communications mix strategies

The creative brief is essential in guiding marketing communications strategies and ensuring coherence in messaging.

Control and Evaluation: Assess outcomes against set metrics to determine success.
Implementation: Execute planned strategies.
Design: Structure the communication plan.
Analysis: Review the effectiveness post-execution.
Mission: Define overarching aims.
Corporate Objectives: Set tangible goals aligned with the corporate vision.
Situational Audit: Evaluate the internal and external environments.
Marketing Objectives: Specify targets that support the overall mission.
Marcom Objectives: Define specific marketing communications targets.
Marcom Strategies: Outline overarching strategies for achieving objectives.
Marcom Tactics: Detail action plans to implement strategies.

Assess by asking:
- Where are we? - Current position and performance evaluation.
- Where do we want to go? - Define desired future outcomes.
- How will we get there? - Strategy and tactics to achieve objectives.
- How well have we done? - Measure how effectively objectives were met.

What Will Be Said? (Message Content)
- The core messages targeting the audience.
How Will It Be Said? (Message Format)
- The tone and style for conveying the message.
Where Will It Be Said? (Media Selection)
- The channels chosen for message dissemination.
When Will It Be Said? (Schedule)
- Timing for each campaign element.

Challenge: Crafting engaging messages that resonate with the target audience and differentiate from competitors is paramount (Fill & Turnbull, 2016).
Campaign Platform: The central idea or theme upon which the entire campaign is built.

**Soft Sell: **
- Objective: Build trust, enhance brand image.
- Tone: Emotional, conversational.
- Tactics: Storytelling, lifestyle imagery used.
- Channel: Social media, influencer content.
- Time Frame: Long-term relationship focus.
Hard Sell:
- Objective: Drive immediate sales.
- Tone: Assertive, urgent.
- Tactics: Price cuts, limited-time offers.
- Channel: Direct mail, PPC ads, TV spots.
- Time Frame: Short-term conversion focus.

Conclusive Messages:
- Explicitness: High level with a clear call to action.
- Audience Processing: Minimal cognitive effort required.
- Control: Driven by the source.
- Best For: Low-involvement audiences.
Non-conclusive Messages:
- Explicitness: Low, open-ended or suggestive.
- Audience Processing: Requires active interpretation.
- Control: Driven by the audience.
- Best For: High-involvement or skeptical audiences.

Message Framing Definition: The presentation style of information to sway audience perception and choices.
- Gain-framed: Emphasizes benefits.
- Loss-framed: Highlights costs or missed opportunities.
- Emotional Framing: Utilizes fear, humor, or empathy.
- Rational Framing: Concentrates on factual information, logic, and product features.

Social-emotional Appeals: Engage feelings related to social status, security, etc. (e.g., belonging, acceptance).
Personal-emotional Appeals: Evoke personal emotions (e.g., nostalgia, happiness).
Rational Appeals: Present logical comparisons and product knowledge using facts and details.

Theme: Central topic or message.
Hardship: Overcoming obstacles conveys perseverance.
Reciprocity: Represents fair exchanges in life.
Defining Moments: Significant incidents that impact human experience.
Anticipation: Hopefulness that initiates the narrative.
Plot/Crisis: Unexpected challenges that arise during storytelling.
Help Along the Way: Introduces assistance that guides the narrative toward resolution.
Goal Achievement: Culmination of the story in success, with an implication of earned outcomes (Papadatos, 2006).

Perceived Credibility: Involves objective truth and expertise.
Attractiveness: The source’s physical or social appeal.
Trustworthiness: Honest and reliable perceptions of the source.
Expertise: Relevant knowledge or skills of the source.
Respect: Overall admiration from audiences.
Similarity: Audience identification with the source.
Overall Impact: Source credibility is crucial in persuasion and message acceptance, influencing consumer trust and engagement.

Content Marketing: Aims to create and distribute relevant content to engage targeted audiences.
Offline Media Selections:
- TV: High associated costs; effective for storytelling; issues like zapping and zipping prevalent.
- Radio: Cost-effective, portable, segmentation possible; affected by multitasking.
- Print Media: Newspapers and magazines can explain issues well; magazines have advantageous quality.
- Outdoor Media: Cost-effective with high reach; exposure often brief and untargeted.

Understand market and customers.
Evaluate available marketing tools.
Select tools suited to customer stages in the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) process.
Integrate chosen tools for cohesive strategy.

Reach: % of target market exposed to campaigns.
Frequency: How often the target market sees the message.
Impact: Quality and effectiveness of exposure; includes believability and demonstration.
Timing Considerations: Identify peaks/troughs for message deployment and adjust continuity vs. pulsing messaging strategies.

Historical Basis: Repeat previous budgets.
Percentage of Sales: Allocate set percentage from sales.
Arbitrary Decisions: Determined by leadership whims.
All We Can Afford: Limited by available resources.
Competitive Parity: Match competitor spending levels.
Experiment and Test: Adjust based on results.
Objective and Task Method: Set based on specific campaign aims and funding needs.

Engagement in an effective marketing communication strategy follows through from coherent objectives, creative messaging, strategic media selection, and comprehensive budgeting practices. Each facet must align towards achieving overall corporate goals in the marketing space.