Abstract
Companies all over the world spend considerable time and money promoting their products
through advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sale promotions. For consumers to
want to buy a product, companies must have a strong promotional strategy. Leaders rely on
strategic planning to supports promotions for product launches and branding. Promotion is a
critical part of the marketing mix and is one of the 4Ps of marketing. Through the review of three
peer review journals, it highlights the importance of promotion and how it supports revenue for
companies.
Keywords: Promotion, Personal Selling, advertising, public relations, sales promotion
Marketing Mix: Promotion
One of the 4P’s of the marketing mix is “promotion”. Companies rely on promotion of their
products through advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sale promotions. Leadership
must plan for well thought-out promotional strategy to integrate new products and promote
existing brands. Keller et al. (2019) express those managers use popular events to promote new
products or services and examine proper timing strategies for marketing campaigns. Through the
review of three peer review journals, it highlights the importance of promotion and how it
supports revenue for companies. In review and highlighting a detail synopsis of the three
Harvard Business Review articles: For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions, What
Digital Advertising Gets Wrong, and Where Do Salespeople Fit in the Digital World, discusses
how the marketing mix of “promotion” affected company’s overall brand and new product
launch.
Promotion: Article # 1 For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions
One of the most essential elements of the 4P’s of marketing is promotion. Promotion is about
communicating a company’s product or service to the customer to get them to buy it. “Promotion
is a catch-all term that includes all the way a business can attempt to enhance the visibility of its
products, services, or brand” (Ward, 2020 p.1). There are many ways for companies to promote
their product or service. Ward (2020) expresses that companies use a mixture of word of mouth,
websites, social media, elevator pitch, business cards, vehicle decorations, flyers, and charity
events to promote their product or service.
Within the article, For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions by Weber & Randell
(2018) suggest that getting promotions right is key. Weber & Randell (2018) shares that
marketing teams must asked themselves these questions; When are discounts most likely to
stimulate a sufficient sales response? Does the promotion work best in-store or online? What
products are most likely to garner more response when promoted? How does response vary
across tactics? And Who is likely to respond? As leaders are asking these questions, this will
support the development of the marketing strategy of new and existing products/brands to
advocate for a solid promotional strategy. “Savvy retailers now have the tools to build their
promotional calendars from the bottom up, eliminating wasted promotional dollars and moving
from scattershot decision-making to effective actions tied to strategic objectives” (Weber &
Randell 2018 p.1).
Advertising: Article # 2 What Digital Advertising Gets Wrong?
Within the article, What Digital advertising Gets Wrong by Aral (2021) suggest that a
company’s advertising strategy is critical for the overall promotion of a new product or existing
brand. Aral (2021) explains that digital ads look more effective because they are based on the
number of people who click on the ads. “When marketing reps sell ad space to clients, they claim
that ads will create or cause behavioral change, a phenomenon typically called lift” (Aral 2021
p.1). Aral (2021) highlights that the conversion rate examines the number of people who buy the
product after seeing the ad. As the article discusses, an advertisement does not always create a
behavior change. Aral (2021) discusses that it is hard to evaluate the (ROI) return on investment
for an advertisement. Most companies look to target customers, but most forget about targeting
new customers.
Marketing team must develop a strong advertisement strategy that is align with timing of a
calendar of events to advertise existing and new products or service. Hsu (2019) expresses that
companies have hired consultant to revamp their marketing campaigns but has created more ads
and consumers are shying away from that approach. Leaders are looking to adjust advertising
campaigns to balance the approach of consumer wants and needs while influencing a change in
behavior.
Public Relations & Selling: Article # 3 Where Do Salespeople Fit in the Digital World
Within the article, Where Do Salespeople Fit in the Digital World by Zoltners et al. (2022)
suggest that a company’s sales force is another critical part of promotion and sales reps build
public relations with new consumers and existing one. “As companies look toward the future,
they must reassess the role of personal selling in finding new customers and expanding sales to
existing clients” (Zoltners et al. 2022 p.1). Companies must set aside funding to support
salesforces to build public relationships in the defined sector of a product or service. Zoltners et
al. (2022) explains that salespeople fit in the digital world through bringing in new customers,
bring value to existing customers, and align buying and selling organizations around a mutually
valuable solution.
As companies are adapting to the fast pace changing world, companies must take advantage
of technology enhancements. Zoltners et al. (2022) explains that virtual selling is a popular
approach and is done through video and phone interaction. The days of sales reps to meet
customers face to face has changed due to the pandemic. Zoltners et al. (2022) shares those
salespeople, and the digital work must come together to create customer value and trust through
advertisements.
Biblical Integration
In review and highlighting a detail synopsis of the three Harvard Business Review articles:
For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions, What Digital Advertising Gets Wrong, and
Where Do Salespeople Fit in the Digital World, expressed how the marketing mix of
“promotion” affected company’s overall marketing campaigns. In reviewing all three articles
around promotion, companies must be patient with our changing world and adapt their marketing
campaigns to the customer. Within New International Version. (1983), it says “I waited patiently
for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). Global marketing departments
need to let research and data drive their marketing strategies to influence buyer behavior through
promotion.
References
Aral, S. (2021). What Digital Advertising Gets Wrong? Harvard Business
Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2021/02/what-digital-advertising-gets-wrong (Links to an
external site.)
Hsu, T. (2019). The Advertising Industry Has a Problem: People hate ads. New
York Times, Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/business/media/advertising-
industry-research.html (Links to an external site.)
Keller, W., Deleersnyder, B., & Gedenk, K. (2019). Price promotions and
popular events. Journal of Marketing, Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/2019/10/04/price-
promotions-and-popular-events/ (Links to an external site.)
New International Version. (1983). The Holy Bible, Psalm 40:1. Retrieved from
https://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/40-1.html (Links to an external site.)
Ward, S. (2020). What is Promotion. The Balance Small
Business, Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/business-promotion-definition-
2947189 (Links to an external site.)
Webber, J., & Randall, C. (2018). For Better Retail Promotions, Ask These Questions.
Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/11/for-better-retail-promotions-
ask-these-questions (Links to an external site.)
Zoltners, A., Sinha, P. K., Lorimer, S., & Curry, T. (2022). Where Do Salespeople Fit in
the Digital World? Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2022/01/where-do-
salespeople-fit-in-the-digital-world
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