PERSONAL SALES, ADDITIONAL PROMOTION, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PUBLICITY AS ELEMENTS OF HORTICULTURAL SEED COMPANIES’ PROMOTION ON THE POLISH MARKET

This research was conducted in the years 2001–2005 with the main goal to estimate the importance of personal sales, additional promotion and public relations as elements of seed companies’ promotion in the Polish market. The personal sales used in marketing activities in seed companies had two forms: passive and active. It was used only in contact with professional gardeners. The additional sale promotion included many tools, often used at the same time. In the case of the amateur gardeners, the most common sale promotion tool was an increase in seed weight in small seed bags while keeping the same price. For the professional gardeners, the most important sale promotion tool was a field day meeting organized by seed companies, especially the foreign ones, as well as participation in fairs and branch exhibitions. The sale promotion tools for seed wholesalers included mainly discounts based on the selling results of the former year. The seed companies also paid attention to public relations by using various activities.