Fundamental framework of engaging in marketing communication - Essay Example

College: Marketing Communication Introduction According to Clow and Baack (2007), marketing communications entails all the messages as well as related media utilised in communicating with a market. It consists of promotion aspect in the marketing mix of four Ps: place, price, product, and promotion. Marketing communication is the art and science of communicating information, which an organisation wishes to divulge towards the public. Such information could be associated to a product’s marketing, talk concerning the launch of a new commodity, or even the community initiatives that the company assumes. Marketing communications aid in defining the relationship of a firm with its customers. Marketing communication, as an organisational unit, emphasises the strategic significance of such communication as well as its lasting impact upon consumers. The models of communication can assume a predictive guide though recognition of the unpredictability and autonomy of the consumers is the most important outcome (Varey 2002). It is essential for effectiveness in the use of the various resources allocated to the tools of marketing communication. For achievement of this, a comprehensive understanding of the process of strategic planning of marketing communications is necessary. The most relevant issues entail the marketing communication tools’ role in influencing the choices of brands and how such brands could be effectively used in delivery of promotional messages. It is also relevant to understand how firms can identity the most effective media strategy to enhance maximisation of the population of the reached target audience and also boost the potential of processing and acting upon such communication messages (Kimmel 2005). This paper is designed to offer the JD Sports Shop with fundamental framework of engaging in marketing communication in its efforts of promoting its performance during the London 2012 Olympics. This framework is developed by XYZ Agencies, a marketing firm in the UK, and it will foster an introduction to the issues, concepts, practice, and theory of integrated marketing communications via a theoretical and integrated platform for marketing communications’ description and analysis. JD Sport Shop The JD Sports is known for its leading role in sports and trainer fashion retailing across the United Kingdom. JD retail shop has been supplying the United Kingdom with the greatest as well as the latest branded street style sourced from the leading brands around for more than thirty years. It has thousands of official stocks and JD exclusives from the top brands such as Adidas originals, Fila, Nike, Converse, McKenzie, Fred Perry, Lacoste, Carbrini, Reebok, Duffer of St. George, Goi Goi JD, and Timberland at all times. JD is famously known as “King of Trainers” and thus strives to supply the best brands in terms of footwear. It has the latest and best trainers for all people ranging from men to women and to kids (JD 2012). Critical Evaluation of Marketing Communications’ Role Effective plans of communication add value to firms as well as regularly make the variation between programs’ success or/and failure (Laric & Lynagh 2010). It is imperative to note that communication is the process of exchanging information between people via a general system of signs, behaviour, and symbol. An effective communication plan aids in overcoming the obstacles in the market by creating a common language as well as framing the message (Kotler & Armstrong 2009). Such plans help in the organisation of key message hierarchy as well as pinpointing different specifics concerning the audience or target market in terms of delivery and timing (Fill 1999). Marketing consists of the strategising and implementing process of the different ideology, promotion, pricing, as well as distribution of a commodity or service as well as ideas to ensure that the needs, objectives, and wants of the customers and the enterprise from which the specific idea, product, or service comes from are well catered for (Danes et al 1980). As such, communications marketing plays a key role in ensuring that the marketing initiatives and efforts achieve the maximum benefits by providing the customers (audience) with effective and essential information concerning different products, ideas, or services while it also ensures that the firm’s reputation is well upheld in the markets (Kotler & Keller 2009). Marketing communications is one of the key factors in the marketing mix as it involves aggressive promotions, particularly for a particular product, service, or idea in terms of offering viable information concerning the same towards the target audiences (Perreault et al 1979). Fundamentally, marketing consists of four different aspects, whose sound combination is known as marketing mix or the 4 rudiments of marketing mix. Marketing mix is popularly viewed as entailing the four marketing Ps: product, place (the channels of distribution), pricing, as well as promotion or marketing communications. Promotions is an essential element, which essentially becomes the foundation of the introduction of commodities or services towards the final consumers since a new product must involve aggressive marketing and promotion in order to capture that market’s attention (Belch & Belch 2009). Through promotions, the target audiences are left with a motivation of making further enquiries concerning the price of a product or service and the other vital features of the same. Thus, marketing communications’ role is very essential since it if the fundamental source, which edifies the market concerning existence of a product or service in rather general basis. Marketing communication entails the manner in which firms get their messages out to their stakeholders, including the external or/and the internal audiences. The marketing communications’ foundation is grounded on the understanding of what the organisational different stakeholders desire to know. For instance, an organisation may communication a products’ benefits towards its customers or even to its shareholders about the figures of sales. Thus, marketing communications facilitate the understanding of the needs of the stakeholders and thus the acts as the link between the two (organisation and the stakeholders) (Belch & Belch 2009). The key concern is how the organisation will reach both the stakeholders and the consumers and marketing communications schedules and plans this end. The most effective chance of getting the organisational audience to take desired actions, such as getting consumers to