Promotional campaign

Promotional campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share the same general idea and try to communicate it to target audience (Belch & Belch, 2003). The different forms of media (such as social media, television, radio and newspapers) are chosen accordingly to the audience that the author of the campaign intends to target. Popular practice that combines various forms of media mentioned above is event based promotional campaign.

Event based promotional campaign steps

In order to carry out a successful promotional campaign, an advertiser needs to determinate an audience they will be trying to reach. Once the advertiser decides who they are looking for, they find a place that brings together as many targeted people as possible. It is crucial to find an event that targeted group is highly interested in (Belch & Belch, 2003).

When advertisers successfully match their goals with existing event, they need to remain consistent with events ideas. There is plenty of organizations and businesses supporting big events. Promotional campaign needs to be organized with full respect to them.

The main factor that leads promotional campaign to success is identifying its similarities with the event. Highlighting connections with the event helps with reaching out to the target group and connecting with it. Finding common area also helps to separate brand that is being promoted from others sponsors.

Finding similarities makes the proper design of promotional campaign possible that suits events goals. This helps advertisers to be more recognizable for participants of the event itself. People choose to attend the event not because of promotional campaign that goes with it, but for entertainment it serves. When the promotion is well planned and fits event style and goals, it will be better remembered and more likely will give satisfying effect in the future (Barger, Labrecque, 2013).

The main goal is to change perception of chosen target group from being a customer to being an advertiser. People always listen when a product or a service is recommended by other consumer .

Promotional campaign benefits

The most important benefits that go along with running a promotional campaign are (Parente & Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, 2014):

• Attracting new customers - adding new demographics to existing customer base or expanding to new individuals similar to your static target group.
• Improving brands image - when people associate advertising campaign with a pleasing event, they connect those pleasant feelings to the brand or the product (Barger, Labrecque, 2013).
• Increasing sales of services or products - this is especially effective if the campaign is supported by lowering prices of offered services or products.
• Beating the competition - the faster the promotional campaign is executed the faster the brand is associated with resolving customers problems or providing their needs.

Promotional campaign — recommended articles

Differentiated marketing strategy — Influencer marketing strategy — Unsought good — Heavy users — B2B social media marketing — Concept selling — Consumer orientation — Promotion mix — Selling process

References

• Barger, V. A., & Labrecque, L. (2013). An integrated marketing communications perspective on social media metrics, "International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications, Spring".
• Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2003). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective, The McGraw− Hill.
• Chandy, R. K., Tellis, G. J., MacInnis, D. J., & Thaivanich, P. (2001). What to say when: Advertising appeals in evolving markets, "Journal of Marketing Research", 38(4), 399-414.
• Chen, S., Thomas, S., & Kohli, C. (2016). What Really Makes a Promotional Campaign Succeed on a Crowdfunding Platform?: Guilt, Utilitarian Products, Emotional Messaging, And Fewer But Meaningful Rewards Drive Donations, "Journal of Advertising Research", 56(1), 81-94.
• Parente, D., & Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, K. (2014). Advertising campaign strategy: A guide to marketing communication plans, Cengage Learning.

Author: Mateusz Wójcik