Detailed Report: Virgin Mobile's Marketing Communication Strategies

This report provides a detailed analysis of Virgin Mobile's marketing communication strategies. It begins with an introduction to integrated marketing communication (IMC) and its application within the context of Virgin Mobile, a division of the Virgin Group. The report explores various marketing channels, including advertising, promotion, traditional media, direct selling, franchising, social media, and websites, and examines how these channels serve communication objectives. It delves into the design of communication objectives, channel selection and integration, and the creation of a marketing communication plan tailored to Virgin Mobile's organizational context. The report also critically evaluates the marketing communication plan in relation to communication strategy, channel choices, and creative content, including monitoring and evaluation aspects. The analysis highlights how Virgin Mobile uses various channels to promote its business, attract a large audience, and increase sales and brand value by adapting to market trends and competitor activities. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and implications of the marketing communication strategies employed by Virgin Mobile.

Submission Front Sheet
Programme
Unit Title and
Number: Integrated Marketing Communications (Unit 23)
Project Title Integrated Marketing Communications Project
Unit QCF
level/Code
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I certify that the work submitted for this project is my own. Where the work of others has
been used to support my work then credit has been acknowledged. I have identified and
acknowledged all sources used in this project and have referenced according to the Harvard
referencing system. I have read and understood the .... and Collusion section provided with
the project brief and understood the consequences of plagiarising.
Signature: Date: October 2020
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1. Different types of marketing channels and the way they serve communication objectives........3
Different channels of marketing communications.......................................................................3
How they serve communication objectives.................................................................................5
2. Designing of Communication objectives.....................................................................................8
Channel selection and integration..............................................................................................10
3. Creating a marketing communication plan that meets effectively with communication
objectives in given organisational context.....................................................................................13
Appropriate design and content.................................................................................................14
4. Critically evaluation of marketing communications plan in relation to communication strategy,
channel choice and creative content..............................................................................................17
Monitoring and evaluation.........................................................................................................18
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................20

INTRODUCTION
Integrated marketing communication is defined as simple concept that mainly uses in
different marketing channel and tools in combination so that all activities and functions of
organisation can be maintain properly. The channel of marketing communication focuses in
different ways which mainly uses to share and communicate the messages in desire market and
increase the sales (Ahmad and Salleh, 2019). In other words, marketing communication is the
continuous process which mainly uses by organisation in order to share and pass on the
information from one person to other and increase the organisational sales and profitability. The
report is based on Virgin Group that is British multinational venture capital conglomerate. In this
project the discussion is about Virgin Mobile that deals in communication sector and running
their business by using different channel of marketing. This report covers different marketing
channel and how they serve communication objectives, device communication objectives and
justification about appropriate selection channel, produce content appropriately to the channel
and communication objectives. Moreover, ability to critically evaluate marketing communication
plan in relation to communication strategy, channel choice and creative content.
Insert a background to who they are
Virgin Group's founded by Richard Branson in the year 1970. This person has launched
record label Virgin Records with Nik Powell. This is larger size organisation that is operating
and managing the business in changing environment and increasing the sales and profitability.
The management of organization are marketing communication who uses different channel to
reach the targeted customers.
Scenario
A communication officer has been appointed in Virgin Mobile and new line manager has
asked during the probation period that can help to understand the importance of communication
in required areas.
1. Different types of marketing channels and the way they serve communication
objectives
Different channels of marketing communications
Marketing Channel is the entire ecosystem where manufacturer transfer the ownership of
goods and services to consumer as it is also known as distribution channel. Effective marketing

strategy can easily be created with the help of marketing channel. Virgin Group develops various
strategies and techniques to reach towards customer base. It is an important management tool as
each product have different distribution channel because every product are unique. It relates to
various content such as factors related to product that includes perishability, nature of item, their
unit value and complexities, company includes availability of finance, core competency,
environmental covers economic condition and legal environment, market includes market size,
geographical concentration , quality purchase, competitive includes policy of distribution.
Market communication: it refers to the means adopted by the companies to convey
messages about the products to the customers, either directly or indirectly.
Importance of marketing communication
 For organisation
Many skills are vital to the company's success in the business world. One of the knowing
is marketing communication with customers. Virgin group use marketing communication to
deliver massage about their products to customers. The strategy company use not for only
inform, but is also used to differentiate the firm's products to customers. This strategy makes
customer aware about the company's product, so that they can buy it.
 For stakeholders
Marketing communication plays vital role in any organisation. In case of Virgin group, it
helps company to increase awareness of it within the investment community, ensures that key
messages are delivered consistently. This strategy helping firm to communicate its brand
purpose, its product and personality to the customers, and it should be according to the customer
needs.
Objective of marketing communication
The marketing acronym A.I.D.A. would have suited this better for Virgin Group as AIDA stands
for Awareness, Interest, desire, and Action that are as explained:
 To increase the awareness of people regarding organisation's product and services
which company is offering.
 To create the interest of customers by giving advertisement and other marketing
channel.
 To increase the desires of them in regards of buying products and services.

