MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Marketing Communications (or MarCom or Integrated Marketing Communications) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market.

Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design , marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales promotion and online marketing are termed marketing communicators, marketing communication managers, or more briefly as marcom managers.

Traditionally, marketing communication practitioners focus on the creation and execution of printed marketing collateral

Marketing collateral is the collection of media used to support the sales of a product or service.

These sales aids are intended to make the sales effort easier and more effective.

The brand of the company usually presents itself by way of its collateral to enhance its brand.

The production of marketing collateral is important in any business' marketing communication plan.

Common examples include: Sales brochures and other printed product

information Posters and signs Visual aids used in sales presentations Web content Sales scripts Demonstration scripts Product data sheets Product white papers

Integrated Marketing Communications Integrated Marketing Communications

is a term used to describe a holistic approach to marketing communication.

It aims to ensure consistency of message and the complementary use of media.

The concept includes online and offline marketing channels.

Online marketing channels include any e-marketing campaigns or programs, from search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click, email, banner to latest web related channels for webinar, blog, micro-blogging, RSS, podcast, and Internet TV.

Offline marketing channels are traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public relations, industry relations, billboard, radio, and television.

A company develops its integrated marketing communication programme using all the elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion).

ntegrated marketing communication is integration of all marketing tools, approaches, and resources within a company which maximizes impact on consumer mind and which results into maximum profit at minimum cost. Generally marketing starts from "Marketing Mix".

Promotion is one element of Marketing Mix.

Promotional activities include Advertising(by using different medium), sales promotion (sales and trades promotion), and personal selling activities. It also includes internet marketing, sponsorship marketing, direct marketing, database marketing and public relations. And integration of all these promotional tools along with other components of marketing mix to gain edge over competitor is called Integrated Marketing Communication.

Reasons for the Growing Importance of IMC Several shifts in the advertising and media industry have

caused IMC to develop into a primary strategy for marketers: From media advertising to multiple forms of communication. From mass media to more specialized (niche) media, which

are centered around specific target audiences. From a manufacturer-dominated market to a retailer-

dominated, consumer-controlled market. From general-focus advertising and marketing to data-based

marketing. From low agency accountability to greater agency

accountability, particularly in advertising. From traditional compensation to performance-based

compensation (increased sales or benefits to the company). From limited Internet access to 24/7 Internet availability and

access to goods and services.

MARKETING STRATEGY

Written plan (usually a part of the overall corporate plan) which combines product development, promotion, distribution and pricing approach, identifies the firm's marketing goals, and explains how they will be achieved within a stated timeframe. Marketing strategy determines the choice of target market segment, positioning, marketing mix, and allocation of resources. See also strategic plan.

Marketing communication is a strategic part of the marketing process and not merely a single part thereof. Communication is the message that is relayed to the customer rather than the nuts and bolts of the technology that delivers it. Communicating with the customers enables to deliver the message to them so that they will react to it.

ROLE OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION Marketing communication plays a

major role in influencing consumer purchases in new product categories.

It plays an informative and a persuasive role over the life cycle of the new product category.

The informative role of marketing communication is likely to have a much larger effect with uninformed consumers than with consumers who are better informed.

Always strive to create consistent, reliable, and sustainable messages.

Business communicators should reinforce marketing messages in every piece of communication issued, and repeat that message in a consistent manner.

Whether the message is about new products, or dependable customer service, or announcing a new promotion, the story needs to be told over and over again in emails, on the company website, in magazines and newspapers, on radio and television broadcast channels, and in every single piece of marketing collateral.

is to deliver a sustainable message that frames a company, or brand, in the best light possible by giving customers trustworthy communications on which they can rely.

If customers are exposed to the same message often enough, the message will resonate over time. Consistent, believable messages, reinforced through direct media outlets, will turn customers into loyal, co-marketers: They will tell friends and recommend the product through word of mouth. Always tell the same story to customers and they will always believe in the brand.

Effective marketing communication is communication that gets to the point, plain and simple. It doesn't meander and it doesn't go off on tangents. The message is not complex nor is it vague. Because people are busier than ever these days, their time is much more valuable and precious.

To win the attention of potential customers in an era when businesses are competing against a multitude of message delivery vehicles (mobile, cable, Internet, print), customer communication must be sharply tuned and succinctly expressed.

Nuggets of essential information work better at retaining customer attention than long, drawn-out messages.

Keep communications at sound bite length with punchy, memorable phrases that highlight just the most relevant and pivotal points.

Customers respond best to clear, concise and specific data that is dispensed in easily, digestible sizes.

It means interacting with customers in a virtual conversation where the customer feels fully engaged.

It means communicating with customers within the media channels they frequent (television spots, online advertising, social networks, popular magazines, etc).

It also means presenting a communication that not only adds value to the customer experience, but puts the needs and interests of the customer first.

Customer-centric marketing is successful marketing because customers need to feel that they are more than just another sale.

Customers today are more likely to respond to marketing communications that involve them, allow their participation and encourage feedback.

This can be accomplished with online forums, user surveys, and customer testimonials.

Customer-centric communication focuses on fulfilling customer needs, and engages the customer as a brand advocate.

