Burberry's Marketing Communications Strategy

This assignment examines Burberry's marketing communication strategies, highlighting their emphasis on digital marketing. It explores how the company utilizes a website, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and other digital channels to promote and advertise its products and services. The analysis emphasizes Burberry's adoption of integrated marketing communications to create a cohesive brand experience across various touchpoints.

Marketing
Communications

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................2
Marketing Communications Activities.......................................................................................2
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
Marketing Communications Integration.....................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
The heart of every business success lies in its marketing. Most aspects of any business
depends on successful marketing strategies. Marketing communications are the messages and
related media used to communicate with a market. In this report the Burberry group is chosen to
explain about the marketing communications. The company is the leading British luxury brand
globally, operating in the fashion industry. It is public sector company and headquarter in
London, England, UK. Different products of the firm are ready-to-wear outerwear, fashion
accessories, fragrances, sunglasses, and cosmetics.
The report describes different tools of the marketing communications activities which are
adopted by the Burberry company in its organization to advertise or promote its products. The
selected company is using the integrated marketing communication model where it gives the
same message to all the customers or its product users.
TASK 1
Marketing Communications Activities
Marketing communication is a fundamental and complex part of a company's marketing
efforts. Marketing communication includes advertising, direct marketing, branding, packaging,
online presence, printed material, sales presentations, sponsorship, trade show appearances and
more (Eagle and et.al, 2014). Marketing communications uses different marketing channels and
tools in combination. The channels focus on any way a business communicates a message to its
desired market, or the market in general.
The fashion company is chosen to explain marketing communications activities,
company is Burberry Group. The Burberry group is a public company and is an English luxury
fashion house, headquarters in London, England. The company served its products and services
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Illustratio
n 1: Logo of Burberry

across the world. Its main fashion house focuses on and distributes ready-to-wear, outwear,
fashion accessories, fragrances, sunglasses and cosmetics. It operates under 3 sub-brands that are
Burberry prorsum, Burberry London and Burberry Brit. Marketing starts with pre-launch
research about the marketplace, which help to develop communications efforts (Ang, 2014).
Marketing communications activities or strategies of the selected group are following under:
1. The Four P's: Marketing is often divided into four main activities: product development,
pricing strategy, place of sale selection and promotions efforts. The early stages of marketing
include target customer and competitor research, product development, pricing analyses and
distribution channel strategies. The scope of four P's is most widely because normally all
companies uses this tool. It is an initial tool for marketing and promoting the products and
services. So, from this the company is promoting the products and services. In evaluating the
approach is very effective and efficient for the company because it impresses to the customers at
the earlier stage and effectively (Pery, 2014). By this the customers more attract and the selling is
increase of the Burberry group.
2. Advertising: Advertising consists of creating targeted messages and placing them in the
specific media vehicles. Company control its message, because it pays others to run or place it
rather than help communicate it. Advertising includes newspapers and magazines, on websites,
on billboards and in broadcast outlets, on building and vehicles, and using direct mail. The
company is doing advertising from the websites. It launched new Burberry.com site. By this the
company communicate or deliver the information regarding all the products and services.
In today's market scenario more or less all people using internet and browsing. The
marketing strategy adopted by the firm is having a wider scope across the globe. By this tool
every person can see all the informations of the company's products and services within few
minutes without and physical interactions. Hence, the advertising has a wider scope for all
businesses in the world. The strategy is most beneficial for the selected organization. With the
help of the website marketing the company is relied from the physically work.
3. Promotions: Promotions includes activities that encourage product trials and purchases or put
the business name in front of potential customers in a more direct manner than advertising.
Examples of promotions include in-store specials and sales, sponsoring events, groups and
leagues, offering free samples, attending trade shows and festivals and holding contents (Fill and
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Hughes, 2008). Unlike advertising, promotions don't rely on printed or spoken messages
communicated in one-way fashion; rather, they rely more on two-way interaction. Under this
company is participating in the exhibition shows also to promote its products.
Promotions is the best option for the marketing communication activities. It directly
communicates with the people, here the selected company is promoting through the sponsorship,
sample templates, trade shows etc. It has wider scope because promotion activities are done at
the public place. For example, if a social event is organizing then obviously there will be rush. At
that event the company sponsor so it gives the direct information to the public. So, it is activity
where company no need to bear much extra cost and the promotion is also done.
4. Public Relations: Public relations activities try to bridge the gap between advertising and
promotion by getting others to discuss company in positive ways. Offering a youth scholarship is
a nice thing for the business to do, but its public relations goal is to improve firm's stature in the
market and to get free publicity when news outlets run stories on programme (Caemmerer,
2009). Common public relations tools include press release sent to media outlets and newsletters,
sent to potential and current customers.
