Promotion and place

The most innovative product in the world will still fail if potential customers do not understand the value it brings to them. The most effective method of promoting sales will depend on the type of product and the target market. For a mass-market product, such as a new blockbuster movie,above-the-line promotion such as internet, television and press advertising may be appropriate. This usually has high costs and is less easy to measure the impact, except by specialised market research.

The Forensic Phone Analyser is a specialised product in a niche market. It needed a different approach to promotion. The company's main strategy is to use below-the-line promotions to contact potential customers directly. Below-the-line promotion has the advantage of being less expensive and more under the business' control:

• The product was showcased at trade fairs and exhibitions attended by key buyers in the security industry.
• Emails and mail shots were sent to possible customers.
• Forensic Pathways also used its relationships with existing customers to introduce the new product by direct mail or telephone sales.

With its product and brand identity protected within the UK by intellectual property, Forensic Pathways could confidently promote the Forensic Phone Analyser in this market. However, with over 2.5 billion mobile phones in use worldwide, the company also wanted to target overseas markets. It therefore needed to protect the product worldwide. The World Intellectual Property Office based in Geneva, Switzerland is heading the development of a global system for protecting intellectual property. Businesses can now make a single registration of original designs giving protection across most countries. However, the law enforcing protection varies in effectiveness from country to country. Globally there is a huge trade in counterfeit products and some countries are not strict in enforcing copyright. Forensic Pathways still needs good legal advice to deal with risks. It is possible to challenge any infringements by taking companies to court.

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