Summary Marketing Communication Strategy

Marketing Communication Strategy

Chapter 1 Marketing and Communication
Importance of a strong brand
- Value based on strength of brand name
- Brands associated with manufactured products

Functions of a brand for consumer
1. Convenience when buying
- Brand awareness  consumer knows exactly what he is expecting from
product/supplier
- Know product features, or supplier can easily make a choice
- Brand has satisfied them  not look further
- Brand creates certainty among customers that they actually will get what they want

2. Psychological Function
- Helps to achieve desired form of self-expression
- Buying certain brand, consumer show others what type of person they are/want to be
- Buying specific brand gives consumer good feeling about themselves

Functions of a brand for companies
1. Distinction
- Brand helps organizations to distinguish themselves from other suppliers of similar
products
- Because of distinction own brand less vulnerable to competition
- Especially when technical and instrumental differences between various products,
companies are minimal  psychological surplus value of brand may create
distinction
 brand can create monopoly position

2. Continuity
- String brands result in continuity, because satisfied customers keep buying product
- Large number of loyal customers  constant demand

3. Higher price
- Creating strong brand requires large investment in product development, marketing
communication
- Brand that succeeds creating psychological surplus value can demand higher price
than other brands
- As long as price differences aren’t too high  consumers willing to pay

4. Easier product introductions
- Company builds up good reputation among its customers finds easier to put new
product on market than unknown company
- Advantage is valid when company embarks on entirely new activity

5. Greater independence as regards the retail trade
- Producer who succeeds in giving brand strong image among customers will become
less dependent on retailer
- retailers almost forced to include brand in product range




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,Brand image
- greatest importance for products or companies
- mental picture (potential) customers have of brand




- if consumer have bought brand before and are happy with it  positive influence on
brand image
- brand image influenced by friend’s opinions, social media, neighbors, family
members, TV personalities etc
- case of product with strong expressive value, consumers take the opinions if these
into account
- marketing communication important method of building or strengthening brand

Changes in marketing communication, throughout the history
1. Direct contact with customers
2. Communicating through retailers
3. Looking for distinctive features
4. Large advertising budgets
5. More marketing communication methods
6. One-to-one communication

- communications streams have
changed
- Change in budget for communication
with retailers and consumers




Types of products
- B2b products, sold by one producer to another
- Convenience goods  consumer buy frequently with minimum of mental or physical
exertion, price and quality hardly compared
- Consumer products
- Preferential products  consumers tend to buy well known brands or look for reliable
shop and advice of specialist

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, - Shopping goods  durable goods, before purchase price quality and other product
features are compared, consumer seek wide-ranging information before buying,
informative advertising and personal selling play important role
- Specialized goods  products with unique features, consumers usually know which
brand they want before purchasing, no need to compare brands, only want to know
where desired brand can be found




Brand name
- Producers must decide whether or not they want to brand products
- If branded  producer’s brand or own brand of retailer
- Brand name has to be selected
- Two main strategies  separate brand or umbrella brand
o Separate brand  Procter & Gamble: Ariel, Head and Shoulders etc. is
supported by specific marketing communication, consumers do not know it is
P&G
 Advantage: separate brain position among consumers can be created
for each brand, each brand has own marketing communication
strategy
o Umbrella brand  Phillips, uses its name for every product
 Single campaign sometimes sufficient for products that are in same
category and marketing costs can be brought down
 Negative aspect: brand image among consumers become diffuse
- Choosing brand name principles apply:
o Name must be distinguishable from other brands, easy recognizable and to
remember
o Easy to read, pronounce
o Must fit atmosphere surrounding the product
o Must evoke desired associations
o Should say something about main product feature
o Register brand name with brand registration bureau
o View to export, must mot evoke negative associations abroad

Brand strength
- Market leadership
o Being market leader More stable and more valuable possession
o If cannot be obtained in existing market, possibilities may be sought to profile
brand in smaller market  innovative features and brand identity can lead to
competitive advantage
- Stability
o Long-established brand acquired customer loyalty and became part of market
structure, are valuable
o Build-up of brand loyalty depends on marketing communication and
marketing discipline, ensures that buyers expectations are met
- Nature of market

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