Traditional vs Digital Promotion and Distribution

Traditional vs Digital Promotion and Distribution

Question Description
I’m working on a marketing writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

LMNO Inc., established in 1990, is a paper distributor located in the Northeastern U.S. Some of the products in their paper line include copier paper, stationery, and envelopes. LMNO’s clients include small to medium-sized businesses, large corporations, and government organizations. Their average client spends anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 per year on paper supplies. To date, they have 1,500 active clients.

In 2022, LMNO decided to add a new product line consisting of high-quality laser printers. Printing toner will also be a continuous revenue stream for the laser printers. Recently, LMNO signed an exclusive agreement with a small startup company in Kentucky specializing in laser printers and toners. These printers will be branded under the KLMN name. The competitive advantage of these printers is that they are faster, smaller, and quieter than other printers. These printers print approximately 30 pages per minute. In addition, they provide two-dimensional printing and auto-duplexing that allows you to print on both sides of a sheet. They are user and environmentally friendly, and customers will not have to replace toner as often as other models on the market. The printers will initially be shipped from Kentucky. Their rationale is that they can capitalize on this new product line because they have strong relationships with their clients. In addition, they will add a new revenue stream to their business model.

Traditional vs Digital Promotion and Distribution

Half of the LMNO marketing team suggests using a more traditional approach to promotion and distribution, like advertising in business magazines, personal selling, and using wholesalers and retailers for distribution. The other half suggests going all digital by proposing an all-digital promotion strategy and selling directly from the website. Their budget is around $100,000.

Respond to the following:

Based on this scenario, what promotional and distribution recommendations would you suggest as the marketing manager?