Abstract:
Since the beginning of conflict resolution in Sri Lanka, Retailers in Mannar have been promoting their
products to consumers via different media vehicles. Over the years, the promotional processes and systems
used by retailing have been tailored and modified in order to meet the demands of the consumers.
Nowadays promotional messages are greatest important to all business to realize the objectives of the
businesses successfully. Suitable promotional messages support consumers for their purchase decisions.
Promotional message content is important, because those fascinate consumers. Today’s retailers must find
new ways to attract consumers and inspire high levels of customer retention. Purpose of this research is to
identify the different contents of promotional messages conveyed by the retailers in Mannar, where many
retailers penetrated after conflict resolution. This research analyzed the contents of promotional messages
in 24 Newspaper Advertisements and 26 Catalogs. This research frequently identified the contents of
pesticides and herbicides promotional messages. Based on Carlson’s classification contents are
summarized based on product oriented, process oriented, Image oriented, environmental reality orientated
and integrated promotional messages. Content analysis was used to classify those promotional messages
into five categories. Different promotional messages are identified from the different product
advertisements. There is inadequate promotional messages on environmental reality, and integrated
messages identified in this study. Consumers seek for innovation, creativity as well as the environmental
friendly concern. Therefore, present study provides implications to retail sector in Mannar to design
further promotional messages which integrate the orientations on product, process, Image, and
Environmental reality.