 To take the right action by making buying decision that can help to complete the
task and satisfy customers by giving high level of products and services.
 To increase awareness
Virgin group use this for maintaining top of mind awareness, which means customers
think of this firm first when considering products like; radio, finance services, mobile phones,
music etc.
 To influence purchase intent
This means interest that shows a key communication objective for Virgin group is to
motivate customers to buy its product.
 To simulate trial purchase that means desire
Through this technique the firm provides free trials or product samples to persuade
customers to try its product for the first time. The management create the desire of products in
the minds of customers.
 Retention of existing customers/ Action
An objective of effective marketing communication is to retain firm's existing customers
and increase their investment in the company.
How they serve communication objectives
Importance of the integration and value to the business and maximising resources
Marketing communication covers a wide area and thus promotes an extensive reach of
advertising to a broad audience. Virgin group achieve certain goals through communication,
mainly an increase of firm's awareness, improvement of their image, and increase the level of
customer’s satisfaction and maximise the value of the business. As this strategy increase the
brand awareness, to fulfil the customers demand firm has to maximize its resources. Because
after the communication firm receives more orders, to completing these orders firm must
maximise its resources.
Role of marketing communication
For consumers to buy from the firm, they first need to know the company exists and the
products of it. Virgin group use communication strategy for aware the customers with its
products. And if a customer sees the communication from the company a number of times, there
is higher chance of making sale.

 Associations: The firm communicates a message to its desired market related to its
product. If a customer sees the communication from the company a no. of times, it grabs
the opportunity to meet more customers and create its brand as an associate with the
product. It builds effective connection between the brand and consumers.
 Perception: Brand awareness can change the consumer’s negative perception about the
product. It analyse customers perception about the product then communicate it in
different manner.
 Building customer’s loyalty: The company communicate customers about its product, it
includes products quantity, price, and branding, packaging, printed materials. Sometimes
firm distributes free sample to sell their products to customer, and it can build customers
loyalty about the product.
Channel of communication
Advertising
This is important mode of communication which uses by organisation to share the
message and information which helps to increase organisational productivity and profitability. In
context to Virgin Group, advertisement uses by organisation for the purpose of increasing
number of customers by providing them information regarding mobile services.
Advantage
It helps to increase sales, profitability and tends to reduce cost.
Disadvantage
◦ Misreprentation of facts is the major drawback of it.
Promotion
Promotion is the best way of reaching the targeted customers as it involves number of
activities for the purpose of promoting their products and services. Virgin Group is using
promotional activities free services, premium, discount and coupon code that attracts the people
and develop the business effectively.
Advantage
 Can stimulate fast increase in sales with targeting promotional incentive on
particular product.
Disadvantage

 Too much promotion results to effect sales as it damage the image of
brand.
Traditional
This can be defined oldest method which uses by organisation increasing sale and
performance by sales. Virgin Group uses T.V. radio and print media for managing all activities
and increasing sales effectively.
Communication Objectives in relation to Virgin Group
By using different modes of communication channel virgin Group can promote their
business by attracting large part of the audience. To create awareness regarding their product
and services the brand use various different channels like social media such as Instagram,
Facebook, whatsapp, and through giving advertisement in Televisions, radios, different
languages newspaper, magazines etc.
Different types of marketing channels used in business world are explain in detail in the below
mentioned points such as
 Direct selling: In this goods are produced by manufacturer and directly sale these product
to customers as there is no role of intermediaries in this method. In context to Virgin
Group, managers are using direct selling to sale their products and services that attract
huge number of customers. By selling the product directly by organisation without
involving any intermediary the profit increase as it involve direct interaction with
consumers that fulfil communication objectives (Majchrzak, Chuda and Kalemba, 2019).
Advantage
Best for communicating detailed product information & features and healthy realationship is
easily built up.
Disadvantage
Costly and time consuming as it is not possible to interact peoople directly there are large
number of audience are involved.
 Franchising: Reputed companies give their franchise to retailers to sale goods with their
brand name without spending huge amount on advertisement. As Virgin Group give their

