Real World Promotion - Part 3...

I leave day-to-day shopping to Beth. She's a smart consumer.

So, one Sunday afternoon I decided to study under the Master to understand how good promotion influences buying decisions.

Beth was on the living room floor studying the coupon section like a holy book. I quietly sat beside her, so as not to disturb her focus. After watching her, I grabbed a section…

"Here's 10% off..." I proudly began to proclaim breaking the silence.

"Naw." She said not even looking up. "If it’s not at least 15% it's not worth it."

"Here’s a Campbell's…"

"Nope." She responded. "Too many different sub-brands. It’s confusing,"

I tossed the booklet aside in defeat. Beth picked it up and clipped a coupon.

"What? Why'd you choose that coupon?" I asked.

"It's for your brand of shaving cream," she replied.

"How'd I miss it?" I respond, confused.

I looked at the coupon. It really didn't appeal to me. It was almost feminine. Then it hit me: Women must buy 90% of the shaving cream used in North America. (Actually, upon further reflection, women probably clip 90% of the coupons used, too!)

So what's the marketing lesson? Every promotion has 3 parts: The media, the message and the offer. If your promotions aren’t working, study each part carefully.

1. Using the right media is the key to reaching your target market. A coupon in Motor Trend probably won't hit as many Revlon buyers as a coupon in Family Circle.

2. The message has to connect with your target audience. That means everything from words, colors and design to the story you’re telling. Good messages are compelling.

3. And finally, the offer has to have a high perceived value. That doesn’t mean it has to cost you a lot, it just has to be valuable to your customer. For instance I joined the Safari Club at the Rainforest Café because members get a free appetizer. The appetizer doesn’t cost the restaurant much but it’s a nice perk to me.


-- Phil Sasso