Promotion (marketing)

Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place). It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision.

The following are two types of promotion:

1. Above the line promotion: Promotion in mass media (e.g. TV, radio, newspapers, internet, mobile phones, and, historically, illustrated songs) in which the advertiser pays an advertising agency to place the advertisement
2. Below the line promotion: All other promotion. Much of this is intended to be subtle enough for the consumer to be unaware that promotion is taking place. E.g. sponsorship, product placement, testimonials, sales promotion, merchandising, direct mail, personal selling, public relations, trade shows

The specification of five elements creates a promotional mix or promotional plan. These elements are personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and publicity.  A promotional mix specifies how much attention to pay to each of the five subcategories, and how much money to budget for each. A promotional plan can have a wide range of objectives, including: sales increases, new product acceptance, creation of brand equity, positioning, competitive retaliations, or creation of a corporate image. Fundamentally, however there are three basic objectives of promotion. These are:

1. To present information to consumers as well as others
2. To increase demand
3. To differentiate a product.

There are different ways to promote a product in different areas of media. Promoters use internet advertisement, special events, endorsements, and newspapers to advertise their product. Many times with the purchase of a product there is an incentive like discounts, free items, or a contest. This is to increase the sales of a given product.

The term "promotion" is usually an "in" expression used internally by the marketing company, but not normally to the public or the market - phrases like "special offer" are more common.



Salwico CS4000

Consilium’s Salwico CS4000 fire alarm system is a fully adaptive analogue addressable system. In an alarm situation it can easily identify the unit that has given the alarm and is therefore capable of giving correct information about the exact location of the fire at a very early stage

The Salwico CS4000 offers extremely reliable fire detection with a high degree of protection against unwanted alarms. Every loop unit in the CS4000 has a built-in intelligence and can initiate a fire alarm all by itself.

The Salwico CS4000 is designed and developed to meet with the demands of all major classification societies, the EN-45 rules and the new European standard MED. The system is very user-friendly with a self-instructing control panel, which with clear and easily understood instructions on the display, leads the operator through the various functions.

Key benefits/features

• Loop units with built-in intelligence that can initiate a fire alarm by itself
• Fully adaptive analogue addressable system
• A pre-alarm function, which gives an early alarm if a slow rise of smoke concentration occurs.
• Up to 254 address units can be connected to each loop and the loop length can be up to 2000 metres.

Applicable Market Segments

• Cargo
• Navy
• Offshore

Product differentiation

In marketing, product differentiation (also known simply as "differentiation") is the process of distinguishing a product or offering from others, to make it more attractive to a particular target market. This involves differentiating it from competitors' products as well as a firm's own product offerings.

Differentiation can be a source of competitive advantage. Although research in a niche market may result in changing a product in order to improve differentiation, the changes themselves are not differentiation. Marketing or product differentiation is the process of describing the differences between products or services, or the resulting list of differences. This is done in order to demonstrate the unique aspects of a firm's product and create a sense of value. Marketing textbooks are firm on the point that any differentiation must be valued by buyers (e.g.). The term unique selling proposition refers to advertising to communicate a product's differentiation.

In marketing, successful product differentiation leads to monopolistic competition and is inconsistent with the conditions for perfect competition, which include the requirement that the products of competing firms should be perfect substitutes. There are three types of product differentiation:

1. Simple: based on a variety of characteristics

2. Horizontal : based on a single characteristic but consumers are not clear on quality

3. Vertical : based on a single characteristic and consumers are clear on its quality

The brand differences are usually minor; they can be merely a difference in packaging or an advertising theme. The physical product need not change, but it could. Differentiation is due to buyers perceiving a difference, hence causes of differentiation may be functional aspects of the product or service, how it is distributed and marketed, or who buys it. The major sources of product differentiation are as follows.

·        Differences in quality which are usually accompanied by differences in price

·        Differences in functional features or design

·        Ignorance of buyers regarding the essential characteristics and qualities of goods they are   purchasing

·        Sales promotion activities of sellers and, in particular, advertising

·        Differences in availability (e.g. timing and location).

The objective of differentiation is to develop a position that potential customers see as unique. The term is used frequently when dealing with premium business models, in which businesses market a free and paid version of a given product. Given they target a same group of customers, it is imperative that free and paid versions be effectively differentiated.

Differentiation primarily impacts performance through reducing directness of competition: As the product becomes more different, categorization becomes more difficult and hence draws fewer comparisons with its competition. A successful product differentiation strategy will move your product from competing based primarily on price to competing on non-price factors (such as product characteristics, distribution strategy, or promotional variables).

