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A critical question facing a brand or product manager is, should marketing expenditures be directed to the end user (pull) or to the intermediaries in the channel (push)? This can be understood better if advertising is viewed as a "defensive" strategy to build brand loyalty that helps in retaining loyal consumers and price promotions as an "offensive" strategy to snatch loyal consumers away from rival brands. This push vs. pull debate assumes more importance for efficiency concerns as well. In this book,the focus has been on the promotional strategies being adopted by three rural industries of India. Relevant research questions have been identified with the help of literature review coupled with exploratory work that has led to the conceptualization of a framework. Survey method has been used for data collection. Data analysis and its interpretation have been discussed in detail with a reference to the scope for further research.

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Debasis teaches Advertising and sales promotion, Consumer behaviour and Principle of marketing at XLRI, India.He has published papers and cases in international journals of repute and has presented at Marketing Science Conference, SMU, Singapore, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and Academy of Management (AOM), Philadelphia.

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