To make a strong public relations is a very important part of any business. Through the
strong public relations the promoting and advertising is effectively done into the market. For
every business its compulsory to make an effective public relation, which is very helpful to
advertising and promoting the products and services in marketplace.
5. Digital Marketing: Digital marketing is an umbrella term for the marketing of products or
services using digital technologies, mainly on the internet, but also including mobile phones,
display advertising, and any other digital medium. Digital marketing campaigns are becoming
more prevalent as well as efficient, as digital platforms are increasingly incorporated into
marketing plans and everyday life, and as people use digital devices of going to physical stores.
The company is using the digital marketing to advertise its products. Burberry has
completely on board with digital and embraced innovative marketing techniques blurring the
boundary between its online environment and physical stores. The tool is having a most wide
scope in current market, because mostly person are interested in the browsing and buy the
products online (Kitchen and Proctor, 2015). The company is focussing on the digital marketing,
under this company have a separate page on the Facebook, twitter and other social media sites.
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The company having a website on the internet that is Burberry.com, which is one of the finest
fashion websites on internet. Through this tool of advertising the company rely for advertisement
as well as other extra manpower. It is one of the best tool of advertising according to the current
market scenario.
6. Continued Transformation of Fashion Shows: A fashion show is an event put on by a
fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion
shows debut every season, particularly the spring or summer and fall or winter seasons. This is
where the latest fashion trends are made. The Burberry company is operating into the fashion
industry, so it is important tool for the company. Under this strategy the company organizes the
fashion shows where it launches new fashions with the help of models.
It is also having a wide scope, where people can know about the new outfit or new
garments produced by the organization. With help of this company advertise as well as promote
the products. The selected organization is organized the fashion show on the continuously basis
such as on the launch of new garment, launch of new fashions, launch of the transformed
garments etc. it is attractive for the customers and helps to company in increasing the sales (Fill,
2011).
7. Burberry use more of a viral marketing approach – it is not often that people see on
television advertisements or billboards promoting the brand, yet there are always banners on
fashion websites (as well as print advertisements in the same magazines) which advertise
Burberry. As well as this, the brand appear at fashion weeks around the world without fail, and
also host their own shows to showcase new lines. This means that they are always in the press
(whether that be fashion magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc.) and therefore have constant
coverage. Burberry rely hugely on celebrity endorsements, and they helped the brand win back
their reputation after their downfall. The selected organization is adopted another strategies also
such as Extended luxury leadership position in social media, where the company makes the
strong and effective leadership position to advertise and promote products in the social media
sites. It uses further digitisation of the brand. Hence, in short, it can be said that the Burberry
company is mainly focusing on the digital marketing to advertise of the products.
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Task 2
Marketing Communications Integration
Integrated marketing communications is a synchronized system that essentially links all
of a brand's marketing communications together for maximum total impact on the consumer
(Danaher and Rossiter, 2011). This marketing strategy ensures that every part of the brand's
image is not only cohesive, but also effective. When integrated marketing communications
strategy is used correctly, it creates consistency throughout all of a brand's marketing tools.
Brands like to use the integrated marketing process often because it leads to the greater success
of their overall marketing strategies. It is an approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing
campaign, through a well coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to
reinforce each other at the same time. Through the model company is able to recognize the value
of a comprehensive plan that would evaluates the strategic roles of variety of communication
disciplines for the following: advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion
and combines them to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communication report. This
style of marketing is becoming more and more important because media fragmentation and
exposure have begun to desensitize consumers (Karjaluoto, Mustonen and Ulkuniemi, 2015).
Consistency in integrated marketing does not mean lack of creativity.
The selected organization is adopted the Integrated marketing communication to convey
the message to consumers about products and services it offering. The company using some tools
or elements which are helpful in communication process, the tools are following below:
1. Media: An integrated campaign makes use of the full range of communication media to
perform specific roles. Advertising raises awareness of a product and generates leads for follow
up. It reinforces advertising by expanding follow up mechanism to the advertising campaign and
offers more detailed information to prospects via brochures or links to a website. Telemarketing
and sales support material, such as sales and product guides, help the sales force to follow up the
strongest prospects. Newsletters and email campaigns help to maintain contact and build
relationships with prospects until the consumers are ready to buy.
2. Consistent Messages: Consistency of message is one of the most important elements of the
integrated marketing communication. The copy style and content should be consistent across all
media. When prospects read an advertisement, visit a website, pick up a leaflet or take a call
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from a telemarketing specialist, they should perceive the same product descriptions and benefit
statements in each communication (Rodriguez, 2012). The company is having website
Burberry.com. The website is a most widely way of integrated marketing communication, which
is help to the customers and very easy to know about the new products.
