Marketing Communications Assignment - (Solution)

MARKETING
COMMUNICATION

INTRODUCTION
Marketing communication is defined as the tactics which is used by organisations to
convey information and messages about their brand, services and products to the customers
either in a direct or indirect manner. This will benefits the companies in persuading consumers to
purchase their services or products. It involves different mediums which are adopted by
organisations to exchange information regarding their brand and products with business partners
and clients (Ashley and Tuten, 2015). This assignment is carried out in context with BMW
which is a German based multinational organisation operating in auto-mobile sector. At present,
company is manufacturing motorcycles and auto-mobiles. Company was established in 1916 and
headquartered in Munich, Germany. This report will include range of products in organisational
context, analysis of specific product and the profiling of a specific target market. Also, critical
evaluation of effectiveness, features and characteristics of marketing communication tool is
performed. Beside it, strategic marketing communication plan is prepared along with evaluation
of elements related with communication process with the help of theories and relevant processes.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
Analyse organisation's range of product and specific product along with profiling of target
market
Marketing communication is referred to those techniques and tactics that are used by a
business person or an organisations so that promotional messages and other information about
their services & product can be conveyed. There are different types of marketing communication
techniques that helps in conveying promotional messages to large number of people in limited
time period. Marketing communication will benefits customers in acknowledging different
aspects like need of product, way to use product, target audience, right time and place to use
product etc. There are some important points which are required to be considered to manage
effective marketing communication such as feedback, design and persuasive messages
(Blakeman, 2018).
Marketing communications are messages and associated media which is required to
communicate within market. It will benefits BMW in sustaining a stable customer base for the
brand by influencing their buying behaviour with the help of highlighting benefits. Other than
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that, it will benefits the company in maintaining good relation with retailers, customers,
prospects and other essential stakeholders.
Organisational range of product
BMW was found in 1916 and its headquarter is situated in Munich, Germany. Company
is a market leader in producing motorcycles and auto-mobiles. From different reports, it has been
concluded that company is twelfth biggest producer of auto-mobile and other vehicles. There are
wide range of vehicles and their models under the brand name of BMW. Their products are
available in different ranges, models and specifications. Different range or segment related with
BMW includes, sports car, a Sedan, a SUV etc. Different series are BMW 3, BMW M, BMW
E30, E36, E46, E90, E92, E93 and F80 3-series, BMW X3, BMW Z1, BMW 507, BMW Z8,
BMW Z3, BMW Z4, BMW X6 active hybrid, BMW M5, BMW 535i, BMW 1 series, BMW
X5 , BMW E9, BMW X6, BMW Z8, BMW 5 series, BMW M1 and M6, BMW Z3, BMW 7
series, BMW 760, BMW 600, BMW 328, BMW 507, BMW 3200 CS, BMW 750, BMW 745i
E23, BMW 6 series, BMW X5, BMW Z1, Brilliance BS6, Mini E, BMW 3 series, BMW new
class, BMW 8 series, BMW compact, BMW 2002tii, BMW i8, BMW i8 COUPE, roadster etc.
Analysis of specific product
Out of all the products offered by BMW, specific product that will be considered is
BMW i8 which is a hybrid sports car manufactures by company in 2013. It is also known as
BMW vision efficientdyanmics. This model posses a 7.1 Kwh lithium in battery which will
provide an electric range of 37 km. Designing partners of this car are vision efficiency dynamics,
Richard Kim and Benoit Jacob. This product was launched as grand tourer class having butterfly
doors. Range of this car is 500 km in comfort mode where as more than 600 km in Eco pro
mode. Electric range of this plug-in hybrid model is 37 km and 24 km. Length, breadth and
height specification of this car is around 4689 mm, 1942 mm, 1298mm etc. Predecessor of this
model are BMW vision efficient dynamics and M1 model (Blakeman, 2018). These product of
company is sell in around 50 countries out of which largest sale market is expected in US. Some
models under BMW i8 are BMW i8 concept which was launched in 2011, BMW i8 concept
spyder unveiled in 2012, BMW i8 coupe prototype in 2013 .
