Promotion = discount. Most readers will smile skeptically when they read this phrase and think, “I don’t fall for that.”
But, as practice shows, 9 out of 10 people take advantage of promotional offers, and 7 out of 10 do not check whether the offer is true and not a trigger to make you buy things you don’t need.
The systematic use of the term “promotional offer” began in the United States in the 18th century. It was an evolution of verbal agreements in which you could bargain and get a discount.
A promotion is not about “rational” but about “emotional”. You didn’t plan to buy any thing, product, or commodity. But you see a brightly colored “Promotion” sign, and the discounts are so nice – 50% or even 70%. Naturally, you want to take advantage of this unique offer, which probably won’t happen again.
It’s like grabbing an opportunity to get something you’ve been dreaming of, but which doesn’t affect your quality of life. It’s a common psychological trick that relies on people’s emotionality.
A discount really increases the volume of sales of goods or services in a specific period of time. Very often, promotions were used to clear shelves of old goods, or those that will soon expire or lose their marketability.
And now it is also a marketing tool to encourage customers to pay attention to your offer among dozens of others.
Promotions work for both economy and premium products. And usually, a well-designed offer gives a sales boost of 25% and 2 to 3 times.
How to approach promotions rationally?
Working in online marketing has taught me to check the reality of offers and look at the prices of promotional products over time. But I have to admit that time has changed, and nowadays fewer unfortunate sellers use dishonest promotions, as consumers themselves have become much more sophisticated. Therefore, it has become more difficult to deceive them. And there are more honest promotions.
As I have already mentioned, promotional offers in household goods are very often associated with emotions. Therefore, there are people who are more susceptible to emotional influence and people who are less susceptible. There are simple rules for those who, like me, are “led” by promotions but do not want to be deceived.
- If you did not plan to buy a product, but see a promotion, ignore these attractive offers.
- When you see a promotion, check the price online and compare it to see if the offer is really as good as it seems.
- If you see a 1+1=3 promotional offer, ask yourself if you really planned to buy 2 things, or even three. Do you really need them? Turn on your ration and remember what you have in your closet or on the shelf at home.
- Trust recognizable companies – there are usually real promotional offers.
- Want to buy a cheaper but new item? Bookmark it for monitoring and check for changes on a regular basis. Any item is marked down, discounted on the birthday of the store or chain.