How to Run Effective Festive Season Schemes

Home | Suggest a New Category | New User? Register Here | Already registered? Login Here | Ask Zed-Axis Team

How to Run Effective Festive Season Schemes
Posted on: Nov 22, 2010

Apart from the merriment and socializing, Festive Seasons brings with it other very attractive factor-huge discounts, attractive schemes and offers. Be it New Year, Diwali, Halloween or Christmas, shopping at discounted prices become an intricate part of the festive seasons and adds much fun and colors to the festive mood. Most spenders avail maximum advantage of this period and shop till they drop!

However, the schemes are equally beneficial for the companies, just as they are for the customers. A Flat 10% discount, Buy One Get One Free, and Free Gifts schemes are designed in a way that they bring financial gain to both customers and company. While for customers the schemes become a good way to get more in less money, companies get a chance to override the competition, liquidate the stock and energize the entire distribution channel.

Both the parties would be able to enjoy the schemes only if they do systematic Scheme and Offer Management at the back-end. The festive schemes are seasonal, so there is a particular time period to run these schemes. Through this article, I would like to throw some light on how scheme and offer management can be an expense and mar a company’s image, and how to overcome these scenarios:

Let us begin with an example: For an electronic appliances manufacturer, offering a free I-Pod to end-customers with an LCD Television is a fantastic scheme and it is likely that the scheme will gain huge attention of the customers. Say this scheme and offer program is planned around 20 days before New Year, the following challenges may occur:

Scheme Flow and Management: A scheme is as good as a loss, if the retailers are not aware of the schemes. Some schemes might be relevant on particular product category and SKUs. The key to avoid the confusion lies in streamlining Scheme and Offer Management process. A Scheme and Offer Management System also shows its relevance here. It captures real-time data, incorporates calculation mechanisms and automates the entire scheme management process.

Load on real-time data: When schemes are on for a particular time period, every day is important and every hour can witness a new level of inventory stock. To calculate the gain and loss of schemes in a particular geography and retail stores, it is important to capture the real-time data of every sale made. Carrying the same example forward, if a particular retailer A at location X is unable to leverage and pass the benefits of this Scheme and Offer, the company might want to shift the I-Pod and LCD televisions inventory to a location Z that is selling in higher quantities. This is possible only if the company follows a streamlined Scheme and Offer Management structure.

Dissemination of scheme information: Usually, a large sales chain is involved in scheme and offer programs. From distributors, to sub-distributors, scheme managers and retailers, every entity has a critical role in making the scheme program a success. Hence wrong or incomplete dissemination of information can cost dearly.To avoid such complexities, you can create a scheme document listing all the parameters that accumulate to define the scheme. This may include details like geography where the schemes are applicable, scheme categories & sub-categories on which the schemes run, and scheme prepositions like Volume based or Value based scheme.

Designed and developed with planning and precision, the Scheme and Offer Programs are effective and a perfect fit for marketing planners. To overcome the challenges associated with the process and gain maximum ROI, a Scheme and Offer Management System can do wonders.

Post your comment



(*) marked fields are mandatory
Name:*

Email Address:*


Website/Blog URL:


Comments:*
Security Code:*



Note: Comment Moderation has been enabled. Kindly bear with us till the blog administrator approves them to be published.


Copyright © 2009 Zed-Axis Technologies		News \| Zed-Axis Global \| Partnership Opportunities \| Privacy \| Contact Us