INITIAL THOUGHTS

THIS MODULE AIMS TO HELP YOU:-

1. understand and debate some of the key theories and concepts associated with marketing communications and how they work.

2. understand and appreciate the variety of ways in which marketing communications are used

3. develop an appreciation of the importance of good marketing communications

4. Enjoy, engage in and benefit from the process

SOME KEY COMMUNICATION FACTS

1. All organisations, large, small, commercial, government, charities, educational, etc need to communicate (well) with a range of stakeholders: -

to get materials and services to undertake their business activities

to secure distribution of their goods and services

2. There are consumers (you and me), who are free to choose among hundreds and thousands of product offerings.

3. Marcomms is a core activity that enables interested parties to understand the intentions of others and appreciate the value of the goods and services offered

MORE KEY FACTS....1. Traditionally there are five main marketing

communications tools: advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, public relations and direct marketing.

2. Time and space can be bought/used in a variety of media to deliver messages to target audiences.

3. For some time, the appropriate mix of these tools and the choice of media has been largely predictable in the ways audiences have been targeted.

4. Nowadays there are a myriad of different opportunities to reach audiences.

NOT JUST MEDIA – AUDIENCES TOO! The splintering of the media world has

been matched by the fragmentation of audiences.

Take a ‘leisure’ consumer, for example - so many ways to spend their time: -

200 compared to 3 commercial TV channels An increasing number of general and specific

interest magazines A multitude of new cinema complexes The Internet – with seemingly endless

information, opportunities to buy, forms of global entertainment , not to mention an increasing range of social media opportunities

AS A RESULT...... New ways to communicate are required Often with a reduced budget Whilst being accountable for

expenditure. Long term customer relationships (b2b

or b2c) have become an essential part of marketing policy

Customer retention – crucial. Devices such as loyalty schemes are used to shape long term customer behaviour

COMMUNICATION - MORE THAN JUST THE ‘TOOLS’ AND THE MEDIA Everything communicates (see Duncan and

Moriarty, (1998). All parts of the marketing mix send messages about the brand:- Behaviour of employees Performance of products...and even ......the actions of competitors

Customer perception of the brand is influenced by all of the above and more

Corporate branding is recognised as an integral part of the overall communication effort: - Corporate reputation and actions by organisations

are perceived in terms of brand values and profits and ethics and environmental impact

THE WAY FORWARD.... A new form and role for marketing

communications A vision of planned, coherent and

consistent marcommsConsistent internal policies and strategiesConsistent messages to and from internal

and external stakeholdersConsistency with the values of customersConsistency in relationships with key

suppliers and distributors

REFERENCES Duncan, T and Moriarty, S.E. (1998), A

communication-based marketing model for managing relationships, Journal of Marketing, Vol 62 April, 1-13