It's a win-win strategy for successful communications.

Increasing the prospect of repeat customers and growing an expanded customer base. Messages that adhere to these principles (consistent, reliable, concise, focused and customer-centric) will attract and retain loyal customers for years to come.

Marketing communications (marcomm) extends well beyond the common items of public relations and advertising.

Marketing communications encompasses all of the information that is put forth about a product, sometimes including internal information.

Price lists, catalogs, promotional pieces, collateral material and a host of other types of marketing literature are all part of marketing communications and represent one of the most important aspects of the marketing of a product or service.

Marketing communications are an integral part of the marketing mix, and although marcomm is most closely associated with promotion, it is dependent on (and can greatly affect) other areas of the marketing mix.

http://www.mmclearning.com/elearningdemo/professionalcertificateinmarketing/tutorials/c9t11/index.html

IMC is the development of an Integrated Comprehensive Marketing Communication (Promotion) Plan that links the marketing function with the communication function to deliver Effective Marketing Messages capable of (1) informing, (2) convincing and (3) persuading people to buy.

IMC makes use of such Promotion Elements as (1) Advertising, (2) Sales Promotion, (3) Public Relations, (4) Publicity, (5) Direct Marketing, (6) Networking, (7) Personal Selling, and other non-conventional elements like (8) On-line communications to develop and deliver clear, consistent, and impact-full communications capable of informing, convincing, and persuading customers to buy.

(2) The Integrated Marketing Communication MIX

A d vertis in g D irec t M arke tin g S a les P rom otion P u b lic R e la tion s P u b lic ity P erson a l S e llin g C yb b er M arke tin gIn te rn e t M arke tin g

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communication objectives - Goals that an organization seeks to achieve through its promotional program in terms of communication effects such as creating awareness, knowledge, images, attitudes, preferences, or purchase intentions.

What your organization wants the communication to do (for example: raise awareness, get people to change their attitudes, move people to action, buy a ticket, buy season tickets, etc.)

Objectives of Marketing Promotions The most obvious objective

marketers have for promotional activities is to convince customers to make a decision that benefits the marketer

* Keep your company speaking with one voice across a vast number of products, regions, and customer interactions.* Enable diverse teams of people to create integrated communications vehicles.* Help your messages rise above the din of the marketplace and consistently resonate with their target audiences.* Give you better results for your expenditures of time and money.

Marcom plans are the confluence of substantial research and shrewd decision-making. Build effectiveness by thoroughly understanding your:

* Target audience profiles Who are your existing and potential customers? What is the best way to communicate with them?* Buying, selling, and communications processes How do your customers prefer to buy? How are you set up to sell? What communications best facilitate buying and selling?

Armed with a solid understanding of the terrain, you then need to make a number of decisions:

* Objectives What do you want to happen as a result of your marcom activities? What customer behaviors do you hope to inspire?* Messages What do you want customers to know?* Vehicles Which communication vehicles best convey your messages?* Budget and schedule How much do these vehicles cost to develop? What is your budget? When should the vehicles be released?

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Integrated-Marketing-Communications/200724

Types of Promotion Objectives Build Awareness – New products and

new companies are often unknown to a market, which means initial promotional efforts must focus on establishing an identity.

In this situation the marketer must focus promotion to: 1) effectively reach customers, and 2) tell the market who they are and what they have to offer.

Create Interest – Moving a customer from awareness of a product to making a purchase can present a significant challenge.

As we saw with our discussion of consumer and business buying behavior, customers must first recognize they have a need before they actively start to consider a purchase.

The focus on creating messages that convince customers that a need exists has been the hallmark of marketing for a long time with promotional appeals targeted at basic human characteristics such as emotions, fears, sex, and humor.

Provide Information – Some promotion is designed to assist customers in the search stage of the purchasing process.

In some cases, such as when a product is so novel it creates a new category of product and has few competitors, the information is simply intended to explain what the product is and may not mention any competitors.

In other situations, where the product competes in an existing market, informational promotion may be used to help with a product positioning strategy.

As we discuss in the Targeting Markets tutorial, marketers may use promotional means, including direct comparisons with competitor’s products, in an effort to get customers to mentally distinguish the marketer’s product from those of competitors.

Stimulate Demand – The right promotion can drive customers to make a purchase. In the case of products that a customer has not previously purchased or has not purchased in a long time, the promotional efforts may be directed at getting the customer to try the product.

This is often seen on the Internet where software companies allow for free demonstrations or even free downloadable trials of their products.

For products with an established customer-base, promotion can encourage customers to increase their purchasing by providing a reason to purchase products sooner or purchase in greater quantities than they normally do. For example, a pre-holiday newspaper advertisement may remind customers to stock up for the holiday by purchasing more than they typically purchase during non-holiday periods.

Reinforce the Brand – Once a purchase is made, a marketer can use promotion to help build a strong relationship that can lead to the purchaser becoming a loyal customer.

For instance, many retail stores now ask for a customer’s email address so that follow-up emails containing additional product information or even an incentive to purchase other products from the retailer can be sent in order to strengthen the customer-marketer relationship.

Enough of it yaaaaaaar!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/promotion-decisions/types-of-promotion-objectives/

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