Promotions vs Advertising: What Actually Drives Sales (Without Destroying Your Brand)

Mateo Velasquez

1 min read

Do your sales depend on constant discounts?

Are you stuck in a loop where promos keep your business afloat — but don’t build it?

A five-year study tracked the impact of promotions vs advertising on a single brand’s sales, and the results are crystal clear:

Too many discounts erode your brand’s value — and your long-term profitability.

Over 250 weeks, researchers monitored:

They discovered a direct connection between the brand’s communication strategy and its business outcomes.

In the early stages, the brand was running both advertising and promotional campaigns.

The result? Sales soared to over 250 tons of product.

Then the brand stopped advertising and continued pushing promotions.

What happened?

Sales gradually declined — all the way down to 50 tons.

Promotions couldn’t sustain the momentum.

After hitting bottom, the brand reduced discounts and reactivated advertising.

Sales bounced back — climbing to nearly 150 tons, without excessive discounting.

Promotions can boost sales in the short term, but they create dependency.
Advertising builds brand equity, preference, and long-term growth.
The best strategy combines consistent advertising with controlled, occasional promos.

Because they train your customer to think:

“That brand is only worth it when it’s on sale.”

And just like that, you lose brand loyalty and become just another convenient choice.

Then you already know how this plays out.

Don’t let your own brand fall into the same trap.

Promotions are a tactic, not a strategy.

When overused, they lead to:

Advertising, on the other hand, builds preference, trust, and long-term value.

Stay visible. Stay relevant.

And don’t let your brand become addicted to discounts.