Promotional Mix the Marketing Mix: Promotion Select
In defining promotional strategies for airline flights and breakfast cereal, the many differences in the broader marketing, selling and service aspects of these two products need to be taken into account. In addition, the way customers purchase airline flights are markedly different than how they purchase breakfast cereal. For any promotional strategy to be effective they must take into account differences in hwo customers choose to learn and purchase new products (Shum, 2004). The factors most critical to someone purchasing a seat on an airline flight, which is a service by definition, are significantly different than the criterion used in evaluating and purchasing breakfast cereals. Yet both share the need to educate customers of their benefits, and most importantly, what kind of customer experience each delivers (Palmer, 2010). Both the service category of flights and the commodity-like natural of breakfast cereal both have a common foundation in having to communicate with customers over the channels their prospects most want to use. Increasingly, customers of services and products both are relying on social media more than ever, due to the authenticity, transparency and trust level they see in how their peers rate and value products
(Bernoff, Li, 2008). For airlines this is critically important as their reputation is an industry is lacking; there are many business travelers on Facebook and Twitter routinely complaining about the lack of service. For breakfast cereal producers, the challenge of getting their voices heard over the loud voices of larger advertisers is met with social media. While both share the need to effectively use social media to their brands' benefits, both also must balance the role of traditional media in their promotional strategies mix as well. The intent of this analysis is to compare and contrast the promotional strategies of airlines relative to breakfast cereals.