Advertising and Promotion are most essential for any business to flourish in a competitive market. Since the objective of the business is to sell the goods or to provide services or both to consumers. Sales of a business product or service depend upon marketing strategies. Any business should have a marketing strategy to reach its objectives and potential customers. Advertising and promotion are the two marketing methods that support the marketing strategies of a business. Advertising is primarily a paid message communicated through a media outlet, while the promotion is a creative activity involving different methods, such as coupons or events practiced to get the attention of the consumers. Advertising creates awareness of the product or service through creative messages or communications. Where as the promotion allows the consumer to experience a few of the features of a product or service. These two marketing methods help to educate, persuade, reinforce and motivate the customers towards the business service or product.
Advertising
Advertising can be made through traditional or advanced methods to get the business product or service in front of the targeted customers. Traditional methods of advertising include print and newspaper display ads, website banner ads and TV and radio spots etc. Advertisements having the awareness message on a product or service set by the owner will be displayed to the consumers based on the parameters of the advertising media. Though there exists a clear distinction between advertising and promotion. Some people include promotion also as a form of advertising, or at least include it in the advertisement budget or in the advertising department. Advertisements may take some time to get the attention of the consumer towards a product or service.
Promotion
Promotion is different from advertising in such a way that it increases the awareness of a product or service some times through physical experience. Promotion includes different methods to send awareness message of a product or service using less-structured tactics than traditional advertising.
Promotional tactics include distribution of items with the manufacturers’ logo and phone number on them. A product or service can be promoted by offering free samples, running discounts or sales, offering coupons, sponsoring events and organizations or getting involved with a charity etc. Promotion makes the consumer to respond quickly to a product or service offered by manufacturer or company.
Education
Advertising and promotion both will help to educate consumers about the product or service. It is must provide a description of the technical features of the product or service in the advertisement or promotion, if the product is new or complicated to educate the customer. It is also must educate the consumers about important generic facts to make them interested in the product. For example, showing the research results “The children who include vitamin D in their daily diet are less likely to have specific health problems will attract the customer towards the product fortified with vitamin D.
Persuasion
Advertising and promotion often induce the consumers to buy, switch brands or increase the usage of the product or service. Advertising or promotional activity should present a problem or need the customer have. The consumer is reminded about the need or problem and learns that the product or service shown or offered through advertisement provides the benefit they need. Satisfying the needs of the consumer than creating new is a key for the success of any business in the marketplace. Advertisement or promotion both should concentrate on the benefits of the product or service to reach the objectives of the business.