majiayu000 Promotion Plan Skill
A promotion is easy to run and easy to lose money on. The difference is knowing what the offer is for (acquire, clear stock, reward loyalty, raise AOV), picking a mechanic that serves that, and checking the margin before you hit send. This skill turns "let's do 20% off" into a plan with the math, the audience, and a way to tell if it worked.
Working from a brief
Given "plan a Black Friday sale", produce the full plan anyway — infer a sensible objective, mechanic, and channel mix for the context, and label assumptions. Where you don't have margin numbers, show the formula and a worked example with placeholder figures (replace with your numbers) rather than inventing a result.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):
- The goal — new customers, clearing inventory, higher AOV, loyalty, or revenue in a window.
- The product(s) & economics — what's promoted, and the margin (or cost) so the discount is checked.
- Audience & channels — who, and where you'll reach them (email, ads, on-site, marketplace).
- Timing & constraints — the window, inventory limits, and any brand/price-integrity rules.
Output Format
Promotion Plan: [promo]
1. Objective & success metric — the one goal, and the number that says it worked.
2. The offer — the mechanic and why it fits the goal:
| Mechanic | Best for | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| % or $ off | urgency, acquisition | margin hit, discount-trained buyers |
| BOGO / bundle | AOV, stock clearance | margin on the free unit |
| Free shipping threshold | AOV | shipping cost |
| Gift with purchase | perceived value, loyalty | GWP cost |
| Tiered (spend more, save more) | AOV | complexity |
3. Margin check — the math: discounted price, margin after discount, and the break-even uplift (how many more units you must sell to come out ahead). Show the formula + a worked example with placeholders.
4. Audience & segments — who gets it (all, new, lapsed, VIP) and any exclusions.
5. Channels & assets — where it runs and what's needed (email, on-site banner, ads, marketplace), with the core message per channel.
6. Timeline — teaser → launch → reminder → last-chance → end, with dates and owners.
7. Messaging — the hook/headline and the urgency/scarcity angle (honest, not fake).
8. Measurement — what to track (revenue, units, new customers, margin, redemption) and the read-out after.
Quality Checks
- The offer mechanic is chosen to serve the stated objective, not by default
- Margin after discount is checked, with the break-even uplift shown
- Audience and any exclusions are defined (don't discount buyers who'd pay full price)
- Timing has a clear arc and end — scarcity is real, not fabricated
- A success metric and post-promo read-out are defined
- Margin numbers are formula + worked example with placeholders, not invented results
Anti-Patterns
- Do not discount without the margin math — a deep cut can lose money on every order
- Do not pick a percentage by reflex — match the mechanic to the goal (AOV vs. acquisition vs. clearance)
- Do not blast everyone — discounting full-price buyers is margin you didn't need to give away
- Do not fake urgency/scarcity — countdowns that reset and "last chance" that isn't erode trust
- Do not run a promo with no success metric — you won't know whether to repeat it
Based On
Retail promotion & pricing practice — objective-led offer design, margin/break-even analysis, segmentation, and measurement.