Profiling of target market
Market profiling is defined as different set of attributes related with targeted population,
in business context, it is related with a specific group of buyers. Market profiling involves
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different demographic factors such as age, gender, income and geographic factors like a specific
region, psycho-graphic factors such as needs and values. A target market is defined as a group
of individuals whose needs matches with the services and products offered by the company. In
order to achieve high profitability and revenues, company offer their products to the needy
people. In this way, welfare of both sides is maintained. Market profiling is very essential before
formulating a marketing plan. As with the help of market profiling, manager in BMW can
understand the clients in accordance with their nature, attitude and behaviours. Hence, it will be
beneficial for the company to segment its market on the basis of demography. Under it, company
can target their customers on the basis of their income. As cars manufactured by BMW are very
costly, BMW is going to target rich people belonging form high class society (Fill and Turnbull,
2016).
Critically evaluate features, characteristics and effectiveness of marketing tools
Marketing communication tools:
These are referred to the different marketing tactics and tools like online marketing,
public relation activities, advertising to promote their brand and services to wider audience in a
timely and clear manner. To implement marketing communication tools, it is vital for an
organisation to have appropriate interaction and communication with the customers. It is used to
promote the services and products of a company. Every organisation posses a marketing
communication department which has the duty to plan, develop and implement these tools in a
desired manner. Different marketing tools that can be used by BMW are sales promotion,
advertising, direct mail, public relation etc. Their feature, characteristics and effectiveness is
defined below:
Advertising: It is most widely used marketing communication tool which can be used by
business organisations in order to convey promotional message to large number of audience. To
achieve better outcomes, BMW can use any type of advertising such as magazines, radio,
newspaper, television, internet. It helps in enhancing the awareness about products. With the
help of advertisements, customers can be acknowledged about the specifications of the product.
With this, brand image can be enhanced in a desired way (Iyer, Velu and Mumit, 2014).
Characteristics:
 Appeal to emotions: Persuasion usually needs connectivity with emotional or rational
emotive of a person in a purchasing situation. Emotional appeal can target customers in a
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more specific manner. By focusing on benefits associated with product, BMW can
enhances its sales and revenues.
 Wide applicability: Advertising is a widely used and popular way to communicate with
the target market. Other than using it as a way to grab the attention of customers for a
specific product or service. It can be widely used by governmental agencies, academic
and other educational institutions to attract targeted public in a desired manner.
Advantage:
 It will be an advantageous tool for i8 in expanding their market. This will not only
benefits in in maximising sales but it will also helps the company in gaining competitive
advantage over rival companies.
Disadvantage:
 Various advertising are misleading customers about their false features and product
offering quality. This can impacts the sales of i8 in a negative manner as customers will
shift their preference towards other products if they will find misleading information
from BMW regarding their products.
Sales promotion: It is a direct communicating tool which is used to interact and
communicate with customers in a direct manner so that their product can be promoted. These are
widely used in retail industries. In case of BMW, company can use this marketing
communication tool to promote their products with the help of telemarketing, free gift vouchers,
distribution of free samples and providing temporary discounts.
Characteristics:
 Time orientation: Sales promotions are performed for a short time period as they are
carried out to attain immediate revenues. Within regular time period, a product replace
other products in accordance with demand (Lusch and Vargo, 2014).
 Multiple objectives: It is directed to attain multiple objectives such as maintaining sales
and revenues in off season, to enhance sales, in order to gain competitive benefits form
rivals, to improve brand image etc.
Advantage:
 It benefits in creating a quicker and better impact as free samples and discounted rates
can allure the customers to purchase fast. It assists in supplementing and supporting both
personal selling and advertising.
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Disadvantage:
 This method is non recurrent in nature therefore it is not possible to use it in a continuous
manner. Marketer is required to use a specific sale promotion tactic and require to
implement on a specific time period.
