Development of promotion mix scale based on consumer attitudes: Catprom scale

Promotion, which is one of the marketing mix elements, consists of a series of important activities in regards to businesses because of its purpose of providing an obivious communication with the target group. Businesses endeavor for persuading consumers to purchase their products via promotional activities. In order to understand the effectiveness of these activities, it would be useful to measure consumer attitudes towards promotion efforts, which is one of the antecedents of purchasing behavior. The purpose of this study is to develop a scale of the promotion mix based on consumer attitudes. In accordance with this purpose, existing scales were examined and the scales that were developed for promotion mix elements were used. The pilot scheme was implemented with 171 statements, which were constituted of advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, and direct marketing on the basis of cognitive, affective and behavioral components of attitude. The field application of the study was conducted with 123 statements upon elimination process. The data were gathered from consumers who are above the age of 15 and residing in İstanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya cities. In order to obtain a sample that is similar to the population of Turkey regarding the age and gender criterion, the quota sampling method was used and 2.527 surveys were collected. The obtained data were analyzed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. As a result of the study, a five-dimension scale, which is consisted of promotion mix elements, was developed. There are statements that represent all three components of attitude within the scale's dimensions. The scale can be used in order to determine how effective a company's promotional activities on consumer attitudes as well as to compare performances of the companies which are partaking in the same sector.