Which of the following promotion methods are more likely to be used when the goal is pulling?

The primary difference between push and pull marketing lies in how consumers are approached. In push marketing, the idea is to promote products by pushing them onto people. For push marketing, consider sales displays at your grocery store or a shelf of discounted products. On the other hand, in pull marketing, the idea is to establish a loyal following and draw consumers to the products.

Push marketing takes the product to the consumer, whereas pull marketing brings the consumer to the product.

Push marketing is a promotional strategy where businesses attempt to take their products to the customers. The term push stems from the idea that marketers are attempting to push their products at consumers. Common sales tactics include trying to sell merchandise directly to customers via company showrooms and negotiating with retailers to sell their products for them, or set up point-of-sale displays. Often, these retailers will receive special sales incentives in exchange for this increased visibility.

Businesses often use push marketing when launching a new product, or when trying to stand out in a niche or crowded market.

One common example of push marketing can be seen in department stores that sell fragrance lines. The manufacturing brand of the fragrance will often offer sales incentives to the department stores for pushing its products onto customers. This tactic can be especially beneficial for new brands that aren't well-established or for new lines within a given brand that need additional promotion. After all, for many consumers, being introduced to the fragrance at the store is their first experience with the product, and they wouldn't know to ask for it if they didn't know it existed.

Pull marketing takes the opposite approach. The goal of pull marketing is to get the customers to come to you, hence the term pull, where marketers are attempting to pull customers in. Common sales tactics used for pull marketing include mass media promotions, word-of-mouth referrals and advertised sales promotions. From a business perspective, pull marketing attempts to create brand loyalty and keep customers coming back, whereas push marketing is more concerned with short-term sales.

Businesses generally will use pull marketing when the customer knows what he is looking for or what problem he needs to solve, but needs pulling towards your solution as opposed to the solution offered by your competitors.

You can often recognize pull marketing campaigns by the amount of advertising that's being used. Pull marketing requires lots of advertising dollars to be spent on making brand and products a household name. One example includes the marketing of children's toys. In the first stage, the company advertises the product. Next, the children and parents see the advertisement and want to purchase the toy. As demand increases, retailers begin scrambling trying to stock the product in their stores. All the while, the company has successfully pulled customers to them.

Promotion is an important part of any marketing strategy. You can have the best product or service out there, but unless you promote it successfully, no one will know about it. There are three basic types of promotional strategies – a push strategy, a pull strategy or a combination of the two. In general, a push strategy is sales oriented, a pull strategy is marketing-oriented and a push-pull strategy is a combination of the two.

A push promotional strategy works to create customer demand for your product or service through promotion: for example, through discounts to retailers and trade promotions. Appealing package design and maintaining a reputation for reliability, value or style are also used in push strategies. One example of a push strategy is mobile phone sales, where manufacturers offer discounts on phones to encourage buyers to chose their phone. Push promotional strategies also focus on selling directly to customers, for example, through point of sale displays and direct approaches to customers.

A pull promotional strategy uses advertising to build up customer demand for a product or service. For example, advertising children's toys on children's television shows is a pull strategy. The children ask their parents for the toys, the parents ask the retailers and the retailers the order the toys from the manufacturer. Other pull strategies include sales promotions, offering discounts or two-for-one offers and building demand through social media sites such as YouTube.

Some companies use a combination of both push and pull strategies. For example, Texas-based textile producer Cotton Incorporated uses a push/pull promotional strategy. They push to create customer demand through constantly developing new products and offering these products in stores; and pull customers towards these products through advertising and promotion deals.

According to marketing expert Blair Entenmann, in an article he wrote for his company MarketingHelp!, there is no single correct combination of push and pull. The amount spent on each type of strategy will depend on factors such as budget, the type of product, the target audience and competition.

Push promotional strategies work well for lower cost items, or items where customers may make a decision on the spot. New businesses use push strategies to develop retail markets for their products and to generate exposure. Once a product is already in stores, a pull strategy creates additional demand for the product. Pull strategies work well with highly visible brands, or where there is good brand awareness. This is usually developed through advertising.

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

When it comes to promoting your product there are many strategies that you can put into place to get your product in front of your customers. There are two main strategies, push and pull, that will help you sell your product. Depending on the infrastructure and type of small business you own, each strategy has its benefits.

A push promotional strategy is a marketing strategy that sees companies take its products to its consumers. The goal of this strategy is to get the product directly in front of the customers, in the form of trade shows and point of sale displays. These are the most common push promotion strategies used today:

  • Direct selling to customers in showrooms
  • Point of Sale (POS) displays
  • Trade show promotions
  • Package or display design

There are many advantages to using a push marketing strategy including:

  • The ability to establish a sales channel
  • Create product exposure, demand, and consumer awareness about a product
  • Able to forecast and predict demand

A pull promotional strategy also called a pull marketing strategy, is the opposite of a push strategy. Instead of directly attempting to get products in front of customers, a pull strategy aims to get the customers to come to the product (hence the term “pull”).

A pull strategy is all about getting the customer to come to you. There are six widely used pull marketing strategies employed today:

Pull marketing strategies have gained momentum in the mobile-based world. With geofencing, geotargeting, and similar technologies, pull strategies are becoming increasingly easier and more relevant.

There are many advantages of using a pull marketing strategy, including:

  • Establishing direct contact with your customers
  • Building consumer loyalty
  • Stronger bargaining power with retailers or distributors
  • No pressure to conduct outbound marketing
  • Ability to test a product’s acceptance in the market and gain feedback on the product

Whichever promotional strategy you choose, it is important to use a strategy that works with your small business goals. Keep organized and thrive with QuickBooks Online. Keep an eye on your cash flow with up-to-date financial reports, track your expenses, and manage your business.

Important offers, pricing details and disclaimers

Expert advice and resources for today’s accounting professionals.

Get help with QuickBooks. Find articles, video tutorials, and more.