franchise to many retailer available in UK and capture large area that leads to increase
sales in this way it serve communication objective.
Advantage
Helps to create brand image in the minds of customers as well as general public.
Disadvantage
Work according to the term and conditions which was set by person who gives franchisee.
 Social media: At present in marketing it plays a great role as large number of population
are spent most of the time in social media. Virgin group attracts huge consumers by
introducing their product on social media like Facebook and Instagram that helps to
expand their business. With the help of social media interaction become simple and easy
(Quesenberry, 2020).
Advantage
Targets large audience at same time that tends to increase the chances of sale.
Disadvantage
 It is expensive mode of advertising.
 Through website: It makes goods image in the mind of users as it represents brand,
business, about product. By opening their own website Virgin Group makes their goodwill
among public that became beneficial to increase their customers that makes effects on
profitability also.
Advantage
Create brand image in the minds of people.
Disadvantage
Not target large audience because many people do not familiar with it.
From the critical evaluation it has been explained that Virgin Group is increasing their
sales and brand value by reaching the targeted customers as it analyses the trend what is going on
and what services their competitors are providing. This helps to formulate the planning and new
communication services which supports to increase sales and profitability. The selected
organization uses communication channel such as advertising, promotion, traditional, direct
selling, franchising, social media and through website which can help the Virgin Group to
increase sales and performance by managing all activities and performance. The management
identify different needs of customers and introduce kind of telecommunication services which

support to run a business. The drawback of communication channel are people who are illiterate
does not know regarding telecommunication services can reduce the number of customers.
Moreover, this increases cost of business organization in adopting the advertisement, direct
selling, franchise and promotional method. The problems faced by organization as lack of
funding, having competitors and lack of arrange of funds which have overcome by formulating
effective planning strategies.
Communication objectives for Virgin Group
It is a process of setting a goal of an advertising or promotional program for
communication. Virgin Group attracts various communication objectives such as change
attitudes, creating awareness, behaviour change, brand awareness, demand generation,
entertainment, influence etc.
Providing information and messaging: By advertising through different modes Virgin
Group creates awareness among public about their products that tend to increase sales that
directly make impact on profit also.
Change Behaviour: Behaviour toward product changes due to make interaction as sales
person convince the customers to purchase their product. This can be depends on product and
services which company offers and increase the performance.
2. Designing of Communication objectives
Setting of communication objectives
Communication objectives is processes of setting targets for communication that helps to
describe how an organisation can reach to its potential customers by sharing information and
ideas related to products. For all organisation it is important to analyse the goals and objectives
of their business and make efforts to attain them for implementing all communication strategies.
For instance, the object of Virgin group is to build awareness between people and corroborating
a brand by sharing information and maintaining a good communication.
The objectives and communication is related to product life cycle as in starting company
introduces their products and services and increases sales by using different channel of
marketing that can help to reach by customers that defines growth. The third stage is maturity in
which different strategies are formulated by management that can help to attracts larger number
of customers by filling their needs. After reaching at maturity period the products has reached at
decline stage. In context to Virgin Group, marketing management analysis the demand and needs

