Week Ten: Communication
Date: 9 October 2013
Communication is about identifying the appropriate audiences, so consequently it is more than just communicating to the target market. Examples of audiences are new category users, brand switchers, brand loyals, influencers, intermediaries, and internal employees.
You need to be clear about the selection of communication objectives. Are you building awareness (either recall or recognition), brand knowledge (re attributes), brand associations, purchase facilitation, or modifying post-purchase behaviour. The FCB grid is helpful in determining the order of the necessary communication objectives that need to be selected.
An extended communication mix was presented, comprising advertising, sales force, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, sponsorship, customer relationship management and design/servicescape. The selection of the mix will be dependent on the communication objective and other factors such as size of market, churn level, etc.
Sales promotion is an important communication tool to facilitate purchase behaviour, especially if there is distressed inventory. However, be careful you don’t erode your brand by making consumers prices conscious and also be aware that you may be cannibalising future sales. Sales promotion is normally referred to as a below-the-line activity as it detracts from margins, whereas advertising is an above-the-line activity as it is seen as expenditure to build the brand (resulting in increased brand equity).
The media mix can then be selected based on the media usage of the audience. For example, TV One is good for an older market. Don’t forget that the same media can be used to deliver different communication mix elements. For example, television can be used for advertising, sales promotion, and sponsorship.
Be clear about your message strategy. A single minded proposition forces the marketer to have an initial powerful ‘take-out’