the promotion of flyers and the consumer purchase … analyst at heineken brasil. e-mail: ......

PMKT – Brazilian Journal of Marketing, Opinion, and Media Research

ISSN: 1983-9456 (Print)

ISSN: 2317-0123 (Online)

Editor: Fauze Najib Mattar

Valuation system: Triple Blind Review

Languages: Portuguese and English

Publication: ABEP – Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa

The Promotion of Flyers and the Consumer Purchase Decision: a Quantitative-Descriptive

Research

A Promoção por meio de Panfletos e a Decisão de Compra do Consumidor: uma Pesquisa

Quantitativa-Descritiva

Submission: 7 fev. 2013 - Approval: 24 jun. 2013

Karoline dos Santos Lino

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo.

E-mail: [email protected].

Address: Rua Antônio Tinoco, 34 - Pq. São Rafael - 08320-453 - São Paulo/SP - Brasil.

Cynthia Cristina dos Santos

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo. Human Resources Analyst at

General Electric from Brazil.


Diego Brizante dos Santos

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo. Finance Analyst at Heineken

Brasil.


Monik Mitsuko Matsumoto

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo. Credit Analyst at Itaú Unibanco

S. A.


Priscila Pennella Cardoso

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo. Analyst at Akzonobel Packaging

Coatings.


Tamyres Matiko Yamamoto

Graduated in Business Management at ESAGS/FGV - São Paulo. Analyst at BM&F Bovespa S. A.


Giuliana Isabella

Professor at ESAGS/FGV. PhD Candidate in Marketing at FEA/USP - University of São Paulo.

Master in Business Management at EAESP/FGV.


mailto:[email protected]



The Promotion of Flyers and the Consumer Purchase Decision: a Quantitative-Descriptive Research

Karoline dos Santos Lino / Cynthia Cristina dos Santos / Diego Brizante dos Santos / Monik Mitsuko Matsumoto / Priscila Pennella Cardoso /

Tamyres Matiko Yamamoto / Giuliana Isabella

PMKT – Brazilian Journal of Marketing, Opinion, and Media Research (ISSN 1983-9456 Print and ISSN 2317-0123 Online), São Paulo, Brasil, V.

13, pp. 67-87, October,2013 – www.revistapmkt.com.br 68

ABSTRACT

Considering the relevant investments in advertising and communication deployed by supermarket

chains, this article aimed to explore the influence of promotional flyers in consumer purchase

behavior. Flyers are widely used by the retail segment, but not always studied by the academy. To

explore the influence of flyers, two research studies were conducted in a large hypermarket. The

intent of the first study was to identify the relationship between the goal of consumer purchase and

products purchased under disclosure in flyers. The second study was conducted through form and

aimed to ratify the data found in the first study. In addition, the questionnaire was complemented by

questions such as categorized product purchases. The data analysis presented evidence of the

influence of flyers at the time of purchase. According to the field research conducted, 8.4% of

people who have received or picked up flyers in the supermarket used the flyers during shopping

and bought a larger number of products compared to those who did not obtain flyers. In addition,

according to the study participants, the consumers were reminded of the need to purchase products

when they had the flyers.

KEYWORDS:

Communication, supermarkets, promotional flyers, behavior consumption.

RESUMO

Tendo em vista os relevantes investimentos em propaganda e comunicação despendidos pelas

grandes redes de supermercados, este artigo objetivou explorar a influência dos panfletos

promocionais no comportamento de compra dos consumidores. O panfleto é muito utilizado pelo

segmento de varejo, mas nem sempre explorado pela academia. Para estudar o tema, duas pesquisas

foram realizadas em um hipermercado de grande porte nas cidades paulistas conhecidas por ABC

(Santo André, São Bernardo e São Caetano), que ficam próximas à São Paulo. A intenção do

primeiro estudo foi identificar a relação entre o objetivo de compra dos consumidores e os produtos

adquiridos sob divulgação nos panfletos vigentes. O segundo estudo foi realizado, por meio de um

formulário com 19 questões e teve como objetivo ratificar os dados encontrados no primeiro estudo.

Para isso, questões de categorias de consumo, por exemplo, foram incluídas. A análise de dados

apresentou indícios de influência dos panfletos no momento da compra. De acordo com a pesquisa

de campo realizada, 8,4% das pessoas que receberam ou pegaram os panfletos no supermercado, os

utilizaram durante suas compras e compraram um maior número de produtos comparado às que não

pegaram o panfleto. Segundo elas, ao ler o panfleto, lembraram-se da necessidade de adquirir algum

produto.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:

Comunicação, supermercados, panfletos promocionais, comportamento, consumo.






