Marketing Communication
The marketing communication or the promotion mix
Introduction
Marketing communications according to Kottler P, (2000) is a subset of the overall subject area known as marketing. Marketing has a marketing mix that is made of price, place, promotion, product (known as the four P’s), that includes people, processes and physical evidence, when marketing services (known as the seven P’s). Kottler P, (2000) further asserted that marketing communications has a mix. Elements of the mix are blended in different quantities in a campaign. In the opinion of Fill C, (2003), the marketing communications mix includes many different elements, and the following list is by no means conclusive. It is recognized that there is some cross over between individual elements (e.g. donating computers to schools, by asking shoppers to collect vouchers, public relations or sales promotion?). Successful marketing communication relies on a combination of options called the promotional mix. These options include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and personal selling. The Internet has also become a powerful tool for reaching certain important audiences. The role each element takes in a marketing communication program relies in part on whether a company employs a push strategy or a pull strategy. A pull strategy relies more on consumer demand than personal selling for the product to travel from the manufacturer to the end user. The demand generated by advertising, public relations, and sales promotion "pulls" the good or service through the channels of distribution. A push strategy, on the other hand, emphasizes personal selling to push the product through these channels
Elements of Marketing Communication
Kottler P, (2000) cited that for marketing communication to be successful, however, sound management decisions must be made in the other three areas of the marketing mix: the product, service or idea itself; the price at which the brand will be offered; and
Introduction
Marketing communications according to Kottler P, (2000) is a subset of the overall subject area known as marketing. Marketing has a marketing mix that is made of price, place, promotion, product (known as the four P’s), that includes people, processes and physical evidence, when marketing services (known as the seven P’s). Kottler P, (2000) further asserted that marketing communications has a mix. Elements of the mix are blended in different quantities in a campaign. In the opinion of Fill C, (2003), the marketing communications mix includes many different elements, and the following list is by no means conclusive. It is recognized that there is some cross over between individual elements (e.g. donating computers to schools, by asking shoppers to collect vouchers, public relations or sales promotion?). Successful marketing communication relies on a combination of options called the promotional mix. These options include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and personal selling. The Internet has also become a powerful tool for reaching certain important audiences. The role each element takes in a marketing communication program relies in part on whether a company employs a push strategy or a pull strategy. A pull strategy relies more on consumer demand than personal selling for the product to travel from the manufacturer to the end user. The demand generated by advertising, public relations, and sales promotion "pulls" the good or service through the channels of distribution. A push strategy, on the other hand, emphasizes personal selling to push the product through these channels
Elements of Marketing Communication
Kottler P, (2000) cited that for marketing communication to be successful, however, sound management decisions must be made in the other three areas of the marketing mix: the product, service or idea itself; the price at which the brand will be offered; and
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