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Before customers purchase a product they first have to know it exists.They must then understand what makes it special, and finally be interested enough to hand over money and buy. Sometimes this is known as the AIDA model – Attention, Interest, Decision, Action, and it helps to explain why products need to be promoted. Before producers embark on a programme to promote their products they will need to have identified their target market ( which customers will buy their products in terms of age, gender, family circumstances, income, lifestyle and interests).Such data helps pinpoint the types of promotional ideas most likely to appeal to potential customers, where they live, the sorts of newspapers and magazines they might read, the TV and radio programmes they might listen to, and the places and events they are most likely to visit.Producers should also have worked out the amount of money available to spend on promotional activities. Advertising is perhaps the promotional method which springs to mind first, but it can be expensive. For the smaller producer it is unlikely to be cost effective to pay to have an advertisement placed in traditional media, and even if money is available it should be remembered that the producer’s advertisement will be in competition with many others, and may not be noticed. More creative advertising methods must therefore be sought. These can range from door to door leaflets in areas where the target market lives, handing out leaflets where substantial numbers of people gather, perhaps a local railway station, or posters in places where the target market has to spend time waiting, perhaps hairdressers or doctors surgeries. The product name can be brought to people’s attention through devices such as sponsorship of a local event. Public relations activity (PR) can be a good low cost way of building awareness of a product and its benefits.The aimof PR is to get information about the product placed in national and local newspapers, TV and radio, and relevant specialist publications without having to pay. The more unusual the story the more likely it is to achieve publicity.It is worth planning in advance a series of topics upon which to build a PR story so that newsworthy items are put in front of customers on a regular basis, thereby keeping up awareness. Some topics which might interest the media are the launch of a new product, major achievements such as an award for product quality, and human or animal interest stories. It is also worth considering opportunities such as offering the product as prizes in a competition run by a local newspaper or radio station. The best way of getting the story to the media is through a press release which is a short and well written statement accompanied by a picture which should be sent to the news and features editors. It is also well worth attending events at which editors will be present and introducing yourself so that you get known by them. Having a website can be useful, but there are limitations.Websites do not help build awareness as the chances of consumers just hitting on the producer’s site through a random search are limited. However, once the product is known, the site can provide an easy way of publicising news to keep up interest, it can help build a dialogue with customers, and it provides reassurance to customers who might have heard about a product and want to find out more. Perhaps the key words when it comes to promoting products are creativity and cost effectiveness. Creative promotional ideas ensure that the product gets noticed and interest is generated.A good way of coming up with creative ideas is to hold a brainstorming session with inventive friends so that the producer has a long list of options from which to select those which they feel are most likely to fit with the image of the product they are selling.Cost effectiveness will be helped by being clear about the target market for the product, knowing the cost of every activity and the number of target customers it is likely to reach ( the library should be able to help find data, and any event organiser should have these figures to hand), and ranking promotional alternatives on a “cost per thousand customers” basis. Finally, whilst implementing the AIDA model is vital when selling added value products to the general public, the principles of generating Awareness, Interest, Decision and Action are relevant to all producers who know they have a top class, special product to sell, and every customer to whom they wish to sell it.
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