1. INTRODUCTION

According to Abukawa, Lopes and Reis (1996), the purpose of a promotion is to create a purchasing

need by strengthening the communication between consumers and the product offered.

Additionally, the information transmitted may assist in consumer decision making due to the

possibility of supporting an existing need (WALNUT; LAZZARINI, 2011). The promotional tools

have the goal to create additional volume and minimize the cost of sales (SAUAIA; SILVA, 2008).

Many companies have been investing in pamphlets, brochures and flyers to communicate their

products better and increase their sales. Despite the constant concern of retail companies with the

efficiency of their promotion methods, such as flyers, the importance of this channel of promotion

is not reflected in the marketing literature (GÁZQUEZ-ABAD; MARTÍNEZ-LÓPEZ;

MONDÉJAR-JIMÉNEZ, 2010).

Guided by the above, we propose the following research question: Does the promotion of flyers

influence product promotion in the purchase decision of the consumer? The objective of this paper

is to understand and explore the influence of flyers on the purchasing behavior of consumers,

without explicit indication of promotions, such as price reductions, free gifts and extra products

(VOLLE, 2001).

With a focus on flyers, this paper seeks to understand the influence of sales promotions on

consumer purchasing behavior. In order to verify the effectiveness and benefits of adopting this

dissemination channel, two studies were conducted to regard the best investment and the best

analysis available for the organizations and the customers as well.

A few studies have explored promotional tools. For instance, the impact of promotional tools on the

purchasing decision was the purpose of a study by the authors Gázquez-Abad and Pérez (2006)

regarding price, and also by Dhar and Ramanathan (2010) regarding location and size. Dhar and

Ramanathan (2010) discussed the effects of sales promotions in the size and composition of the

customer’s shopping basket.

The study by Gázquez-Abad, Martínez-López and Mondéjar-Jiménez (2010) referred to the main

aspects that characterize the content and structure of the flyers in order for the consumer to

effectively obtain information about the products offered. Burthon, Lichtenstein and Netemeyer

(1999) studied the exposure of flyers and their relation to the increase in sales in the supermarket.

However, in Brazil, the study of flyers in the science is not identified as relevant. Therefore, this

article seeks to fill the gap by exploring the influence of flyer promotion on the purchase decision in

Brazilian Supermarket. Moreover, this paper aims to explore this topic through a field study.

There is a significant and gradual annual spending on promotional materials for sales support and

all the companies in each sector want to conquer this space (MONTEIRO NETO, 2004).

Therefore, data was presented for the analysis of the investment effectiveness through the

promotion of flyers, because the companies are interested in knowing the effects of sales

promotions on consumer behavior during purchases (DHAR; RAMANATHAN, 2010).






From the standpoint of the consumer, the study may guide the decision to buy the product featured

in flyers and certify the best option between competing proposals, while paying attention to

promotional pitfalls.

Gázquez-Abad and Pérez (2006) warn that flyers are often used by companies to provide product

relevant brands without necessarily reducing the price. This material makes consumers feel

compelled to visit the establishment, without necessarily receiving a discount.

Besides this introduction, this paper presents a theoretical reference, which is divided into three

parts: sales promotion, flyers and influence on consumer behavior. Afterwards, we describe the

methodological procedures of the two studies conducted. Finally, we present the concluding

remarks of the paper with suggestions for future research.

2. THEORETICAL REFERENCE

2.1. SALES PROMOTION

The function of marketing, according to Patwardhan, Flora and Gupta (2010) is to promote the

products and services that consumers can buy or use. So, the most challenging issue is to

understand the consumer’s decision: how does a consumer purchase or make a choice? The process

of decision-making is influenced by the attitudes, values and perceptions of the world and place that

the individual belongs. It also incorporates a psychological and a sociological aspect, which are

based by the groups they belong to as an individual, such as family, friends and society.

Nogueira and Lazzarini (2011) claim that persuading consumers to buy is the communicative goal

of organizations who advertise their products.

Etzel, Walker and Stanton (2001) argue that the combination of tools, such as advertising, personal

selling, sales promotion and merchandising, in a coordinated manner, make marketing

communication a factor of utmost importance.

In the vision of Andia Filho and Lepsch (2004), as a result of this good combination, the

establishment and the brand are strengthened.

