AN INTRODUCTION TO PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING STRATEGY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Promotion is one of the key elements of the marketing mix, and deals with any one or twoway communication that takes place with the consumer. This article concentrates is a high level introduction to developing a promotional strategy for your business focusing on advertising and other 'pull' tactics.

Developing a promotional strateg

Deciding on a marketing communications strategy is one of the primary roles of the marketing manager and this process involves some key decisions about how who the customer is, how to contact the consumer them, and what the message should be. These uestions can be answered using a three stage process, which is e ually relevant for all elements of the marketing mix! ". Segmentation # dividing the marketing into distinct groups $. Targeting # deciding which of these groups to communicate with, and how to talk to them %. Positioning # determining how you would like the product or brand to be perceived by the target groups

!" Segmentation
Dividing potential customers into discrete groups is vital if you want to increase the success rate of any communications message. &f you don't know who you are talking to, it's unlikely you will get much of a response. 'ho are the potential customers( )ow many sub-groups should you divide them into( )ow do these groups differ( )opefully, most of this information will be readily available from your market research. *nce you have an idea of the customer, you should further drill down to explore them in more detail. 'hat are their media consumption habits( 'hat are their expectations and aspirations( 'hat are their priorities( )ow much disposable income do they have( 'hat are their buying habits( +re they likely to have children( )ow many holidays to they take a year( )ow much money do they give to charity( )ow can you help them( This information can be obtained in a variety of ways, from commissioning a specialist market research agency, to examining sales patterns or social media interactions. ,ommonly used market research methods include!

-ales analysis and buying patterns

.uestionnaires Desk research 'ebsite statistics, especially social media /ocus groups /ace-to-face interviews -pecialist market research companies

*nce you have built up an accurate picture of your customer, it's time to get their attention0

#" Targeting
/or the purposes of advertising, targeting is the process of communicating with the right segment1s2 and ensuring the best possible response rate. The methods you use to target your audience must relate to your marketing plan ob3ectives - are you trying to generate awareness of a new product, or attract business away from a competitor(

Met$o%s o& mar'eting (omm)ni(ations

+dvertising is 3ust one element of the marketing communication arsenal, which can be divided into the following areas!

A%vertising * a mass me%ia approa($ to promotion

*utdoor 4usiness directories 5aga6ines 7 newspapers T8 7 cinema 9adio :ewsagent windows

Sales promotion + pri(e , mone relate% (omm)ni(ations

,oupons Discounts ,ompetitions ;oyalty incentives

P)-li( relations + )sing t$e press to o)r a%vantage

Press launches P9 events Press releases

Personal selling * one to one (omm)ni(ation .it$ a potential -) er

-alesmen <xperiential marketing

Dealer or showroom sales activities <xhibitions Trade shows

Dire(t mar'eting + ta'ing t$e message %ire(tl to t$e (ons)mer

5ail order catalogues 4ulk mail Personalised letters <mail Telemarketing Point of sale displays Packaging design

Digital mar'eting * ne. ($annels are emerging (onstantl

,ompany websites -ocial media applications such as /acebook or Twitter 4logging 5obile phone promotions using technology such as bluetooth =ouTube <-commerce

De(i%ing .$i($ me%ia ($annel to )se

&n nature, evolution occurs most rapidly when competition for resources is intense. The same process is now occurring with promotional media. +ll traditional media channels are now saturated, and competition for consumer attention is intense. +t the same time, the impact of any one medium is becoming diluted. There are many more T8 and radio channels, consumer have the ability to skip adverts and free information is now much more accessible. +s a result, companies are becoming increasingly innovative in their approach to communications and a host of new media channels have emerged. +s a result, media choice is becoming a tricky task, which is why detailed segmentation is so important - it's no use starting a Twitter campaign if none of your target market are regular users of the site. )ighly targeted communications often lead to better results. =ou can usually expect a response rate of under "> for a relatively generic mass mailing. )owever, personal letters to a handful of your most loyal customers would lead to a dramatically increased rate of return. 'hen deciding which media to use consider the reach, fre uency, media impact and what you can expect for your budget but most of all, ensure your target customer will see the message in the first place. 5edia choice is a matter of compromise between volume of people versus the personalisation of the message.

Ens)ring o)r message re&le(ts t$e stages o& t$e p)r($asing &)nnel
*nce you have made the audience aware of your brand, work doesn't stop there. The customer needs to be guided through the purchasing process. This means identifying the key stages in the customer 3ourney and ensuring communications messages are personalised and relevant.

Integrate% mar'eting (omm)ni(ations

*nce you have decided which media channel to concentrate on, the next step is to ensure an integrated approach is taken. 9egardless of whether you are promoting a new product or raising awareness, it's important that all ads across all media work together towards a common goal by using similar messaging and 'look and feel'. +n integrated approach can dramatically increase the effectiveness of any campaign and will help create your brand image.

Getting t$e -est response

To get the best response from your target market, you need ensuring the message is relevant and clear # once you've managed to gain the valuable attention of your customer the last thing you want is for them to be confused about what you're saying. Determine the ob3ectives of the advert and ensure these aims are addressed clearly. Think about the next steps you would like the audience to take, whether this is visiting a website, ringing a number, or being able to recall your brand when they are next in the shops.

/" Positioning
Positioning is the process of developing an image for your company or product. This can be achieved partially through branding, but it's important to realise that all elements of the marketing mix combine to provide the full picture. =ou must ensure that all areas of your business live up to expectations in order to successfully position yourself in the way you hope. Positioning also considers the competition, and you need to explain why you are uni ue in the marketplace and better than the other products on the shelf.

0ran%ing an% messaging

4randing is a powerful tool for positioning your product. 4randing is used on almost all customer facing elements of a product, from the packaging design to the style of writing used on posters. <very communication a customer received adds up to form a mental picture of your brand and can influence the price they are willing to pay for your products. This ability to charge more due to the positioning of your product is known as 'brand e uity'. =our branding also needs to consider your uni ue selling points 1?-Ps2 and ensure these are easily recognised through your messaging # is your product the best value, longest lasting, sweetest smelling or fastest(

Corporate i%entit
@

+ corporate identity is a useful tool to ensure that your branding is used in a consistent way throughout the company. This detailed document runs through almost every conceivable customer touch point and provides guidance on the presentation and style which should be used. This could include use of logos, colours, tag lines, uniform and the type of coffee to serve guests. + ,& guide is particularly useful if any creative work it outsourced to agencies or freelancers or if you have many offices worldwide. The most powerful brands can be identified by many elements of their communications material, not 3ust a by their logo or slogan and this is due to successful implementation of a recognisable corporate identity. 9ecognition is a key part of any purchase decision so a corporate identity should for a core element of your advertising strategy.

Final .or%s
+lmost every business in the world will deal in advertising at some point, whether it is a listing in the =ellow Pages, or a billboard in Times - uare. 'hatever you're planning, the strategic thinking behind all advertising is essentially the same # get to know your audience, target them efficiently and position your brand in the way that will benefit your business.