Methodology > Private sector > Pre- and post- promotion tests

Private sector

Pre- and post- promotion tests

Sales promotions are used to stimulate short-term demand, and increase the rate or level of purchase of a product or service by consumers or commercial intermediaries. Frequently used techniques include: reduction coupons, special offers, bonuses, samples (for consumer promotions); volume discounts, product enhancements, product discounts and publicity defrayal (for network promotions); competitions, gifts, and special bonuses (sales rep promotions). This type of operation is becoming increasingly important in marketing, to the point where today it is used by all sorts of organizations: wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, trade unions and even non-profit organizations.

The pre-test:
A promotional action is often based on prior experience. However, this isn’t always enough. We can validate the techniques chosen against your objectives, to ensure their suitability in terms of level of effort, display method and type. This is done via a pre-test which enables you to evaluate your promotion campaign BEFORE starting the operation, in terms of: impact, effect on sales, visibility, ability to incite a purchase, image consistency… These pre-tests will help you to decide whether to maintain, modify, or abandon a campaign.

Evaluating the results of a promotion:
Obviously, a promotion needs to be evaluated. We enable you to know with certitude whether the results generated by a promotion achieved your objectives of impact, sales, etc. For this, several methods can be used:

• compare the sales (or market share) before, during and after the promotion
• survey a representative sample of consumers about the promotion
• carry out controlled experiments for a fixed duration, during which we can vary the amplitude, the length and the materials for the promotion. Using adjacent regions or groups, it is possible to measure the impact of these different elements.
• measure market response using data from panels or “scanners”