Required information 3. Push or Pull Promotion Strategy Push or Pull Promotion Strategy A number of communication channels are available to a firm-direct selling, sales promotion, direct marketing, and advertising. A firm's communication strategy is partly defined by its choice of channels. Should the firm push the product through the channels, or pull the product through the channels. These two approaches require very different approaches. Fortunately, for the international business managers, the conditions and product will suggest the best approach to use. A push strategy emphasizes personal selling rather than mass media advertising in the promotional mix. Pull strategy depends more on mass advertising to communicate the marketing message to potential customers. Some firms employ only a push; some, only a pull. Still others use both to maximize advertising effectiveness in the specific situation. Read the case below and answer the questions that follow. Your firm is entering a country for the first time, and you and your colleagues are considering the best marketing mix to reach the consumers in this market. You have been asked to develop a promotion strategy. Your product is a fast-moving consumer good that has been introduced in similar markets in the past few years. Consumers will easily grasp what the product is and how it is used. You have a reasonable but not huge budget to support the efforts, and you must consider how best to allocate these resources. You will need to make every dollar count. A small sales office is opening, including a number of good sales representatives from the host country and seasoned management from the firm. There will likely be little growth in the sales force until the product takes off and demand is well established. The distribution channels in the market tend to be complex and lengthy. The available media are adequate-the print and broadcast media are not as sophisticated as in your home market, but they reach large audiences. Your most basic consideration is whether to recommend, develop, and implement either a push or a pull strategy. 3a. Although personal selling is effective as a... Although personal selling is effective as a promotional tool, it requires Multiple Choice intensive use of a sales force and is relatively costly. backup and support from electronic media to realize its potential. O that the product can be demonstrated or delivered by a sales force in the targeted market. 3b. Factors that determine the relative attract... Factors that determine the relative attractiveness of push and pull strategies include product type relative to consumer sophistication, channel length, and Multiple Choice the nature of the competition within the market structure. the image of the brand. media availability 3c. Firms in consumer goods industries that are ... Firms in consumer goods industries that are trying to sell to a large segment of the market generally favor Multiple Choice a push strategy a pull strategy seeking a marketing partner who can help penetrate the large segments of the market. 3d. The longer the distribution channel, the mo... The longer the distribution channel, the more intermediaries there are that must be persuaded Multiple Choice to advertise the product in the appropriate media. to carry the product for it to reach the consumer. a to provide exclusive coverage, shutting out competitors. 3e. Advertisers in the United States can use print media, b... Advertisers in the United States can use print media, broadcasting media, the Internet, cable outlets, and more. While this level of media sophistication is found in many other developed countries, Multiple Choice this media availability is not universal. there are almost no such media in developing countries. most of these countries have even more media choices and considerations for promotion