AQA · GCSE · Business
Course version: 8132 · Version from Sept 2017
Price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): persuade customers to buy the…
Full specification wording
The elements of the marketing mix: price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): persuade customers to buy the product.
Promotion is the element of the marketing mix that communicates with customers to persuade them to buy the product.
Checked against the AQA 8132 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 67 of 80
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Promotion is the element of the marketing mix that communicates with customers to persuade them to buy the product. It covers advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media and personal selling. The aim is to raise awareness, create interest, build desire and prompt action, often summarised as AIDA. For example, a small bakery might use Instagram posts to show fresh bread, offer a two-for-one deal on Mondays, and place a sign outside the shop. Each method targets different customers and budgets. Promotion must fit the product, price and place, and its success is judged by whether sales increase or the brand becomes better known. Businesses may use a mix of methods to reach more people and reinforce the message.
What earns the marks
- Defines promotion as communication with customers to persuade them to buy the product.
- Identifies at least two promotional methods, such as advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media or personal selling.
- Explains how a chosen method persuades customers, for example a limited-time discount creates urgency and encourages immediate purchase.
- Links promotion to the rest of the marketing mix, showing how it must be consistent with product, price and place.
- Evaluates the effectiveness of a promotional method using criteria such as cost, reach, target audience and impact on sales.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing promotion with advertising only.
Put it right: Promotion includes sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media and personal selling.
Assuming promotion always increases sales.
Put it right: Promotion can fail if the message is wrong, the budget is too small or the target audience is not reached.
Ignoring the need to persuade rather than just inform.
Put it right: Effective promotion aims to change customer behaviour and encourage purchase, not merely provide information.
Exam tips
- Use a named business context to show how a specific promotional method persuades customers to buy.
- When evaluating, compare at least two promotional methods in terms of cost and likely impact on the target market.
- Link your answer back to the statement by explaining how the method persuades customers to buy the product, not just what the method is.
Try the lesson
The start of the The elements of the marketing mix: price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): persuade customers to buy the product. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which element of the marketing mix is mainly used to persuade customers to buy a product?
Listen
Promotion is the element of the marketing mix that communicates with customers to persuade them to buy the product. It covers advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media and personal selling. The aim is to raise awareness, create interest, build desire and prompt action, often summarised as AIDA. For example, a small bakery might use Instagram posts to show fresh bread, offer a two-for-one deal on Mondays, and place a sign outside the shop. Each method targets different customers and budgets. Promotion must fit the product, price and place, and its success is judged by whether sales increase or the brand becomes better known. Businesses may use a mix of methods to reach more people and reinforce the message. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Defines promotion as communication with customers to persuade them to buy the product. Identifies at least two promotional methods, such as advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media or personal selling. Explains how a chosen method persuades customers, for example a limited-time discount creates urgency and encourages immediate purchase. Links promotion to the rest of the marketing mix, showing how it must be consistent with product, price and place. A common slip: Confusing promotion with advertising only. Instead, promotion includes sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media and personal selling. Exam tip: Use a named business context to show how a specific promotional method persuades customers to buy.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Promotion
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Promotional methods
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Customer persuasion
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Communication and awareness
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See every definition
- Promotion
- The element of the marketing mix that communicates with customers to persuade them to buy the product.
- Promotional methods
- Methods such as advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, social media and personal selling.
- Customer persuasion
- Changing customer behaviour and encouraging purchase, rather than merely providing information.
- Communication and awareness
- Communicating with customers to raise awareness, create interest, build desire and prompt action.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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