As marketing professionals, you and I talk about reaching a customer through advertising, publicity and sales promotion. But do consumers really differentiate between them?
When someone is about to choose a restaurant, for example, do they say to themselves, "Now let's see, I've read a positive editorial piece, heard their radio commercial twice, seen a billboard on the way to work and received a price-off sales promotion in the mail. That's a frequency of five, so I guess it's time to try them for lunch."
Of course not.
If the need is there, it's convenient, and the price is right, then encouraging trial purchase boils down to share of mind. And share of mind is the result of frequency and creative power.
So what's the point?
Simply that the message may have a better chance of building frequency and breaking through the customer's "protective media screen" if it's heard in a variety of ways.
This can be achieved with a fullly integrated marketing plan using the proper balance of advertising, sales promotion and publicity.