Sales Promotion - Marketing - Demand

Advertising Campaigns: Non-Human or Human Spokersperson: Pros and Cons

Pros: A company may develop and advertising campaign featuring a non-human spokesperson versus a human spokesperson because it is cost effective. Each non-human character can be manipulated as the company sees fit, does not age, require a new contract, unlike humans require. Non-human characters are attention grabbing and can appeal to a human’s ability to remember the character.

Cons: It can be difficult to relate to a non-human object and may be difficult on a personal level to relate to consumers. Dependent on the circumstances, it can be a demanding task to promote a new character if the character is not appealing to the public/consumers.

Demand can be discovered and is subjective to a companies’ capability to develop interest through marketing strategies. A new product is not merely influenced by demand, but the motive to develop demand by using strengths to identify it. Through identification, a company may nurture the product and develop its limitations and capabilities around what consumers need and want. In a rather simple sequence, a company should define its product’s strengths and weaknesses, research the target markets the product would be exposed in/to, discover the demand, merge the product’s attributes with consumer necessity, develop an awareness of the product by creating interest with a marketing schema, and thus, deploy the product. Through and within this process, a company can employ an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan to upkeep the strategy’s effectiveness and product’s value. If you’re asking for my personal opinion, I believe a company’s resourcefulness, with brilliance, may discover demand and simply create a form of interest amongst consumers.

Sales promotion is a method used to create sales or profits from a product or service. As per Marketing Teacher LTD, “Sales promotion is any initiative undertaken by an organization to promote an increase in sales, usage or trial of a product or service (i.e. initiatives that are not covered by the other elements of the marketing communications or promotions mix)” (2008). Characteristics that describe a good sales promotion are their effectiveness to sell the product or service, capture attention, and maintain brand loyalty/popularity.

As a previously devoted customer to T-mobile and a consumer of their mobile device products, I was a firm believer and follower of their business from 1998 (as Voicestream Wireless) through 2007. However, Mr. Steve Jobs, Apple Incorporated’s CEO and original founder, introduced what was believed to become the most innovative product in the world, the Apple iPhone. Through the device’s creative January 2007 introduction, Steve Jobs jammed my interest in T-mobile’s cellular products; or had he? In reality, he caught my attention, but had yet to persuade me, until Apple’s marketing strategy.

As months progressed from January to July 2007, Apple’s advertising and marketing became more and more apparent and noticeable. The Apple iPhone appeared to have taken most television commercial slots. Its media and print advertising illustrated its versatility. In annoyance of bad press and good press, articles, opinions of drawbacks and benefits, and likes and dislikes, I developed an interest in why this product conjured a feeling of envy and desire amongst Apple’s cult of devoted consumers, non Apple consumers, and competition. On its release date, I needed to experience what the hype was all about. And to make a long story short, what swayed my purchasing decision was not Apple’s point-of-sale and “use your fingers” demonstration promotion of the iPhone, nor the joint promotions offered by AT&T Cingular, it was the subliminal, “limit two, buy now while supplies last” message. I’m glad I waited in line, because not everyone got one…well, that day.

Reference:

Sales Promotion. (n.d.). What is sales promotion? Available from the Marketing Teacher LTD web site: http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_sales_promotion.html