Notes on Marketing Communications and Promotion Strategies

Promotion and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

• Marketing Approaches

  • Outbound Marketing:

  • Broadcasts messages to a broad audience.

  • Uses channels like television, radio, print, direct mail, email, telemarketing, public relations, and personal selling.

  • Inbound Marketing:

  • Draws consumers in towards the product using techniques like search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, social media, and microsites.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Elements

• Includes tools to ensure consistent messaging:

  • Advertising

  • Sales Promotion

  • Public Relations

  • Personal Selling

  • Direct Marketing

  • Event Marketing & Sponsorship

  • Social Media Marketing

  • Online & Mobile Marketing

Types of Media Strategies

• Paid Media:

  • Traditional media including TV, radio, and print; online ads.

• Owned Media:

  • Company-controlled channels such as websites, blogs, and social media pages.

• Earned Media:

  • PR channels like news outlets and blogs that don't require payment.

• Shared Media:

  • User-generated content through social media and word of mouth.

Steps in Marketing Communication Process

• Promotional Mix:

  • Considerations: Reach, Frequency, Touch points, % of sales, Competitive parity, What you can afford, Objectives & task.

Advertising

• Definition: Any paid form of media for mass communication.

• Pros:

  • Low cost per exposure, message repetition, builds consumer trust.

• Cons:

  • Impersonal communication, high costs for some media types.

Advertising Objectives

• Objectives Include:

  • To inform, persuade, remind, increase demand, differentiate product, stabilize sales, build corporate image.

• Consumer Based Objectives:

  • Awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, purchase.

• SMART Objectives:

  • Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based.

Advertising Budget and Strategy

• Budgeting Options:

  • Affordable, % of sales, competitive, objective & task.

• Message Strategy:

  • Must be meaningful, believable, distinctive.

• Appeals:

  • Rational (functional benefits), Emotional (feelings), Moral (ethical considerations).

Media Strategies

• Media Types:

  • Newspapers, Magazines, Television, Radio, Billboards, Online, Social Media, Direct Mail.

• Evaluation Metrics:

  • Reach (exposure), Frequency (how often), Impact (quality of exposure).

Evaluation of Advertising

• Methods:

  • Copy testing, Direct-sales results test, Consumer/market research, Indirect measures.

• Key Focus:

  • Measure effectiveness and return on investment (ROI).

Public Relations in Marketing

• Value of PR:

  • Builds credibility, engages audiences resistant to advertising, cost-effective when proactive.

Personal Selling

• Pros:

  • Personalized communication, builds relationships and preferences.

• Cons:

  • High cost, requires long-term commitment to sales team.

Sales Promotion

• Pros:

  • Diverse tools, strong incentives, immediate consumer response.

• Cons:

  • Short-lived effects.

Direct Marketing

• Pros:

  • Direct communication, tailored messages, fosters interactivity.

• Cons:

  • Often seen as junk mail or spam.

Integrated Marketing Campaigns

• Purpose:

  • Utilize multiple channels to deliver a consistent message.

  • Enhance recall through varied exposure to the same message.

Case Study: Sick Kids Hospital Campaign

• Strategy:

  • Shift from charity to performance messaging with a unified message across various platforms.

  • Leveraged celebrity endorsements and community partnerships to drive engagement.