Marketing Communication: Strategies and Channels

Marketing

Contents
Marketing communication....................................................................................................................2
Advertising.........................................................................................................................................2
Direct marketing................................................................................................................................3
Sales promotion.................................................................................................................................3
Personal selling..................................................................................................................................4
Design communication objectives association with organisation situation...............5
Reason of choosing the marketing channels.........................................................................................7
Marketing communications plan...........................................................................................................9
Evaluation of marketing communication plan.....................................................................................12
References...........................................................................................................................................14
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Marketing communication
Marketing communication is a basic and complex part of organisation`s marketing efforts.
Marketing communication is described as all the messages and media that the company
deploy to communicate in the market. This includes advertising, branding, packaging, Public
relations, sponsorships, sales and direct marketing. The main goal of marketing
communication is to reach the potential audience that affect the behaviour by persuading,
reminding, and informing. As a marketing manager, it is important for the company to make
effective marketing communication plan that rely on push or pull strategy. Sound
management decisions have to be made for three areas of marketing mix that is product,
service and the idea itself. Only the best promotional strategies cannot overcome the poor
product quality, unsuitable high prices, and ineffective retail distribution (Mars, 2013).
Advertising
Advertisements can be effective if companies use advertisements to sell the products and
services. While designing the advertisement, it ensures that it has a high impact, memorable,
and provocative image. The picture should reflect the brand value and relevant to target the
audience. Although this promotional activity is paid but effective advertisements emerge
through newspaper, magazines, TV, and wading through online websites. Moreover,
company should realise that once advertisements are reviewed as potential for the business, it
will attract the potential customers. The use of images in the advertisements have
differentiated the products from the other similar products that have same characteristics
because way of presenting can differentiate the product. Moreover, it helps to maintain brand
equity, which is intangible and have resulted in a favourable image and consumer attachment
for the brand, company and the trademark. This led to greater sales volume, high margin, and
greater competitive advantage. Whereas, on the other hand, cost can be a greater
disadvantage for the advertisements. For example- while calculating the cost, average cost for
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a minute spot on the network television have been increasing since last 30 years. Moreover,
the cost of producing it for a network television is also high and expensive. Credibility and
clutter are other more disadvantages as consumers have started doubting on advertisement
messages and have resented the advertisers against their attempts to persuade. Clutter
encourages the consumers to avoid the advertisement messages, which lead to YouTube, and
digital video recorders but consumers often skip these commercial ads (Schmelz, 2015).
Direct marketing
Direct marketing is the method of communicating it directly with the target audience that
encouraged the response by mail, telephone or any electronic means. It is important because
of three main reasons. First is the number of 2/3rd households has increased drastically.
Approximately, six out of every ten women in US works outside home, which further reduces
the time for family shopping trips (UN women, 2012). Moreover, shoppers also rely on credit
cards for the payment of goods and services, which enables the showrooms to give them
templates and advices during these cashless transactions. At last, technological advances for
computer and telecommunication that allow the consumers to purchase the products from
their homes through telephone, computer, and television. This instance of America shows
that these three reasons have changed the purchasing habits of American`s consumers that
ultimately led to growing of direct marketing. Therefore, direct marketing also has its own
drawbacks same as advertising. Sometimes regular advertisements annoys consumers, which
further creates resistance for the persuasive nature of advertising. This method is blamed for
less sales oriented and more relationship oriented. Consumers get irritated because of
unlimited messages that is similar to advertising chaos (Harrison, and Hair, 2017).
Sales promotion
These direct inducements can offer extra incentives that will enhance and accelerate the
movement of product to consumers. Consumer promotion such as rebate, coupons,
premiums, price packs, purchase incentives, low-cost financing deals, and sampling that can
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