Direct marketing: It is a promotional tactics which is used to present information about
service, company and product to the targeted clients without taking help of any advertising
middleman. There are different forms of direct marketing such as catalogues, fliers, post cards,
Emails, newsletters, phone calls, text message etc.
Characteristics:
 One to one communication: Extensive use of data to target, address and create relevant
promotion message will benefits BMW in attaining intimate and closeness with the
customers.
 Personalisation: Direct marketing helps in enhancing the meaning and relevancy of the
products in front of customers. There is a relation among relevancy and customer
engagement. More relevant information will benefits BMW in increasing the engagement
of customers towards their product.
Advantage:
 Customers can be provided specific information and messages in accordance to their
buying behaviour and demographics. It will helps in targeting people according to the
product and its usage (McKay-Nesbitt and Yoon, 2015).
Disadvantage:
 It is intrusive and annoying method of advertising. In case of door to door sales and
telemarketing, it is a challenging and time consuming task. As BMW is a big firm, it do
not uses marketing tactics like telemarketing, phone calls, door to door service etc.
AIDA Model
This model is widely used by marketers to identify different stages associated with
selling of products. These stages are experienced by the customers. This model was formulated
by Elmo Lewis in 1898. main objective of this model is to enhance the sales of product by
interacting with buyer and sellers in a desired manner. It is a process which identifies different
stages by which a customer passes while purchasing a product or service. Different stages
associated with this model are mentioned below:
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 Awareness: It is associated with the aspect that first impression of a product on
customers is the last impression. Hence, it is essential for the companies to offer those
products to clients which can gain wide attention form customers. In this regard, BMW
can promote its products on internet advertisements, magazines etc.
 Interest : When organisation is able to develop awareness in front of clients, then it
enhances the interest of customers towards the service of product. In order to increase
interest of customers towards BMW i8, company is required to provide free test drives to
their potential buyers so that their interest can enhance.
 Desire : If interest of the customers has raised for a product then, it will became easy for
seller to persuade customer for purchasing that product. Therefore, Manager of company
is required to create desire in customer's mind regarding i8 by specifying its special
features which will specify its class and status (Royle and Laing, 2014).
 Action : In this step, as the desire and requirement has been created then their interest
will be transformed into an action i.e. sale of product. During this stage, the company will
communicate with the buyer about the product i.e. BMW i8, consider all their queries and
solves them by providing satisfying solutions to the customer. In this the final sale is
made.
TASK 2
Formulation of strategic marketing communication plan
Communication plan is an organisations strategic plan which helps the organisation to
communicate with their target market in an efficient and effective manner. It involves spanning
that is being done in order to ensure that the business have an organised plan of actions which
will help them to accomplish the business gaols and objectives. The communication which is
being developed by BMW can be elaborated below-
Mission : The mission of the business is to be the world's leading provider of premium
products and services for individual mobility.
Vision : The vision of the BMW i8 to make the driving experience of people astonishing
and fascinating by providing premium products.
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make the driving experience of the individuals astonishing and fascinating and renders
theoretical visual percept into the future.
Business objectives : The main objective of the business is to make people believe in the
art of driving which will boost their sales and profitability by encouraging more number of
customers towards their products.
Segmentation, targeting and positioning
Segmentation : The process of segmentation involves segmenting the larger market into
smaller one by identification of markets which tends to share similar needs and wants. Under this
the elements that posses similar characteristics and features are being combined together. For
example the organisation will segment market on the basis of demographic basis under this
BMWi8 will segment the market as per the age group by taking into the consideration the age
group of people that range between 25 years to 50 years in age (Todorova, 2015). Then further
the segmentation can be done on the basis of gender which include both male and female
segments that are involved in highly skilled professions and have high level of income and jobs.
It can be further segmented on the basis of behavioural segments the BMW i8 is segmenting
market on the basis markets consumption pattern of the individuals which is going to be reacted
with luxury, design, style and safety. After this the segmentation will be done on basis of
Psychograhic segmentation. The market will be segmented by BMW i8 in concern with social
class they will relate to the upper class segment of people who can be influence by the their
luxury product offerings.
