Promotional and Advertising Techniques (Grade 11 NSC Matric Tourism): Revision Notes
Promotional and Advertising Techniques
Introduction to promotional and advertising techniques
Marketing is essential for tourism businesses to reach potential customers and encourage them to buy products or services. Tourism organisations use various promotional and advertising techniques to attract tourists and increase sales. These techniques fall into two main categories that help businesses choose the most effective way to reach their target audience.
Above-the-line techniques are visible to the general public and use mass media to reach large numbers of people at once. These methods cast a wide net and are ideal when businesses want to create broad awareness about their products.
Below-the-line techniques communicate more personal messages directly to smaller, specific audiences. These methods focus on building individual relationships and targeting particular groups of potential customers.
Understanding the difference between these two approaches helps tourism businesses select the right promotional mix for their marketing goals and budget. The choice between above-the-line and below-the-line techniques often depends on factors such as target audience size, available budget, and the complexity of the product being promoted.
Above-the-line promotional techniques
Above-the-line techniques reach large audiences through various forms of mass media. These methods are highly visible and can generate widespread awareness of tourism products and services.
Conventional media
Broadcast media
Broadcast media includes television and radio advertising. These platforms allow tourism businesses to reach vast numbers of people across different regions and demographics. Television remains the most expensive medium for advertising because it combines visual and audio elements to create compelling messages. However, this high cost is often justified by the large audience reach.
Radio advertisements offer a more affordable alternative to television. While they don't include pictures or visual elements, radio ads can still effectively communicate key information about tourism products and services. Radio advertisements typically include less detailed information than television ads, but they can be produced more cheaply and aired more frequently.
The cost of advertising slots depends on the time of day the advertisement will be shown or played. Prime time slots (when most people are watching or listening) cost more than off-peak times. Broadcasters and marketing research companies help tourism businesses decide which slots to buy by providing detailed profiles of viewers or listeners for particular programmes. This information helps businesses target their advertisements to reach the right audience.
Published media
Print media includes newspapers and magazines. These publications offer different advertising options based on the size and colour of the advertisement, as well as where the advertisement appears in the publication. Publishers provide detailed information about their readership profiles, which helps businesses make informed decisions about where to place their advertisements.
Published media reaches specific target audiences more effectively than broadcast media because readership profiles are usually more accurately defined. For example, a travel magazine attracts readers interested in tourism, making it an ideal place for tourism businesses to advertise. This targeted approach often produces better results than broader advertising methods.
Another significant advantage of print media is cost. It is much cheaper to advertise in newspapers and magazines than on television, which means businesses can place more advertisements and maintain visibility over longer periods. This makes print media particularly attractive for smaller tourism businesses with limited marketing budgets.
Electronic advertising
Electronic advertising has transformed how tourism businesses promote their products. This category includes the Internet and telephones used for Internet marketing, email marketing, and mobile phone marketing.
Internet and website advertising
Internet marketing can be done using a company's own website or by placing advertisements on other popular websites. A well-designed website serves as a digital shopfront where potential customers can learn about products, view images, read reviews, and make bookings. Companies can email people directly to tell existing or previous customers about special offers or new products, maintaining ongoing relationships with their customer base.
Social media platforms
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr® and TripAdvisor® have become essential tools for tourism advertising. Tourism businesses can create Facebook or Twitter profiles for their business and regularly post information about their products and services. This allows them to build an online community and engage directly with potential and existing customers.
Customers can use a business's social media profile to provide feedback about their experiences. This two-way communication is valuable because it helps businesses understand customer satisfaction and address any concerns.
Social media messages can be posted at any time, so businesses need to monitor their profiles regularly to keep up to date with what people say about their products and services. The ability to respond to unhappy customers quickly helps businesses manage their image in the marketplace effectively.
Flickr® allows businesses to post photographs that all Internet users can view. This visual platform is an excellent way to promote tourism destinations by showcasing beautiful scenery, accommodation, and attractions. TripAdvisor® allows tourists to post reviews of tourism products and services, creating a transparent marketplace where potential customers can read about others' experiences before making booking decisions.
Other electronic media
Electronic information displays and video walls in public places such as shopping centres, stations, and airports provide another avenue for tourism advertising. These large displays can show dynamic content including videos, images, and text that capture people's attention in high-traffic areas. Smaller digital displays or screens can be placed in shop windows and at queuing areas such as banks or post offices, reaching people when they have time to view the information.
Kiosks with audio-visual presentations can advertise products in interactive formats. These self-service terminals allow potential customers to explore tourism options at their own pace, viewing videos, images, and detailed information about destinations and services.
Printed material
Printed material includes business cards, brochures, flyers, pamphlets, posters, and meander maps. These tangible marketing tools can be distributed in various ways and kept by potential customers for future reference.
Employees of tourism businesses or organisations can hand out business cards to clients and suppliers. These cards show the logo of the company or organisation, along with the employee's name, position, and contact details. Business cards create awareness of the business or organisation and make it easy for people to contact the company later. They serve as a lasting reminder of a business interaction.
Printed materials can be strategically placed at points where tourists will see them. Common distribution locations include:
- Hotel foyers
- Travel agents' offices
- Internet cafés frequented by tourists
The key is to place materials where the target audience naturally gathers or passes through.
The design of printed material should attract tourists' attention so that they become interested in the product and motivated to buy it. High-quality images, clear information, and professional presentation all contribute to effective printed materials. Good design helps printed materials stand out from competitors' materials and creates a positive impression of the business.
Outdoor media
Outdoor media includes posters, billboards, and various advertisements that can be placed in public spaces. These include advertisements at bus stops, on buses, on minibus taxis, on mobile billboards, on banners flown by small aeroplanes, and on the walls of buildings.
