Export Promotions

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

Section 2 – I

Export Promotions

The last “P” of international marketing – promotion.

Promotional Methods:

1. Advertising – consists of visual and oral messages that aim to inform and persuade consumers to buy products and service.

2. Public Relations – “PR”. A planned program of policies and conduct aimed at building public confidence is an organization and creating public understanding of what it is trying to do. PR is used to build the image of the company, although certain aspects of it are used to promote products and services.

3. Sales Promotion – aimed at influencing trade buyers to stock up and carry your product and thus, persuading end-consumers to buy it.

Forms of sales promotion:

· Promotional materials: brochures, leaflets, catalogs, price lists, etc.

· Visual Merchandising: showrooms, store, and window displays.

· special events: trade fairs, selling missions

· product samples

4. Direct Mail - aimed to build a base of potential buyers and clients whom you can direct your company’s message.

5. Media – Using the media wisely can be highly economical and profitable.

6. Personal Visits – personal contact with potential clients is perhaps the best means of promotion. Many cultures value personal contacts in their business relationships, and attention to cultural issues often impresses foreign business contacts.

7. Trade Missions/Trade Shows – attending or participating in international trade shows is an excellent way to promote a product or service. It allows you to check the competition and conduct market research. If it is difficult for your company to take part in trade shows, consider teaming up with other companies or joining a group delegation or exhibit.

Promotional Materials

Promotional Materials refer to oriented materials that describe goods or services provided by your company. It is especially geared to the sales or promotion of the products or services you offer.

Aims of Promotional Materials:

· obtain buyer reaction to your product range

· promote existing sales of your product

· obtain orders

· target potential customers and foreign buyers

· introduce additional product ranges to buyers

· help your agents/salespeople introduce your products to the market

Types of Promotional Materials:

1. Brochures: They contain detailed specifications of products offered as well as the company profile. They are cheap and usually given to prospective customers.

Brochures can be designed as:

· Loose-leaf inserts – either spiral bound or glued systems.

· Folder with pockets – can come in ordinary bond paper size or customized size.

· Fold-out brochures – can be made of paper or card in the following formats: 4-page portrait, 4-page landscape, 6-page concertina, 6-page landscape.

· stapled/booklet type

2. Mailshots/leaflets: much shorter than a brochure and used to explore new markets and to refine your target list of potential customers. They contain much of the information printed in the full brochure but in a more condensed form.

3. Other promotional materials include CDs, catalog, photo offers, price lists, sales literature, drawings, specifications and actual product samples.

Whatever type of promotional materials you choose, here are a few pointers:

1. The promotional material should describe your company and product in a clear and concise manner.

2. It should be printed in the language of the country where you plan to sell.

3. The paper used should be of high quality because the image of your company will be associated with it.

4. If you plan an illustrated material, use high standard and quality photos to show your product at its very best. Hire a professional photographer.

Trade Fair

A trade fair is a gathering of people of select people, products and services in a venue for a specific period with a general purpose of communicating/marketing products, goods, services to their target clients.