jkt.web.id/– Jakarta , Attractive Pull, Aggressive Push , Conversion to Sales. Pull and push marketing is one of the most common marketing strategies used by brands. The challenge is how efforts to attract consumers through various promotions and content ultimately generate many leads.
When designing a marketing plan, a marketer does not only think about the exposure gained in a marketing campaign that is held. He must design a way so that the amount of exposure gained is proportional to the amount of conversion to sales.
One of the commonly used methods is push and pull marketing. In accordance with the meaning of the word, push marketing is generally understood as an effort to push the company’s products and services to targeted customer segments. Meanwhile, pull marketing is an effort to attract customers to come to the company’s brand, products, or services.
It takes various forms. Push marketing can be done through direct customer sales in stores and showrooms, exhibitions and promotions, product sampling, display ads, email marketing, and so on. All of them directly target short-term consumers with a clear call to action. While examples of pull marketing include social media marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing through web series, videos, and blogs. All of this is to educate, build engagement, and is long-term.
Although pull and push strategies have different goals, they must be applied in balance to achieve long-term success for the company. The success of both marketing strategies is reflected in a survey conducted by Ahrefs in 2023. The results of the survey found that most companies achieve the greatest marketing effectiveness if they invest around 60% into brand-building and 40% into sales boosting
For marketing strategies to be more impactful and sustainable, it is important for companies to maintain a balance between pull and push. Focusing too much
on one strategy can lead to sub-optimal impact. For example, if too much budget is allocated to push marketing, companies may face challenges in building long-term relationships with customers.
Conversely, if there is too much focus on pull, companies may struggle to attract potential customers to make purchases. By balancing pull and push strategies, companies can maximise the effects of their marketing efforts, build a strong brand, and achieve sustainable sales results.
Polytron is one company that has successfully implemented these two strategies in a balanced way. Branding plays a crucial role in Polytron’s pull strategy. The main focus in this strategy is to build a strong brand image and positioning in the minds of consumers. In this case, the company tries to attract consumers with persuasive communication, promoting new products while offering various attractive promotions.
“This approach not only increases brand awareness but also helps brands strengthen positioning. With this, consumers have a better understanding of the values and advantages of Polytron products,” said Tekno Wibowo, Commercial Director of Polytron.
By increasing brand awareness through various market campaigns, continued Tekno, Polytron can create a positive perception of the brand which ultimately increases consumer loyalty.
Meanwhile, the push strategy is carried out by building close relationships with partners and distributors. Polytron collaborates with various offline stores, including traditional, semi-modern, and modern markets, as well as participating in industry exhibitions.
“We have a channel strategy to ensure even product penetration and distribution. With this, market penetration becomes deeper and product reach wider. In the end, this has an impact on increasing sales,” said Tekno.
Polytron’s marketing and sales teams collaborate and support each other. The marketing team focuses on developing branding strategies, marketing campaigns, and improving brand positioning through pull strategies. The team also provides promotional materials that assist the sales team in building a positive brand image and attracting consumers.
On the other hand, the sales team uses a push strategy by selling products directly to distributors through various offline stores. They also help the marketing team by providing information on market response and consumer preferences in the field,” said Tekno.
Luwes Collaboration
In the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, FKS Food Sejahtera also applies pull and push strategies as an important part of their marketing activities. This strategy is not only the basis for the company’s marketing operations, but also reflects the close collaboration between the marketing and sales teams.
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According to Gerry Mustika, CEO of PT FKS Food Sejahtera Tbk, in implementing pull and push strategies, collaboration between the marketing and sales teams is crucial. Without the support of a strong sales team, push marketing or below the line (BTL) activities will not be effective.
“Conversely, without a pull from the marketing team to attract consumers and increase emotional engagement and brand building, the results will also not be optimal,” he explained.
The company, which houses snack brands from Taro to Kremezz Noodles, recognises the importance of integrating the two teams, ensuring that they do not work in isolation but collaborate to achieve optimal results. The role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is also crucial in directing the pull and push strategies. The CMO must be able to lead and explain the pull and push strategies that will be implemented.
In addition, the sales team must also understand the direction that the marketing team wants to achieve and the expectations of their role. If the key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives are clear, then this collaboration can run without conflict of interest and have more impact on the company’s performance. After all, pull marketing must be attractive, and push marketing must be aggressive!