Page 138 - Marketing the Basics 2nd

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proMotion
Promotion is the fourth element of the marketing mix. Being successful in this element of the marketing mix not only builds good publicity for the firm, but also ensures that the brand equity of the company’s products remains at a high level. Promotion involves disseminating information about a product or a company using six key types of promotions: advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing and online marketing. Together, these elements form a company’s promotion mix. Each type of promotion employs a different set of approaches to communicate with the current and prospective customer. Since each type of promotional tool interacts with customers differently, the whole promotional mix must be integrated to deliver a consistent message regarding the strategic positioning of the company and the benefits of buying product, regardless of the communication channel used.
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Regardless of the type of communication involved, there is a communicator, an audience, a channel and a message. The communicator is the person or company sending the message to the audience, who are either potential or current customers. The