# What Is a Promotion?

## What Is a Promotion?

Promotions can apply to people, products, or [financial instruments](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financialinstrument.asp). An employee promotion refers to advancing in rank or position within a company or organization. In marketing, promotion means increasing attention to a product through advertising or a discounted price.

### Key Takeaways

*   A promotion can refer to advancing [an employee's position](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/peter-principle.asp) or marketing product deals.
*   In investments, a promotion creates awareness of little-known stocks to increase demand and the stock price.
*   Promotion materials, or "swag," can include t-shirts, postcards, and keychains.

## Job Promotions

A job promotion is usually given to an employee who has displayed exceptional performance or has developed the appropriate skills and knowledge necessary to take on additional responsibilities. The employee may need to work for a company for a required period or have [management tenure](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/management_tenure.asp) to be eligible for a promotion.

According to Indeed, an employee who is promoted and switches jobs may expect an average pay raise between 10% and 20%. Employees may receive benefits such as a better title, office, and career development.

At universities and colleges, one type of promotion is the jump from being a tenured track assistant professor to a tenured full professor. In the accounting and financial realm, promotions include prestigious titles, like "partner." In 2024, the average salary for a Senior Manager at PwC is $160,070, while the promotion to Partner comes with annual earnings of $215,879.

## How To Ask for a Promotion

*   **Research your value.** Understand what skills and knowledge are needed and how they translate to the job market. Find out how much those jobs pay. Consult online salary estimators to see if current pay aligns with your expectations.
*   **Understand the big picture.** Some companies have limited windows in which they consider promotions. Get a sense of extenuating circumstances such as your company's performance to budget, sales numbers, or outstanding risks. Understand what is happening in the [macroeconomic](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/macroeconomics.asp) environment to understand what the future may look like.
*   **Consult your manager.** When asking for a promotion, emphasize your value and what you bring to the company. Do not focus on your pay or position compared to others.
*   **Be flexible and understanding.** You may receive feedback on why you have not been promoted and not slated to be promoted. Attempt to take the advice positively. It's then up to you to decide whether to risk waiting for another opportunity or make a career move.  
    

## Promotional Marketing

In marketing, a [brand](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brand.asp), company, product, or service uses promotions to increase or improve the promoted asset's perception and boost sales. Promotional tactics include coupons, "two-for" sales, straight [dollar markdowns](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/markdown.asp), or percentage discounts.

Sales promotions can be conducted through online media such as social media platforms, digital communications such as mobile SMS, or print media such as newspapers. Types of marketing promotions include:

*   **Word of Mouth:** A customer with a positive experience shares their feelings with other customers.
*   **Direct Marketing:** Through social media, [direct marketing](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/direct-marketing.asp) allows companies to pay for targeted advertising that attracts attention from individuals and informs them of the company's goods.
*   **Website:** Sites that convey product information, company history, and customer reviews.
*   **Sales:** Instead of emphasizing the characteristics of the good, a sales promotion brings attention to a discounted price.
*   **Public Relations:** Companies promote business activity by being good stewards and having a positive external image within a community.

## Investing Promotions

[Capital markets](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capitalmarkets.asp) also use promotions when an individual or group hype a stock or security. Unfortunately, stock promotions in the capital market may be fraudulent schemes. Shares may be from little-known companies without financial [fundamentals](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fundamentals.asp).

If the promoter’s tactics work and more people buy the stock, the value of the stock will go up. When this happens, the stock promoter sells or dumps all of their shares on the market in classic [pump-and-dump style](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pumpanddump.asp). Stock promoters use various vehicles to promote the stock, including advertising online, cold calling, and digital email spam.

EthereumMax, a cryptocurrency, was excessively promoted in 2021. After releasing its token, EthereumMax enlisted the help of several celebrities to promote the security. After obtaining an all-time high price in May 2021, the token dropped over 99.99% as of August 2024. As a result, some promoters including Kim Kardashian faced litigation for securities fraud.

> **Tip**
>
> Instead of relying on the marketing material from others, many investors suggest to "do your own research" to drawn your own conclusions about what to invest in.

## How Do You Show a Promotion on a Resume?

Demonstrate escalating responsibility while working for a single company by listing each role on a different line to show job growth.

## What Is an Example of Product Promotion?

Before students return to school, retailers often use product promotions to draw shoppers into a competitive market. For example, Target has historically offered teachers coupons for school supplies over the summer leading up to school.The holidays also feature product promotions to raise awareness of unique or new products that might be fitting as a holiday gift.

## What Is Cross-Promotion in Marketing?

Cross-promotion in marketing is when one brand collaborates and teams up with another to promote each other's products across multiple marketing platforms. For example, retailer J.Crew sells the clothing and accessories of multiple manufacturers on its website under the marketing promotion called "brands we love."

## The Bottom Line

A promotion can occur in marketing, careers, and the stock market. The term is most frequently used in the job market to describe a rise in job title, duties, salary, or all three. Promotions of products are used in marketing and business, and in the stock market, a stock promotion is used to boost the sale of little-known stocks.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Indeed. "[How to Effectively Negotiate a Promotion Salary Increase](https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/negotiate-promotion-salary)."
>     
> 2.  Indeed. "[PwC Partner Salary](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Pwc/salaries/Partner)."
>     
> 3.  Indeed. "[PwC Senior Manager Salary](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Pwc/salaries/Senior-Manager/Philadelphia-PA)."
>     
> 4.  Vox. "[Kim Kardashian's Instagram Story Just Cost her $1.26 Million](https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/10/3/23384955/kim-kardashian-crypto-ethereum-max-emax-sec)."
>     
> 5.  CoinGecko. "[EthereumMax](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ethereummax)."
>     
> 6.  Law360. "[EthereumMax Investor Litigation](https://www.law360.com/cases/61d8bf284b4e10958695dc99)."
>     
> 7.  CNN. "[Kim Kardashian and Other Celebrities Beat Crypto Investors' Lawsuit](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/business/kim-kardashian-ethereummax-lawsuit/index.html)."
>     
> 8.  All Things Target. "[2024 Target Teacher 20% off Discount on School Supplies & More](https://allthingstarget.com/target-teacher-discount-15-off/)."
>     
> 9.  J.Crew. "[Brands We Love](https://www.jcrew.com/plp/womens/features/brands-we-love/)."