Qamardeen

“Your customers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – Damon Richards

Sales promotion is a marketing strategy aimed at boosting sales and customer engagement for a limited period. It involves offering incentives or discounts to encourage consumers to make immediate purchases. Limited-time offers are a specific type of sales promotion where a product or service is offered at a reduced price or with extra benefits for a short duration, creating a sense of urgency among consumers.

I know you are familiar with “Buy one get one free”, “Awoof Berekete”, “Sign up for a 3-month membership and get 1 month free, valid until the end of the month”, “Open a fixed deposit account now and enjoy a special 5% interest rate for the next 60 days”, “Purchase a new car in the next two weeks and receive a complimentary maintenance package for one year” among others. Hence, let’s discuss this concept in the context of Airtel, a very popular telecommunications company in Nigeria.

1. Airtel may introduce a limited-time offer where they provide a significant discount on data or voice plans for a specific period. For example, “Get 50% off on all data plans for the next 7 days.” This encourages customers to buy data bundles quickly to take advantage of the savings.

2. Airtel could offer bonus airtime for recharges during a limited period. For instance, “Recharge ₦100 and get ₦200 bonus airtime for calls and texts for the next 48 hours.” This motivates subscribers to top up their accounts during the promotional period.

3. Airtel may offer a free smartphone or other device as a limited-time promotion for customers who sign up for a specific postpaid plan. This approach not only encourages new subscriptions but also locks in customers for the long term.

4. Airtel might run a limited-time promotion where they double the data allocation for specific data plans. For example, “Get 4GB for the price of 2GB for the next 10 days.” This attracts data-hungry users and drives immediate sales.

5. Airtel could introduce a referral program for a limited duration, where existing customers earn bonuses or discounts for each friend they refer who signs up for Airtel services. This leverages existing customer networks to drive new sign-ups.

6. Airtel might also conduct flash sales on certain devices or services, offering them at significantly reduced prices for a few hours or a day. For example, “50% off on the latest Airtel 4G smartphone for the next 6 hours only”.

7. Airtel can engage customers through social media contests during a limited-time promotion. For example, “Share your most creative Airtel experience on Facebook or Twitter for a chance to win free data for a month.” This boosts brand engagement and awareness.

You are familiar with these, right? These techniques create a sense of urgency and excitement among customers, driving them to take immediate action. Sales promotions like these can be an effective strategy for your business to increase sales, acquire new customers, and retain existing ones in the competitive market.


It’s just simple!

For any brand, the market is saturated. Hence, brands are competing for customers. Meanwhile, customers have choices… I’ve observed that people tend to prioritize a product over their initial choice when they encounter sales promotions -AWOOF. Aren’t you the person who originally planned to purchase just a toothbrush but ended up getting a toothbrush bundled with toothpaste instead? (Let me ask…) Did you subsequently find the toothpaste to be a worthwhile addition?

Consumers often intend to purchase specific items but end up buying other things, sometimes more expensive or unnecessary, due to the allure of limited-time offers and marketing tactics. Some examples include:

1. Purchasing more of an item than you originally intended because you feel you are getting a great deal, even if you don’t need the extra quantity.

2. Buying more or pricier items than you initially intended to maximize your savings. This often happens during sales events like Black Friday.

3. Spending more than you planned to qualify for a gift.

4. Making hurried decisions and buying items you didn’t intend to purchase.

5. Buying more to reach the next reward level, even if it means purchasing items you hadn’t initially considered.

6. Feeling pressured to buy quickly, even if it’s not your first choice.

7. Buying more than you planned, thinking you are getting a good deal that won’t be available later.

Finally, I’m not certain if Chowdeck’s limited-time offers are still available. Are they? Even if chicken wasn’t your top choice before, you surely remember how much you valued it during that time-limited offer.