Most people would say that the implication of differentiation is the possibility of charging a price premium; however, this is a gross simplification. If customers value the firm's offer, they will be less sensitive to aspects of competing offers; price may not be one of these aspects. Differentiation makes customers in a given segment have a lower sensitivity to other features (non-price) of the product.

What Does Product Differentiation Mean?
A marketing process that showcases the differences between products. Differentiation looks to make a product more attractive by contrasting its unique qualities with other competing products. Successful product differentiation creates a competitive advantage for the seller, as customers view these products as unique or superior.

Product differentiation can be achieved in many ways. It may be as simple as packaging the goods in a creative way, or as elaborate as incorporating new functional features. Sometimes differentiation does not involve changing the product at all, but creating a new advertising campaign or other sales promotions instead.

FOG BANDIT

The FOG BANDIT is the fastest and highest density security fogging system of its kind in the world!

Bandit 240 DB

The FOG BANDIT leads the field by taking security fogging systems to a totally new level of effectiveness and reliability. Utilizing the latest patented technologies, the FOG BANDIT delivers harmless, ultra dense fog at unprecedented speed to provide the very highest levels of protection against the losses and property damage associated with burglaries. Once traditional security defenses are breached the FOG BANDIT rapidly releases its plume of dense visually impenetrable fog to inhibit the intruder from entering your business premises and from stealing your valuable assets.

The FOG BANDIT can also be deployed for a 24/7 protection including deterring and foiling daytime robbery.

Not surprisingly the FOG BANDIT is the market leader in mainland Europe and the UK, and is consistently used to complement security systems preventing burglaries and robberies, minimizing loss, damage and threats to staff.

As the most powerful and technically advanced fog system available today, Bandit Solutions provides the explosive power to stop a crime in progress. Perfect as an enhancement to any security system, Bandit ejects harmless dense fog at an unmatched rate of 1,000 cubic feet per second creating a high-level barrier that protects valuables from intruders.

The fog keeps anyone from entering the room for at least 10 minutes after the alarm goes off, because they cannot see a thing. The fog has a soft mint smell, is colorless and disappears without leaving a trace. Bandit’s fog can last up to an hour but can be aired out of a room in about 15 minutes.

Bandit 240 DB

The standard BANDIT 240 DB is a versatile, compact, reliable and efficient unit which offers exceptional fog generating capabilities. One unit can fill a room up to 504 cubic meters with dense, visually impairing fog.  For larger volumes, 2 or more units may be used in unison.

Basic features: Easily programmable version by means of DIP switches Fixed functionality for control inputs and status outputs System status indicators on front panel Error LED with blink function: blink frequency is in relation to failure indication

AIS

AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automated tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and VTS stations. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport.

The AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder, operating in the VHF maritime band, which is capable of handling well over 4,500 reports per minute and updates as often as every two seconds.  It uses Self-Organizing Time Division Multiple Access (SOTDMA) technology to meet this high broadcast rate and ensure reliable ship-to-ship operation

Picture a shipboard radar or an electronic chart display that includes a symbol for every significant ship within radio range, each as desired with a velocity vector (indicating speed and heading).  Each ship "symbol" can reflect the actual size of the ship, with position to GPS or differential GPS accuracy. 

By "clicking" on a ship symbol, you can learn the ship

·        name,

·        course and speed,

·        classification,

·        registration number,

·        MMSI  number (Maritime Mobile Service Identification)

and other informations like:

·        Maneuvering information,

·        closest point of approach (CPA),

·        time to closest point of approach (TCPA)

This display information was previously available only to modern Vessel Traffic Service operations centers… it is now available to every AIS user.

Saab R4 ClassA AIS ship borne transponder system

A graphical display of AIS data on board a ship.

An AIS-equipped system on board a ship presents the bearing and distance of nearby vessels in a radar-like display format.

A vessel's text-only AIS display, listing nearby vessels' range, bearings, and names

With this display information, you can

·        call any ship over VHF radiotelephone by name 

·        dial it up directly using any GMDSS equipment.  

·        send and receive short safety-related email messages to and from the ship.

HOW AIS WORKS

Each AIS system consists of

• one VHF transmitter,
• two VHF TDMA receivers,               
• one VHF DSC receiver,                        
• and standard marine electronic communications links (IEC 61162/NMEA 0183) to shipboard display and sensor systems ( AIS Schematic). Position and timing information is normally derived from an integral or external global navigation satellite system (e.g. GPS) receiver, including a medium frequency differential GNSS receiver for precise position in coastal and inland waters. 

Other information broadcast by the AIS,

• Heading information and course
• speed over ground would normally be provided by all AIS-equipped ships. 
• rate of turn,
• angle of heel,
• pitch and roll,
• destination and ETA could also be provided.

