Q.What do you mean by sales promotion? State its main features.

Sales promotion covers the short-term marketing activities — other than personal selling and advertising — that give buyers or sellers an extra incentive to act at once.

Its main features are that it is short-term, offers an extra incentive over the normal terms, supplements rather than replaces the other promotional tools, may target consumers, dealers or salesmen, and uses non-recurring devices.

Meaning. Sales promotion refers to those marketing activities — other than personal selling and advertising — that stimulate consumer buying and improve dealer effectiveness by offering a short-term extra incentive to buy. Everyday examples are "buy two, get one free" offers, free samples of a new product, discount coupons and lucky-draw contests. It is one of the three tools of the promotion mix, the other two being personal selling and advertising.

Main features:

1. Short-term in nature — an offer runs for a limited period (a festival, a season, a launch) and is not permanent.
2. An extra incentive — it offers something more than the normal terms: a gift, a discount, a sample or a chance to win.
3. Supplementary, not a substitute — it supports advertising and personal selling; advertising creates awareness, sales promotion converts it into an immediate sale.
4. Aimed at three targets — the consumer (to buy), the dealer (to stock and push), or the firm's own salesmen (to sell harder).
5. Non-recurring devices — samples, coupons, contests and displays are occasional efforts, not a routine feature of every sale.

Because it acts quickly, sales promotion is especially useful for launching a new product, clearing surplus stock, meeting a competitor's move and lifting sales in a slack season — it is the bridge that carries a customer from interest to action.

Students often treat sales promotion as the same thing as advertising. Keep them distinct: advertising is a continuing, paid media message that builds awareness, while sales promotion is a short-term incentive that pushes an immediate purchase. Also remember sales promotion supplements the other tools; it does not replace them.