Businesses need permission from the municipality or property owners before placing outdoor advertising. This ensures that advertising complies with local regulations and doesn't create visual pollution or safety hazards.
Outdoor media must stand out and be placed where tourists will see them. High-traffic locations such as major roads, tourist routes, and popular attractions are ideal for outdoor advertising. The advertisements need to be eye-catching and deliver their message quickly, as people often view them whilst moving past.
Below-the-line promotional techniques
Below-the-line techniques focus on more personal communication with smaller, targeted audiences. These methods often produce higher conversion rates because they speak directly to potential customers' specific needs and interests.
Personal selling
Personal selling occurs when a representative of the business deals face-to-face with a client at the place of business. This direct interaction allows for personalised communication and immediate responses to questions or concerns.
Examples of Personal Selling in Tourism:
- A travel consultant at a travel agency meets with a client to discuss holiday options, providing personalised recommendations based on the client's preferences and budget
- A sales representative for a tour operator visits a travel agency to promote the tour operator's tours and packages, building relationships with travel agents who can then recommend these products to their customers
Face-to-face interaction builds trust and allows the seller to adapt their approach based on the customer's reactions and preferences. Personal selling is particularly effective for complex or expensive tourism products that require detailed explanation and customisation. The personal touch helps customers feel valued and confident in their purchasing decisions.
Sales promotions and in-store discounts
The aim of sales promotions and in-store discounts is to increase sales by offering customers better value for a limited time. These time-limited offers create urgency and encourage customers to make purchases sooner rather than later.
Promotions and discounts are valid for a limited time only. For example, an airline might celebrate its 10th year of business by offering clients special discounted fares for that month only. This creates excitement and rewards customer loyalty whilst generating increased bookings during the promotional period.
In-store discounts are offered to customers when they visit a business. For example, a tour company can offer a discount to customers if they book more than one day-tour at the same time. This encourages customers to purchase more products or services, increasing the overall value of the sale whilst providing customers with savings.
Promotional sponsorship
Promotional sponsorship usually forms part of public relations and involves giving financial assistance to an organisation or event. In return, the business gets exposure when the media covers the organisation or event.
Prominent Sponsorship Examples in South Africa:
Sports Sponsorship: South African Airways sponsoring the South African Open Golf Championship. This sponsorship associates the airline with a prestigious sporting event and ensures the airline's brand receives visibility through media coverage, signage at the event, and mentions in promotional materials.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Avis sponsors road safety features on television as part of the Arrive Alive campaign. This type of sponsorship demonstrates corporate social responsibility whilst building positive brand associations in consumers' minds.
Sponsorship works well because it links the business with positive events, causes, or organisations. This creates goodwill and enhances the business's reputation beyond simple advertising.
Exhibitions, shows and expos
Exhibitions, shows and expos have a specific theme where relevant businesses can promote their products. These events gather industry professionals, potential customers, and media in one place, creating concentrated opportunities for networking and promotion.
These events take place at regular times, often annually. For example, South African Tourism (SAT) presents the Tourism Indaba in Durban every year in May. Tourism organisations book stands at exhibitions and exhibit their products or promotional materials at the stand for visitors to see.
Tour operators and booking agents from all over the world attend events like Tourism Indaba to discover what tourism products and services are available. They can use this information to put together packages for their customers. Other important international tourism events include:
- The World Travel Market in London in Britain every November
- The International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin in Germany every March
Hosting a stand at these events can be very expensive, so usually only larger tourism organisations and businesses can afford to be present. However, smaller tourism businesses can work together to share costs. For example, several small tourism businesses can create one combined exhibit that shows what their city or province has to offer tourists. This collaborative approach allows smaller businesses to access the benefits of exhibitions without bearing the full cost alone.
Matching promotional techniques to potential customers
Successful marketing requires matching promotional techniques to the type of customer a business wants to reach. Different audiences respond better to different promotional methods, so businesses must choose their techniques strategically.
Tour operators looking for other businesses to book their products can use personal selling and participate in exhibitions, shows, and expos where travel agents can find out about these products and include them in their travel packages. This business-to-business approach focuses on building professional relationships and providing detailed product information.
If the target market includes tourists from Britain who are interested in outdoor activities, a magazine about outdoor activities published in Britain would be a good medium in which to advertise. This targeted approach ensures the advertisement reaches people already interested in the type of activities the business offers.
Usually, businesses use a combination of promotional and advertising techniques to maximise their reach and effectiveness. For example, the Sho't Left campaign combined above-the-line techniques like television, radio and newspaper advertisements, and the Internet, with below-the-line techniques like outdoor events and promotional activities. This integrated approach reinforces messages across multiple platforms and touchpoints.
The key to successful promotion is understanding where your target customers look for information and what types of messages resonate with them. Cost considerations, the complexity of the product, and the size of the target market all influence which combination of techniques will work best.
Key Points to Remember:
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Two main categories: Promotional techniques divide into above-the-line (mass media reaching large audiences) and below-the-line (personal messages to smaller, targeted audiences).
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Above-the-line reaches more people: Conventional media (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines), electronic advertising (websites, social media, email), printed material (brochures, business cards), and outdoor media (billboards, posters) all help create broad awareness.
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Below-the-line builds relationships: Personal selling, sales promotions, sponsorships, and exhibitions focus on direct interaction and targeted communication with specific customers.
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Social media requires monitoring: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and TripAdvisor allow two-way communication, but businesses must respond quickly to customer feedback and manage their online reputation actively.
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Match techniques to customers: Successful marketing combines different promotional techniques tailored to reach the specific target audience. Consider where customers look for information and what messages will appeal to them most.