Download Chapter 6: Developing Product and Brand Strategy

Chapter 9: Developing
Marketing Communications
and Influence Strategy
The Marketing Plan Handbook
Fourth Edition
Marian Burk Wood
9-1
Customer Influence Strategies
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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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Social Media

Online media designed to facilitate user interaction.
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Content is largely or exclusively created by users.
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This interaction can lead to positive or negative word-ofmouth.
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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Word of Mouth and Buzz Marketing
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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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Communications Strategy
IMC strategy involves:
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Defining target audiences.
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Establishing objectives and a budget.
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Analyzing pertinent issues.
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Selecting appropriate IMC tools.
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Planning appropriate pre- and postimplementation research to evaluate
effectiveness.
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Choosing the Target Audience
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Target market can vary from end customers
to employees to distribution partners.
Target markets need to be understood in as
much detail as possible:

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To help shape the message.
To help choose the appropriate tool.
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“Push” and “Pull” Strategies
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Understanding Target Market
Consumer Behavior
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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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Low Involvement,
High Involvement, and
Experiential Models of
Behavior
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Setting Objectives
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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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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Examining Issues
Types of issues that can impact
communications strategy:

Legal.

Regulatory.
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Technological.
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Ethical.

Cultural.

Competitive.
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Five Basic Promotion Tools
Marketing communications can use five
basic tools:
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Advertising.
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Sales Promotion.

Public Relations.

Direct Marketing.

Personal Selling.
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Choosing IMC Tools
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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Planning Research
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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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Using IMC Tools
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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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Advertising
Two basic decisions:

Message.

Media.
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Message Appeal
Types of appeals include:
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Rational: Using facts and logic to stimulate a
response.
Emotional: Evoking feelings to stimulate a
response.
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Choosing Media
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Each medium has characteristics that
convey the message in a different way.
Two key decisions in planning media:
 Reach
 Frequency
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Media Choices

Television.
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Radio.
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Outdoor.
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Newspaper.
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Magazine.

Internet.

Direct Mail.

Other.
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Sales Promotion
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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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Consumer Promotions
Types
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Sampling
Coupons
Rebates
Refunds
Premiums
Sweepstakes and
contests
Bonus packs
Loyalty programs
Objectives
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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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Trade Promotions
Types
Objectives
Allowances and
incentives.
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Sales contests.
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Training and support.
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Point-of-purchase
materials.
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Enhancing product
knowledge.
Building commitment.
Reinforcing focus and
loyalty.
Supporting advertising
or other IMC activities.
Defending against
competitors.
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Public Relations
Purpose: To open the lines of communication
and develop positive relationships with the
company’s stakeholder groups:
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Customers and prospects.
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Employees and job applicants.
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Channel members.
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Suppliers.
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Government officials.
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Local community groups.
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Special interest groups.
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Financial community.
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Objectives for Public Relations
Activities
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Understanding stakeholders’ perceptions
and attitudes.
Managing the company’s image.
Communicating views and information.
Building brand and product awareness.
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Direct Marketing


Mail, broadcast and print media, the
Internet, and other media.
Cost-effective for:

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Precise targeting, and
The use of customized messages.
Marketers can easily measure results.
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Personal Selling
More appropriate for:
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Customized goods and services.
Assessing needs.
Large purchases.
Providing individual attention.
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Personal Selling Decisions
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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:

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Recruit
Train
Manage
Motivate
Compensate
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The Personal Selling Process
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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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permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.
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Publishing as Prentice Hall
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