The AIS transponder normally works in an autonomous and continuous mode, regardless of whether it is operating in the open seas, coastal or inland areas. 

TYPES OF AIS Class A Ship borne mobile equipment intended for vessels meeting IMO AIS carriage requirement. Class B Ship borne mobile equipment provides facilities not necessarily in full accord with IMO AIS carriage requirements. The Class B is nearly identical to the Class A, except the Class B: ·        Has a reporting rate less than a Class A (e.g. every 30 sec. when under 14 knots, as opposed to every 10 sec. for Class A) ·        Does not transmit the vessel's IMO number ·        Does not transmit ETA or destination ·        Does not transmit navigational status ·        Is only required to receive, not transmit, text safety messages ·        Is only required to receive, not transmit, application identifiers (binary messages) ·        Does not transmit rate of turn information ·        Does not transmit maximum present static draught

ADVANTAGES

Collision avoidance

AIS is used in navigation primarily for collision avoidance.

Vessel traffic services

In busy waters and harbors, a local Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) may exist to manage ship traffic. Here, AIS provides additional traffic awareness and provides the service with information on the kind of other ships and their movement.

Aids to navigation

AIS was developed with the ability to broadcast positions and names of objects other than vessels, like navigational aid and marker positions. These aids can be located on shore, such as in a lighthouse, or on the water, on platforms or buoys. The US Coast Guard suggests that AIS might replace RACON, or radar beacons, currently used for electronic navigation aids

Search and rescue

For coordinating resources on scene of marine search and rescue operation, it is important to know the position and navigation status of ships in the vicinity of the ship or person in distress. Here AIS can provide additional information and awareness of the resources for on scene operation, even though AIS range is limited to VHF radio range

Accident Investigation

AIS information received by VTS is important for accident investigation to provide the accurate time, identity, position by GPS, compass heading, course over ground (COG), Speed (by log/SOG) and rate of turn (ROT) of the ships involved for accident analysis, rather than limited information (position, COG, SOG) of radar echo by radar.

Marketing Mix

Elements of the Marketing Mix aka 4Ps

1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion

Marketing Mix

Is a planned mix of these controllable elements adjusted until the right combination is found, the right combination that serves the needs of the customers, the right combination that generates optimum income.

Think of the marketing manager as a "mixer of ingredients", who sometimes follows recipes prepared by others, sometimes prepares his own recipe as he goes along, sometimes adapts a recipe from immediately available ingredients, and at other times invents new ingredients no one else has tried.

The marketing mix (price, product, distribution, promotion) forms the entire promotional campaign.

Four 'P's

Elements of the marketing mix are often referred to as the "Four 'P's"

·        Product - It is a tangible good or an intangible service that is mass produced or manufactured on a large scale with a specific volume of units. Intangible products are service based like the tourism industry & the hotel industry or codes-based products like cellphone load and credits. Typical examples of a mass produced tangible object are the motor car and the disposable razor. A less obvious but ubiquitous mass produced service is a computer operating system. Packaging also needs to be taken into consideration. Every product is subject to a life-cycle including a growth phase followed by an eventual period of decline as the product approaches market saturation. To retain its competitiveness in the market, product differentiation is required and is one of the strategies to differentiate a product from its competitors.

• Price – The price is the amount a customer pays for the product. The business may increase or decrease the price of product if other stores have the same product.
• Place – Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual stores on the Internet.
• Promotion represents all of the communications that a marketer may use in the marketplace. Promotion has four distinct elements: advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. A certain amount of crossover occurs when promotion uses the four principal elements together, which is common in film promotion. Advertising covers any communication that is paid for, from cinema commercials, radio and Internet adverts through print media and billboards. Public relations are where the communication is not directly paid for and includes press releases, sponsorship deals, exhibitions, conferences, seminars or trade fairs and events. Word of mouth is any apparently informal communication about the product by ordinary individuals, satisfied customers or people specifically engaged to create word of mouth momentum. Sales staff often plays an important role in word of mouth and Public Relations (see Product above).

Any organization, before introducing its products or services into the market; conducts a market survey. The sequence of all 'P's as above is very much important in every stage of product life cycle Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline.

Extended Marketing Mix (4 P's)

More recently, three more Ps have been added to the marketing mix namely People, Process and Physical Evidence. This marketing mix is known as Extended Marketing Mix.

• People: All people involved with consumption of a service are important. For example workers, management, consumers etc. It also defines the market segmentation, mainly demographic segmentation. It addresses particular class of people for whom the product or service is made available.
• Process: Procedure, mechanism and flow of activities by which services are used. Also the 'Procedure' how the product will reach the end user.
• Physical Evidence: The marketing strategy should include effectively communicating their satisfaction to potential customers.