For Etzel, Walker and Stanton (2001), promotional planning becomes increasingly effective in

proportion to the assertiveness of the investments. Through an adequate amount of money and its

applications, the company's communication is better directed towards offering the desired product

through correctly channeling and using a more persuasive approach to their customers.

Álvarez and Vázquez (2004) define sales promotion as a marketing mix used by manufacturers and

retailers in order to increase short-term sales. A large percentage of retail sales is made through

promotions that play a fundamental role in retail marketing programs (GEDENK; NESLIN;

AILAWADI, 2005).

According to Chandon, Wansink and Laurent (2002), the benefits of sales promotion for consumers

span from saving on purchases to increasing levels of self-esteem and amusement.






According to Schiffman and Kanuk (2000), for the particular market responding to exposed

promotional stimuli, we must evaluate three important points: the pressure that the individual

suffers by both the industry and his social group, the propaganda of industries that translates this

stimulus and the lifetime of the product.

With the implementation of sales promotion, there is an initial increase in sales. However, it is

important to remember that in addition to getting results with profitability, the companies should

also use the results in service to post sales strategies.

The positive change can result from existing customers that are prone to the promotion. However,

with the retraction of this strategy, is less likely that these same customers will continue to buy

(RAGHUBIR; INMAN; GRANDE, 2004).

Promotions do not simply represent an economic incentive to purchase, but they also illustrate the

effects on the assessment of consumer preferences and intentions that serve the manufacturers and

retailers of products or services. Therefore, the organization must understand the target segment and

its relationship with the product promoted for effective developing of promotional design

(RAGHUBIR, INMAN, GRANDE, 2004).

According to the papers by Kwok and Uncles (2005) and Chandon, Wansink and Laurent (2002),

the sales promotions can be divided into two groups:

The monetary group which involves price, such as cases involving discounts, coupons and

promotional prices.

The non-monetary group which does not involve price, such as cases involving prizes, gift

certificates and loyalty programs.

In the strategy of sales promotion, the distribution of flyers to consumers with deals is characterized

as a short-term stimulus to the purchase (LIMEIRA, 2003), obtaining a rapid and immediate

response in consumer buying behavior (ANDRADE; SANTOS; PASTOR, 2011).

2.2 FLYERS

There are several words which refer to a flyer, such as catalog, brochure, booklet, etc. (GÁZQUEZ-

ABAD; PÉREZ, 2006). To Blessa (2003), this is a material basically destined to disclose a product

or service.

According to Miranda and Konya (2007), flyers are used by stores to promote new products,

announce new outlets and publicize discount deals.

The objective of using flyers, according to Medeiros, Costa Silveira and Silveira (2009), is to

persuade consumers and induce them to purchase products and services. This is because the

consumer society, according to Schiffman and Kanuk (2000), needs to be encouraged at all times.

Subsequently, the adequacy of operating hours of establishments and the proper layout of product

exposure to promotions and packaging must be showy and colorful.

With increasingly fierce competition, companies seek market disclosure through the media; flyers

have been one of the most used and powerful channels of propagation (ANTÓN et al., 2011).






According to Gázquez-Abad and Perez (2006), flyers are one of the means with the fastest

response, which is very important for establishments that offer a variety of products from its

suppliers and wish to attract the attention of customers (MIRANDA; KONYA, 2007).

For retailers, this type of communication is also relevant to suppliers because the sales volume will

relatively increase profit (CHAABANE; SABRI; PARGUEL, 2010).

A flyer can be analyzed through its linguistic components, photographs and design (ANTÓN et al.,

2011). Its compositional characteristics should affect the amount of sales and customer traffic in the

stores (GIJSBRECHTS; CAMPO; GOOSSENS, 2003).

Gázquez-Abad, Martínez-López and Mondéjar-Jiménez (2010) also argue that it is the composition

of the flyer that determines its ability to attract the attention of consumers.

According to Penna (2003), the flyer should be attributed with clarity and conciseness, causing an

immediate impact on the reader due to the speed and ease of reading. In order for the reading to be

instantaneous, a flyer should normally have a few pages.

The flyers used by supermarkets often contain products with leading national brands, a considerable

level of quality of paper used and printing images (GÁZQUEZ-ABAD, MARTÍNEZ-LÓPEZ,

MONDÉJAR-JIMÉNEZ, 2010). Furthermore, they can also be classified by the frequency in which

they are distributed, which is usually twice a month, and more so in commemorative dates. Flyers

are a quick and easy way to access the consumer, without making an effort towards the technical

application of mass communication.

