PROMOTIONAL MARKETING
At TMS, we recognise the pivotal role of promotional marketing in cultivating brand awareness and fostering customer engagement. Our expertise encompasses national on-pack promotions, account-specific promotions, and tailored initiatives that target specific customer segments, maximising impact and relevance. With our trade incentive programs, we motivate and reward distribution partners, ensuring loyalty and dedication to promoting your brand. Additionally, we specialise in crafting captivating prize concepts and streamlining fulfilment processes, providing seamless experiences for your customers. Through our strategic approach, comprehensive solutions, and dedicated team, we empower your brand to leave a lasting impression, drive sales, and forge enduring customer relationships in the competitive marketplace.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What types of consumer promotions work best in Australia?
The most effective mechanic depends on your brand objectives, budget, category, and target audience. That said, TMS publishes annual promotional insights research in partnership with IMI PromoTrack ANZ, and the 2025 data points to some clear patterns in what drives Australian shopper participation right now.
Instant win mechanics are the single biggest driver of purchase influence, with 87% of consumers saying they prefer an instant win format. On-pack promotions are 18 times more likely to succeed than off-pack executions, so shelf visibility is critical. And with over half of Australian households reporting cost-of-living pressure, promotions have become more powerful than ever as a brand tool: 50% of Australians say brands should be offering more competitions and promotions right now, and 3 in 10 shoppers are actively seeking out promotions twice as often as they were in 2021.
Common mechanics include instant wins, prize draws, collect-and-redeem offers, cashback guarantees, on-pack giveaways, and multi-purchase incentives. We use our research and category experience to recommend the right mechanic for your specific brief, rather than defaulting to what is easiest to execute.
Does prize size matter in a promotion?
Prize structure matters far more than prize size alone. Our research shows that promotions with frequency prizes are 8 times more likely to deliver positive ROI than those built around a single grand prize. A well-chosen frequency prize predicts 65% of participation, compared to 35% for a grand prize.
In the current economic climate, practical prizes often outperform aspirational ones. Grocery vouchers, fuel, and bill payment prizes frequently beat luxury experiences in entry rates. A thousand $50 vouchers can drive as much engagement as a thousand $500 vouchers. The strongest campaigns typically combine 3 to 5 major aspirational prizes with hundreds of attainable, everyday rewards that make participation feel worthwhile for a broad audience.
We also offer insured promotion mechanics, which allow brands to advertise headline prizes such as $1 million cash or a luxury car without bearing the full financial risk. Research shows consumers respond just as positively to insured prizes as to traditional prize pools, making them a smart option for brands that want high-impact creative on a tighter budget.
Can promotions attract new customers, not just reward existing ones?
Yes, and this is one of the most compelling arguments for investing in promotional marketing. According to Play Innovation Research 2024, 58% of consumers say they would switch brands for the right promotion, and 30% of people who try a new brand through a promotion say they would consider staying with it. This makes promotions one of the few marketing tools that can deliver both short-term sales uplift and longer-term trial and loyalty in a single campaign.
At TMS, we design promotions with this dual objective in mind: driving immediate purchase while creating the conditions for ongoing brand preference.
How much does a consumer promotion cost?
Consumer promotion investment varies based on the prize pool, mechanic complexity, campaign duration, and whether a digital platform is required. As a guide, a typical 8-week promotion runs from approximately $50,000 to $250,000+, covering creative development, production, legal compliance, platform build, prize fulfilment, and campaign management.
We work with brands across a wide range of budgets and will always recommend a solution that maximises impact within your available investment. The best starting point is a conversation about your objectives.
How long does it take to develop a consumer promotion?
Most consumer promotions take 8 to 12 weeks from brief to launch. This covers concept development, legal review, terms and conditions drafting, mechanic and platform setup, retailer approval, and pre-launch testing. Campaigns with more complex mechanics or larger prize pools may need additional time for compliance processing. We recommend briefing us as early as possible to give your promotion the best chance of success.
Do you handle prize fulfilment for promotions?
Yes. TMS manages end-to-end prize fulfilment including winner validation, prize sourcing and logistics, delivery coordination, and winner communications. We also have the capability to concept and produce custom-made prizes and branded premiums, giving your promotion a point of difference that a generic gift card simply cannot match.
For brands looking to create something more memorable, we can design bespoke prize experiences, limited-edition product collaborations, or custom merchandise that reinforces brand values and generates social sharing.
What legal requirements apply to Australian promotions?
In Australia, all states and territories require terms and conditions to conduct a trade promotion. Several states also require specific permits or authorities before a promotion can go live:
NSW issues a Trade Promotion Authority which can cover all promotions run from that authority for a period of 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years. The ACT issues a specific permit number for each individual promotion. South Australia issues a promotion permit number per promotion, with standard or premium processing options depending on how quickly the permit is needed.
TMS manages all legal compliance as part of our service, including permit applications, terms and conditions drafting, and ongoing compliance management throughout the promotional period. We stay current with regulatory changes across all jurisdictions so you don’t have to.