Promotion refers particularly to the on-air, online, and print activity of media outlets, and it has a particular characteristic not commonly associated with other products. Promotion can be ‘above the line promotion’ and ‘below the line promotion’. For Dell gaming system, the promotion mix (‘above the line’) will involve TV, the Internet, press and outdoor advertising. This promotion mix will help to reach the target audience and save costs of advertising. On-air spots (promos) are widely thought to be the most valuable kind of self-advertising possible and are unique to the industry. This promotion will be based on messages that can be examined for their implications about basic processes of communication. This promotion mix will create the frame that governs how the product is perceived and understood by any group or individual (McDonald & Christopher, 2003).
‘Below the line promotion’ will involve sponsorship, direct male, public relations and trade shows. In this case, promotion will be considered a subset of the larger arena of marketing, which stretches beyond audiences into social and economic issues of sponsorship and commercialization. Dell can support sport events and rock concerts attracting a wide number of potential buyers (gamers). Audience activity models presume that promotion’ partakes of both advertising and programming in structure and content, and that measuring the effectiveness of promotion’ must encompass variables from both advertising and product research (McDonald & Christopher, 2003).
For Dell, another important aspect of promotion is branding. Branding involves the building, maintenance, enhancement, and exploitation of brand equity, which has been defined as the “value a brand name adds to a product” (McDonald & Christopher 2003, p. 214). The fundamental concept is that a recognizable Dell’s brand will more easily attract and retain customers than an unrecognizable one. A strong brand is said to enhance “the value of a product ” (McDonald & Christopher 2003, p. 214).
The promotion campaign will be divided into two main parts: winter and summer. During winter, a special attention will be paid to product positioning and above the line promotion’. The aim of this campaign is to inform potential buyers about the product and its unique benefits and features. During summer time, attention will be equally paid to ‘above the line promotion’ and ‘below the line promotion’. The aim of this campaign is to create a strong product image, persuade buyers to try the new product and increase market share. Of critical importance is getting users to sample programs — the traditional function of promotion. For example, the well-known brands like Dell does not need much time to make an impression on a user. The sample programs be offered through an advertisement or obtained through a person already acting as a commission agent for the company. The user has already internalized the value of the brand and, in the best-case scenario, it is a positive association that need only be prompted through the appearance or sound of the name. Dell should use sites for promotion but concentrate on such self-promotional information as mission/vision statements and lists of benefits. Taken together, online promotions suggest that web sites should have become more sophisticated because of the industry footrace to outdo the competition by offering advanced online features (McDonald & Christopher 2003).
Adverting campaign for the first summer month (June):
- Send Direct mail – twice a month;
- Advertising in local Press – once a week;
- TV ad 3 times in the evening;
- Online promotion (web site and web banners);
- Posters in transport (in big cities);
- Display stands;
- Calendars, wallcharts, plastic shopping bags;
- Sponsorship of Baseball Matches
References
McDonald M., Christopher M. (2003). Marketing: A complete Guide. Palgrave Macmillan.