All communication of a company that

All communication of a company that is aimed at stimulating sales comes under promotion. Promotion is a broad concept and can therefore be divided into different sub-categories (promotion-mix):
Public relations: Is aimed at a good relation with public groups such as customers, competitors, suppliers and financiers.
Free publicity: This creates familiarity for instance by press releases and/or by publishing favourable user reviews. Unfortunately, complaints made in public also come under free publicity.
Advertising: This is commercial non-personal communication aimed at large groups of consumers. Its main objective is to generate sales (e.g. advertising leaflets, radio and television commercials and bus shelter advertising).
Personal sales: An effective but expensive sales tool. During interactions with the customer any objection or preconception can be responded to. Personal sales bring about customer relations; a bond of trust is created with the customer.
Sales promotion: Here the emphasis is on price reduction such as 3 for 2, promotional price or a sale. The price reduction itself comes under the ‘P’ of price.
Cold calling: This is about approaching random or selected individuals or companies by telephone with the objective to sell products.
Planning

In the long term all four variables can be adjusted by marketeers. In the short term, however, the variables product and place/distribution channel are difficult to influence and/or change. Within the marketing mix strategic long-term planning is very important, because it is only then that the product and the distribution channel can be adapted. When marketeers want to change or adapt something within the marketing mix, they are almost forced to limit themselves to half their instruments. Therefore, they need to sell at record low prices and the consumer will be inundated with advertising.