Five reasons why promotions are your brand’s best secret weapon

For many marketers, promotions may be regarded as a ‘bargain-basement’ tactic, but they would be wrong. Firstly, when times get hard – as they are starting to do – consumers increasingly want fun and value, something that promotions can deliver with plus effect. Secondly, with the advent of digital marketing and the globalization of campaigns, promotions can be a winning way to make a brand stand out while achieving major cost savings. Well-planned and executed, a promotion can be the touchpoint that generates activation with consumers, and there is a success-generating promotional mechanic to fit every brand and campaign. The challenge is picking the right one.

Let’s look a look at why brands, and their agencies, should give promotions a chance to contribute to a brand’s success – either as a solus activation, or as part of a bigger campaign:

1. Promotions can achieve a specific marketing objective

They are not called ‘sales promotions’ for nothing. They lift sales. Nowadays, if you want to build a database, increase followers or tempt consumers to try out a new flavor or brand, a promotion can be shaped and implemented to suit any objective – and, most importantly, they can be closely measured.

2. Make your customers happy for relatively little

At PromoVeritas we make hundreds of happy winners every day – part of our business is contacting winners and sending out their prizes. The excitement and joy of these winners is through the roof, and many will be brand ambassadors for life. An ad campaign may be far-reaching, but it is passive, whereas a promotion creates active and positive engagement with the brand and can be a far more efficient and direct way to create loyalty and deepen consumer connections.

3. Reach other markets effectively

A well-thought-out promotion can be an efficient and powerful way to move your brand into other markets and territories. Consider partnerships with brands already targeting those new consumers, or take the brand overseas. Run properly and compliantly, a promotion can transcend borders and be an economical route to spreading your message and creating visibility both online and in-store around the world; we have just helped Amazon launch its epic Prime Day Sweepstakes promotion, which will award over $24m worth of prizes around the world while empowering small businesses.

4. Maximize your partnerships with other brands

We all know that the sum of two brands exceeds the value of each individual brand – provided they are selected with care. Add a promotion into the mix and you have a dynamite way to encourage customers to engage with both brands and answer any objective.

5. Make your brand irresistible

Nothing stands out on a supermarket shelf or a social media post like the word ‘Win’ or ’Free.’ Do not be afraid to be bold. Our brains are hard-wired to pursue rewards and when one is identified it releases dopamine, creating a powerful desire for the ‘carrot’ in front of us.

At PromoVeritas, we run thousands of promotions each year. As a result, we have endless amounts of data and insight telling us what kind of promotions make people tick, what they want to win and how they want to enter. Precisely creating the right promotion to fit your objective and your brand can unleash a form of magic with your consumers, whether they are entering a TikTok dancing competition, submitting a unique code online or posting a photo of their breakfast on Instagram.

A promotion should be part of any broad-based marketing campaign aimed at increasing sales, no matter how big or small. You will get a huge amount of positivity for the brand, as well as trackable results and engagement. What is essential is that they are planned and executed correctly to avoid mistakes, financial risk and the breaking of rules. So why not give one a go? You might just be on to a winner.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary of running some of the world’s brightest promotions, PromoVeritas wants to ask The Drum’s readers which one is their favorite and be entered into a prize draw to win £100 in the process! Voting is open until August 20 2022 at toppromotions.promoveritas.com. The first 10 readers to enter will receive one hour of legal or digital promotional consultancy with our experts.

UK, 18+ only, individuals who work in the marketing or advertising industry for a brand or agency. 00:01 20/06/2022 – 23:59 20/08/22. Visit toppromotions.promoveritas.com, select your top promotion and complete the online form with your details (full name, work email address, company name and contact telephone number) and if you want tell us why you chose that promotion to enter the Prize Draw. No purchase necessary. Prizes: 1 of 20 x £100 Amazon vouchers. Internet access required. Max 1 entry and Prize per person.

Visit toppromotions.promoveritas.com for full T&Cs and Prize details.