An advertisement creates intention to buy if it brings
consum-ers to a point just short of actual purchase. Although
intention to buy does not always result in purchase, it
does reinforce acceptance and preference, and is therefore
likely to lead to a future purchase. Promotional messages
through which marketers can most readily measure intent
to buy and product trial are those that ask for some kind
of action, such as the use of a cents-off coupon to purchase
the product.
Lee Iacocca, the former chief of Chrysler is still a learning
story. He moved customers from purchase intent to actual
purchase by giving them incentives to test drive Chrysler
cars. Iacocca was very sure that if any prospective customer
drives a car, he was more likely to buy the car. Iacocca
transformed customers not by communication, but by action.
However, he communicated his test drive schemes through
advertisements to prospective customers, who went ahead
with the idea. Iacocca's success story is phenomenal and
still is very much relevant in today's marketing world.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) promoted an ordinary detergent
"Dash" through cause related marketing. During
that time, Ethiopia was water-starved and the people there
needed water desperately. P&G communicated to the customers
to donate $5 for solving the water crisis in Ethiopia and
in return, they would get Dash detergent. People all over
the world donated money for this social cause, got the Dash
detergent in return and the brand became a great success
story. P&G communicated a good social cause to the customers
and linked it to the Dash detergent. Customers were transformed
into using Dash detergent indirectly through a social cause.
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