Flyers are not always distributed in a personalized way by the provider. In some cases, they are

placed in mailboxes, deposited at the gates of the houses or distributed at the entrance of the

establishments (SCHMIDT; BJERRE, 2003).

With the results of the study by Chaabane, Sabri and Parguel (2010), it is observed that, regardless

of the options and channel of offering, flyers are profitable forms of investment; they contribute to

the growth of traffic within the supermarket, increasing the likelihood of purchase

(GIJSBRECHTS; CAMPO; GOOSSENS, 2003).

Bronnemann and Siebert (2005) comment that for 65.3% of their respondents, disclosure by flyers

is more asserted by companies that wish to highlight their offerings because with the flyers in hand,

consumers can better remember promotions and also optimize the comparison of the featured

products in supermarket competitors.

2.3 INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Companies are investing and becoming more conscious in choosing the channel of promotion and

form of advertisement for their products in most effective way, in order to achieve greater influence

and results (PEKALA, 2009).

Goldman (2009) says that the influence of consumers through sales promotions gradually becomes

more rare. Additionally, if customer loyalty programs, such as the promotion of products through

flyers at retail, is sporadic, the company will not generate continuous stimulus for the acquisition of






its products by customers just by promotion. Therefore, it is imperative to learn how to captivate

existing customers, who are the greatest source of profit.

To Gatto (2002), the formation of factors that influence the buying behavior of consumers is

increasingly critical since consumers always look for shopping experiences that involve them. Thus,

companies must continually renew their markets so that consumers can make decisions that satisfy

them.

According to Diaz and Cataluña (2011), the purchase process includes various times and the

presentation of a particular item can be exploited in various ways that influence the purchase.

Gijsbrechts, Campo and Goossens (2003) argue that despite the large proportion of retail

promotions communicated to consumers through flyers, little research has been done on consumer

behavior in this regard, which is also reinforced by Gázquez-Abad and Pérez (2006), and Miranda

and Konya (2007).

According to Burton, Lichtenstein and Netemeyer (1999), consumers may be exposed to flyers

when they are close to the place of purchase or when they have already made their purchase. This

buying behavior favors the efficacy of this means of communication and collaborates for

knowledge of how consumers are influenced.

To Patwardhan, Flora and Gupta (2010), the "marketing programs" significantly influence

consumers purchasing decisions and, often, the analysis of the quality of the product is not

performed when there is a marketing influence.

The product category spread through flyers can be related with the public more adeptly through this

means of dissemination. According to Burton, Netemeyer and Lichtenstein (1999), the people most

inclined to view the flyers are women and the elderly, as well as consumers with less education and

higher family income.

Gijsbrechts, Campo and Goossens (2003) claim that flyers with more promotions on category items

foods are more effective in attracting customers and increasing the level of sales. Since there are

many brands competing in flyers, consumer behavior at the time of purchase can be affected when

confronted with this large number of offers, stirring emotions and the opportunity to purchase

(CHAABANE; SABRI; PARGUEL, 2010).

The composition of sales promotion has the ability to increase the consumer's attention and, in

effect, increase the likelihood of purchase and possibly change consumer behavior.

Although Gijsbrechts, Campo and Goossens (2003) found that the size of the discount in the flyers

have great effect on sales and customer traffic, Volle (2001) found that it is irrelevant for the

products promoted on flyers to have a price reduction because there is an effect on purchasing

behavior, with or without the reduction.

Even with the existence of several techniques for offering products in flyers such as discounted

prices, promotional packs, products offering no discount, and several others (CHAABANE;

SABRI; PARGUEL, 2010), there is no definitive technique in regards to which mechanisms are

more assertive of increased volume.






However, there is a customer belief in the product price reduction on flyers (VOLLE, 2001);

although this statement is not always proven (GÁZQUEZ-ABAD; PÉREZ, 2006).

To Gázquez-Abad, Martínez-López and Mondéjar-Jiménez (2010) flyers are a daily tool in

purchases of customers because they contain information about the products with discounts or they

signify the length of a promotion. Thus, such information in sales promotion may increase the

probability that consumers with access to flyers acquire a more resolute understanding of the

product, compared to the standard of those who were not exposed to information of propaganda

before their purchase (BURTON; LICHTENSTEIN; NETEMEYER, 1999).

