Difference Between Push and Pull Marketing

Both push strategy and pull strategy are business terms arising in logistics & supply chain management. These two concepts are also used in marketing, especially in determining or evaluating distribution strategies. They essentially pertain to a specific approach of moving a product from the point of origin to the point of consumption.

What’s the Difference Between Push Strategy and Pull Strategy?

A push strategy is a marketing and distribution method that involves the use of intensive marketing promotion to include specific sales promotion tactics and advertising aimed at retailers and wholesalers. The focus is to promote the product to distributors so that they can sell it to the customers, thus pushing it onto the people. 

However, a pull strategy involves product promotion directly to end-user consumers. The goal is to create demand and public awareness, thus pressuring mediators to stock and sell the product. In other terms, this approach to distribution and marketing pulls the product right through the distribution channel. 

A push marketing strategy basically centers on creating and maintaining relationships with the distributor chains while a pull marketing strategy focuses on promoting the product or the brand straight to the consumers which in result, will generate demand, which would encourage distributors to resell.

Push Marketing

Push marketing, also known as push promotional strategy where firms drive (push) its products to the customers. The goal is to use various active marketing strategies and techniques to push their products to be seen by consumers at the starting point of purchase.      

Push marketing strategy is generally used to gain product exposure. Once a product becomes established in the market, a pull marketing strategy is used.

Advantages of Push Marketing

• Useful for producers that are trying to establish a channel for their sales.
• It creates consumer awareness and product demand.
• Demand can be forecasted and predictable.

Disadvantages of Push Marketing

• It requires an active sales team that will be able to work actively with retailers and distributors and build relationships.
• Poor negotiations with retailers as producers are the ones pitching the product to retailers.
• Demand may not exist for retailers or consumers.
• It requires demand forecasting, which can be hard in a dynamic environment where consumer preferences change quickly.

Pull Marketing

Pull marketing, also called a pull promotional strategy, is a strategy in which a brand or a company increases the demand for their products and pulls (attracts) consumers to the product. The pull marketing strategy revolves around getting consumers to want a particular product of the company. It is a strategy used to get customers to come to you. Demand is generated or pulled by the customer rather than the brand.

The goal is to make a customer actively look for the product and get retailers to stock the commodity or the product due to direct customer demand.

Common tactics or examples of using Pull Marketing: 

• Social Media Network
• Word of Mouth
• Advertising campaigns
• Discounts
• Referrals
• Email marketing

Advantages of Pull Marketing strategy: 

• Builds customer loyalty
• Strong bargaining power with retailers
• When customers are looking out for the product, it reduces the efforts of outbound marketing
• Focuses on creating product value and brand equity

Disadvantages of Pull Marketing strategy:

• Works great majorly if there is high brand loyalty
• Lead time is as long as customers are comparing alternatives before making a purchase
• Requires generating high demand for the product
• Requires strong marketing efforts to convince customers to look for the product.

Deciding between push and pull marketing strategy should be done with a thorough understanding of the company’s requirements, sales and marketing goals and objectives, and the brand or product.

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