How businesses communicate with customers to increase sales and build brand awareness
Promotion is the P in the marketing mix that covers all the ways a business communicates with its target market to inform, persuade and remind customers about its products or services. The aim is to increase sales, brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Promotion is not just advertising — it includes everything from TV adverts to social media posts, sales promotions, PR events, and personal selling.
| Type | Examples | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | TV, radio, online ads, billboards | Mass-market products, brand building |
| Sales Promotion | Discounts, BOGOF, loyalty cards, competitions | Short-term sales boost |
| PR | Press releases, sponsorship, events | Image building, crisis management |
| Personal Selling | Face-to-face sales, telesales | Complex/high-value products |
| Direct Marketing | Email, leaflets, catalogues | Targeted segments |
| Social Media | Instagram, TikTok, influencers | Young audiences, viral reach |
Mass-media advertising with wide reach — TV, radio, newspapers, billboards. The business pays for media space and the message reaches a large, undifferentiated audience.
Targeted, direct communication — leaflets, email campaigns, sponsorship, social media, sales promotions. Often more personalised and interactive.
Many businesses use a mix of both — ATL to build brand awareness and BTL to convert customers and build loyalty. This is called an integrated promotion strategy.
Sales promotions are short-term incentives designed to boost purchases quickly. They are a form of BTL promotion.
| Method | How It Works | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| BOGOF | Buy one get one free | Increases purchase volume quickly |
| Discount / % off | Reduced price for a limited time | Clears stock, attracts price-sensitive buyers |
| Loyalty Cards | Points earned per purchase, redeemed later | Encourages repeat purchases |
| Free Samples | Product given free to trial | Overcomes risk aversion for new products |
| Competitions | Win prizes by purchasing | Creates excitement and engagement |
Digital promotion has transformed how businesses reach customers, particularly younger audiences. It is generally cheaper and more targeted than traditional media.
Example: A small beauty brand might pay a TikTok influencer with 500k followers to feature their product — reaching a highly targeted young female audience for a fraction of TV ad costs.
Viral marketing is when promotional content is shared widely by consumers themselves — spreading organically through social networks. A successful viral campaign can generate enormous reach at very low cost.
Example: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2014) spread globally through social media, raising over $115 million for ALS research — nearly all through user-generated content.
Risk: Viral campaigns can backfire — a poorly judged post can spread negatively just as quickly.
| Factor | Influence on Choice |
|---|---|
| Budget | Small businesses cannot afford TV ads — use social media, leaflets, local press |
| Target Market | Young audience → social media; older audience → TV, newspapers |
| Product Type | Complex products need personal selling; FMCG uses mass advertising |
| Stage of Product Life Cycle | Launch needs awareness (ATL); maturity needs loyalty schemes (BTL) |
| Competitors | Match or exceed competitor promotion spending to maintain market share |
| Geography | Local business → local radio, leaflets; national brand → TV, national press |
Exam tip: Always link the promotion method to the specific context in the question — why is THIS method right for THIS business and market?
PR is about managing a business's reputation and building a positive image. Unlike advertising, PR coverage (e.g. a newspaper article) is not directly paid for — it is earned media.
Click a term then click its matching definition.
Above the line = mass media, wide reach, high cost. Below the line = targeted, measurable, lower cost. Always link to context: a small business with a niche market will choose BTL.
The best answers always connect the promotion method to who the business is trying to reach. "Social media is appropriate as the target market is 16–25 year olds who spend significant time on platforms like TikTok."
For higher marks, weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of a promotion method. E.g. "While influencer marketing is cost-effective, it carries the risk that the influencer behaves in a way that damages the brand."
Promotion is just one of the 4Ps. If asked about promotion specifically, don't drift into discussing price, product or place.
Volt Rush Energy Ltd is a new business launching a range of energy drinks targeted at 18–25 year olds interested in fitness and gaming. The founder, Jamie Chen, has a limited marketing budget of £15,000 for the launch. The drinks are not yet stocked in major supermarkets and are currently available only through the company's own website.
Jamie is deciding between two promotion methods:
Option 1: Television advertising
Option 2: Social media influencer partnerships
Justify which promotion method Volt Rush Energy should use for its launch. (9 marks)
Volt Rush should use social media influencer partnerships. The target market of 18–25 year olds spends a significant amount of time on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and research consistently shows this group trusts recommendations from influencers they follow more than traditional advertising. Partnering with mid-tier fitness and gaming influencers would allow Volt Rush to reach its exact target audience directly, with content that feels authentic rather than like a traditional advert. With a budget of only £15,000, television advertising would not be affordable and would reach a much broader, less targeted audience — wasting spend on viewers who are not potential customers.
One drawback of influencer marketing is the risk that an influencer behaves controversially or loses popularity, which could damage the Volt Rush brand by association. However, this risk can be reduced by partnering with several mid-tier influencers rather than relying on a single high-profile personality — if one falls from favour, the campaign is not ruined.
It depends on the quality of influencers Jamie can secure within the £15,000 budget and whether they have genuine engagement with the 18–25 fitness and gaming audience. If the right influencers are available at a reasonable cost, this approach offers far better targeted reach than television could ever provide.
✅ One option chosen and justified ✅ Applied to case study context ✅ Drawback acknowledged and countered ✅ "It depends on…" conclusion = Full marks structure