Pardavimų skatinimo teikiamų naudų vertinimo priklausomybė nuo vartotojų lojalumo stadijos

LTStraipsnyje pateikiami skirtingoms lojalumo stadijoms priskiriamų vartotojų preferencijų pardavimų skatinimo teikiamoms naudoms tyrimo rezultatai. Siekiant, kad organizacijų vykdomas pardavimų skatinimas būtų efektyvus, jis turi teikti naudas, geriausiai atitinkančias vartotojų poreikius. Straipsnyje siekiama teoriškai pagrįsti skirtingų pardavimų skatinimo priemonių taikymą skirtingas lojalumo stadijas pasiekusiems vartotojams; empiriškai pagrįsti skirtingų pardavimų skatinimo priemonių taikymą skirtingas lojalumo stadijas pasiekusiems vartotojams; nustatyti pardavimų skatinimo teikiamas naudas, akcentuotinas skirtingų lojalumo stadijų vartotojams.Tyrimas grindžiamas prielaidomis, kad skirtingas lojalumo stadijas pasiekusių vartotojų poreikiai yra skirtingi. Be to, pardavimų skatinimo efektyvumas, motyvuojant skirtingas lojalumo stadijas pasiekusius vartotojus, negali būti vienodas. Pardavimų skatinimo, teikiančio skirtingas naudas vartotojams, taikymas, suderintai su skirtingų lojalumo stadijų vartotojų poreikiais, padės organizacijoms ne tik pritraukti ir išlaikyti vartotojus, bet ir kryptingai formuoti jų lojalumą.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Vartotojų lojalumas; Lojalumo stadijos; Pardavimų skatinimas.; Consumer loyalty; Loyalty to the stage; The sales promotion.; Vartotojų lojalumas; Pardavimų skatinimas; Consumer loyalty.

ENScientific problem and relevance of the research. The growing usage of sales promotion and loyalty programs elicits interest in and polemics about their effectiveness. Critics argue that sales promotion is not effective, because customers become promotion-dependent. In long term effect of this on market share diminishes. However, other researches provide evidence on the positive effects of sales promotion on sales and revenue. These contradictions highlight the existence of conditions and factors, affecting the effectiveness of sales promotion. The effectiveness of sales promotion used by an organization depends on many various factors. The major one is the fulfilment of customer's needs. The promotional benefits which motivate choosing the product vary according to the level of customer's loyalty. Consequently, different, level-specific tools and methods of sales promotion should be used to motivate customers belonging to different loyalty levels. The usage of sales promotion in accordance with customer loyalty level has not been sufficiently researched in Lithuania. Foreign authors consider customer loyalty to be the goal of sales promotion. Researches on customer loyalty and on sales promotion are carried out separately, and the research results are not compared. There is a lack of comprehensive empirical analysis of how the usage of sales promotion with regard to customer loyalty level affects customer behaviour and attitudes. The scientific problem is what promotional benefits should be highlighted for customers being on different loyalty levels. The usage of sales promotion with regard to distinct needs of customers being on different loyalty levels could help organizations attract and maintain customers, moreover, purposefully form their loyalty. The subject of the research: the preferences of customers being on different loyalty levels towards promotional benefits.The aim of the research: to estimate the preferences of customers being on different loyalty levels towards promotional benefits. The objectives set for the research: • to substantiate theoretically the application of different different loyalty levels; • to substantiate empirically the application of different methods of sales promotion to customers being on different loyalty levels; • to determine the promotional benefits that should be highlighted to customers being on different loyalty levels. The methods of the research. The comparative analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and the empirical quantitative questionnaire research were used. All customers of any organization can be characterized by a particular loyalty level ('Neutral', 'Potentially loyal', 'Unconsciously loyal', or 'Truly loyal'), according to their brand-related characteristics of behaviour and attitude. Accordingly, the main purpose of any organization should be not only the attraction of customers, but their retention with help of loyalty formation. As the method for customer loyalty maintenance can be used sales promotion. The research results allow to state that customers being on methods of sales promotion to customers being on different loyalty levels are motivated by different promotional benefits. Consequently, tools of sales promotion used to motivate customers being on different loyalty level should differ in accordance to level-related preferences. While attracting 'Neutral' customers, organizations have to provide exceptionally utilitarian promotional benefits. These customers are not motivated by hedonic promotional benefits provided by unfamiliar organization. 'Unconsciously loyal' customers are motivated by utilitarian promotional benefits; however, hedonic benefits are also appropriate.Accordingly, organizations can implement and provide the package of utilitarian and hedonic promotional benefits for latter customers. Customers being on the third loyalty level (similarly to 'Neutral' customers) are motivated by utilitarian benefits (with exception of "convenience"). Finally, 'Truly loyal' customers are motivated by all the benefits provided by organization. [From the publication]