For many years we have been using the promotional toolbox. We reviewed this recently as there have been so many changes in promotional tactics. We have named the new toolbox the PROMOSPHERE.

Why change?
The traditional promotional toolbox of direct mail, advertising, sales promotion, PR, internet, selling and referrals, image and ambient were too constrained to incorporate newer promotional tactics such as blogging, online entries and Voice Over Internet technologies such as Skype.

The promotional toolbox in its current form was developed prior to the internet and the raft of emerging technologies available to Marketors.

We reviewed the current tactics, as well as potential future tactics and created a new set of 7 categories
· Presence
· Participation
· Direct to desk
· Sales team
· Dialogue
· Media relations
· Paid for promotion

Presence
We felt that image was no longer strong enough to explain how a company is portrayed. We also needed something that was more dynamic and enduring. Presence was the word we selected.
Presence includes ambient marketing and image, as well as Brochures, Exhibitions and Sponsorship. It is how your organisation demonstrates its presence – via promotional literature as well as attending events.

It is also about how your presence can be seen on the web and includes your website as well as reviews or comments in emerging search engines such as http:/www.zoominfo.com the new search engine for people and businesses.

Participation
This new area is about how your organisation participates and gets clients to join in. Whether you organise events to attend or Open Days or even Sampling where possible!

Direct to desk
We have renamed ‘Direct contact’ as ‘Direct to desk’. This includes
· Direct mail [it still works!]
· Email
· Voice over Internet Protocol [like Skype]
· And newsletters

In recent weeks we have noticed a number of emails where people include their Skype address.

Dialogue
We see dialogue as a two-way conversation. This is the newest category within the promotional toolbox and includes
· Blogs
· Podcasts / webcasts
· Videoblogs / Vodcasts [Youtube, Google video]

Blogs or weblogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as climate change, politics, current news stories, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries.

Who knows your staff may already contribute to a blog or write their own!

More information on the other dialogue categories in our next edition.

Sales Team
We used to talk about sales and referrals. We have revised the sales team category to include ‘Paid for’, Clients, Volunteers and Word of mouth.

Many companies have volunteers who may be clients or other supporters who promote their business.

Media Relations
This category is largely unchanged and includes all forms of media relations whether this is strategic or tactical.

Tactical media relations is about getting your organisation’s name into the press in a positive way.

Strategic media relations is a longer term focus where the aims may be to re-position the impression of an organisation.

Paid for Promotion
This category was previously known as ‘advertising’ but we felt that this was not wide enough to incorporate the emerging forms of paid for promotion such as online pop-ups and banners. Does anyone out there remember shoshkeles?

It includes
· Advertorials
· Endorsements
· Google adwords