Promotion for Mollar Sky cars
Promotion is an important component of the marketing strategy, specifically, so far it relates to the marketing mix. The marketing mix consists of 4 Ps and promotion is a very vital element, which can be considered second to the product. The elements of the promotion include many types of promotions like advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and publicity or public relations, and last but not the least, personal selling. The promotional strategy has to be changed at each stage in the product life cycle for better sales of the product. Promotional strategy is a core strategy that has to be implemented in the market with utmost care and awareness. The promotional strategy of a product or a service has to be constructed when the idea of the product or service is finalized. In other words, a promotional strategy for a product should not be thought out immediately after the product or service is created. Besides, the audience or prospective customers should be made aware that such a product or service is on the verge of launching and then after the product launch more promotion should be carried out stating that the product has been launched. Similarly, promotions at each stage of the product should be done appropriately so that the audience is aware of the product’s market presence and performance. Methods should be incorporated for measuring advertising or other promotional effectiveness. Promotional strategies should be different for each of the target markets in order to be more customers oriented. A new product is an entity in the market which is the result of either an invention or an innovation and is something that has extra additional features in comparison to the present products or services. “The purpose of promotion is both to communicate with buyers and to influence them. Effective promotion requires an understanding of the process of persuasion and how this process is affected by environmental factors” (Onkvisit & Shaw, 2004, p.414).
Promotional Strategy for Moller Skycar
There are different promotional strategies available like that of Advertising, Sales Promotion, Public Relations, Personal Selling, and Direct Marketing. All the modes of promotional strategies have both positive and negative aspects. So when a promotional strategy is chosen it should be such one that has minimum negative points and more positive points. Only then will a promotional strategy be fully useful for a product or a service. The advantage of advertising is advertising allows “complete control over the final message” (Haeberle, 2008, p.139).
Since Moller Sky car is a part of the automobile group, the most effective type of promotional strategy will be highly colorful and bright advertisements. When the production of Moller Skycar starts, right at that stage, the promotional strategies for the product should be designed and incorporated into their marketing system. Since the product will be first launched in California, the first target market should be California itself because for any product it has to first create its niche in its home country for better establishment. The Company can, at the beginning of the product creation i.e. in mid of 2012 itself, publish brochures and notices regarding such a product being manufactured, its extra abilities in comparison to present products, etc. This can be done through public relations activities like short but yet substantial advertisements on the TV Web and newspaper advertisements.
An effective advertising campaign in newspapers at the time of production could be pictured in making with high gloss lamination so that the images themselves are attractive and people are aware and wait anxiously for more information about the product. Similarly, advertisements on TVs and the Web needs to have such visual and sound effects that it immediately attracts people and so they become aware of Sky cars. At this time in advertisements, more writing is not required or writing can simply be ignored and it can simply be graphics with headings like Sky cars and with a small caption like
For Eg: IT IS DIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFERENTTTTT !!!!!!!!!!!!!“
M400 Skycar” (Skycar specs, 2009, para.1).
At this stage, the main aim of the promotion is just to create an illusion in the minds of the local population and to initiate a simple talk among the viewers of the advertisement like “Hey! What is this?”
This advertisement can be shown on TV every day with two rounds which should especially be in prime time such as during news hours or during popular TV programs so that it stays in the minds of the audience. Similarly, in newspapers, it could be a front-page advertisement with a matte finish during weekends and during one day of the week which is considered as a day very popular for business events. Also, one feature of these advertisements can be released in business magazines especially business magazines, of the automobile sector like Autocar.
When the production is running smoothly then a little change in advertisements can be incorporated and it could be such that it creates an understanding in the minds of at least half of the Californian population that this product is slightly differentiated from the competitors’ products. The main idea of promotion at this stage should be to establish only an idea that this product is different from the similar products in the present market.
At this stage, the advertisement should contain very attractive properties of the Sky car like its extra dimensions, speed, mileage, etc. Besides, the promotions should be exhaustive so that the product’s properties are known to the local population. The new advertisement clubbed with the earlier advertisement is sure to make an uproar in the minds of the viewers even though there might be an urge in potential customers to know more. For Eg: “Extra Dimensions, Top Speed, Full Mileage” – We r coming to be a part of u !!!! When the product is ready, the main purpose of the promotional strategy is to increase demand for the product in comparison to its competitors, and for this, the product has to be launched in the market. The launch of the product can be done in a full-fledged form with more and more commercial advertisements and posters and banners inviting people to the event. The product launch itself can be advertised through public relations campaigns. At this time, the Advertisements could be more elaborate stating its special features like its military advantages, the high technology used in the manufacturing of the product, its cost and time effective performances, etc, and can also be criticizing a bit its competitors but care should be taken to not disturb the rights and ethics of its competitors.
The main promotional strategy at this point is to increase demand. At the initial point sales promotion techniques can be used like gifts and special prizes for participants. The next step is to incorporate other effective means of promotional strategy for the company is to establish a very tactful direct sales team so that when customers walk indirectly they are taken utmost care of. Direct sales are very important for stabilizing sales in California for Moller Sky cars.
Conclusion
From the above discussions, it transpires that the promotional strategy is divided into stages. Here in the case of Mollar Sky cars, we have incorporated two promotional strategies before the launch of the product and the rest after the launch of the product so that the product stages in the minds of the viewers for a long time.
References
Haeberle, W. C. (2008). How a business works: What every businessperson, citizen, customer, and employee needs to know about business. Author House, p.139.
Onkvisit, S. & Shaw, J. J. (2004). International marketing: Analysis and strategy. Routledge, p.414.
Skycar specs. (2009). Mollar International. Web.