The  promotion  element  of  the  marketing  mix  of  the  organisation  includes  all  the  relevant
“activities, materials, and  media  used  by  a  marketer  to  inform  and  remind  prospective
customers about a particular product offering” (Connett, 2004:11). The goal of promotional products is
to persuade the target consumer to buy or consume the product offering.

The  promotional  element  of  the  marketing  mix  is  also  referred  to  as  the  marketing
communication  or  promotional  mix,  and  includes  various  communication  methods  and
activities  aimed  at  the  target  consumer.  The  integration  of  the  promotional  elements  is
called   integrated   marketing   communications,   or   IMC.

From the above mentioned  discussion, the following points emerge as universal:

    Communication is crucial for developing relationships.

    Integration or synergy of the elements in the promotional mix is important.

    Marketing communication focuses on building brands.

Sales promotions are often confused with advertising as they often use advertisements to
create  awareness  of  the  particular  promotional  offer.  They  are  characterised  by  the
provision of some form of reward for a particular behaviour; they change the perception of
the  value of the  offering.  Sales promotion  is  defined as  all marketing  actions focusing  on
eliciting  an  immediate  response  from  the  target  market  by  offering  value  incentives  to
members  of  the  distribution  channel  and/or  the  final  consumer  (Arens
et  al.,
  2011:616;
Belch  &  Belch,  2007:22;  Ouwersloot  &  Duncan,  2008:10).  Therefore,  the  main  aim  is  to
acquire a specific response to the offer from the target audience
.  
Divided  into  trade  and  consumer  promotions,  sales  promotions  attempt  to  turn  positive
attitudes  into  behavioural  responses,  such  as  product  trials,  repeat  purchases
and
increased   product   usage
(O’Guinn
et   al.,
   2009:563).   Trade   promotions   focus   on
distribution channel members. These promotions may include contests, trade allowances,
point-
of-purchase    displays,    training    programmes,    trade    shows    and    co-operative
advertising.
Promotions  aimed  at  consumers  include  a  wide  variety  of  incentives,  such  as  samples,
coupons,  premiums  and  bonus  packs.  Other  consumer  promotions  incorporate  contests,
refunds   or   rebates,   price-offs   and   loyalty   programmes   (Belch   &   Belch,   2007:508;
Ouwersloot & Duncan, 2008:347). Consumer promotions are commonly advertised in  the
general  media,  and  samples  regularly  form  part  of  the  advertisement.  For  example,  in
women’s magazines, samples of anti
-wrinkle cream  can be attached to the page bearing
the advertisement for the cream. Advertisements of this sort will be included in the sample
for the current study.

Many companies are placing increased importance
on sponsorships, and are reaping the
rewards. Sponsorship marketing occurs when an event receives financial support from an
organisation  (the  sponsor)  and  in  return  provides  the  opportunity  to  the  sponsor  to
associate  itself  with  the  event.  This,  in  turn,  generates  publicity  for  the  sponsor  (Shimp,
2010:562).  It  is  a  scenario  that  places  the  marketer  in  the  same  environment  as  the
consumer,  such  as  a  sporting  event,  and  makes  the  message  of  the  organisation  more
relevant and credible.

SPAR, a South African retailer, sponsors various women’s
sporting events in South Africa, including  hockey,  netball  and  the SPAR
Women’s Challenge Series, a series of annual
10km  running  events  hosted  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Its  association  with  these
sports  events  leads  to  a  perception  among  consumers  that
SPAR cares  about women’s  sports.  Apart  from  the  advantage  this  brings,  sponsorships  also  provide  several  other
benefits   (Koekemoer,   2004b:457).   These   include,   among   others,   niche   marketing
flexibility, enhanced brand equity and cost-effective media coverage.
Like all the tools in the  promotional mix, sponsorship activities also need to be integrated
with the other elements of the organisation
’s promotions, and serve the higher purpose of
reaching general communication objectives