There are three types of promotional strategies :
Pull Strategy : Pull strategies depend upon mass communication. Products are literally pulled by buyers through the channels on the basis of mass promotional efforts. In a pull strategy, the product is pulled through the channel by creating end-user demand. Customers force retail shops to stock those mass-promoted products. In turn, retailers demand the highly advertised product from wholesalers. The firms having well-known branches can exercise control over channels through pull. A pull strategy is also called a suction strategy. Extensive and heavy use of advertising and sales promotion would be necessary to generate consumer demand. There is less emphasis on personal selling at all stages of the marketing channel. Small firms are unable to depend entirely on advertising and sales-promotion, because large investment is involved due to emphasis of advertising and sales promotion.
Push Strategy : Industrial marketing strategies are mostly the push type strategies relying primarily on personal selling. In the sale of medical products and in life insurance, marketers have to use large number of sales-people to call on physicians and prospects for life insurance. In push type promotion, personal selling expenses are considerable and dealer’s margin is also higher. In push type promotion, after-sale service is also important. In push type promotion marketers rely on selective distribution. Push strategy can be successfully used when ;
(1) We have a high quality product with unique selling points,
(2) We have a high-priced product, and
(3) We can offer adequate incentives (financial) to middlemen and their salesman.
Push'Pull Stratery: Most consumer goods manufacturers generally employ a push-pull (combination) strategy to sell their product. The ratio of pull to push may differ according to the requirements of market situation. Salesmen are used to push the goods through the marketing channel, while advertising and sales promotion will support personal selling to accelerate sale. Thus, all tools of promotion work like a chain system.
