Everything you need to know about using penetration pricing to sell your products

Ready to set your new product apart and win the hearts (and wallets) of customers? 

The secret lies in your pricing strategy. 

Enter penetration pricing - the bold move of offering a low price upfront to capture market share and attract loyal followers. 

Short-term sacrifice for long-term gain - it's a game changer. Get ready to learn all about the powerful technique of penetration pricing and find out if it's right for your business.

From tech giants like Apple to fast-food chains like McDonald's, businesses of all sizes have leveraged this power to attract new customers and drive growth.

New product, new market, big competition? Don't sweat it! This guide will show you the secret to stealing the show: Penetration Pricing! 

What Is Penetration Pricing?

This dynamic strategy involves starting with a low initial price, designed to make your product or service irresistible to customers. 

The goal? To win over new customers, dominate the market, and secure your long-term success. 

For instance, if you want to sell beauty-for-less, you may actually be generating a huge market of followers over time. But how to start your brand in the saturated beauty market? 

Beauty products can sometimes seem like a dime a dozen (that is, readily available!). They all promise to make you look and feel beautiful, but at the end of the day, they're all essentially doing the same thing. 

Whether it's a moisturizer or lipstick, the core function remains the same. The challenge for beauty businesses is to stand out in a crowded market, and one way to do that is through pricing.

By using penetration pricing, a new beauty brand can offer its products at a lower price point to attract customers and capture market share. 

This allows the brand to establish itself and build customer loyalty before eventually raising prices to a more profitable level.

Penetrative Pricing Vs. Price Skimming

The launch of a new product is a crucial moment, and choosing the right pricing strategy can make all the difference. 

Penetrative Pricing and Price Skimming are two of the most common strategies, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. But which one is right for your product?

Penetration Pricing involves offering a low initial price to quickly capture market share and gain customer attention. 

On the other hand, Price Skimming involves starting with a high initial price and gradually reducing it over time.

When to use penetration pricing?

Let’s talk about the situations where penetration pricing can be useful to your business:

1. High Market Competition - If you're entering a highly competitive market, penetration pricing can help you stand out and quickly capture market share.

2. New Technology or Innovative Products - If you're launching a new product with a unique selling proposition, penetration pricing can help you quickly attract early adopters and build momentum.

3. Limited Budget - If you have a limited budget for marketing and promotion, penetration pricing can help you reach more customers and make the most of your resources.

4. Large Market Potential - If you believe that your product has the potential to capture a large share of the market, penetration pricing can help you get there quickly and efficiently.

When to use price skimming?

Price skimming is best used when a company has a temporary advantage in the market and wants to extract maximum value from its product or service before competition arrives.

1. Unique Product: Price skimming is best used in situations where a company has a unique and innovative product or service that has no direct competition. 
2. Recover Investment: This strategy is ideal when a company wants to quickly recover its investment in research and development and achieve high-profit margins.
3. Limited Target Market: Another situation where price skimming is best used is when a company has a limited target market to maximize profit.  

Penetration Pricing Strategy: Why And How

Reselling products can be a challenging and competitive business. To stand out in the market, it is essential to have a penetration pricing strategy that sets you apart from the competition and appeals to potential customers. 

Penetration pricing can be a valuable tool for resellers to reach their goals, including increasing market share, generating buzz, and attracting customers with low upfront prices. 

Here are some benefits and goals of penetration pricing:

Quickly Gain A Market Share

The primary goal of penetration pricing is to increase market share by attracting a large number of customers in a short amount of time.

By offering low prices, companies can gain an edge over the competition and win over customers who are price-sensitive.

Attract New Customers (And Keep Them)

A low-price strategy can be very effective in attracting new customers who may not have considered the product before. 

Research has shown that customers are more likely to try a new product if it is priced lower than other similar products on the market.

Customers who take advantage of the low prices offered during the penetration pricing phase are more likely to remain loyal to the brand in the long term. 

Research has shown that customers who make a purchase during a penetration pricing phase are more likely to continue purchasing from the brand even after prices have increased.

