Summary Marketing Communications A European Perspective

Marketing Communications summary

Contents
Week 1...................................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 1: Integrated communications..............................................................................................2
Week 2...................................................................................................................................................8
Chapter 3 (78-90): How marketing communications work.................................................................8
Chapter 4: Marketing communications planning..............................................................................11
Week 3.................................................................................................................................................21
Chapter 2: Branding..........................................................................................................................21
Chapter 5: Advertising......................................................................................................................26
Week 4.................................................................................................................................................34
Chapter 6: Online communication....................................................................................................34
Chapter 7: Media planning...............................................................................................................39
Week 5.................................................................................................................................................44
Chapter 8: Brand activation..............................................................................................................44
Chapter 9: Direct marketing.............................................................................................................47
Chapter 10: Public relations..............................................................................................................52
Chapter 11: Sponsorship..................................................................................................................56
Week 6.................................................................................................................................................61
Chapter 13: Measuring campaign effectiveness...............................................................................61
Chapter 14: Ethical issues in marketing communications.................................................................64




1

,Week 1
Chapter 1: Integrated communications
Marketing  the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and
distribution of ideas, goods and services to create and exchange value, and satisfy individual and
organizational objectives.
The tools of the marketing plan have to be decided, given the marketing objectives and goals, the
target segments and the market positions that has to be defended. These instruments are
traditionally divided into the 4 P’s or the 4 C’s. Instruments for the marketing mix:




Product consists of 3 layers:
 Core product  unique benefit being marketed; the unique place/position in the mind of the
consumer
 Tangible (tastbaar) product  translation of the core product, by a certain level of quality,
available options, design and packaging.
 Argumented product  gives the tangible product more value and more customer appeal;
‘service layer’, e.g. fast delivery, installation service, after sales service and management of
complaints
Promotion/communication  the most visible instrument; all instruments by means of which the
company communicates with its target groups and stakeholders to promote its products or the
company as a whole.

The communications mix
 Advertising  non-personal mass communication using mass media (TV, radio, newspapers,
magazines, billboards, banners, pre-roll ads in online videos), the content of which is
determined and paid by for a clearly identified sender (the company)
 Brand activation  integration of all available communications means in order to activate
consumers. The tool is used to build brands through interaction with target audiences; it
brings a brad to life through creating brand experience (bijv. Proefritje in een auto)
o Sales promotions  sales-stimulating campaigns (price cuts/coupons/loyalty
programmes/free samples)
 Point-of-purchase communications  communications at the point of purchase/sales (in
store communications; displays, store layout)
 Online communications  interactive communication with customers and stakeholders
(banners, video ads, social media)
 Direct marketing communications  personal and direct communication with customers
and potential clients/prospects (personalized brochures, direct mailings, telemarketing)


2

,  Sponsorship  an investment in cash or kind in an activity, in return for the exploitable
commercial potential associated with this activity (transactional)
 Public relations  all of the communications of the company with its audiences or
stakeholders (belanghebbenden). Press conferences should generate publicity; impersonal
mass communications in mass media, is not paid for by a company and the content is written
by journalists (negative publicity is also possible)
 Trade fairs  B2B; to contact prospects, users and purchasers

Personal communications  the marketing message is directed to certain known and individually
addressed persons (online communication, brand activation, direct marketing).
Mass communications  the marketing message is directed to a number of receivers who can’t be
identified, using mass media to reach a broad audience (advertising, online communication, point-of-
purchase, sales promotion, public relations, sponsorship)

The practical implications of the selection mix depend on the situation and the creative
implementation and execution of the communications instruments.

Marketing communications instruments can also be differentiated between:
 Image or theme communications  to create a positive image about a brand of product, by
telling the target group something about these (mass media advertising).
 Action communications  influence buying behaviour of target groups, and persuade the
consumer to purchase the product; primary goal is to stimulate purchases.


Integrated marketing communications  a concept of marketing communication planning that
recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of
communication disciplines (e.g. general advertising, direct response, sales promotion and public
relations and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum
communication impact. Perspective of the recipient: traditional marketing & promotions &
web/social media  integrated marketing  consistency (all instruments work in the same
direction) and synergy (the effects of the tools are mutually reinforcing).

The marketing mix and integrated marketing communications:




3

, Traditional communications strategies  based on mass media delivering generalized transaction-
orientated messages
Integrated communications  more personalized, customer-orientated, relationship-based and
interactive

Integrated communications  the integration of formerly specialized communications functions
into one organizational system that conveys a consistent set of messages to all target audiences.

Integrating marketing communications across cultures
International marketing communications management has to operate in a different environment
with different demographic, economic, geographic, technological, political and legal conditions.
Marketing communications can be localized (adapted) or globalized (standardization/integration).
 Adaption/localization  different information for different countries; elements of the
communication strategy are adapted to local circumstances (e.g. Nescafé) (Advantages: ad
and brand more appealing to local consumers,
 Standardization/globalization/integration  understandable for the whole world,
everywhere the same (e.g. j’adore dior) (Advantages: cost reduction through economies of
scale, easy, global image creation/global brand identity (Examples: Nivea, L’Oréal)
 Glocalization  global commitment to a local vision; think global, act local

Culture (according to Hofstede)  the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the
members of one group or category of people from those of another. Marketing communication
managers have to understand cultural differences to succeed in international communications.
Self-reference criterion  our unconscious tendency to refer everything to our own cultural values.
The marketer has to avoid the self-reference mistake.

Some products can be sold to similar target groups across countries (e.g. high educated young people
are very similar, whether they are French, Italian, German or American). These groups are (in
general) more open-minded, less culturally bound, more receptive to international media, have more
international contacts and/or go abroad more often. Examples of successful campaigns in this
category: Marlboro, Levi’s, Coca-Cola, perfume ads and airline campaigns. Luxury products are
targeted at upper-class people who buy thus for the status; only the status has to be communicated,
the product information hasn’t; these appeals are easier to standardize. Also, products with a
country-of-origin appeal can be more easily globalized (Belgium – Chocolate, France – Wine, Japan –
Technology). Advertisements with a country-of-origin positioning use a global approach.
Corporate communications  the management instrument to coordinate internal and external
communication in such a way that allows for an organization to acquire and retain the desired
reputation with the most important target groups/stakeholders. It’s the visualization of corporate
identity. Main focus: create image and attitudes towards the organization.
3 main objectives:
1) To define a corporate identity that is in line with corporate strategy
2) To reduce the gap between the desired identity and the image of the company
that exists with its target groups
3) To organize and control the implementation of all the communications efforts of
a company

Corporate personality  the values held by personnel within the organization; the collective,
commonly shared understanding of the organization’s distinctive values and characteristics.

4