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Liberty University
MMIP7
BUSI520
Holly Keith
February 29, 2024
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Week 7 MMIP
Introduction
This paper will explain the promotional strategies and different forms of marketing
implored by Buff City Soap. How a company chooses to promote their products to customers can
affect the outcome of their success. The world of marketing has changed drastically with the
massive spread of social media and companies must adjust to continue increasing sales.
Firm’s Promotional Mix
A promotion mix is a combination of marketing tools to achieve a goal. There are five
categories in a promotion mix: “digital and social media marketing, advertising, sales promotion,
public relations (PR), and personal selling” (Marshall & Johnston, 2023, p. 178). Buff City Soap
uses a combination of digital marketing, advertising, and sales promotions to draw in new
customers and keep loyal customers. The most relied upon element of their mix is sales
promotions. The sales promotions can be found in the window of brick-and-mortar stores, their
personal website, or simply by looking on the internet for promotions. Buff City Soap focuses on
skincare and selfcare and their products are bundled together for a discounted price, but people
end up paying more than they would have for the one or two products they went to the store for.
Push or Pull Promotional Strategy
Push and pull strategies are generally not used exclusively, but rather simultaneously.
However, most businesses use more of one than the other and that is not different for Buff City
Soap. Buff City Soap uses a push strategy to put the brand in front of potential customers and
make it widely available (PushNinja, n.d.). The loyalty program that Buff City Soap has is a
great tool to push new products to their customers while also advertising current sales they are
having.
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Social Media Marketing Plan
Digital marketing has increased exponentially the last few years and one of the main
reasons for this is the “empowerment of consumers” (Tiago & Verı´ssimo, 2014, p. 703). People
can shop from the comfort of their home, and they can also share their opinions about products
immediately. It is important that businesses create and maintain positive relationships with their
consumers and have consistent interactions. Buff City Soap’s personal website is the best place
to find all their information, but they also have an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter account.
Along with the loyalty program, Buff City Soap sends out emails and text messages when people
sign up so that they can be reminded on their phone to go buy the store or order online.
Advertising Execution
The main strategy that Buff City Soap executes is competitive advertising. The unique
factors that Buff City Soap focuses on is their handmade and plant-based products. This is one of
their main selling points. By putting emphasis on how there are no harsh chemicals in their
products, it automatically makes the customer think that all other brands that do not use plant-
based ingredients are not good for their skin. Buff City Soap also charges a premium, so their
advertising must be compelling enough that people will pay than they normally would.
Use of Sales Promotion, Public Relations and More
Buff City Soap uses multiple avenues of sales promotions, but the most common one
found on their website is multiple-purchase offers which is essentially buying more to save some
(Marshall & Johnston, 2023, p. 191). Buff City Soap’s public relations is dependent on buzz, or
word of mouth. Public relations through social media also seem to have a lot of positive
assessment from the research that has been done (Valentini, 2015). One of the live events that
Buff City Soap offers year-round is the use of their “makeries”. It is a fun and interactive way for
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customers to make their own products from scratch. Buff City Soap is continuing to grow their
profits and it is because their marketing strategies work.
Conclusion
In summary, Buff City Soap is a unique concept with little competition that meets the
specific criteria they have developed. There has been a steady increase in the number of stores
being built in the United States and there may be potential to move internationally. Whatever
Buff City Soap decides, they clearly have informed marketing teams and promotional experts
that can produce ideas for them to implement.
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References
Marshall, G. W., & Johnston, M. W. (2023).FMarketing management(4thFed.). McGraw-Hill.
ISBN 978-1-260-38191-7 Available via CONNECT.
PushNinja. (n.d.). Push and pull marketing: the difference. https://pushninja.com/push-and-pull-
marketing#:~:text=In%20simple%20terms%2C%20pull%20marketing,available%20to
%20the%20general%20audience.
Tiago, M. T. P. M. B., & Verı´ssimo, J. M. C. (2014). Digital marketing and social media: why
bother? Business Horizons, 57(6), 703-708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.002
Valentini, C. (2015). Is using social media “good” for the public relations profession? A critical
reflection. Public Relations Review, 41(2), 170-177.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.11.009