Rise To Recognition: Create Brand Awareness

By offering a low price, companies can create brand awareness and increase the visibility of their product in the market. 

A successful penetration pricing strategy can help establish the brand and make it more recognizable among customers. 

Build Customer Loyalty 

Building brand loyalty is essential for long-term success in the beauty industry. It involves creating a strong connection between your brand and your customers that inspires them to keep coming back. 

Here are some ways to generate loyal customers:

• Quality Products: Offering high-quality products that meet customer expectations is crucial in building loyalty. Customers are more likely to stick with a brand they trust.
• Customer Service: Providing exceptional customer service, quickly resolving any issues, and showing a genuine interest in customer satisfaction can help build trust and loyalty.
• Personalization: Personalizing experiences for customers, whether it's through tailored marketing messages or customizing products, can make them feel valued and special..
• Consistent Branding: Consistently presenting a strong brand image, including a clear brand message, visually appealing packaging, and a strong social media presence.
• Engaging with Customers: Engaging with customers on social media, through email, or through other communication channels, can help build a relationship and foster loyalty.

Maximize Your Profitability

While the primary goal of penetration pricing is to increase market share, it can also help improve profitability in the long term. 

By attracting a large number of customers and building brand awareness, companies can increase prices and improve profitability in the long run. 

Research has shown that companies that use a successful penetration pricing strategy can increase profits by up to 20%.

The Power Of Perception: Unlock Psychological Pricing

Psychological pricing is a pricing strategy that leverages the psychological effects of specific prices on consumer behavior. 

The idea behind this strategy is to present prices in a way that pricing:

• influences the consumer's perception of value
• makes the product appear more appealing
• makes the product look more affordable. 
• creates an emotional connection between the consumer and the product

For example, prices ending in ".99" are often used to give the impression of a lower price, while prices that are rounded to the nearest whole number are perceived as more premium. 

Additionally, anchoring, where a higher initial price is used to make a lower price seem more reasonable, is also a popular psychological pricing technique. 

Advantages Of Penetration Pricing

• Market Leadership: By offering a low price, companies can attract a large number of customers and gain a significant market share, thus establishing a market leader.

• Increased Customer Acquisition: A low price point can increase customer acquisition and help the company reach a wider audience, especially important for new companies or products that are entering a crowded market.

• Lower Costs: By selling a high volume of products at a low price, the company can achieve economies of scale and lower production costs over time. 

• Less Competition: Penetration pricing can be used as a competitive weapon to deter potential entrants into the market or to gain market share from established competitors. 

Disadvantages Of Penetration Pricing

Penetration pricing has its advantages, but it also has some potential disadvantages to consider:

• Upfront Costs: Implementing a penetration pricing strategy often requires significant investment in marketing and promotion, which can result in high upfront costs.
• Poor Brand Perception: By setting a low price, the company may run the risk of creating a perception that the product is low quality or not worth paying more for. 
• Price Wars: Setting a low price can lead to a price war with competitors, which can result in lower profit margins and a negative impact on the bottom line. 
• Limited Market Segment: Penetration pricing may only be suitable for a limited market segment, such as price-sensitive customers. 

Become A Reseller On Markaz

As a reseller, you can see the impact of penetration pricing on your sales. So, go ahead and download the Markaz app now to start earning up to Rs. 45,000 per month. 

FAQs

How can new brands can use social commerce and penetration pricing?

New brands can use social commerce platforms with penetration pricing to attract new customers and build a following. Also, they can benefit from the following:

• Building Awareness
• Increased Sales
• Customer Feedback
• Building Relationships 

What are the most popular product categories for social commerce in Pakistan?

The most popular product categories for social commerce in Pakistan include fashion and beauty, electronics, clothes, and home appliances.

What is the impact of penetration pricing on social commerce in Pakistan?

Penetration pricing is a popular pricing strategy in Pakistan, particularly for small businesses using social commerce. By offering low-priced products, small businesses can attract new customers and build brand awareness, which can help them increase sales and profitability over time.