Targeting : This segment involve identification and analysis of the target market that
needs customised marketing campaign which will help to attract individuals towards the business
product offerings. Thus, BMW i8 will target people who are successful in the market and the
individual who are aspiring fro luxury cars. Thy will target individual ranging between the age
group of 25 years to 50 years and they have higher level of income. They will also target young
people an people who are influenced by status, class and quality of product rather then the price.
Positioning : BMW have already been in business for a along period of time and have
strong image in the minds of customers. It will want to position it's cars as a car which not only
offers high performance but also offers premium experience and price. It will be influencing
those customers that want luxury, safety , quality and reliability features in their car.
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SWOT Analysis
It refers to a strategic analysis planing tools and technique which is used to help an
individual and an organisation to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for
project planning and business competition. In BMW, the management department of the
company can use this model for analysing the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities of
BMW i8. This analysis is as following:
Strengths- the strengths of BMW i8 is that this vehicle run entirely on battery day to day
use and engine kicks in only when high performance is demanded. The deign and styling of this
vehicle is make it more attractive. It packed with next-gen-technologies.
Weaknesses- the cost of this vehicle is high which make it more expensive so the sales of
this product is less. Small distribution channel and expensive environment are the weakness of it
(Uzunoğlu and Kip, 2014).
Opportunities- By showing environment consciousness can provide various opportunities
for the business of this product. The national authorities crackdown to make cars more flue
efficient.
Threats- The main threat of this product in the market is competitors like Porsche 918
Spyder, tesla model S, Honda Acura NSX, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Jaguar and others. Lack of
power outdates in various nations to recharge it is an another threat for this vehicle.
Marketing mix of BMW
Product – BMW is one of the most desirable auto mobile manufacturer in the world.
Company is mainly focused on manufacturing high luxury automotive across the world. BMW
I8 is most high performance electric vehicle across the world as it has engine of 350 HP which
can prove profitable for the company in maintaining good brand image in front of government.
Price- Company is known as a premium product provider in auto mobile industry. All
vehicles are priced at premium as compare to its competitors. Price of BMW I8 is approx.
116000 pound in UK. Management is using premium pricing policy for selling this product in
the market.
Place – BMW is basically operating their operations in across the world but its I8 model
is firstly released in Germany and now it is available across the world like Australia, China, UK
etc.
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Promotion- BMW is a renown brand and has a strong market presence across the world.
Company does not provide any advertisements whereas, management use event sponsorship for
advertising its I8 vehicle like they have sponsored a F1 team in car racing competitions.
Physical evidence – Firm sells its products in a distinct colour so that it can easily
identified by desired customers. Company also offers its I8 vehicle on its online website which
allows the customers to view all description or informations in different angles.
Process – Management of BMW has implemented inventory control system in their each
outlets so that retailers can notify when level of inventory is low at outlet. Management have
implemented innovative manufacturing technologies in the production of I vehicles so that
energy efficient vehicles can be produced in effective manner.
People – Company have employed around 130000 employees across the world and they
provide effective training to their employees. So that brand image as a best service provider in
the world has been maintained.
Consumer buying behaviour process
It is a decision making process and used by customers when they purchase goods and
products. There are various steps of this process and they are as following:
Problem recognition- This is the first step in which consumers identified their needs and
the reason to believe that what they want. In context of BMW i8, they finding out the reason that
they require only this vehicle (Vernuccio and Ceccotti, 2015).
Information search- When problem is recognised, the consumer search process begins.
For example, if a person find out its need that the individual want BMW i8 then in information
search step, the customer gather information about this product that what is new in this product.
Evaluation of alternatives- After collecting information about BMW i8, the customers
do evaluation of brands and monitor different features of this product like technologies,
performance, price, brand reputation, brand history, speed per hour, gear transmission system
and others.
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Source: Consumer buying behaviour process,(2017).
