PULL MARKETING

PULL MARKETING


DEFINITION

Pull marketing is any method a company uses to generate demand for a product. This is contrasted with “push” marketing, which is a strategy intended to sell out an existing supply of a product.

Modern pull marketing uses various media channels to generate interest about a product or company, encouraging customers to seek out the product or company on their own. This is especially popular and effective within Internet marketing, because pull marketing benefits greatly from independent social behavior like word-of-mouth and the “viral” content effect. 

WHO USES PULL MARKETING?

Company that produce or sells goods can use pull marketing to raise awareness about a product before it becomes available for purchase. Though the results of the marketing campaign are not certain until the product is made available, the manufacturer can save money on production costs by producing fewer units of the product prior to launch, and using the money they save to invest in pull advertising. 

Service industry companies use pull marketing to generate interest in new services or to create positive feedback about the company. If a massage clinic, for example, wanted to increase its business, it could use social media sites to encourage their customers to share information about the clinic with their friends. People are much more likely to buy a product or visit a business on the recommendation of a friend. Through social networking, the massage clinic can rely on some of its existing customers to “advertise” for the clinic through recommendations. 

USING PULL MARKETING

A pull marketing campaign is customer-focused, but should still start with the analysis of the product the company wants to sell. The company needs to determine what the product's key features are and who is most likely to demand it through extensive market research. 

For instance, a company wanted to open an ice skating rink during the winter, the company should start researching several months before the season to learn the who, what, where, when, and how of creating an ice skating rink in the area. This research could consist of analyzing demographic data about surrounding neighborhoods, and surveying people in a high-traffic area like a shopping mall to find out who is most interested in ice skating.

Using the market research data to tailor their message, the company might develop an advertising plan to generate interest in the new ice skating rink before it opens. Because the purpose of pull marketing is to convince customers to seek out a product on their own, using direct methods of advertising like mail fliers and TV commercials may not be effective.

PULL STRATEGY

A pull strategy involves motivating customers to seek out your brand in an active process.

"Getting the customer to come to you"

EXAMPLES OF PULL TACTICS

1. Advertising and mass media promotion
2. Word of mouth referrals
3. Customer relationship management
4. Sales promotions and discounts

Simple diagram explaining some example differences between a push and pull promotional strategy