Promotion as a Marketing Strategy: A Case Study Analysis

This report explores the importance and benefits of product promotion as a marketing strategy, focusing on McDonald's. It discusses different promotional strategies used by the company and the challenges faced during the development of advertisement plans. The study aims to review the role of promotion in the marketing mix and its impact on productivity and profitability.

MARKETING
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................3
Case study analysis-.........................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Marketing mix theory refers to set of activities that firm uses to promote their products as
well as brand in selected market (Huang & Sarigöllü, 2014). The current report is based on
promotion as marketing strategy that helps McDonald’s to introduce their brand in marketplace
effectively. It justifies the importance and benefits of product promotion and also explain the
different kinds of promotional strategies that firm uses to increase productivity and profitability.
The aim of this study is to review one P that is Promotion among 7Ps of marketing mix.
Furthermore, it clarifies the challenges facing by company during developing advertisement plan
for product promotion.
Literature review
The meaning and concept of Promotion-
According to Khan, (2014) promotion of product is one of the best marketing mix
elements, it includes all forms that business tell to their consumers about its services or products
and how company then market and sell to them. It is integration of personal selling, public
relations, sales promotion, advertising and direct marketing. It refers to blend of different
promotional techniques uses by business to maintain, increase and create demand for goods.
Promotion is the procedure of marketing, it centring on persuading consumers to initiate buying
and creating awareness of products. McDonald & Wilson, (2016) stated different tools that
facilitate promotion objective of company are jointly known as promotion mix. It defines to any
type of marketing communication used by organization to persuade and inform target consumers
of relative facts of brand, product and service. Information provided through promotional plan
can be both visual and verbal. The purpose of promotion is to increase goods awareness,
generate sales, create interest and brand loyalty among customers. It is one of the useful
components of market mix, which added seven Ps. It is one of the essential elements in
promotional plan or mix, these are sales promotion and other things. Promotion plan is based on
three purpose of business that is to differentiate specific product, to maximize demand and to
provide information to stakeholders and consumers. It tends to be uses inside of company by its
marketing function, organization uses promotion as marketing technique to introduce their
product Infront of number of customers available within market place. It also refers to entire set
of functions and activities, which communicate service or goods to user easily.
Different types of promotion approaches-

As per view of Rayna & Striukova, (2016) small changes in way business sell and
promote their product will lead to dramatic changes in its outcomes. However, few changes in
advertising of firm lead effectively to higher sales rather than before. Range of product
promotion methods easily available for business which they can use according to the plan of
marketing. According to Key & Czaplewski, (2017) personal selling is one of the effective and
expensive strategy of promotion, because this form is only focusing on making relationships with
consumers. It includes reaching out to target and non-targeted consumers one on one, through
email or on phone. Most of the businesses were uses personal selling to cultivate long term
connection with people. Direct marketing is also beneficial for growth of business, this approach
of promotion includes highly targeting consumers with personalised messaging that is prepared
specially for people needs. Unlike, public relations, which is about connecting large number of
customers, direct marketing or promotion centring on reaching on small and chosen group.
Allagui & Breslow, (2016) argued that, rather than direct selling and personal marketing, public
relations are the best approach of promotion that refer to creating good and high brand image in
media. Through press conferences, media interviews and other techniques businesses were uses
for promoting their products in market. Along with this, sales promotions are much better in way
to improve bottom line of companies in short term period. This method of marketing promotion
includes prizes, discounts offers, coupons, vouchers and contests to drive consumers to buy
goods instantly. It is the best way to remind current consumers about exitance of business and
also work to inform new people about existing products that firms offer, all with aim of
marketing units immediately.
Benefits of promotion strategies-
Different types of promotion methods have been described above, which provide many
benefits to businesses while they used it. As per view of Valentini, (2015) personal selling is
beneficial method of marketing, it supports to build loyalty and trust with target people, when
companies is selling valuable products, it is very essential that their customers trusts not only that
gods but seller also, it is possible only with the personal selling approach. Direct marketing
approach helps to increase current sales and build strong relationships with new consumers as
well. It offers people with compelling content which they can easily share with other people that
helps to drive them towards purchasing. It supports to set actual and realistic goals that can be
achieved with direct marketing, it also helps to improve results of sales on tight selling budget.