make purchases, successfully is by considering the DRIP analogy, which stands for Differentiate, Remind, Inform, and Persuade. The DRIP analogy is a comprehensive blend of the messages delivered via several channels over a given period as this aids in ensuring that the key messages are always memorable (Becken 2005). In actual sense, marketing communication is interested in promoting sales of a product or service and it has three communication strategies that are explained in its three Ps: pull, push, and profile strategies. Sports Retailer Marketing Communications Plan There are numerous ways of marketing different sizes of retail companies successfully. The leading branding, public relations, or/and marketing firms across the world are very helpful in the organisational performance but no agency or third-party consultant will ever present the singularly most effective plan of integrative marketing communications for any organisation. Thus, such a plan or strategy must be the consequence of working via a process of strategic development with the dedicated internal teams of the firm in question (Pickton & Amanda 2001). The marketing strategy, tactics, and plans resulting from the organisational commitment towards the development of the process of an integrated marketing communications will suit a distinct business and its diverse operations via ownership of the process by both the firm and its employees. Strategic ownership across the JD Sports Retailers, alongside suitable energised internal resources’ appropriation is an essential rudiment of its successful strategy of integrated marketing communications (Westwood 1990). This marketing communication plan covers the period between May and December 2012. The plan is particularly interested in the period within July 27 and August 12 in which the City of London will be hosting Olympic Games. Target Market: The process of marketing communication must begin with a vivid target audience in the marketers mind. Such target audience includes the company’s products current users and potential buyers, influencers or deciders, groups, individuals, the general public, or even particular publics (Fitzgerald & Arnott 2000). During the Olympic Games scheduled for London from July 27 to August 12 this year, JD Retailers will experience an inflow of foreigners in terms of sporting teams as well as fans. This pool of potential customers will add up to the existing England market, which must be retained. As such, the first target market is the UK sports teams and fans. UK will have the majority of fans in such games and thus, DJ Retailers must ensure it captures the potential customers prior to the commencement of the games. Another important target market segment is the international teams, which will be flying into the City of London to participate in the games as well as their fans. It has been witnessed across the world and in different international competitions that the host nations get large inflow rates of individuals as games attract huge populations. Thus, the target audience must play a critical role in influencing what marketing communicators will say, when, where, how, and to whom. Objectives for the Marketing Campaign and each Marketing Communication Tool: The main objectives of this marketing campaign include pushing the sales of JD Sports Retailers upwards through creating awareness of its stores as well as its products (Yadin 1994). A key aim in this campaign is ensuring that the firm will get supply tenders to various teams during the Olympic Games. Such supply will range from training kits to participation kits. The campaign will also capture both the local and international markets’ attention of the store by ensuring that it fosters awareness to the potential markets. This objective will also enhance the growth of the retailing business to international markets as it will have marketed itself effectively over the ‘Olympics’ period. As mentioned earlier, marketing communications are all the mechanisms by with organisations attempt informing, persuading, as well as reminding their consumers-either directly or indirectly- concerning the brands and products they deal with (Keller 1998). Over this period, JD Sports Retailers will use both personal and non-personal channels of communication for marketing communications. These communication channels have several sub-channels within them. In essence, the mix of marketing communications is perceived of containing six major types or modes of communication alternatives in this paper. These are advertising, events and experiences, sales promotion, direct marketing, publicity and public relations, and personal selling. All these communication tools will be geared towards increasing sales and awareness of the firm. Strategy Details and Activities’ Content for each Element of Marketing Communications: Each tool of communication has its own distinct costs and characteristics. As mentioned above, marketers employ some common tools in achievement of their communication goals and JD should use the same elements. These are advertising, events and experiences, sales promotion, direct marketing, publicity and public relations, and personal selling (Yadin 1994). Advertising: This shall be used in establishing long-term image for the JD retail operations as well as trigger quick sales over this Olympics period. Advertising shall be used in reaching geographically dispersed buyers, especially in the international markets. The advertisement tool shall be decided upon from one nation to the other (of the participating nations) since costs and publicity differs (Komenar 1997). Actually, a mere presence of advertising may have impacts on sales as consumers have the tendency of believing that heavily advertised brands offer good value. However, generalising is difficult since advertising comes in several varied forms and uses. The most notable features of advertising are its pervasiveness, amplified expressiveness, and impersonality. In pervasiveness, advertising allows sellers to repeat their messages several times, which allows buyers to receive as well as compare such messages with those of the other competing firms. JD must engage in large-scale advertising to ensure that customers consider it as a large, powerful, and classic seller. It should also amplify its expressiveness by ensuring that its advertisements provide opportunities for dramatising both the business as well as its products via the artful utilisation of sound, print, and color advertising (Rossiter & Danaher 1998). This mechanism will be used from May up to December and beyond and the company shall use both