Adapted from content excerpted from the American Express® OPEN Small Business Network
Your
advertising and promotion campaign is how you communicate
information about your product or service. This section should
include a description of all advertising vehicles you plan to use -
newspapers, magazines, radio & TV, Yellow Pages, etc. - as well
as your public relations program, sales/promotional materials (such
as brochures and product sheets), package design, trade show
efforts, and the like. If you're using an advertising and/or a
PR agency, be sure to discuss their talents and what efforts they
are contracted to make on your behalf.
Tips
- Make sure that your advertising and promotion tactics
support your sales tactics. For example, if you use sales
reps, you will probably need to discuss with them what
kinds of promotional materials you will supply. If you
use direct mail sales, what kind of direct mail packages
will you be producing?
- Think about using examples or samples to support your
discussion of promotional tactics. If you have a copy of
an ad you've run, or a mock-up of an ad you plan on
running in the future, include it in your business plan.
You can place these samples in a separate
"Exhibits" section at the end of the plan.
- Unique product packaging is also a key promotional
tactic. You probably will want to discuss the benefits of
your package design, and include a sample in your
business plan.
- If you have a public relations plan in place, include
a copy of your press kit, and a list of targeted media in
your business plan. This will further demonstrate that
you know exactly how you plan to reach your target
audience.
- If trade shows will be an integral part of your
marketing strategy, be sure to include a trade show
schedule outlining at which expos you'll be
exhibiting. And don't forget to explain why
you've chosen those shows.
- If you are providing a business-to-business service,
some areas to cover in this section include: trade shows,
trade magazine advertising, publicity, direct mailings,
product sheets, and other promotional materials. For
consumer products, you should also discuss the types of
advertising and promotion you will do to introduce the
product and what kinds of sales aids will be provided to
dealers.
- If advertising or promotion is a critical expense,
you should include an exhibit showing how and when these
costs will be incurred.
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