Johnson, (2015) stated that more than direct marketing and personal promotion, public relation
and sales promotion provide better results. The benefit of public relation in promotion influence
consumers because they are more likely to trust messages obtaining from objective sources more
than paid for promotional messages. Customers considered this approach as one of the credible
methods of promotion in which they can increase their interest for purchasing products. Public
relation in promotion is cost effective way for business that help to reach at large targeted
consumers in comparison to paid for promoting media placement. Promotions shape traits of
brands, sales promotion provide benefits to businesses as it creates differentiation which allow
people to chose the best products for themselves. Sales promotion permits brands or companies
to communicate on product packaging and allows them to centring campaigns around major
event.
Case study analysis-
Promotion is the most essential element of marketing mix; it impacts on products selling
procedure positively. In context of above discussion, promotion is the best and useful tool which
uses by many companies to promote their goods within target market effectively (Hoffmann &
et.al., 2014). Sales promotion, public relations, direct advertising, personal marketing and online
advertising are the five forms of promotional approaches that used by organizations in real
world. For example, McDonald used different types of advertising campaigns in several nations
systematically. In UK, firm uses the most popular face for promoting their products that is
England Footballer Alan Shearer as main lead to promote their hamburgers.
This type of promotion strategy is quite beneficial for business as it influences to boost
their own products. By having range of advertising drives, the management of business is able to
influence consumers for purchasing their goods accessible in market easily at their own outlets.
Celebrities such as Fabien Barthez, French international goalkeeper company used in advertising
that build awareness of brand, it helps to build it more quickly rather than tradition method of
advertising. they also used another promotional strategy which is useful and effective for overall
success of business. In daily operations, the most skilled and talented public relation employees
in each outlets of organization are accessible to effectively answer consumer query and some of
their questions related to products (Jiang & et.al., 2015). Each restaurant hires ten female
receptionists in order to talk with consumers and to take care of children.

McDonald uses sports sponsorship as promotion strategy which is beneficial and
appropriate for business than the other as mentioned above. Author think that this technique
helps to enhance brand name as well as position with such associations as world cup and
Olympic games, are two largest sporting events in world. With real example, organization paid
million for approval to use official logo of global football event, international nature of event
permits business to produce international campaigns with estimated billion of people seeing the
World Cup, through which company message is effectively conveyed. Along with this, Olympic
games is valuable promotional tool that reinforced its reputation as truly international brand.
Locally, firm targets some events with which they like to be connected. Business have strong
connections with NBA in USA, company recognize that this sport is so popular in nation.
Public relations are one of the promotions approaches that McDonald used to solve
problems facing by families and children. They want to give accurate answers of all the
questions asked by consumer personally which enhance their experience while visiting in their
outlets.
The manager of company take decision based on evidence-based practices, in regard to
marketing.
CONCLUSION
From above, analysis it has been concluded that promotion of product is the most useful
and highly affect way to promote McDonald products within international or national market
easily. By using different types of marketing strategies or methods company gain greater success
as it helps to increase profitability and productivity of business rather than before. Furthermore,
personal selling, advertising, direct marketing, and other approaches organization used to
introduce their brand as well as hamburger in marketplace, that drive people towards buying it.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Allagui, I., & Breslow, H. (2016). Social media for public relations: Lessons from four effective
cases. Public Relations Review. 42(1). 20-30.
Hoffmann, T. C & et.al., (2014). Better reporting of interventions: template for intervention
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Huang, R., & Sarigöllü, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand
equity, and the marketing mix. In Fashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors (pp. 113-
132). Springer, New York, NY.
Jiang, X & et.al., (2015). U.S. Patent Application No. 14/292. 277.
Johnson, J. S. (2015). Broadening the application of mixed methods in sales research. Journal of
Personal Selling & Sales Management. 35(4). 334-345.
Key, T. M., & Czaplewski, A. J. (2017). Upstream social marketing strategy: An integrated
marketing communications approach. Business Horizons. 60(3). 325-333.
Khan, M. T. (2014). The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review
paper). International journal of information, business and management. 6(2). 95.
McDonald, M., & Wilson, H. (2016). Marketing Plans: How to prepare them, how to profit from
them. John Wiley & Sons.
Rayna, T., & Striukova, L. (2016). From rapid prototyping to home fabrication: How 3D printing
is changing business model innovation. Technological Forecasting and Social
Change. 102. 214-224.
Valentini, C. (2015). Is using social media “good” for the public relations profession? A critical
reflection. Public Relations Review. 41(2). 170-177.