print and electronic media. Personal Selling: This is the most effective communication tool. However, it can only be applicable in the later buying process stage, especially in setting up buyer preference, action, and conviction. It has three unique qualities: personal interaction, cultivation, and response. Personal interaction entails an interactive and immediate relationship between individuals in which each party has the ability of observing the reactions of the others. Cultivation permits all modes of relationship to crop up, ranging from deep personal friendship to a matter-of-fact relationship of selling. Response in personal selling makes buyers feel under obligations of having listened to sales talk (Yadin 1994). This mechanism shall be employed from May to late September, a period over which London City and the other parts of the UK will have many potential buyers. Sales Promotion: The JD Sports Retailers shall use such sales promotion tools as coupons, premiums, contests, etc in order to draw quicker and stronger buyer response. Promotion of sales can be utilised for short-run effects in such ways as highlighting product offers as well as quicker buyer response (Yadin 1994). This marketing communications tool will present JD Retailers with three unique benefits: communication, incentive, and invitation. In communication, JD will gain attention, which may lead consumers towards the product. It also fosters incentives as they integrate some inducement, concession, or even contribution, which gives the consumers great value. Lastly, it fosters invitation, which entails a unique invitation to the consumers to engage in transaction of buying . This shall run from May to early September to ensure that the fans and participating teams are reached. Public Relations: majority of the marketers have the tendency of under-using the public relations tool, although a well-thought-out program would co-ordinate effectively with the other elements of communication mix for extreme effectiveness. Appeal for publicity and public relations of JD Retailers will be grounded on three unique qualities: high credibility, ability of catching buyers off guard, and dramatisation. Features and stories that are more credible and authentic towards the readers compared to ads characterise high credibility in public relations. Public relations can enhance the ability of catching the buyers off guard by reaching prospects, which prefer avoiding advertisements and salespersons. Finally, public relations foster dramatisation in which a product or company is dramatised (Fitzgerald & Arnott 2000). Direct Marketing: There are several kinds of direct marketing including direct mail, internet marketing, and telemarketing. All these modes of direct marketing share three unique characteristics of being customised, up-to-date, and interactive (Fitzgerald & Arnott 2000). They are customised implying that messages are prepared in order to appeal to addressed individual. They are also up-to-date, in that they such direct marketing messages can be prepared quickly. Finally, they are interactive and have the potential of being changed depending on response of the target person (Yadin 1994). Since this mechanism can be tailored so easily to meet the needs of the target audience at any given time, it shall be applied throughout the May to December period. Marketing Communications Elements’ Mix in Forming an Integrated Strategy of Marketing Communications: From the marketing mix, marketing communication matches or equates the promotion aspect. Marketing communications are integrated into the marketing communication strategies to foster performance and outcome (Koekemoer & Bird 2004). Integrated means amalgamating or combining of the jigsaw pieces, which make a full picture together to ensure that all marketing communications convey a single message. Actually, various messages can confuse the customers or even damage the brands (Dahlen et al 2010). Thus, if a television advert carries a given logo, message, and images, then all the other adverts (newspaper, magazines, brochures, etc) as well as point-of-sale materials ought to carry similar message, logo, or images, or one, which fits a similar theme. For instance, JD should borrow a leaf from Coca-Cola Company, which uses its popular and familiar white and red logos and retains its togetherness and enjoyment themes across its diverse marketing communications (Pride 2011). Thus, the marketing communications to be employed by JD has a mix and the different mix elements are blended in varied quantities in this campaign. Their aim objective is developing an effective promotion of the stores’ stocks to foster improvement in sales and performance. Gantt chart: Gantt chart is presented in form of a bar chart to illustrate the schedule of a project (Worsam 2003). In this case, the chart will be employed in illustrating the starting and the finishing dates of all terminal elements as well as the summary elements of this marketing plan. In this summary, the JD Sport Retailers will engage in a number of activities such as analysis of the target market in the month of May (however, this started earlier as the company had time for this though May will mark its climax). This will be done together with market research, training and development of necessary staff/personnel, and some pilot marketing activities to facilitate an analysis of the marketing operations in the UK market. The company will in the meantime apply different integrated communication marketing (ICM) tools as appropriate- as stipulated in the details and content activities’ section of this paper. There is no single time that the business will fail marketing as this forms the backbone of its operations. The company personnel will also collect feedback from the audience from July to October to facilitate (during this peak season) to ensure that strategies are developed to curb future misappropriations. Finally, the marketing department must give a feedback in form of a report to the management for evaluation and strategic purposes. The Gantt chart for JD operations within this period is simplified below: Conclusion In conclusion, this paper has established that marketing communication is an effective mode of marketing, which is fundamentally concerned with the promotion aspect of goods and services from a given firm. As such, this paper has examined the marketing operations of JD Sports Retailers as the company gears its operations towards realisation of great returns during the London 2012 Olympic Games scheduled for July 27 and August 12. 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