Which of the following does NOT fall under ‘Promotion’ in the marketing mix?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Deciding the mode of transport for goods
Option (1) Spending on advertisements in newspapers and magazines — Falls under Promotion. Advertising is a tool of promotion. Choosing the message and the media, such as newspapers and magazines, is a promotion decision.
Option (2) Offering price discounts and free samples to buyers — Falls under Promotion. Price discounts and free samples are sales promotion techniques, so they are part of Promotion.
Option (3) Using personal selling to persuade buyers — Falls under Promotion. Personal selling is a tool of promotion. Salespersons talk to buyers and persuade them to buy.
Option (4) Deciding the mode of transport for goods — Does not fall under Promotion. Choosing how goods are carried is a decision under Place (physical distribution). Place covers the activities that make products available to customers, including transportation of goods.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “3. Place: Place or Physical Distribution include activities that make firm’s products available to the target customers. Important decision areas in this respect include selection of dealers or intermediaries to reach the customers, providing support to the intermediaries (by way of discounts, promotional campaigns, etc.). The intermediaries in turn keep inventory of the firm’s products, demonstrate them to potential buyers, negotiate price with buyers, close sales and also service the products after the sale. The other decision areas relate to managing inventory, storage and warehousing and transportation of goods from the place it is produced to the place it is required by the buyers.” “4. Promotion: Promotion of products and services include activities that communicate availability, features, merits, etc., of the products to the target customers and persuade them to buy it. Most marketing organisations, undertake various promotional activities and spend substantial amount of money on the promotion of their goods through using number of tools such as advertising, personal selling and sales promotion techniques (like price discounts, free samples, etc.). …” |