• by December 4, 2000

Here's a medium not frequently covered by research statistics. For those of you whose message is delivered with a gift, Incentive Magazine released a study in September showing how companies are using premiums and promotions as part of their campaigns. Aside from the variety of methodologies, it appears that the internet was not nearly so successful for these respondents as conventional media!

Included are some of the statistics gathered from readership respondents...

+---------------------------------+------+
 | OBJECTIVE OF THE PROMOTION      |      |
 +---------------------------------+------+
 | Increase Sales                  | 88%  |
 | Build
customer loyalty / trust  | 75   |
 | Sample new users                | 27   |
 | Get shelf attention             | 11   |
 | Obtain store displays           | 9    |

+---------------------------------+------+
 +---------------------------------+------+
 | MEDIUMS FOR CONSUMER PROMOTION  |      |
 +---------------------------------+------+
 | Direct
mail                     | 67%  |
 | Point-of-purchase               | 53   |
 | Internet                        | 46   |
 | Magazines                       | 39   |
 | Newspapers
| 33   |
 | Packaging                       | 32   |
 | Radio                           | 28   |
 | Samplings                       | 21   |
 | Television                      | 19   |

+---------------------------------+------+
 +----------------------------------+------+
 | TYPES OF PROMOTIONS              |      |
 +----------------------------------+------+
 |
Consumer loyalty/frequent buyer  | 60%  |
 | Direct premium (free w/ purch.)  | 52   |
 | Sweepstakes / contests           | 50   |
 | Free mail-in offer               | 25   |
 | Mail-in
self liquidator          | 15   |
 | Factory pack                     | 10   |
 +----------------------------------+------+
 +------------------------+------+
 | TYPES OF INCENTIVES
|      |
 +------------------------+------+
 | Merchandise under $10  | 59%  |
 | Merchandise over $10   | 53   |
 | Gift certificates      | 44   |
 | Travel                 | 29
|
 | Samples                | 25   |
 | Cash                   | 23   |
 | Licensed merchandise   | 17   |
 | Phone cards            | 15   |
 | Debit cards            | 11   |

+------------------------+------+
 +-------------------------+------+
 | AMOUNT SPENT PER AWARD  |      |
 +-------------------------+------+
 | Less than $10           | 28%  |
 |
$11-15                  | 13   |
 | $16-25                  | 8    |
 | $26-50                  | 9    |
 | $51-100                 | 11   |
 | $101-150                | 8    |
 |
$151-250                | 10   |
 | $251-500                | 6