Promotional Mix Report

PROMOTIONAL MIX REPORT

Introduction

        The Greer, Grimison, Willems marketing team has developed a comprehensive, integrated promotional mix to meet the marketing plan for Whirlpool Corporation’s KitchenAid Professional 600 Stand Mixer.  This promotional mix will include elements of advertising, merchandising, and public relations to reach the target demographics of Millennials who may have not had previous exposure to KitchenAid products.  According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the age groups from 15 to 34 made up 27.4% of the U.S. population as of 2012 (www.census.gov).  Debra Kaye reported that based on census data, 18 to 32 year olds currently outnumber baby boomers (2014).  The Pew Research Center’s recent polling indicated that Millennials are politically independent, racially diverse, optimistic about the future, and more engaged with technology as the first generation to be exposed to computers their entire lives. (Millennials in Adulthood, 2014).  Important elements in marketing to Millennials include extensive use of interactive social media, highlighting customization and diversity, and employing significant efforts at corporate social responsibility (Kaye, 2014).  These elements will provide the framework for the promotional mix developed for the KitchenAid Professional 600 Stand Mixer.

Advertising

        The advertising component of the promotional mix will primarily focus on social media.  Whirlpool Corporation’s existing marketing plan for KitchenAid products already includes a significant presence across social media. The plan for the Stand Mixer will use the social media most frequented by Millennials such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr.  Ads will be developed for these media platforms based on the interactive and collaborative experiences that they provide.  The ads will be integrated with the merchandising and public relations components of the promotional mix by drawing content, especially videos, from these activities.  As Kurt Abrahamson reports, Millennials are very informed shoppers who have all manner of information regarding products available on the web (2014).  The use of a broad range of social media allows for collaboration, peer reviews and sharing of recommendations, and research indicates this activity impacts purchasing decisions.  For example, Millennials were found to share product critiques and endorsements 3.6 times more often and that this resulted in a 9.5% increase in intentions to make purchases (Abrahamson, 2014). The goal of the ads developed for these social media platforms will be to encourage sharing and peer recommendations.  The production of video content will include videos intended to be consumed as viral videos, which achieve widespread sharing across social media.

        An additional segment of the advertising campaign will engage Millennials through cooking programs that are targeted to this demographic such as Bitchin Kitchen and Epic Meal Time.  These programs use an irreverent take on traditional food shows which is an approach that appeals to the Millennial generation. The programs have significant presence on the targeted social media platforms, and will provide an avenue for introducing ads that will be shared and videos that could go viral.  The use of product placement in these programs will be among the strategies employed.