1. Chapter 9: Developing Marketing Communications and Influence Strategy
The Marketing Plan Handbook
Fourth Edition
Marian Burk Wood
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2. Customer Influence Strategies
Strategies for engaging customers through marketing communications and influencing how they think, feel, and act toward a brand or offering.
The rise of social media has added a powerful new dimension to today’s communications and influence strategies.
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3. Social Media 9-3 Online media designed to facilitate user interaction.
Content is largely or exclusively created by users.
This interaction can lead to positive or negative word-of-mouth.
Includes YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
On social media sites, marketers lack the high degree of control afforded by traditional advertising.
Enhances the potential buzz marketing and for messages to go viral: rapidly gain a large audience.
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4. Word of Mouth and Buzz Marketing
When possible, marketers want to spark positive word-of-mouth (WOM) communication:
Buzz marketing: When the company seeks to generate more intense WOM, it may provide communicators with samples or coupons.
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5. Communications Strategy
IMC strategy involves:
Defining target audiences.
Establishing objectives and a budget.
Analyzing pertinent issues.
Selecting appropriate IMC tools.
Planning appropriate pre- and post-implementation research to evaluate effectiveness.
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6. Choosing the Target Audience
Target market can vary from end customers to employees to distribution partners.
Target markets need to be understood in as much detail as possible:
To help shape the message.
To help choose the appropriate tool.
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7. “Push” and “Pull” Strategies
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8. Understanding Target Market Consumer Behavior
Communications can be used to move the target through a series of responses.
The order that the consumer moves through these responses is dependent upon whether the good or service is:
Low involvement,
High involvement, or
Experiential.
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9. Low Involvement, High Involvement, and Experiential Models of Behavior
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10. Setting Objectives 9-11 Objective Sample Influencing Beliefs
“Achieve 25% awareness of Product A among the target audience within 4 months.”
Influencing Feelings
“Achieve 18% preference for Product E among the target audience within 3 months.”
Influencing Behavior
“Achieve 9% trial of Product C among the target audience within 6 months.”
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11. Setting the Budget
Factors to be considered when setting the IMC budget:
Overall marketing budget.
Objectives to be achieved.
Competitive circumstances.
Potential ROI (Return on Investment).
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12. Examining Issues
Types of issues that can impact communications strategy:
Legal.
Regulatory.
Technological.
Ethical.
Cultural.
Competitive.
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13. Five Basic Promotion Tools
Marketing communications can use five basic tools:
Advertising.
Sales Promotion.
Public Relations.
Direct Marketing.
Personal Selling.
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14. Choosing IMC Tools 9-15 IMC Tool Use Advertising
Efficiently get messages to large audience.
Sales Promotion
Stimulate immediate purchase, reward repeat purchases, motivate sales personnel.
Public Relations
Build positive image, strengthen ties with stakeholders.
Direct Marketing
Reach targeted audiences, encourage direct response.
Personal Selling
Reach customers one-to-one to make sales, strengthen relationships.
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15. Planning Research
The marketing plan should allow for pre-testing and post-implementation research to evaluate the IMC activities.
Pre-testing: To find out if the target audience understands the message and retains information.
Post-implementation: To determine whether or not the IMC program has achieved its objectives and which elements of the plan were particularly effective.
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16. Using IMC Tools
Marketers typically use multiple tools in any one campaign.
Careful coordination of content and delivery across messages and media is essential for consistency.
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17. Advertising 9-18 Two basic decisions: Message. Media.
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18. Message Appeal Types of appeals include: 9-19
Rational: Using facts and logic to stimulate a response.
Emotional: Evoking feelings to stimulate a response.
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19. Choosing Media
Each medium has characteristics that convey the message in a different way.
Two key decisions in planning media:
Reach
Frequency
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20. Media Choices 9-21 Television. Radio. Outdoor. Newspaper. Magazine.
Internet.
Direct Mail.
Other.
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21. Sales Promotion
Influences customer behavior by reducing perceived price or enhancing perceived value for a limited time.
Sale promotion techniques vary depending on the target audience:
Consumer promotions: Targeting end consumers.
Trade promotions: Targeting channel members and salespersons.
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22. Consumer Promotions Objectives Types 9-23 Building awareness Sampling
Coupons
Rebates
Refunds
Premiums
Sweepstakes and contests
Bonus packs
Loyalty programs
Objectives
Building awareness
Encouraging product trial or usage
Encouraging speedy response
Reinforcing loyalty
Supporting advertising or other IMC activities
Defending against competitors
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23. Trade Promotions 9-24 Objectives Types Enhancing product knowledge.
Building commitment.
Reinforcing focus and loyalty.
Supporting advertising or other IMC activities.
Defending against competitors.
Types
Allowances and incentives.
Sales contests.
Training and support.
Point-of-purchase materials.
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24. Public Relations
Purpose: To open the lines of communication and develop positive relationships with the company’s stakeholder groups:
Customers and prospects.
Employees and job applicants.
Channel members.
Suppliers.
Government officials.
Local community groups.
Special interest groups.
Financial community.
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25. Objectives for Public Relations Activities
Understanding stakeholders’ perceptions and attitudes.
Managing the company’s image.
Communicating views and information.
Building brand and product awareness.
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26. Direct Marketing
Mail, broadcast and print media, the Internet, and other media.
Cost-effective for:
Precise targeting, and
The use of customized messages.
Marketers can easily measure results.
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27. Personal Selling More appropriate for: 9-28
Customized goods and services.
Assessing needs.
Large purchases.
Providing individual attention.
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28. Personal Selling Decisions
Build staff or work with an outside sales agency.
How many salespersons are needed, and how they will be organized.
Related to sales staff, how to:
Recruit
Train
Manage
Motivate
Compensate
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29. The Personal Selling Process
Identifying and qualifying prospects.
Planning the presales approach.
Making sales contact.
Addressing objections.
Closing the sale.
Following up after the sale.
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30. 9-31 Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.
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Publishing as Prentice Hall
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