Key Concepts

Habari Mwanafunzi! Let's Talk About Making Some Noise!

Ever wondered why a certain song gets stuck in your head, or why you suddenly feel the need to drink a specific brand of soda? It's not magic, it's Product Promotion! Think of it as a business shouting from the rooftops, "Hey! Look at this amazing thing I have for you!" Today, we're going to learn the language of this 'shouting' by exploring the key concepts. Let's get started!

1. The Core Idea: What is Promotion?

In simple terms, promotion is the process of communicating with potential customers to inform, persuade, and remind them about a product or service. The main goal is to influence their opinion and get them to buy what you are selling. It's the 'P' in the 4 P's of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) that gives the product a voice.

Real-World Example: Think about your local Naivas or Carrefour supermarket. When they hang up big red signs that say "Bei ya Jioni!" or hand out flyers with special offers, that is promotion in action! They are persuading you to come in and buy groceries by highlighting a special price.

2. The Communication Process: How the Message Travels

Promotion is a form of communication. For it to be successful, a message has to travel from the business to you, the customer. This journey has several key parts:

• Source: The sender of the message. This is the business itself. (e.g., Safaricom)
• Message: What is being communicated. It's the advertisement, the slogan, the offer. (e.g., The "Twaweza" campaign message of empowerment)
• Channel: How the message is delivered. This could be a TV ad, a billboard on Thika Road, a post on Instagram, or even a salesperson.
• Receiver: The target audience! That’s you, the potential customer.
• Feedback: The receiver's response. Do you buy the product? Do you 'like' the post online? Do you tell a friend about it?
• Noise: Anything that interferes with the message. This could be a bad TV signal, other competing ads, or you being distracted by your phone!

Here is a simple diagram of the process:

    +----------+      +-----------+      +-----------+      +------------+
    |  Source  |----> |  Message  |----> |  Channel  |----> |  Receiver  |
    | (Company)|      |  (The Ad) |      | (TV, Radio)|      | (Customer) |
    +----------+      +-----------+      +-----------+      +------------+
         ^                                                        |
         |         <------ [ Noise / Interference ] ------->      |
         |                                                        |
         +----------------------[ Feedback ]----------------------+
                               (Sales, Likes, Comments)

Image Suggestion: A vibrant and colourful infographic showing the communication process. The 'Source' is a modern Nairobi office building with a company logo (like Brookside Dairies). The 'Message' travels along a path towards a 'Receiver' (a diverse group of young Kenyans looking at their phones and a TV). 'Noise' is represented by fuzzy, distracting scribbles around the message path. 'Feedback' is an arrow going back to the source made of 'likes', 'shares', and shopping bag icons.

3. The AIDA Model: The Customer's Journey

Businesses don't just hope you'll buy their product; they guide you through a mental journey. A popular model for this is AIDA. It stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.

• Attention: Grabbing your focus. This is the first and hardest step. A loud TV ad, a massive colourful billboard, or a catchy jingle.
• Interest: Once they have your attention, they need to keep you engaged. They tell you more about the product's benefits. "Our new phone has the best camera!"
• Desire: This is where they make you want the product. They create an emotional connection. You imagine how good your life would be with that product. "Imagine the amazing photos you'll take of your friends!"
• Action: The final step! They prompt you to do something. "Buy now!", "Visit our shop today!", "Lipa na M-Pesa".

A Jumia Black Friday Story: 1. (Attention) You see a bright orange banner pop up online: "JUMIA BLACK FRIDAY - UP TO 80% OFF!" 2. (Interest) You click on it and see that the sneakers you've wanted are on sale. 3. (Desire) You see pictures of people looking stylish in those same sneakers and read reviews about how comfortable they are. You start thinking, "I need those!" 4. (Action) You see a button that says "Add to Cart" and a timer showing "Offer ends in 2 hours!". You click and buy them. You just went through the AIDA journey!

Let's Do Some Maths: Promotion in Action!

Sometimes, promotion uses numbers to persuade you, especially during sales. Let's see how you can calculate a discount.

Scenario: Bata is having a "Back to School" promotion. A pair of Toughees shoes that normally costs KES 2,500 has a 20% discount. What is the new price?

Here's how to work it out step-by-step:

    Step 1: Find the discount amount in Shillings.
    Discount = Original Price x (Discount Percentage / 100)
    Discount = 2500 x (20 / 100)
    Discount = 2500 x 0.20
    Discount = KES 500

    Step 2: Subtract the discount from the original price.
    New Price = Original Price - Discount Amount
    New Price = 2500 - 500
    New Price = KES 2,000

    Therefore, you will pay KES 2,000 for the shoes.

Bringing It All Together

Fantastic work today! You've learned that promotion is not just about making noise; it's a carefully planned conversation. It's about sending the right message through the right channel to the right person and guiding them on a journey from just noticing a product to actually buying it. Understanding these concepts—The Communication Process and AIDA—is the first step to becoming a business guru!

Keep these key points in mind: Promotion is about informing, persuading, and reminding. Every promotion follows a communication path, and the best ones lead customers through Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Now, the next time you see an ad, try to identify these concepts. You'll be surprised at how much you can see!