How much does your business spend on trade promotions to drive product sales? According to a recent Forrester report, the average for a CPG company is 20 percent of revenues, but the investment vs. return doesn't always add up. You already know that some of that money doesn't generate any return, but it gets worse: Forrester estimates that one-third of that spend – about seven percent of a typical company's revenues – actually generates negative returns, cannibalizing high-margin lines and encouraging "pantry loading."

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Promotions are often implemented as successful marketing tactics to assist in attracting new customers, retaining existing customers, testing new product concepts and quickly reacting to changing consumer demands. Not only do they provide brand recognition, but they also give marketers, product developers and sales people an additional avenue for creativity. While specialty products and limited-time offers can build brand revenue, implementing promotions isn't as easy as one might think when factoring in supply chain management requirements such as fulfillment and distribution.

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