Brand Promotion is the any paid form of non-personal presentation & promotion of ideas, goods, & services by an identified sponsor. It also refers to controlled, identifiable information & persuasion by means of mass communication. Advertisements design to target a group of customers rather than individuals. It helps a business to promote their brands & products to the targeted audience with the aim to increase sales, enhance brand value, inform customers about new products, educate customers about product features, etc.

The objective of Brand Promotion

• to introduce new products
• to stimulate buying impulse
•  support personal selling
• to reach inaccessible customers
• to build brand image & goodwill
• enter a new market to attract a new group of customers
• to support the effort of dealers & agents to sell products & services
• to expand the market for the existing range of products & services
• motivate the channel partners to stock in more of the organization’s products
• to tap the memory of existing customers
• to rope in new customers
• provide end to end guidance to the existing & prospective customers
• to provide information about products & services
• reassure the existing customers about the service levels
• to change social attitude & persuade the customers to take action.
   

Characteristics of Brand Promotion

• Brand Promotion is basically a commercial activity different from publicity
• It is sponsored communication which influences the purchase behavior & attitude of consumers
• lack personal elements & is purely non-personal mostly carried out through sponsors to target & attract a large group of customers
• it encompasses research, plan, coordination & execution of activities
• This is a key component of the promotion element of the marketing mix
• It is effective when the time, place, & direction of advertisement is controlled & is highly persuasive
• Set of the targeted customers,  identifies it.
   

Different methods are used to advertise different products

• Functions of Brand Promotion
• preparing ground for new products
• creation of demand
• facing the competition
• creating & enhancing goodwill
• barring new entrances
• persuading customers & maintaining customers loyalty
• build brand image
• informing the changes to customers
• to lower the prices
• acts as a competitive weapon
• strengthen other promotion mix elements
   

1. Economic Effects

• effect on the value of products & services
• effect on prices
• on consumer demand & consumer choice
• effect of competition
   

2. Social Effects

• social & cultural issues
• stereotyping in Brand Promotion
• sex appeals or nudity used to gain consumer’s attention
   

Brand Promotion & Decision Making
Brand Promotion reaches products & services to customers. During the process, many crucial decisions need to be taken by the branding & marketing communications team. Some of the decisions are listed below:

• objectives behind releasing the advertisement
• media through which the advertisement effort is to be carried out
• ad copy & related aspects of the advertisement
• Brand Promotion budget taking into consideration the various costs involved
   

Classification of Brand Promotion

• on the basis of area coverage(i.e. local, regional, national, international Brand Promotion)
• audience(i.e. consumer, industrial, trade, professional Brand Promotion)
• on the basis of media(i.e. print, electronic, outdoor media Brand Promotion, etc.)
• on the basis of Brand Promotion stages(i.e. pioneer, retentive stage Brand Promotion, etc.)
• There are different types of Brand Promotion like social, political, institutional, product, retail, financial, service, etc. Selection of the right type of Brand Promotion media is a difficult task. Any media that is selected must be capable of accomplishing at least three main objectives:
• it must reach the largest number of people possible
• must attract their attention
• it must be economical

Marketing Tools

• Above the line (ATL)
• Below the line (BTL)
• Through the line(TTL)
   

ATL
It refers to promotional activities done at the macro level. It does at national, regional, or at bigger territory level & is a covered mass audience in this type of promotion. Creates brand image about the company & its product. Radio, cinema, television, newspaper, & magazines are used to create an impact on the company & its products. ATL communication is more conventional in nature.

BTL
This communication is unconventional in nature, done micro level &forms part of non-media communication. Measures include direct mailing, distribution of flyers, brochures, & usage of sponsorship, public relations, telemarketing & point of sale.

Through the Line (TTL)
It refers to a Brand Promotion strategy involving both above & below the line communications. This strategic approach allows brands to engage with a customer at multiple points. This enables an integrated communications approach where consistent messaging across multiple media create a customer perception. The advent of social media has blurred the ‘Line’ segregating marketing techniques. These days, companies use an integrated approach involving both ATL & BTL & called the TTL approach. This generates a solid perception regarding the company & the product, the main aim of Marketing!