The Shelf · 2026 edition

Eighteen chapters, open to read

The whole book, chapter by chapter. No form, no gate. Where no becomes how.

Part I, The Thinking (1 to 7). Part II, The Mechanics (8 to 13). Part III, The Craft (14 to 18).

1. 01The Three-Second Truth
   How shoppers decide on a sales promotion
2. 02One Lead Job
   The six objectives of a sales promotion, and why one must lead
3. 03The Two Pilots
   Prize draw, cashback or gift with purchase: who each one is really for
4. 04Friction Funds Generosity
   How to fund a bigger promotion: claim gates, slippage and promotion insurance
5. 05The Creative and the Engine
   How to plan a promotional campaign that keeps its promise
6. 06The Five Levers
   Why sales promotions work, why they fail, and how to tell which
7. 07The Impossible Brief
   Promotional strategies for the brief that cannot be done
8. 08Breakers
   Product sampling, free trials and money back guarantees: how to get a stranger to try you
9. 09Builders
   Collectables, loyalty stamp cards and repeat purchase: how to bring a shopper back, and back again
10. 10Loaders
    Multibuys, bundles and gift with purchase: how to grow the basket without just filling the pantry
11. 11Harvesters
    First-party data, consent and the competition entry form: how to collect customer data a brand can actually use
12. 12Keepers
    Customer loyalty programs and retention strategies: how to keep good customers without pretending to be their friend
13. 13The Headliners
    Brand awareness campaigns: how a sales promotion gets people talking, and how to measure it
14. 14The New Gatekeepers
    Trade marketing promotions: how to win retailer support when the retailer runs the promotion
15. 15The Scoreboard
    Marketing ROI for sales promotions: how to measure sales uplift, and what entries cannot tell you
16. 16The Rulebook
    Trade promotion rules in Australia: permits, terms and conditions, consumer law and privacy
17. 17The Dark Art and the Machine
    AI in marketing promotions: what it can do for ideas, and where it stops
18. 18The Toolbox
    A promotion checklist, a pre-mortem, build or buy, and launch readiness