CIM Certificate – Stage 1

Customer Communications
3rd November 2003
Using the Communications Mix

valbrown2003
Learning outcomes: by the end
of this session, you should be able to
 Describe and evaluate the elements of
the promotional mix
 Explain the need for integration of the
marketing communications mix
 Select communications media and
messages for different purposes
 Identify ways ICT can be used in
marketing communications
Promotional mix
(marketing communications mix)
 Advertising
 Sales promotions
 Public Relations
 Sponsorship
 Corporate literature
 Exhibitions
 Packaging
 Personal selling
 Direct marketing
 Marketing terms

 Above the line - mass

media advertising
 Below the line - other
forms of promotion

 INTEGRATED
MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS
Planning for promotions

 What are our objectives?

 Who do we need to communicate with?
 How big is the target audience?
 How can we reach them?
 What is our message?
 How can we express it?
 When do we need to communicate it?
 How much money do we have to spend?
Advertising effectiveness

 Must be seen
 Must be read
 Must be believed
 Must be remembered
 Must be acted upon
(David Starch 1920s)
Group activity: Evaluate these
proposed advertising media decisions:
Calvin Klein considering Harvey Goldsmith Entertainments
using local papers to sell concert tickets in the UK.
promote their expensive They are considering using radio
new fragrance ‘y’, aimed to advertise a number of outdoor
at fashionable young men summer concerts featuring The
and women Three Tenors

The manager of a small ASH is considering using teen girl

hotel in Wales would like magazines and cinema to target
to use television young females in a hard hitting
advertising to attract anti smoking campaign.
tourists
Developing the advertising campaign
 Identify and analyse advertising target
 Define objectives
 Create advertising platform
 Determine budget
 Develop media plan
 Create advertising message
 Implement campaign
 Evaluate effectiveness
Advertising copy

Be: Be:
 Simple  Interesting
 Brief  Instructive
 Factual  Emphatic
 Honest  Positive
 Self-contained  Original
Communications tools

 Advertisements
 Press releases
 Leaflets and brochures
 Flyers
 POS material
 Exhibitions and Trade Shows
 Web sites
 Direct mail
Packaging

 Promotion
 Protection
 Convenience
 Communication
Promotional objectives
 Create image
 Create awareness
Attention  Inform about something
 Change attitude
 Correct misconceptions
Interest
 Reassure
 Remind
Desire  Generate interest
 Generate response
 Encourage trial
Action  Prompt purchase
 Support other promotional activity
Planning promotional
communications
 Identify target audience and research
 List features of product or service
 Note relevant benefits for selected target
groups
 Identify USP(s)
 Select media
 Keep messages short and simple
 Be honest and original!
Group task
Analyse the marketing magazine article
provided, and prepare a short presentation for
the class highlighting the trends in
promotional activity it demonstrates. Use the
following framework:
 What promotions are planned?
 who are they aimed at (target audience and
their characteristics)?
 what are the objectives of the promotion?
 How might the effectiveness of the
promotions be monitored and evaluated?
Public relations

Public relations is the planned and

sustained effort to establish and
maintain goodwill and understanding
between an organisation and its publics

Institute of Public Relations (IPR)

PR “Publics”

 The press
 The customer
 The investor
 The employee
 The government
 The distributor
 The supplier
 Opinion formers
Methods of reaching publics

 TV
 Radio
 Press
 Created print media
 Audio visual aids
 Exhibitions
 Conferences
 Sponsorship
Who’s who in the British Press

 Editors  Feature writers

 Subeditors  Freelancers
 Desk editors  Reporters
 Features editors  Stringers
 The Radio

 Independent Radio News

 Station’s own news editors
 BBC local radio – own news editors, but often use
BBC Regional Broadcasting for news and current
affairs
 Pretaped news items – home prepared or through
freelance radio journalists
 Live interviews – studio(ten second delay) or OBU
 Sound bites – 20/30 seconds – main message and
“stands alone”
PR strategies
 Printed material
 Audiovisual aids
 PR photography
 Exhibitions
 Conferences
 Seminars
 Lobbying
 Stunts
 Customer care lines
 Staff recreation, training
facilities, rewards
 Media conferences
 Media releases
 Events eg open days
 Charitable gifts eg
scholarships
 Reports & Accounts
 Social responsibility
programmes
 Dinners, entertaining,
gifts, Christmas cards
Printed material

Purpose: Types of material:

 Sales information  Leaflets
 Corporate  Direct mail shots
image/identity/informati  Catalogues
on  Brochures
 Explanatory material  Press advertising
 Campaigning material  News
sheets/newsletters
 Requesting (eg
 House magazines
questionnaire) (internal/external)
The press release

 Why use a Press Release?