Due to the findings of these different studies with different focuses, the purpose of this article is

justified in order to consider the influence of the use of promotional flyers in consumer buying

behavior.

3. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES

With the intention of understanding the influence of flyers on consumer buying behavior, a

quantitative-descriptive field research was conducted.

According to Lakatos and Marconi (2001:186), the research field is characterized by:

Observation of facts and phenomena as they occur spontaneously in collecting data relating to them and

recording of variables that are presumed relevant.

Such research should also be conducted in a place where there has been the phenomenon under

study or that provides the necessary elements needed to explain it (VERGARA, 2005).

Although the majority of the descriptive researches seeks to study characteristics of a particular

group being analyzed, some go beyond simply identifying the existence of relationships between

variables by trying to explore the nature of this link.

According to Gil (2002), in this case, research, although descriptive, starts to become more

exploratory.

Exploratory research is often used to bring familiarity to the scientific field about a topic and seek

greater understanding and accuracy of the theme (PIOVESAN; TEMPORINI, 1995).

In contribution to this view, in addition to the desire of this study to explore the influence of the

products featured in flyers in the purchase decision, we opted for the quantitative method because

according to Richardson (2009), this method collects the data with greater precision of the values

obtained.

Furthermore, Richardson (2009) says that a quantitative-descriptive study can give evidence of the

influence measurement, an issue addressed in the study.

To Richardson (2009) this type of research allows us to explore the influence of the flyer in buying

behavior, without the need for experimental control of the selected environment.






The chosen field was a large hypermarket close to São Paulo (at São Bernardo do Campo), where it

was possible to see if the dependencies had spontaneous changes in consumer buying after exposure

to promotional flyers. The choice is also justified by its strategic location, which contains a large

influx of people in the region, as well as wide public range.

All products contained in the brochure and in the experiment were food, because as evidenced by

Gijsbrechts, Campo and Goossens (2003), this category has the greatest influence on attracting and

increasing the level of sales.

For comprehension of the field research, 19 questions were prepared, which were all closed

questions, except for one half-open question.

The questions were answered on a form that was filled out by the authors of this article, in

accordance to the answers given by the interviewed customers.

We chose to conduct a survey with closed questions rather than interviews because the interview, in

this case, would bring a considerable bias of the consumer, who, realizing that the research was

about flyers, could try to "please" the researcher.

To verify the dynamic and understanding of the research, we conducted a pretest with 12 consumers

of the hypermarket itself on March 29, 2012, at night.

To collect data, we used two moments:

At the entrance of the supermarket, consumers were approached and presented a flyer with a

product mix which may or may not have been contained in the promotional flyer in the

hypermarket, with no differentiation in size or price indication, in order to know the intent of

consumer purchase.

The current brochure was subsequently delivered to the client before the start of their purchases

and, after completion, the same consumer was asked to answer the second part of the research in

form format.

To organize all of the data, stickers were placed on each client who answered the survey with a

number corresponding to their form. In order to encourage the customers to return, gifts were

distributed at the end of the research study.

The participants addressed to respond to the survey were chosen randomly when they entered the

establishment.

3.1 STUDY 1

3.1.1 METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY 1

After finding the pre-test results unfavorable to the research, the method of the questionnaire was

modified. We carried out new research in which clients were approached in the supermarket

checkout lines.

We presented the main pages of the flyer, which were the cover and pages on the right side, totaling

to four pages, which were all food items. The customers were asked to indicate on the flyer which






items they purchased. Then they were presented with a questionnaire about their intent and

purchase behavior.

For comparative elaboration, the amount of customers was raised to 118 customers during the

weekend preceding Easter (March 31, 2012), the time from 10 to 15 hours. Accordingly, some

products offered in the flyer were characteristic of the commemorative date.

It was also verified that the products featured in the flyer and purchased by consumers had also

been published in other media forms, such as radio and television, during the same period.

The analysis of the influence of sales promotion through flyers on the buying behavior of the

consumer was made by observing the changes in the quantitative level of sales of the products

advertised in the flyer according to customer acceptance of this promotion channel.

Thus, it was verified whether or not seeing the ad increased consumer buying of sale products.

3.1.2 ANALYSIS OF STUDY 1

Through the study, it was possible to verify the demographic characteristics of clients adherent to

the flyers.

As shown in Table 1, the people who took or received the pamphlet were mostly female, between

the ages of 31 and 40 years.

