Dr.

Karim Kobeissi
Islamic University of
Lebanon - 2014

Chapter 5: Marketing
Communications

Marketing Communications - Definition

Marketing communications represents the collection
of all elements in a brands marketing mix that
facilitate exchanges by targeting the brand to a
group of customers, positioning the brand as
somehow distinct from competitive brands, and
sharing the brands meaning its point of
difference with the brand target market(s).
Marketing communications is the "promotion" part
of the "marketing mix" or the "four Ps": price,
place, promotion, and product.

Marketing Communication Mix

The

Marketing

Communication

includes the following elements:

1) Advertising
2) Sales Promotion
3) Personal selling
4) Public Relations
5) Direct Marketing

Mix

1- Advertising
Advertising includes:
Print and broadcast ads
Packaging inserts
Motion pictures
Brochures and booklets
Posters
Billboards
POP displays
Logos

2- Sales Promotion
Sales promotion
includes:
Contests, games,
sweepstakes
Premium items
Sampling
Trade shows, exhibits
Coupons
Rebates
Entertainment
Continuity programs

3- Personal selling

Personal selling
includes:
Sales presentations
Sales meetings
Incentive programs
Samples
Fairs and trade shows

4- Public Relations

Public relations
includes:
Press kits
Speeches
Seminars
Annual reports
Charitable
donations
Publications
Community
relations
Lobbying

5- Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing
includes:
Catalogs
Mailings
Telemarketing
Electronic shopping
TV shopping
Fax mail
E-mail
Voice mail

Why Marketing Communications Is Important?

If customers dont know what goods and services you
provide, then your business will not survive in
todays

competitive

marketplace.

Effective

communication with your customers is vital to

ensure that your business generates sales and
profits.
By taking the time to develop and implement an
appropriate marketing communication plan, you will
stimulate your target market to buy your products and manage this within a budget you can afford.

W h a t

S h o u l d

W e

D o ?

A successful marketing communication plan uses a balance of its five elements

in a structured way a single element rarely works well in isolation. The
challenge is to select the right mix of promotional activities to suit your
particular business at the right time and to then use it correctly to achieve
the intended results.
The combination of elements you use will depend on:
1) Your product (good, service, idea, place.)
2) Your product life cycle
3) Your target market (behaviors, decision STAGES, influences )
4) The

message

you

wish

to

communicate

(product

awareness,

benefits)
5) Youre available budget and alternatives

of accessible media

(tobacco, )
In fact, there would be little point in advertising a new gas cooker in a
fashion magazine.

Communicational Objectives Across the Product Life Cycle

(PLC)
1. Introduction

Advertising and public relations

awareness
Sales promotion trial
Personal selling distribution

3. Maturity

Advertising persuasion,
reminder
Sales promotion market
share

2. Growth

Advertising and PR brand loyalty

Less emphasis on sales promotion

4. Decline

Reduction in advertising and

PR
More emphasis on sales
promotions temporary
sales

Communicational Elements by Decision Stage

Pre-purchase
Influence
decision,
preference
Samples to
induce trial

Purchase

Sales promotion

Point-of-purchase
(POP) displays

Post-purchase
Increase
repurchase
propensity

Some Media Alternatives

Television

Conventional advertisements
Infomercials
Sponsorship programming
Placements
In programming
Superimposed

Radio

Magazines
Newspapers
Outdoor
INTERNET
Point-of-purchase
Other
Movie theaters
On other products

Developing the Advertising Program

IDENTIFYING THE
TARGET
AUDIENCE

DESIGNING THE
ADVERTISEMENT(
S)

SPECIFYING
ADVERTISING
OBJECTIVES

SETTING THE
ADVERTISING
BUDGET

Some Communicational Objectives

Informing

Awareness
Interest
Benefits
Other information

Persuading
Preference based on competitive
advantages
Brand switching or prevention of brand
switching

Reminding
Trigger memories
Maintain preference and buying habits

Some Communicational Objectives (con)

Brand awareness
Knowledge of product
category

Existence
Benefits
Functions
Technology

Knowledge of brand
differences

Brand attitude
Favorable beliefs about the
brand
Overall
Relative to competitors

Product category or brand

trial

Brand preference
Willingness to pay a premium for
the brand
Resistance to competitor
promotions (e.g., sales, coupons)
Willingness to buy under less
convenient circumstances

Increase in product
category or brand usage
Quantity used
Frequency used
Scope of uses

Increase in short term sales

Increase in Product Category or Brand UsageProduct

Category Potential Examples
Frequency used
Scope of uses
Orange juice: It isnt just for
breakfast anymore
Baking soda
ZipLock bags
WD-40 (lubrication and sticker
removal)

Cell phone minutes

Call to family/friends

Quantity used
Calcium supplements
Milk

Cosmetics
Deodorant
Wine
Greeting cards
Phone calls

Hotels, airlines
Conference calls
Car engine oil
Canned soup

The Communication Process

Thecommunication processis the steps we take in order to achieve a
successful communication. It consists of several components:
- A senderis the party that sends a message.
- A message, which is the information to be conveyed.
The sender will need toencodehis message, which is transforming his
thoughts of the information to be conveyed into a form that can be sent,
such as words.
- Amessage channelmust also be selected, which is the manner in which
the message is sent. Message channels include speaking, writing, video
transmission, audio transmission, electronic transmission through emails,
text messages and faxes and even nonverbal communication, such as body
language.
- A target of the communication. This party is called thereceiver.
The receiver must be able todecodethe message, which means mentally
processing the message into understanding. If you can't decode, the
message fails. For example, sending a message in a foreign language that
is not understood by the receiver probably will result in decoding failure.
**Sometimes, a receiver will give the senderfeedback, which is a message
sent by the receiver back to the sender. For example, a receiver may
provide feedback in the form a question to clarify some information
received in the message.

Some Advertising Strategies

Comparative ads
Illegal in most countries
Generally very disliked by U.S.
consumers but still relatively
effective

Humor appeal
A way to get attention to the
advertisementbut the
consumer may remember the
humor and not what the
product featured was

Adding beliefs
Classical conditioning
(association)

Fear appeal
To be effective:
Feared stimulus must be
of medium intensity
enough to motivate action
but not so intense that the
individual tunes out the
ad
A clear solution must be
offerede.g., use

Listerine to avoid
tooth loss due to
gingivitis

Repetition
Celebrity endorsements

Example of Humor Appeal Ads

Example of Fear Appeal Ads

Executing The Advertising Program

Pre-testing
Several story boards or actual ads are created
Ads are tested on consumers
Instant response technologies (consumers either rate
approval or have physiological measures taken throughout
an ad duration)

The best performing ad or ads are chosen subject

to constraints imposed (e.g., need to specify a
certain message or use certain types of models)

Possible redesign
Carrying out advertisement
Full service agencies
Limited service agencies
In-house (Marketing Department)

Advertising Intensity and Return --A Typical

Relationship

Measuring Advertising Effect

Several possible criteria:

Scanner data

Individual TV exposure can be

matched against actual purchases

Available only for grocery products

Increase in sales
impossible

to

(but it may be

separate

effects

different simultaneous ads).

Lab studies:
Recall
Attitude toward product
Preference

of

Japanese AdvertisingUse of
Animation & Cartoon Characters

Breaking Through the Clutter

ALL

O U R C O M M U N I C AT I O N
SHOULD BE

CREATIV