ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how sales promotion has moved from a traditional behaviorist approach to a broader and richer cultural perspective in order to suit new consumer behaviors and requirements. The objectives of sales promotions vary according to the source of the promotion—brand or retailer. The promotional technique chosen will depend largely on the objective and also on the nature of the professional. In traditional promotional practices the individual learns to react, often in a reflex, automatic way without an analysis of the situation, in response to an external stimulus. To adopt a cultural point of view is to believe that consumers, although influenced to some extent, enjoy a degree of agency by using their consumption habits to achieve personal and family objectives. In this respect, promotions can be considered as resources that are provided by brands and retailers and allow the purchaser to realize his/her own projects.
