Marketing Communications Summary
CHAPTER 1 – INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
Marketing is 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 organisational objectives.
1.1 Marketing mix
The 4 P’s of the marketing mix are product, price, place and promotions.
The product tool consists of three layers.
1. Core product: the unique benefit that is being marketed. In fact it is the position, the unique
place in the mind of the consumer that will be focused upon. Often the brand is a summary,
a visualisation of this core benefit and all the associations it leads to.
2. Tangible (tastbaar) product: 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.
3. Augmented (aanvullend) product: gives the tangible product more value and more customer
appeal. The augmented product can be defined as the service layer on top of the tangible
product. It includes elements such as prompt delivery, installation service, after-sales service
and management of complaints.
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 is the official price of a product. The price
instrument is an ambiguous tool: price cuts are effective way to attract consumers and they mean
losing margin and profit. Good marketing can be defined as avoiding the price tool as much as
possible.
By means of place or distribution, the company manages the process of bringing the product from
the production site to the customer. This involves transporting the product, keeping an inventory,
selecting wholesalers and retailers, deciding on which types of outlet the product will be distributed
in and the assortment of products to be offered in the various outlets.
Promotion or marketing communications are the most visible instrument of marketing mix. They
involve all instruments by means of which the company communicates with its target groups and
stakeholders to promote its product or the company as whole.
Two principles are importing when designing and implementing a marketing mix: consistency and
synergy. Consistency means that all the instruments have to work in the same direction and not
conflict with each other. Synergy means that marketing mix instruments have to be designed in such
a way that the effects of the tools are mutually reinforcing. (elkaar versterken)
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, 1.2 Communications mix
The tools of the communications mix are the aspects of the promotion tool of the marketing mix.
1. Advertising is non-personal mass communications using mass media, the content of which is
determined and paid for by a clearly identified sender.
2. Brand activation is the seamless integration of all available communication means in a
creative platform in order to activate consumers by stimulating interest, initiating trial and
eventually securing consumer loyalty. It is a tool used to build brands though interaction with
target audiences as it helps increase frequency, consumption and penetration of the brand.
It is a marketing process of bringing a brand to life through creating brand experience.
3. Sponsorship implies that the sponsor provides funds, goods, services and/or know-how. The
sponsored organisations will help the sponsor with communications objectives such as
building brand awareness or reinforcing brand or corporate image.
4. Public relations consist all the communications a company instigates with its audience of
stakeholders. Stakeholders are groups of individuals or organisations with whom the
company wants to create goodwill. Press releases and conferences, some of the major public
relations tools, should generate publicity. Publicity is impersonal mass communications in
mass media but it is not paid for by a company and the content is written by journalists.
5. Point-of-purchase communications are communications at the point of purchase or point of
sales. It includes several communications tools such as displays, advertising within the shop,
merchandising, article presentations, store layout, etc.
6. Direct marketing communications are a personal and direct way to communicate with
customers and potential clients or prospects. Personalised brochures and leaflets, direct
mailings, etc. are possible ways of using direct marketing communications.
7. E-communications offer new ways to communicate interactively with different stakeholders.
The internet, together with e-commerce, combine communicating with selling. Mobile
marketing uses the possibilities of text, video and sound transfer to mobile phones.
Besides the distinction between personal and mass communications is the categorising between
image and action communications.
In image communications the advertiser tries to tell the target group something about the brand to
the products and services offered. The goal of IC could be to improve relations with target groups,
increase customer satisfaction or reinforce brand awareness and brand preference. This might
eventually lead to a positive influence on the behaviour of the target group. This communication is
also known as above-the-line communication.
Below-the-line communications or action communications seek to influence the buying behaviour
of target groups and persuade the consumer to purchase the product. The primary goal is to
stimulate purchases.
1.3 Integration of marketing communications
IMC can be defined as instruments that traditionally have been used independently of each other are
combined in such a way that a synergetic effect is reached, and the resulting communications effort
becomes seamless of homogeneous. The major benefit of IMC is that a consistent set of messages is
conveyed to all target audiences by means of all available forms of contact and message channels.
IMC have an added value when compared with traditional marketing communications.
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