Marketing is a vast field with a lot of potential for innovation. Ever since capitalism dawned on humankind, marketing has been evolving at an alarming rate. Departments like HR and Finance don’t even compare to marketing when it comes to creative efforts. That’s why you’ll find that most successful marketers often channel their creative energies on a regular basis. There have been various strategies that have popped up in response to the ever-changing market conditions. One instance of how radically the field of marketing has evolved is evident in the emergence of digital marketing. Digital marketing completely revolutionized the game when the general public started getting access to the world wide web.
Push Marketing vs Pull Marketing
Two major approaches in this field, ever since the days of traditional marketing, have been Push and Pull Marketing. Both of these approaches engulf a wide variety of marketing strategies. However, there is a major philosophical difference between the two, which is evident in its name. To be succinct, push marketing involves pushing a product in the market. On the other hand, pull marketing involves creating a dependency on a certain product or service in the market and then pulling the customers towards it. Here are some aspects in which these two approaches differ predominantly.
Cost
Tactics employed in push marketing campaigns tend to be budget-friendly. This is because push marketing campaigns often involve targeting a small group of people in a small area. The idea is to put the product out there and make people aware of its existence. Pull marketing is where things become complex. When a pull marketing campaign is deployed, the product is often already established in the market. Such marketing campaigns are designed to increase sales, expand the reach of the product in the market, and/or target a completely new demographic. Pull marketing campaigns are common among industry giants who have a wide range of products and services.
Longevity
Push marketing campaigns are designed to meet short-term goals. For instance, if a company has to increase a product’s sales by a certain number in a given quarter, they will usually employ a push marketing campaign. Herein, they will engage in guerilla-like marketing tactics. On the other hand, the purpose of pull marketing campaigns is to meet the long-term goals of a company. Pull marketing campaigns identify the pain points of the target clientele and then offer solutions in the form of their product or service. This process requires more time and has to be elaborate. Naturally, pull marketing campaigns require a lot of preliminary research and data to succeed. For instance, pull marketing campaigns often make use of market analysis reports, behavioral analytics platforms like WatchThemLive, visitor tracking software, etc.
Range
As pull marketing campaigns are more elaborate and require more time, they tend to have a wider and long-lasting effect in the market. In other words, these marketing campaigns are global. Push marketing campaigns tend to be local. Of course, a company might push a product in various markets in various countries. However, that campaign would be divided into smaller push marketing plans. So how can you implement push or pull marketing?
Push Marketing
Push marketing strategies often involve in-your-face tactics such as installing big billboards and display ads. The visual is often emphasized in push marketing strategies. The sole aim of the marketer working on a push marketing campaign is to ensure that the product stays in the memory of potential customers. Guerilla marketing tactics are perfect for push marketing campaigns. Direct marketing is another approach that can be categorized as a push marketing tactic. Direct marketing often involves organizing events, trade shows, etc. More often than not, these efforts tend to be physical in nature. That is not to say that digital marketing does not play a role in push marketing campaigns. Aggressive social media marketing is another form of digital push marketing campaign. That’s where an influencer marketplacelike Ainfluencer comes in. Moreover, marketers benefit a lot from publishing tools offered by social media platforms. These tools can help you redefine your digital push marketing campaigns.
Pull Marketing
Pull marketing is an umbrella term that covers numerous marketing strategies. Most pull marketing campaigns today are hybrid in nature. They employ digital marketing campaigns as well as traditional marketing campaigns. Tactics that require time to deliver results are often included in pull marketing campaigns. These include blogging, SEO-based content publishing, social media branding, etc. One of the most popular pull marketing methods is affiliate marketing. This form of marketing involves associating one’s brand or product with an already-established public entity. Most startups often approach micro-celebrities and influencers to promote their product on a regular basis. On the other hand, businesses with big budgets partner with movie stars, artists, etc.
Conclusion
Today, push and pull marketing strategies are often employed in tandem. In other words, businesses adopt a hybrid model that involves meeting long-term marketing goals as well as short-term goals. No business can survive in today’s competitive market without holistic marketing strategies. A lot of brands and businesses have succeeded by cherry-picking the best elements from push as well as push marketing campaigns, and the results have been top-notch.