Purchase decision- This is the next stage, in it after determining and analysing about the
brand and gathering proper information about the product when the customer are satisfied then
the individual take decision to purchase it.
Purchase- When the research of the consumer has been completed, the person take
decision to buy the vehicle. In this stage, the customer go to agency and showroom of BMW and
purchase vehicle.
Post purchase evaluation- This is the last stage, in it after purchasing the product,
customer will either be satisfied or dissatisfied. If the vehicle provide good service then the
individual have positive experience and provide satisfaction whereas the service will not be good
then it provide negative experience and the customer build a bad image and perception towards
it. If the customer will not satisfied then the individual will follow again the process of
consumer buying behaviour.
Evaluate elements of communication process in global context
Elements of communication process
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Communication is the process involves process that is taken by organisation in order to
successful communicate their products offerings to customers. There are different elements in
the communication that will be used by BMW i8 in order to communicates with customer. The
elements can be elaborated below-
Sender: sender is the person who undertake the initiative of sending message. Basically
he is the person who sends or transmits or sends the message. The message that will be
transmitted needs to be in order and it should involve right posture and gestures. BMW i8 will
use this process under this they needs to take necessary steps in which the sender will initiate the
message which will b transmitted. After this the sender will be encoding the message in such a
manner that receiver understand it in effective manner and should understand what BMW i8
want to communicate to it's customers in the market.
Message: under this BMW i8 will undertake the next step. In this the message which
contains information in the from of word or it may be in the from of speech. It can also be sign
symbol which depends upon the situation. It is heart of the entire communication process as it
comprises of the content that the sender wants to send to the receiver.
Encoding : under this step the BMW i8 will use the medium form which can be either
verbal or written which will depend on situation,time, space and the nature of the message.
Sender will use different feature in the message such as picture or words in order to
communicate with the receiver. It is an important step in the communication process and if this
step is not taken with care it may defeat the true intent of the message.
Channel: This involves the channel by which the message will be transmitted by sender
to the receiver. It basically involves the way or mode the message will flow from sender to
receiver. The message can be transformed through different modes such as computer, television
or telephonic applications.
Receiver : Receiver is the person to whom the message is being communicated. In BMW
i8 is the sender of the message and the receiver are the listener or the viewers. It s also defined as
other end of the entire process
Decoding : In BMW i8 will convert the message into intangible language. It simply
involves comprehending the message after which the message is being transmitted to receiver
they tent to understand the meaning of the message.
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Feedback : Under this message BMW i8 will analyse the responses of the customers for
whom the entire communication process was done. It sis an crucial element without which the
business will not be able to find out if their message is being communicated in an effective
manner. It will also help the bushiness to gain insight about customers opinion.
CONCLUSION
From above mentioned report, it has been concluded that marketing communication tools
benefits an organisation in promoting their products and services in a desired manner. There are
different marketing tolls such as advertising, personal selling, direct marketing etc. that helps in
gaining the attention of customers in a desired manner. A strategic marketing communication
plan will benefits an organisation in in achieving their aims and objectives in a desired manner
with the help of clear vision and mission. There are different stages associated with consumer
buying behaviour that benefits the company in influencing buying behaviour of consumers.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Blakeman, R. (2018). Integrated marketing communication: creative strategy from idea to
implementation. Rowman & Littlefield.
Fill, C., and Turnbull, S. L. (2016). Marketing communications: brands, experiences and
participation. Pearson.
Iyer, S., Velu, C., and Mumit, A. (2014). Communication and marketing of services by religious
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marketing, and communication journals, 1980 to 2010. Journal of advertising.43(3).
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Todorova, G. (2015). Marketing communication mix. Trakia Journal of Sciences.13(1). 368-374.
Uzunoğlu, E., and Kip, S. M. (2014). Brand communication through digital influencers:
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Vernuccio, M., and Ceccotti, F. (2015). Strategic and organisational challenges in the integrated
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Online
Consumer Buying Process. 2017. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.business2community.com/consumer-marketing/six-stages-consumer-buying-
process-market-0811565>.
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