TABLE 1

Distribution by sex and age of people who took or received the flyer.

AGE (YEARS) FEMALE (%) MALE (%) TOTAL (%)

To 20 3,6 0,0 3,6

21-30 17,9 10,7 28,6

31-40 21,4 7,1 28,6

41-50 17,9 7,1 25,0

Above 50 14,3 0,0 14,3

TOTAL 75,0 25,0 100,0

People who took or received the flyer belong mostly to classes B and C, with more than 32% with

household income between R$ 1,001.00 and R$ 2,000.00 and 25% with income between R$

2,001.00 to R$ 3,000.00.

It was also possible to observe that approximately 54% of customers who took or received the flyer

were married.

At the date of the first study, 59.3% of the customers surveyed reported going to the supermarket to

do their shopping for the month.

Table 2 shows that people who took or received the flyer had an education level distributed mostly

between high school and graduation complete.






TABLE 2

Distribution by education level of the people who got the flyer.

EDUCATION LEVEL %

Incomplete basic 3,6

Complete basic 3,6

Incomplete high school 7,1

High school 35,7

Graduation in course 10,7

Graduation incomplete 10,7

Graduation full 28,6

TOTAL 100,00

Similar results are observed in the study of Burton, Lichtenstein and Netemeyer (1999), with the

exception of income, which found that high-income people are more likely to see the flyers.

This divergence may be due to the time and cultural differences of the studies. It is important to

know the characteristics of the client group that the flyer reaches so that the establishment can better

target the products advertised in the flyer for the public.

Of the customers approached, 23.7% (28) said they had caught or received the flyer in the

supermarket. The vast majority of these customers, 96.4%, obtained the flyer on the property itself,

while 3.6% received it at home, as shown in Figure 1.

Although only 7.1% of the people who took or received flyers in the supermarket used them for

purchases, 92.8% of the clients purchased any of the products disclosed in the flyer that week.

FIGURE 1

Use of promotional flyers.

Use of promotional flyers

Picked up the flyer

Not picked up the flyer

Not used the flyer

Used the flyer






Comparing the number of products advertised in the flyers that were purchased by customers who

took or received the flyers versus those who did not, there is a significant difference. The number of

products purchased is greater for those who took the flyer (mean = 5.14) versus those who did not

take the flyer (mean = 3). The ANOVA confirms this difference F (1,117) = 12.083; p = 0.001

Of all the respondents who used the flyer in the purchase, 50% acquired Easter eggs and 50%

frozen food (pizza and lasagna).

We also emphasize that these products were on the cover and on the right page of the flyer, which

are usually the first pages that the consumer checks to skim through it.

This behavior was possibly influenced by other communication channels that have reported the

same products of the pamphlet. 23.2% of respondents were aware of any promotions through other

channels besides the pamphlets and approximately 91% of them attended the campaign released by

TV.

Still, when presenting the flyer for the portion of customers who did not use it while shopping,

34.5% said they would buy some of the promotional products if they had been consulted at the

supermarket.

Fifty percent of customers who used the flyers said they also used them to compare the prices

between competing stores.

These results suggest that the promotional flyer might influence a consumer to come to the

supermarket, to understand the consumer and to possibly acquire not only the products on sale, but

their complementary prices as well.

Although it was realized that the customers had already intended to buy certain products that were

on the flyers (84% of respondents), there still seems to be a great need to improve the distribution of

the flyers because 55% of respondents said they rarely or never pick up flyers in supermarkets.

3.2 STUDY 2

3.2.1 METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY 2

Where there was interference, such as the date of Easter celebration approaching, the period of the

month in question was characterized by the receipt of wages and the realization that most of the

customers claimed to not consult the flyers because they already had their needs realized regarding

their purchases. Hence, it was decided to perform another search, with some modifications, for a

new data collection.

Therefore, we carried out a new study with 61 guests on April 14, 2012, between 10 am and 15 pm,

a time authorized by the management of the supermarket and with greater public circulation.

One of the points raised by customers, which motivated the new study, was that many said they had

closed their shopping list before they started shopping.






In order to mitigate the rationality of response on purchase intent for Research 1, we changed the

methodology by applying a questionnaire with details of product categories so the respondents

could inform us if products were part of their shopping list before reaching the supermarket.

Then the respondents were asked if they caught or received the flyer of the supermarket. This

procedure aimed to verify which products would have been bought if they had seen the ad and

which items had actually been acquired.