 Purpose & Audience
 Newsworthiness
 Structure & Style
 Journalistic Style
Journalistic style
 Short headline - relevant, positive, upbeat or
challenging
 Short, direct opening statement - 12 - 20 words
 KISS – who, what, where, when, how
 Avoid long words, technical jargon & acronyms
 Give facts - news not views
 Attributable commentary
 Short - one side, with wide margins and double-
spaced, type ENDS at finish
 Attach relevant photograph with caption
Image and identity -
definitions
CORPORATE IDENTITY:
A visual means of identifying an organisation. A
symbolic uniform acting as a flag expressing
everything about the organisation. Expresses:
• Who you are
• What you do
• How you do it
CORPORATE IMAGE:
 The perception of the organisation
Corporate identity

Literature, adverts, annual reports, products, packaging

Interior and exterior design of buildings
Uniforms, livery, signage
Letterhead

LOGO
Corporate image

Corporate image embraces everything from the visual impression of a

Corporate Logo to observations and experiences of products, services and
Corporate behaviour in general

Products and services

Customer
Community Business environments service
affairs communications

Ethics CORPORATE Social

IMAGE responsibility
Advantages of a good
corporate image
 Improve sales
 Support new product development
 Strengthen financial relations
 Harmonise employee relations
 Boost recruitment
 Reduce impact of crises
Branding

Branding is a general BRANDING STRATEGY

term covering brand
names, symbols and  Core values
images which
distinguish one
 Brand name
organisation’s goods  Brand extension
or services from  Brand stretching
another.  Licensing
What’s in a brand?

TANGIBLE INTANGIBLE
COMPONENTS: COMPONENTS:

 Trust, reliability
 Product itself
 Psychological pay-
 Brand name off
 Brand mark  Added value
 Description of  Quality of
benefits differentiation
BRAND EQUITY
(Dibb, Simkin, Pride & Ferrell 2000)

Brand name Brand

awareness loyalty

Brand Equity

Perceived Brand
brand quality associations
Brand valuation

BRAND VALUE = PROBLEMS WITH

BRAND EQUITY MEASURING
BRANDS

 Brand loyalty  Difficult to measure

 Brand preference  What is “average” brand?
 Future potential
 Brand acceptance
 No common criteria to
 Brand awareness measure brand equity
 No professional valuers
Brand names

 Multi-product branding
• Umbrella, family

 Multi-branding
• Product branding
• Range branding

 Private branding/ retailers’ own brands

Sponsorship

Organisations enter into sponsorship:

 To achieve exposure of corporate name
and brand
 To add value to the brand by
association
 To motivate employees
Sponsorship

Before entering into a sponsorship deal

consider:
 Opportunity to reach target audience
 Level of recognition by target audience
 Acceptability
 Potential threats
Exhibitions

 B2B Trade shows

 B2C Exhibitions
 Not-for-profit sector exhibitions
 Virtual exhibitions
 Mobile exhibitions/Roadshows
Group task

List all the opportunities for

organisations to communicate to
customers and consumers through
exhibitions. Consider staff, stand,
activities, publicity and printed
materials.
New technologies

 Mobile telephone - WAP

 Internet & e-mail
 Intranet & Extranet
 Digital technologies - Interactive TV,
Direct Response TV, Web TV, Personal
TV
 Cable & Satellite communications
Implications of new technologies

 Speed of communication - a benefit but

bad news also travels faster!
 Personalising of information
 Streamlined processes
 Increased capacity for storage of
information
 Increased consumer interaction
Implications of new technologies

 Enhanced relationships with suppliers

 Improved database management
 Facilitated CRM
 Enhanced targeting
 Business process re-engineering
 Change in job role of customer facing
staff
Applications of new
technologies
 Global marketing & selling
 On line information/demonstrations for
existing and potential customers
 Increased potential for customer support
 Video conferencing
 Multimedia exhibitions
 Training - distance learning, electronic
management of students, on line workshops
Internet

Potential advantages of on line business:

 Reduced costs - order processing etc.
 Electronic administration
 Size of company less relevant
 Ability to reach new customers
 Low cost on line catalogues
 Increased customer services
E-commerce

Advantages for the organisation include:

 Global trading opportunities
 Enhanced ability to communicate directly with
customer
 Streamlined processes
 Increased branding opportunities
 Increased customer base
 Ability to collect customer information
E-commerce

Disadvantages for the organisation include:

 Cultural barriers when operating on line
 Exchange rates
 Delivery of customer orders
 Relatively low usage - early adopters &
innovators
 Size of marketing spend required to ‘stand out
from the crowd’
Intranet

 In company network that is password

protected
 Uses internet technology
 Many potential uses including training,
communicating memos, minutes of
meeting, company procedures and
policies
Extranet

 External extension of the company

intranet
 Network partners may include suppliers,
customers and other external agencies
 Password protected
 Reduces administration costs
 Facilitates direct communication
Web sites

 Promotional sites promote products (may

be able to purchase), generate customer
loyalty and build brand image
 Transaction sites offer on-line purchase
 Corporate sites are communication sites
providing company
information for publics
Web site design
 Know your target audience
 Use appropriate graphics and exciting
copy - people get tired of waiting for
lengthy downloads
 Prove credibility and ensure quality
 Guide browsers round the site - user
friendly
 Provide customers with helpful
information
Web site design

 Enable customers to respond to you -

interactive links, feedback
 Give added value by providing
additional links
 Use banner advertising appropriately
 Up date regularly
 Watch competitors sites!
Home study task

 During the course of the next week, collect as

many examples as you can of new technology
being used for marketing purposes.
 Try to identify the objectives of each
marketing communication you choose, its
target audience and their characteristics, and
consider how the marketing organisation
could evaluate the success of their activity.
 Bring examples to your next class to share.