of customers in relation to recoding label. In introduction stage, this introduce a new product
such as recordings by conducting market research that helps customers to make buying decision.
In Growth, organisation is providing the better quality of services that touches customer's heart
and increases sales. After satisfying customers and making them feel good it capture the large
market and network which maintain higher productivity. Moreover, in this stage new planning is
formulated by management which can help to expand the business. The ending stage is decline
where sales of products and service of chosen organisation can be reduced if it is not brining
innovation and new process.
In integrated marketing communication budgeting is playing an important role as it uses
to set the budget and helps organisation to make plans maintaining operations by forcing
managers to prioritize activities. In Virgin group, budget set by management for launching their
new products as per customer demand and generating profits than budget. This also helps to
complete the task in decided budget and perform all function like marketing, sales and operation
effectively.
The point channels have been attempted to evaluate in an unstructured way.
Communication with customers can be increased through making online portal. As it
helps to safe time of both organisation as well as of customers, With the help of this large
audience can easily attract by organisation. It tends to increase sales and revenues of business
which helps in business expansion and survival.
Defining and exploring the communications planning process
Communication planning is defined as strategy which uses by organisation in
order to share the information with people and managing all functions effectively. The
management of Virgin Group uses communication planning process that are as
explained:
Establish your goal and objectives: The goal of Virgin group is to expand their business
by attracting the large number of customers and using innovation.
Assess the context for your efforts: This process is uses by Virgin Group that is dealing
in telecom to making plans and efforts to reach the customers which can help to run the business.
Identify your target audience(s): In this management of Virgin Group select target
audience who are over than 50.

Make your message(s) matter: In this, management create a message and information
for customers and maintain good performance. Such as Virgin Group provide the services in
telecommunication by reducing price, and introducing new offers.
Identify messengers and tactics for communicating your messages: The chosen
organisation select a tag line and create mails for all that can help to reach the customers.
Moreover, Virgin Group uses social media, advertising and others that increases sales.
Measure your impact: This stage is related to measuring the impact as Virgin Group has
introduced new products and influenced customers by offering better quality of services that
increases that affecting positively.
Create a summary of your plan: The stage is uses by Virgin Group by creating plan
and summary in relation to reaching by customers and encouraging them to buy. This can help to
increase the business performance and profitability.
Channel selection and integration
Situation: The sales of Virgin Group decreases during last 3 month due to
communication gap between lower level and higher level as the interaction is very poor
among both the levels that creates difficulty to sales man to understand the project
properly that makes negative impact on sales and it reduces profitability also.
Objectives of communication: It is a goals for message of communication to final
users. It is a broad term that can apply to areas like knowledge, sales, marketing, governance,
public speaking, leadership and management. Some communication objectives are design in
Virgin group that are explain in below mentioned points such as:
 To bring awareness among potential customers about products and services of Virgin
Group.
 To increase sales volume of Virgin Group by 20% within next three months
 To promote new product by Virgin Group that was newly launched in the market.
 To find out the area that requires attention regarding product.
 Minimise defects and deficiencies regarding the product and services of Virgin group.
 Focus on redress of customer’s complaint in virgin group so that believe of end-user
toward product of company increase.
Various other topics that should be kept in mind at the time of selling the items are
mentioned in the following points.

Concept Clearance: The concept related to product should be clear in the minds of sales
man than only it become easy for sales person to increase their sales. It is the duty of top level of
Virgin group to give proper description for the product.
Analysation of customer needs: the requirement of end-user should be analyse by sales
man in proper manner so that by supplying such type of product the Virgin group attracts huge
customers (Sakas and Tomaras, 2019).
Deep knowledge about the product: Sales man of Virgin group should hold good
knowledge for their product than only they can easily convince their customers towards their
product by telling them all the features of their product.
Direct interaction: There should not be a communication gap between senior sales
manager and sales man in Virgin Group because it decreases the profitability of business by
reducing sales.
Creating Awareness: By adopting different modes like newspaper, television, social
media sales can be promoted by virgin group as it helps to create awareness regarding product.
Regular follow ups by top management: Regular follow up should be taken by senior
sales managers from their subordinates so that their performance should also be evaluated in
regular manner.
Influence: By adopting different team strategies sales of Virgin Group can be increases.
The sales man should have good convincing power so that they can rise their sales.
Justifications for the selection and integration of chosen communication channel
Most appropriate channel selection and rationale
Every organisation is require to select the best channel for maintaining communication
between people and integrate with all functions. The management of Virgin group focuses on
marketing mix as they have selected different channel to reach the customers that are as
explained:
Social Media: It is the communication channel that was chosen by Virgin Group to
promote their business. Large number of people are updated on social media as it gives many
benefits and opportunities. It is an essential way to grow their brand by reaching their customers.
On Instagram alone 90% of public follow at least one business. It helps to increase brand
awareness. Almost 50% Instagram users discover new product on this platform. To make human
connection is the key benefits of social media for benefits (Jánoš, D. and Rybanský, R., 2020).