Chapter 1 Introducing Marketing Communications
Case: Sensodyne Pronamel (page 4-6)
Campaign phase 1: Condition awareness
Campaign phase 2: Creating relevancy
Introduction
Organizations use marketing communications in different ways to achieve different goals, and
to pursue their marketing and business objectives. “Engagement” refers to the nature of the
communications that can occur between people and between people and technology. Marketing
is closely aligned to an educational context and refers to three types of engagement taken from
a learning perspective:
Cognitive engagement
The degree to which individuals are engrossed and intellectually involved in what they are
learning (messages).
Relational engagement
The extent to which individuals feel connected with their environment.
Behavioral engagement
The extent to which individuals feel involved and participate in activities.
In marketing communications, engagement refers to a range of communications events used
first to expose, and sometimes to capture the attention, captivate and then enable interaction
with an audience. This is often achieved through a blend of intellectual and emotional content.
Engagement may last seconds (advertisement) but can be protracted and last longer.
Organizations operate across different sectors, markets and countries and use a variety of
marketing communications activities to engage with their various audiences (customers,
influencers, supporters). Large and small organizations are all part of a network of companies,
suppliers, retailers, wholesalers, etc. that join together so that each can achieve its own goals.
The concept of marketing as an exchange
The concept of exchange is central to our understanding of marketing. For an exchange, there
must be two or more parties, of which each should offer something of value to the other and be
prepared to enter freely into the exchange process (=transaction). Two forms of exchange:
Transactional exchange (or market exchange)
Occurs independently of any previous or subsequent exchanges. Short term orientation,
primarily motivated by self-interest. E.g. Buy something at a store from which you have never
bought anything.
Collaborative exchange (or relational exchange)
Longer-term orientation and developed between parties who wish to build and maintain long-
term supportive relationships. E.g. When you buy something at the same place regularly.
Elements of a relationship can be observed in all exchanges. As exchanges become more
frequent the intensity of the relationship strengthens, so that the focus is no longer on the
product or price but on the relationship itself. A variety of exchanges occurs and each
organization has a portfolio of differing types of exchange that it maintains with different