Promotional Strategy - Essay Example

Promotional Strategy EJ’s will use a variety of promotional tools for the launch of its products. The approach is going to be an Integrated Marketing Communications one where all the tools will complement each other in idea and execution. Starting with the teaser and introductory promotion, through the launch till the second wave, the strategy will keep reinforcing the brand positioning and product strategy. Advertising Advertising for EJ’s Innovations and More laptops and personal computers is going to be extensive. As this is the first time the company is venturing into this business, the customer needs to be approached in a very big way. The advertising is going to include a mix of television, print, radio and online content. The budget allotted to advertising will also be quite high as this form is expected to reach the greatest audience. The first wave is going to be a teaser campaign which will give a glimpse of the idea of the new product, without giving actual clue as to what it is. The key objectives will be to raise interest in the product, create word of mouth curiosity and supplement the subsequent advertising effort (Belch, p274). This will be primarily print and television advertising. Then, with the official launch of the product, the advertising will focus on the unique selling proposition of the products, and will be highly innovative and refreshing. Sales Promotion In order to maximize sales volume and reach as many customers as possible, the company will aim to use more of a ‘pull’ promotional strategy (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008), in tandem with the ‘push’ strategy which will be more subtle. The aim is to entice the end users to pull the EJ’s Innovation and More product from the manufacturer or the distributor into their homes. Sales promotion in the first phase of the campaign will be extensive but will be monitored closely. As this represents a cost that can be controlled, if the response of the customers is more than expected in certain cities or areas, sales promotions will be curtailed in those regions. Pull Strategy With this strategy, the company is hoping to reach a massive audience, as has been defined previously. Strategies will include heavy television, radio, print, online and billboard advertising, especially in the major cities all over the U.S. The special features of EJ’s Innovations and More laptops and PCs such as touch-screen would be very creatively, yet simply, advertised to the customers. Special contests would be advertised online and in print which would allow every ten thousandth customer to get a lap top or PC with any five additional features of his choice. Similar tactics will continue throughout the campaign to attract new customers to the product. Push Strategy The company has plans to invest in trade advertising and incentives to encourage support businesses to push the new range of laptops and computers. Along with that, the company will also engage in one on one interaction, where major retailers as well as wholesalers of computer products will be educated about the product and incentivized to sell it to the end consumer. The laptops and personal computers will be advertised through the print media that is directed to these professionals. Presentations and training sessions would be conducted that will help them be more attuned to the selling process of EJ’s new product line. The company will offer new users trial runs, money-back guarantees, lucky draws and special EJ’s branded items. Public Relations An exclusive pre-launch party will be organized that will be attended by journalists and key opinion leaders only. This party will let them know that the company is in the final stages of launching something big in the computer industry. Following the pre launch party will be the official launch event. A massive extravaganza, this event will feature quick presentations around the products and then the launch of the products with a big bang. All the major daily newspapers and computer and lifestyle magazines will be invited to cover the event and be encouraged to report it. After the launch, the product will continue to associate itself with and sponsor programs that provide creative solutions to everyday requirements such as having a voice recognition and touch screen and managing multiple languages at the same time, which will allow more and more customers to experience the products. PR will continue to be a major part of the promotional activities in the campaign. Direct Marketing The direct marketing effort will be highly targeted to existing EJ’s customers who might be potential clients for the new range and then people who are older or are with disabilities. They will be directly approached and offered the benefits of the product by company representatives. Road and trade shows and other such events that will allow direct interaction with the customers and the end users will be frequented by the company. Online marketing will also be used extensively as well. Personal Selling This effort will focus on the retailer and wholesaler relationship as company representatives will train them to handle this kind of sales at their level. They will be provided with great brochures and presentations that will aid them in the sales process and explaining the product to the consumers. They will be provided by sample products that their customers will be able to try out. Apart from the training, they will be provided tools and support to easily seek out potential new clients. Furthermore, they will be given great incentives for new sales in the form of commissions and bonuses. Distribution Strategy Distribution channel analysis The company will establish a relationship with a renowned distributor who has extensive experience and credibility in the computer’s business. Furthermore, the distributor will have an extensive network and presence in all states of the U.S. These characteristics will allow excellent distribution of the EJ’s new laptops and personal computers. The distributor will be required to identify all the retailers and wholesalers the company will need to work with. The company will then place a few customer service reps responsible for dealing with them on behalf of the company, along with the representatives of the distributor. The key channels that the company is going to use will be a) wholesalers with whom the company already has a good relationship with based on other product lines and b) new retailers who deal exclusively with laptop and desktop computers and accessories. The salesmen who are already dealing with the wholesalers will be assigned the additional duty of maintaining the relationship for this product line as well. As for the retailers, they will be assigned a group of well trained salesmen who will visit the retail outlets often and provide regular support and feedback. How the distribution strategy fits the product/service, target market, and overall marketing objectives for the company The extensive reach of the distribution system is aimed at one thing alone and that is to make the product available to as many customers as possible. The product strategy is to provide laptop and personal computers to customers who wish to have great features on their computers such as voice recognition, touch screen, multiple languages, translation capability, closed caption, text to voice, voice to text, and Bluetooth at great rates and customer support and service. This strategy encompasses a vast number of people in the target market who will be reached through the extensive promotional effort. As this new product serves an important need of these customers, they will be flocking their malls and computer hardware stores for the product. When the customers get to the store, they need to meet people who are well versed with the product features and accessories and are able to answer their questions. And most importantly, the product needs to be available to these customers at the right time (Kurtz. P48). These reasons make the distribution strategy a crucial part of the overall plan as this is when the physical possession of the product is going to be acquired by the customer. When the sale is going to be complete, this will result in sales revenue and will meet the objective set forth by the company for this product line. References Belch, George E. & Belch, Michael E. (2003). Advertising and Promotion, 6th edition. NY: McGrawm Hill Co. Kurtz, David L. (2008). Contemporary Marketing. NY: CENGAGE Learning Lamb, Charles W., Hair, Joseph F & McDaniel, Carl (2008). Essentials of Marketing. NY: CENGAGE Learning Read More