3. Design Consistency: Consistency is a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or
parts. The company gaol as a designer is to create order, to make it easy for consumers to find
the information they are looking for. Consistency can help to Burberry to achieve the goal.
Design consistency also is important. Using the same colours, photographs and other visual
elements helps to reinforce the important campaign messages and links the various campaign
elements together. As a bonus, design consistency can help reduce campaign costs by specifying
standard elements and reusing visual material across the media.
4. Reinforcement: Reinforcement is a key element. Integrated marketing communication ensures
that all the elements of a marketing campaign work together to achieve objectives and deliver
results. A campaign to improve sales through a retail network, for example, would include
retailer training guides, templates for local advertising and direct marketing. Sales incentives for
the retailer sales force, and advertising that drives business to the retail network (Hede and
Kellett, 2011). It is also helpful for the selected organization in communicate with the
consumers, by which the sales will increase and simultaneously the ratio of profit will also
increase.
5. Sales Alignment: in business-to-business marketing, the purchasing process can be lengthy
and complex, involving different decision-makers and influencers. Integrated marketing
communication helps company's sales team to provide the information that decision-makers need
at each stage of the purchasing process. In a typical scenario, the buying team establishes its
requirements, prepares a specification and short list of potential suppliers, evaluates proposals,
and makes a final assessment of the most suitable suppliers. An integrated campaign aligns the
communication program with the purchasing process at each stage to ensure success.
The integrated marketing communication is very useful for the Burberry company or
every organization (Wu, Wen and Junsong, 2015). It conveys appropriate message to the
consumers about the products and helps in achieving the goal of organization.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
From the above summary it analysed that company is mainly focus on the digital
marketing for advertisement of the products. Over the past couple of years it seems that Burberry
have been acknowledging a decline in their sales faster than any other luxury goods brand when
being compared. To advertise by only digital marketing can be a reason of declining sales, so
company should use the another tool also for advertise about the products. The company should
give the advertisement by the hard copies such as by newspapers, articles, templates etc., for all
this company has to bear the cost but instead of that it conveys message to that consumers also,
who are not using any social media sites. It can be recommend to the company that it should
adopt the promotion strategy as well as offline marketing. Promotion strategy are at the public
places and at the events, where too much public is together. Promotion of the products is helpful
because all persons, who are internet users or non users can know about the products and
services of the selected organization. By which the sales will increase and profit as well as.
CONCLUSION
It can be summarized from the above analysis that the Burberry company, which is the
leading British luxury brand worldwide is using the marketing communications activities to
promote and advertise its products and services. The company is using mainly digital marketing
which is a tool of advertisements. With the help of digital marketing the company advertise its
products. Digital marketing adopted by company under which it has a website on internet i.e.
Burberry.com. The company has the page on the Facebook, twitter and other social networking
sites. It can be concluded that the company is using integrated marketing communication in
organization to advertise and promote the products and services.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Ang L., 2014. Integrated Marketing Communications: A focus on new technologies and
advanced theories. Cambridge University Press.
Caemmerer B., 2009. The planning and implementation of integrated marketing
communications. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 27(4). pp.524-538.
Danaher P.J. and Rossiter J.R., 2011. Comparing perceptions of marketing communication
channels. European Journal of Marketing. 45(1/2). pp.6-42.
Eagle L. and et. al., 2014. Marketing Communications. Routledge.
Fill C. and Hughes G., 2008. Marketing Communications. Routledge.
Fill C., 2011. Essentials of Marketing Communications. Pearson Education Limited.
Hede A.M. and Kellett P., 2011. Marketing Communications for special events: Analysing
managerial practice, consumer perceptions and preferences. European Journal of
Marketing. 45(6). pp.987-1004.
Karjaluoto H., Mustonen N. and Ulkuniemi P., 2015. The role of digital channels in industrial
marketing communications. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing. 30(6).
pp.703-710.
Kitchen P.J. and Proctor T., 2015. Marketing Communications in a post-modern world. Journal
of Business Strategy. 36(5). pp.34-42.
Pery L., 2014. Strategic Integrated Marketing Communications. Routledge.
Wu J., Wen N. and Junsong C., 2015. Exploring the effectiveness of consumer creativity in
online marketing communications. European Journal of Marketing. 49(1/2). pp.262-
276.
Online
Rodriguez B., 2012. Integrated Marketing Communications. [Online]. Available through:
<http://bianirys.blogspot.in/2012/11/chapter-16-intergrated-marketing.html>
[Assessed on 11 Nov. 2016].
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