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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
16. Sales Promotion © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
ucts through other types of retail outlets, such as home improvement, consumer electronic,
and sporting goods stores. For example, Exhibit 16-28 shows an awardwinning
POP display for Wilson Sporting Goods Co. that was designed to keep the
company’s high-end baseball gloves off the shelves and separate from other gloves.
The gloves needed a product-specific display that would promote them as the “Official
Glove of Major League Baseball” and also maximize space while merchandising more
product.
Many manufacturers help retailers use shelf space more efficiently through
planograms, which are configurations of products that occupy a shelf section in a
store. Some manufacturers are developing computer-based programs that allow retailers
to input information from their scanner data and determine the best shelf layouts
by experimenting with product movement, space utilization, profit yields, and other
factors. 62
Sales Training Programs Another form of manufacturer-sponsored promotional
assistance is sales training programs for reseller personnel. Many products sold
at the retail level require knowledgeable salespeople who can provide consumers with
information about the features, benefits, and advantages of various brands and models.
Cosmetics, appliances, computers, consumer electronics, and sporting equipment are
examples of products for which consumers often rely on well-informed retail sales
personnel for assistance.
Manufacturers provide sales training assistance to retail salespeople in a number of
ways. They may conduct classes or training sessions that retail personnel can attend to
increase their knowledge of a product or a product line. These training sessions present
information and ideas on how to sell the manufacturer’s product and may also
include motivational components. Sales training classes for retail personnel are often
sponsored by companies selling high-ticket items or complex products such as personal
computers, cars, or ski equipment.
Another way manufacturers provide sales training assistance to retail employees is
through their own sales force. Sales reps educate retail personnel about their product
line and provide selling tips and other relevant information. The reps can provide
ongoing sales training as they come into contact with retail sales staff on a regular
basis and can update them on changes in the product line, market developments, competitive
information, and the like.
Manufacturers also give resellers detailed sales manuals, product brochures, reference
manuals, and other material. Many companies provide videocassettes for retail
sales personnel that include product information, product-use demonstrations, and
ideas on how to sell their product. These selling aids can often be used to provide
information to customers as well.
Trade Shows Another important promotional activity targeted to resellers is the
trade show, a forum where manufacturers can display their products to current as well
as prospective buyers. According to the Trade Show Bureau, nearly 100 million people
attend the 5,000 trade shows each year in the United States and Canada, and the
number of exhibiting companies exceeds 1.3 million. In many industries, trade shows
are a major opportunity to display one’s product lines and interact with customers.
They are often attended by important management personnel from large retail chains
as well as by distributors and other reseller representatives.
A number of promotional functions can be performed at trade shows, including
demonstrating products, identifying new prospects, gathering customer and competitive
information, and even writing orders for a product. Trade shows are particularly
valuable for introducing new products, because resellers are often looking for new
merchandise to stock. Shows can also be a source of valuable leads to follow up on
through sales calls or direct marketing. The social aspect of trade shows is also important.
Many companies use them to entertain key customers and to develop and maintain
relationships with the trade. A recent academic study demonstrated that trade
shows generate product awareness and interest and can have a measurable economic
return. 63
Exhibit 16-28 This awardwinning
point-of-purchase
display plays an important
role in the merchandising of
Wilson baseball gloves
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Chapter Sixteen Sales Promotion