Sales Promotion

The term advertising (often referred to as ‘above-the-line expenditure’) can be defined as all non-personal communication in measured media by an identifiable sponsor. This includes television, cinema, radio, print, and outdoor media. Sales promotion, for which the term ‘below-the-line expenditure’ is often used as a synonym, is not so easily defined. For example, Americans use the term to describe all forms of communication, including advertising and personal selling. In Europe, some use the term to describe any non-face-to-face activity concerned with the promotion of sales; some use it to describe any non-media expenditure; while others use it specifically to mean in-store merchandising. Managers concerned with sales promotions must, therefore, be clear about the nature and scope of such activities and how they can best contribute to the organisation’s marketing goals.