Revisiting the 4 P's

While formulation of a promotional plan, there are certain things that need to be kept in mind.

The most important is revisiting the 4P's of Marketing Communication, which are as follows: -

PRODUCT
The product especially a gadget like mobile changes every 3 months because of its features and the technology that changes every second
 E.g. Changing mobiles phones in the duration of 3 months

PRICE
The pricing is a very important aspect to consider as it decides the brand positioning and thus helps in the  formulation of its promotional plan accordingly.
 e.g. Honda City recently slashed its prices, now the recent change in prices lead to further change in positioning and the focussed target group, which will further lead to change in the promotional plan

PLACE

When we talk about the place, we talk about the framework and if there are any shortcomings in the distribution plan
e.g.- There are 3 Problems identified at 3 different layers of the distribution channel
A) The wholesalers are not motivated, which is leading to shortage in stocks
B) To revamp merchandising as the absence of Point of Sale materials, leads to poor recall when sales have to be made
C) To increase brand recall and brand recognition- Appropriate Communication has to be opted so that customer has a better brand recall and brand recognition

Brand Recall- e.g. - You went to buy a shoe in a multi brand store and you say show me nike air max i.e. Brand recall

Brand Recognition- e.g.- You went to buy some cosmetics and you were confused what to buy, so you asked for lo real and lakme. Then the sales person shows you a product of Garnier, which you didn't ask for. You recognize the product form the Ad you saw yesterday and end up buying it..i.e. Brand Recognition

PROMOTION
So, according to the above listed problems in the distribution channel we suggest some promotional plans: -

Problem1 - Better Margins, Trade Promotion, Foreign Visits for dealers, Facilitation with Awards
Problem 2- Different Point of Purchase and Point of Sale Materials, Use of Bill Boards and In Store Advertising
Problem 3- Advertising, Sales Promotional techniques, In field promotions and Sales People at Point of Sale Display

So, solutions for the promotion help in building the Integrated Communications Plan.