promotion

Promotion is often described as the fourth and final element in the 'marketing mix', as conceptualised by McCarthy (de Sáez 1993), the other elements being 'product', 'price' and 'place'. Promotion itself is often divided into a 'mix', best
understood as a portfolio of promotional techniques or channels, selected to meet the
prescribed objectives of the promotional strategy (Rowley 1998). Walters (1992)
divides the promotional mix into advertising, personal selling, public relations and
promotions, while Rowley (1998) adds direct marketing, sales promotion, and
sponsorship.
There is a common factor between all of these 'tools' of promotion: they all
involve or constitute a communication model. Some critics actually refer to the
promotional element of the marketing mix as 'marketing communication' (de Sáez
1993). What is the relationship between promotion and communication? Rowley
(1998, p. 383) suggests that 'promotion is one side of the communication process',
the other s...