to an advertiser to solve several short term hurdles in marketing.
Personal Selling :
Personal selling includes all person-to-person contact with customers with the purpose of introducing the product to the customer, convincing him or her of the product's value, and closing the sale. The role of personal selling varies from organization to organization, depending on the nature and size of the company, the industry, and the products or services it is marketing. Many marketing executives realize that both sales and non-sales employees act as salespeople for their organization in one way or
another.
Personal selling is the most effective way to make a sale because of the interpersonal communication between the salesperson and the prospect. Messages can be tailored to particular situations, immediate feedback can be processed, and message strategies can be changed to accommodate the feedback.
Packaging :
A properly designed package can induce the prospects to buy the product. A well designed package can communicate the type and quality of the product. Packaging plays an important role in converting the minds of the consumers as it provides.
• Providing information of the product.
• Protection of goods while transportation and handling
• Preservation of quality of the products.
• Promotion of the product.
Internet :
Just as direct marketing has become a prominent player in the promotional mix, so too has the Internet. Virtually unheard of in the 1980s, the 1990s saw this new medium explode onto the scene, being adopted by families, businesses and other organizations more quickly than any other medium in history. Web sites provide a new way of transmitting information, entertainment, and advertising, and have generated a new dimension in marketing: electronic commerce. E-commerce is the term used to describe the act of selling goods and services over the Internet. In other words, the Internet has become more that a communication channel; it is a marketing channel itself with companies such as Amazon.com, CDNow, eBay, and others selling goods via the Internet to individuals around the globe.
The interactivity of the Internet is perhaps its greatest asset. By communicating with customers, prospects, and others one-on-one, firms can build databases that help them meet specific needs of individuals, thus building a loyal customer base.
Sponsorships :
Many advertisers heavily rely on sponsorship in order to create positive feelings toward a company. Sponsorships increase awareness of a company or product, build loyalty with a specific target audience, help differentiate a product from its competitors, provide merchandising opportunities, demonstrate commitment to a community or ethnic group, or impact the bottom line.
Like advertising, sponsorships are initiated to build long-term associations. Organizations sometimes compare sponsorships with advertising by using gross impressions or cost-per-thousand measurements. However, the value of sponsorships can be very difficult to measure. Companies considering sponsorships should consider the short-term public relations value of sponsorships and the long-term goals of the organization. Sports sponsorships make up about two-thirds of all sponsorships.
Trade shows and Exhibition :
It is one of the oldest forms of promoting the sales of products. Trade shows and exhibition provide opportunities for face-to-face contact with prospects, enable new companies to create a viable customer base in a short period of time, and allow small and midsize companies that may not be visited on a regular basis by salespeople to become familiar with suppliers and vendors.
Because many trade shows generate media attention, they have also become popular venues for introducing new products and providing a stage for executives to gain visibility. In India, India trade promotion organization (ITPO) has been set up by the government to organized trade fairs and exhibitions.
