Marketing Communications. Are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers –directly or indirectly- about the products and brands they sell. In a sense, marketing communications represent the “voice” of the company and its brands and are a means by which it can establish a dialogue and build relationships with consumers.
Marketing communications mix. Consist of 8 mayor modes of communications: 1. Advertising. Any paid form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identifies sponsor 2. Sales promotion. A variety of short-term incentives to encourage trial or purchase of a product or service 3. Events and experiences. Company sponsored activities and programs designed to create daily or special brand-related interactions. 4. Public relations and publicity. A variety of programs designed to promote of protect a company’s image or its individual products. 5. Direct marketing. Use of mail, telephone, fax, e-mail or Internet to communicate directly with or solicit response or dialogue from specific customers and prospects. 6. Interactive marketing. Online activities and programs designed to engage customers or prospects and directly or indirectly raise awareness, improve image, or elicit sales of products and services. 7. Word-of-mouth marketing. People-to-people oral, written or electronic communications that relate to the merits or experiences of purchasing or using products or services. 8. Personal selling. Face-to-face interaction with one or more prospective purchasers for the purpose of making presentations, answering questions, and procuring orders.
Marketing communication effects. The manner in which brand associations are formed does not matter. In other words, if a consumer has an equally strong, favorable and unique brand association of Subaru with the concepts “outdoors”,”active”, and “rugged”,