SAMENVATTING MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
CHAPTER 1: INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
CHAPTER OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
The integration of the various instruments of the marketing mix is one of the major principles of sound
marketing strategy
• The integration of the various instruments of the communications mix is favourably influenced and
necessitated by a number of important trends in marketing today
• This integration principle also applies to cross-cultural integration, corporate communications and
integration of online communications
MARKETING AND THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE MARKETING MIX
Marketing = the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion
and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create and exchange VALUE, and satisfy
individual and organizational objectives.
• We want to give value to our target group
• It has to be a relevant value to the consumer (delivering)
• Communicating: communicating value to the consumer, it has to be clear
what we offer them, they have to know what we offer
• Consumers become advocates for our brand
• Brand awareness is also value that we get back from our consumers
• Longlasting relationships with our consumers are important
INSTRUMENTS OF THE MARKETING MIX
• = The tools that the marketers have to hand
Usually when we talk about marketing, we talk about the 4 p’s. Now we have to talk about the 4C’s.
• 4 P’s are inside out: from the perspective of the company
• 4 C’s are defined of the point of view of the customer
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, • Basically they are the same set of tools
This course is about the 4th one: communication, promotion => It is the most visible aspect of marketing
PRODUCT => CUSTOMER NEED
Product: what do the consumers want in the product
The product tool consists of three layers
• The core product = the unique benefit that is being marketed
o The brand is often a summary, visualization of this core benefit and all the associations it
leads to
• The tangible product
o The core product has to be translated into a tangible product
o Product features, a certain level of quality, the available options, design and packaging are
important instruments by which a core benefit can be made tangible
• The augmented product
o Gives the tangible product more value and more customer appeal
o Augmented product = the ‘service layer’ on top of the tangible product
o Prompt delivery, installation service, after-sales service and management of complaints
PRICE => COST TO THE CUSTOMER
Price = what it costs the consumer to get this product + are they willing to pay that cost or not
• Focuses on what the consumer is thinking
Price is the only marketing instrument that does not cost anything, but provides the resources to spend on
production and marketing activities
• The list price = the ‘official’ price of a product
o Discounts and incentives can be used to make the product more attractive
• Price cuts are an effective way to attract consumers
o Price cuts also mean losing margin and profit
• Customers can get used to discounts and may gradually be educated to buy on price and be a brand-
switcher
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, • The regular use of the price instrument is incompatible with building a strong position and a strong
brand on the basis of product characteristics or benefits
o Therefore good marketing can be defined as avoiding the price tool as much as possible
PLACE => CONVENIENCE
Place: we want to make it as convenient as possible for the consumer to get the product
• Where will you provide the products ?
Place or distribution
• The company manages the process of bringing the product from the production site to the customer
• Involves transport, keeping inventory, selecting retailers and wholesalers, deciding on which types of
outlet the product will be distributed in, and the assortment of products to be offered in the various
outlets
• Distribution strategy also implies maintaining co-operation between the company and the distribution
channel and finding new ways to distribute products
PROMOTION => COMMUNICATION
Promotion: communicating and promoting your product was an one-way connection, but now it is way more
important to build a relation with your consumers
• We are actually communicating about our products with our consumers
Promotion or marketing communication is the most visible instrument of the marketing mix
• Involve all instruments by means of which the company communicates with its target groups and
stakeholders to promote its products or the company as a whole
THE COMMUNICATIONS MIX
Marketing communications (MC) = the process through which organizations and audiences engage with one
another
Organisations convey messages that are of significant value to
customers and stakeholders
• These audiences are encouraged to offer cognitive
(think), attitudinal (feel) and behavioural (buy)
responses
• There is a lot of noise: you also have to consider these
while making a message
• Marketing communications can inform and persuade audiences, they can differentiate the offering
from one company or brand from those of others and they can reinforce the relationship between an
organization and its audiences
Instruments of the communications mix
• Advertising
• Brand activation (promotions, in-store, experience)
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, • Direct marketing communications
• Public relations (PR)
• Sponsorship
• Exhibitions and trade fairs
➔ Offline and online: There is no such thing as an offline and online world => you can’t see them separated
but both should be integrated with each other
ADVERTISING
Advertising = non-personal mass communications using mass media (such as TV, ratio, newspapers, billboards
…), the content of which is determined and paid for by a clearly identified sender (the company).
• Non-personal: it is not personalized for you
• One-to-many (mass): many people can see it at once, mass audience
o One company sends one message to many people
• Monologue: you will not know how many people saw it and you can’t communicate with them
• Paid: you will need to pay
o If you see an add, you know there is a company that has paid for it to show you this. People
realise that. It is persuasion knowledge (you see an add on street or bus, this brand has paid
to be on the back of the bus. People know you paid for doing this).
o People are also sceptical, is it all true? Or do they just want to persuade me? This scepticism
lead to nowadays many hybrids advertising to avoid this.
o E.g. everybody knows product placement (products placed in media bv james bond movies).
Brands paid to be in the bond movie. People who watch it don’t see it as advertisement. To
them it is content of the movie. Don’t develop a lot of persuasion knowledge. They don’t
develop the sceptical attitude. Hybrid formats are there to diminish the persuasion
knowledge and scepticism.
• Often long term: we want that people will recognize the brand and prefer your brand
o It’s not about the immediate selling but about creating a positive image towards your brand
o This needs a lot of repetition to be effective
• Via intermediary effects
o Works in the long term
o E.g. brand knowledge, attitude, positive brands …
o You see an add, you learn something new, you like, it is maybe something for me, you will try
to find it in the shop and then you buy it. A lot of advertising works that they eventually buy
it. But not immediately.
o E.g. People see an ad for a car model. They think it is nice? Visit the dealer. Nobody
immediately buys it. You will take a test drive, negotiate about the price, … and then you buy
it. Some advertising is just announcing promotions. Then there is an immediate link between
add and sales. Normally they want to work on the mind and feelings of products.
Goal: sell products
ONLINE ADVERTISING
Online advertising is just like any other advertising. Not fundamentally different from offline.
It is about targeting, trying to get them interesting, let them like it.
• You can reach a very specific target group
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