The impact of promotion on consumer awareness

Promocija predstavlja komunikaciju s tržištem u cilju povećanja broja potrošača određenog proizvoda ili usluge na koji je promocija usmjerena. Marketinški stručnjaci koriste optimalnu kombinaciju svih elemenata promotivnog miksa kako bi promocija bila što uspješnija. Promotivni miks čine oglašavanje, izravna marketinška komunikacija, unapređenje prodaje, osobna prodaja, odnosi s javnošću, publicitet i vanjsko oglašavanje. Stav je naučen i dosljedan, predstavlja spremnost pojedinca da reagira na povoljan ili nepovoljan način prema određenom objektu. Ponašanje potrošača je proces koji obuhvaća pribavljanje i konzumiranje proizvoda i usluga te poslijekupovno ponašanje. Pitanje etičnosti često se veže uz promociju zbog toga što prodavači često ne vode računa o etičnosti ili čak namjerno manipuliraju potrošačima. Zbog načina na koji se provode, bihevioralni i neuromarketing se, također, često smatraju neetičnima. Neuromarketing koristi tehnike poput snimanja mozga i fiziološka mjerenja, čime se dobiva uvid u ljudima svojstven doživljaj određenog stimulansa. Bihevioralni marketing prikuplja sve moguće podatke o potrošačima, kako bi na temelju njih kreirao marketinški plan. Primarno istraživanje provedeno je online anketnim ispitivanjem na uzorku od 224 ispitanika. Zaključeno je da je većina ispitanika svjesna postojanja promocije u okruženju, a od elemenata promotivnog miksa najčešće uočavaju oglašavanje. O željenim proizvodima najčešće se informiraju na internetu. Prevelika količina promotivnih aktivnosti jedan dio ispitanika će odvratiti od kupnje proizvoda promoviranog na takav način, a takva promocija im najviše smeta na TV-u. Većina ispitanika uočava neetičnu promociju u svom okruženju i jednu trećinu njih će takva promocija odvratiti od kupnje proizvoda. Unatoč tom podatku, većina njih je, zapravo, neutralnog mišljenja o etičnosti pojedinačnih oblika promocije. Za razliku od elemenata promotivnog miksa, bihevioralni marketing neetičnim smatra trećina ispitanika, dok neuromarketing neetičnim smatraju čak dvije trećine ispitanika. Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da postoji statistički značajna povezanost između svijesti ispitanika o postojanju promocije i odluke na kupnju promoviranog proizvoda. Također, zaključeno je da demografske karakteristike nemaju utjecaja na upoznatost ispitanika s različitim metodama promotivnih aktivnosti i njihove svjesnosti o etičnosti promotivnih aktivnosti.Promotion represents communication with the market in order to increase the number of consumers of a particular product or service that the promotion is focused on. Marketing experts use the optimal combination of all the elements of a promotional mix in order to promote products or services more successfully. The promotional mix consists of advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, personal selling, publicity, public relations and outdoor advertising. Attitude is learned and consistent and represents the willingness of an individual to react in a favourable or unfavourable manner to a particular object. Consumer behaviour is a process that includes obtaining products and services, consuming products and services and post-purchase behaviour. The question of ethics is often associated with the promotion because of the fact that retailers often do not care about ethics or even intentionally manipulate consumers. Because of the way of their implementation, behavioural marketing and neuromarketing are often considered unethical. Neuromarketing uses techniques such as brain imaging and physiological measurements to give an insight into the unique people experience of specific stimuli. Behavioural marketing collects all possible data on consumers to create a marketing plan. Primary research has been conducted by using an online survey on a sample of 224 respondents. It has been concluded that the majority of respondents are aware of the existence of promotion in their environment. They most commonly perceive advertising. Respondents are usually informed about desired products via the Internet. Too many promotional activities will deter respondents from buying products promoted in such a way. This kind of promotion is most annoying on TV. Most respondents have noticed unethical promotion in their environment and one third of them will be deterred from product purchase. Despite this information, the majority of them has actually a neutral opinion about the ethics of individual forms of promotion. Unlike the elements of the promotional mix, behavioural marketing is considered unethical by a third of respondents, while neuromarketing is considered unethical even by two thirds of respondents. The study has found a statistically significant association between awareness of respondents about the existence of promotion and decisions to purchase the promoted product. It has also found that demographic characteristics do not affect the subjects’ familiarity with different methods of promotional activities and their awareness about the ethics of promotional activities