Welcome to part four of our seven week series looking at how effective management of the seven ‘Ps’ of marketing is vital to the success of your cosmetic business. We have so far considered the ‘People’, ‘Product’ and ‘Price’ elements of the mix. This week we will be focusing on ‘Promotion’.

4 - Promotion

Promotion covers all the ways in which you tell your customers about your products and services to present the benefits and how you then answer needs, inspire action and sell to them. This element of the marketing mix has changed beyond recognition in recent years and with so many channels, both online and offline to consider, having a clear and consistent brand identity is more important now than ever before. Channels you need to think about include your website, landing pages, blogs (online patient education), social media (a chance to meet your prospects in the places where they spend their time), email, telephone (to call lapsed customers and follow up after treatments with existing customers) online advertising, offline marketing, events (an opportunity for your prospects to meet you in person) and press (trade and local). Don’t forget that your biggest source of promotion is likely to be recommendations from happy customers!

Ask yourself: Who are my customers and how can I reach them? Who are my target customers and how can I reach them? How do I reconnect with lapsed customers? What’s playing on all my communications channels? Is it the right message and is it consistent? Is it being seen and heard by the right audience? Does the message need to be revised? What new marketing approaches, strategies and/or media are available and need to be considered?

Next week we will look at the fifth P of the marketing mix, ‘Place’. If you missed them, why not check out our previous posts covering the ‘People’, ‘Product’ and ‘Price’ elements of the marketing mix?