The shopping list was compared to the products offered in the pamphlet to see if items not included

in the shopping list, but were included in pamphlet, had been acquired.

In addition, we observed the brand offered with intent to gauge the action exerted by flyers to attract

customers to buy products from certain categories, regardless of the brand.

3.2.2 ANALYSIS OF STUDY 2

Analysis of the profiles of people who received or took the flyer revealed a significant prevalence in

the age of the audience, as shown in Table 3. Moreover, there was a predominance of 91.7% of

females versus 8.3% of males.

Regarding marital status of the respondents who took or received the flyers, married respondents

prevailed with 66.7%, followed by 16.7% unmarried, widowed with 12.5% and 4.1% separated.

In this study, 65.6% of respondents already had a pre-defined shopping list. Of these, 47.5% took or

received the flyer. For those who did not have the shopping list, this percentage was 52.5%.

TABLE 3

Distribution by age of people who took or received the flyer.

AGE (YEARS) TOTAL (%)

To 20 0,0

21-30 20,8

31-40 29,2

41-50 29,2

Above 50 20,8

TOTAL 100,0

As shown in Table 4, the people who took or received the flyer had an education level distributed

mainly between high school and graduate full.






TABLE 4

Distribution by education level of the people who took or received the flyer.

EDUCATION LEVEL %

Complete basic 12,5

High school 54,1

Graduation incomplete 4,2

Graduation full 20,8

Graduate incomplete 4,2

Graduate full 4,2

TOTAL 100,0

People who received or picked up the flyer were mostly from classes B and C.

Twenty-five percent have a family income of R$ 1,001.00 to R$ 2,000.00 and 29.2% have an

income between R$ 2001.00 to R$ 3000.00.

As shown in Table 5, only 26% of people responded that they always obtain the flyer. Such

behavior indicates that the biggest challenge of the establishment is to make their content come to

the attention of the consumer, or to interest the consumer in seeking information.

Another indicator for these purchases is that 50% of people who used the flyer compared the

product to other similar ones before choosing the product.

In many cases, the offer in the flyer can take the customer to the gondola, but the final choice also

takes into account other factors that adverse the offer in the flyer.

Analysis of the consumers who took or received the flyer versus those who acquired announced

products revealed a significant difference with 95% confidence in buying behavior (Chi-Square

(1,61) = 5.147; p = 0.023).

Those who have not purchased the flyer were less likely to purchase products advertised, compared

with those who received or withdrawn the flyer.

TABLE 5

Frequency of consumers who took or received the flyer versus purchasing sales products.

FREQUENCY WITH WHICH RECEIVED

OR PICKED UP THE FLYER %

BUY ANY ITEM IF YOU HAD SEEN

THE FLYER BEFORE? %

Always 26 Yes 31

No 69

Almost aways 8 Yes 60

No 40

Sometimes 16 Yes 50

No 50

Rarely 20 Yes 25

No 75

Never 30 Yes 67

No 33






Table 6 shows the number of consumers who purchased the products advertised.

TABLE 6

Number of consumers who bought products advertised.

Received

the flyer

Option BOUGHT

TOTAL Yes No

Yes 23 1 24

No 27 10 37

Although only 8.4% of people who took or received the flyers at the supermarket said they had used

it for purchases (Figure 2), the average number of products purchased that were advertised in the

flyers was higher for those who took or received them (4, 8%) versus those who have not received

or picked them up (2.6%).

This difference was statistically significant, as shown in the data by ANOVA (F(1,60) = 67.772, p =

0.011).

Of all the respondents who intended to buy the product, 50% of people bought it because they saw

it in the flyer and remembered their need to purchase it.

FIGURE 2

Use of promotional flyers.

A difference was found in the people who used the flyer for purchase in that 50% purchased wines

and 50% purchased yogurt. In other words, compared to the first study, there was a change in the

categories consumed. Nevertheless, the purchases were also found both on the cover and on the

right page of the flyer.

Use of promotional flyers

Picked up the flyer

Not picked up the flyer

Not used the flyer

Used the flyer






Another fact is that 86.9% of customers said they had not seen the products advertised in the

brochure through another channel. Only 13.1% commented on seeing ads for some products on

television.

The high percentage of customers who did not have access to promotions through other channels

may explain why companies prefer to invest in flyers at the expense of other channels such as radio

and newspaper, since 26.2% of the population usually always get the flyer before entering the

supermarket and 39.3% do so on their own, just because of being exposed to them.

