Marketing (Promotion Analysis) Promotion and Price Analysis

Marketing (Promotion Analysis)

Promotion and Price Analysis Paper on Canon USA, Inc.

Analyzing the promotional aspect of a product or service within a business organization involves identifying and studying the dynamics of various promotional strategies, such as print, television, radio, Internet, telemarketing, direct mail, and publicity media. This paper conducts a promotional analysis of the company Canon USA Inc., a professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems provider. The analysis includes promotional strategies of Canon USA through three media: publicity, print, and Internet (or online). The rationale behind the use of these three promotional strategies is that the company has more exposure and promotional programs among these three media.

In terms of print promotion, Canon advertises on international publications (newspapers and magazines), especially news-oriented ones (e.g., Newsweek and TIME magazines). These print advertisements mainly illustrate three of the company's most popular products, which are printers, cameras, and copier machines, including supplies and accessories that these products need, such as printers, memory cards, and printing papers. Print advertising for digital cameras and printers from Canon often combine these two products together in an advertisement, suggesting that customers can use their Canon digital cameras with Canon printers as well. Printing images from Canon digital cameras to Canon printers is an effective advertising strategy that links the company's two popular products together. Copiers, meanwhile, are mainly addressed to the company's business clients; thus, print ads are mostly located in news- and business-oriented magazines and newspapers. Moreover, advertising for Canon copiers are exclusive from the company's other line-up of products.

Apart from print advertisements, Canon also promotes its products through the online media via its official web site: www.usa.canon.com. Through its web site, Canon is able to not only promote its consumer and business products, but promote other forms of services as well. Customers learn about the company's other product and service offerings, as well as important information about the product that would otherwise be not available when customers are deciding on a particular purchase through print advertising only. Furthermore, online media allows customers to experience audio-visual forms of advertisement, which is a far more effective strategy than the previous promotion strategy discussed, that of print advertising.

The most important form of promotions that Canon invests heavily on is publicity. Through publicity, Canon is able to extend to the public and its customers (existing, loyal, and potential customers) CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs that the company centers on to share their vision and mission not only as a business organization, but a social institution as well. Take as an example Canon's program last June 2004, which issued press releases and news conferences about the company's tie-up with UNICEF in promoting both organizations' advocacy of protecting children against violence and exploitation, whether they are at home, in school or in the company of their community. This form of sponsorship does not only illustrate images and pictures of children taken by a Canon camera (which is actually a form of advertisement as well), but it also allows to the company to share its mission to cooperate with non-profit organizations to increase awareness among the public about cause-related issues.

These promotional strategies appeals greatly to Canon's target market, which are the young adult to adult market, who do not only have higher disposable income to spend, but also have greater interest in technological innovations and products such as Canon's product and service line. Apart from capturing its target market, Canon's promotional strategies also complement the product life cycle stage wherein its products are located -- the maturity stage. Because Canon, an imaging equipment and information systems provider, has already established its own niche in the imaging technology market. Thus, there is increased spending for promotion such as print advertising, online promotions, and publicity. Promotional strategies attempt to further increase awareness about Canon and its products even though its customer already owns a Canon product. Increased awareness of the company's products and services aid customers to make decisions in purchasing technological products in the future.