When consumers pick up or receive the flyer at the supermarket, they do not use it to compare

prices with other supermarkets, which was the condition presented by 59% of the respondents. In

turn, 52.5% of these respondents compare similar products, such as the reference price of the items

of the gondola.

4. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF STUDIES 1 AND 2

Studies have shown that 76.9% of consumers addressed in the first survey and 73.9% of consumers

addressed in the second survey compared the products advertised in the flyer with similar products

at the time of purchase.

Although customers have had the intention of buying certain products that were also on the flyers

(97.1% of survey 1 and 80.0% of survey 2), it is clear that there is a great need to improve the

distribution of the flyers, as 55.1% and 49.2% of survey respondents 1 and 2, respectively, reported

rarely or never picking up the flyers in supermarkets.

It was found, in studies 1 and 2 respectively, 7.1% and 8.4% of those who took the flyer used it to

make their purchases.

The data also showed that people who took the flyers had a higher number of products purchased,

compared with those who did not receive or pick up the flyer.

5. CONCLUSION

With the objective to know the influence of promotional flyers in consumer buying behavior, a field

research was conducted in a hypermarket in the city of São Bernardo do Campo.

The hypermarket had several flyers available to customers, so the research was limited to the main

flyer, which had the highest amount of advertised products.

The research was restricted to the Greater São Paulo and the specific point of São Bernardo do

Campo, where the study was conducted, which kept the cultural burden of respondents intrinsic in

each response.

The time the study was conducted was seen as a limitation, due to the proximity of a national

holiday.






Even by holding a second study, there may have been an influence on the public surveyed. There

was also a restriction on the number of researchers for a large number of people in the

establishment.

To mitigate the rationality of responses, there was a second study which supplied a form indicating

the categories of products to the interviewee which signified if products were part of their shopping

list before they arrived at the supermarket. Before answering the form, the respondents were asked

whether they had received or picked up the flyer from the supermarket.

The analysis of the profile of customers who take or receive the flyer helps companies choose the

products being advertised.

These customers are mostly from classes C and B, married, with no predominance of age with high

school education and female.

This study also indicated that the flyer is used as a source of comparison in the choice of

supermarket, confirming that, often, flyers are used by companies to provide product relevant

brands, attracting consumers to merchants, as stated by Gázquez-Abad and Pérez (2006).

It was noticed that, for the portion of respondents who said they did not compare the prices of the

competition using the flyers, this behavior is related to the preference that has been reported by the

establishment in question, because of its easy access and the one stop shop practice trend among

merchants, and especially among the supermarkets, to offer its customers various services.

The study also showed that people who took or received the flyer at the entrance of the supermarket

had higher and significant consumption of products advertised, compared to those who did not

withdraw the flyer.

According to Dijksterhuis et al. (2005), consumers, upon entering a supermarket, choose their

products unconsciously or almost unconsciously, because their thoughts are not unique to the

purchases. They then compare the products advertised with those available on the shelves, due to

the promotional strategy adopted by companies. However, this study suggests that despite the

observed effect, consumers have practiced this comparison.

So, evidence has been perceived that the flyer, when used, influences the purchase decision of the

consumer, even if the product category is in its initial list of purchase.

Customers who took the flyer and observed it, acquired the average of a product of specific brand

advertised, and 50% of these customers recalled the need to purchase some of the products through

flyers. Those who took or received the flyer bought, on average, two advertised products more than

those who did not have access to promotional material.

These interactions also implies that the purchase of complementary products can be stimulated by

promoting products on flyers.

The research showed that the distribution of promotional flyers needs greater attention from

companies, since there are customers who rarely or never take the flyers in supermarkets but still

buy something.






Given the conditions of this research, the results were not sought through the extrapolation of data

to weave larger conclusions.

The results we sought from this study raised other questions such as: What leads the consumer to

take or accept the flyer? What factors attract the attention of consumers to look at the flyer? Does

the arrangement and/or size of product images on the flyers (center of the page, side, top or bottom,

large or small icons) influence the purchase decision of the consumer? Do consumers memorize

promotions? What factors influence the memorization of promoting the consumer? Does the timing

of the purchase alter the impact of influence?

Hopefully this article will bring insight for future studies on sales promotions, specifically the sales

of flyers, which is still little explored in Brazil.

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the promotion of flyers and the consumer purchase … analyst at heineken brasil. e-mail: ......

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