Managing Marketing Communication for Old Spice - Essay Example

?Managing Marketing Communication Table of Contents Table of Contents Managing Marketing Communication Marketing basically involves spreading brandimage and awareness by means of different modes of communication. A company that wishes to target customers needs to have a specific communication channel in order to reach them. This communication is not merely targeted at consumers, but also the company’s stakeholders. Communication is realised by means of sales promotion, advertisement, direct marketing, public relation exercise, and interactive marketing. Communication is a vital factor in all marketing campaigns as it the means through which ideas are disseminated to the public. A company will only be successful when it uses marketing to turn potential clients into consumers of its products or services. Communication is Constant It is a recognised fact that whether people know it or not, they are constantly sending messages in different ways to others. It has been estimated that marketers’ skills are only responsible for 15% of their success in attracting customers, while the remaining 85% is the result of their ability to inspire trust in potential clients through their communication methods (Gould 2004). This is the reason why companies spend so much on researching on the best ways of creating advertisements (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Commercials, as well as other methods of communication, represent a company’s feelings and intentions for its clients. The verbal as well as non verbal cues that are carried in advertisements are vital because they tell potential customers what how they can benefit from the products and services of a company (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2006). Even where person to person communication is concerned, strangers will make an immediate assessment of someone upon first meeting them (Shultz 2004). This is before the person has even said a single word. Advertisements for products or billboards are unconsciously analysed in the same way by potential customers. When people first come upon a company’s products through different media, the first impression can result in feelings of distrust, or in feelings of interest (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg, 2006). IMC Defined Integrated Marketing Communications basically means combining all the promotional tools of a company in an effort to reach customers with a message about the company’s products. All communications methods will have a greater impact on the student body if they are joined together than if they are each used in isolation (Kitchen, Brignell and Tao, 2004). This is even more beneficial for the company in question when integration also includes different levels of integration like the vertical, horizontal, external, internal, and data integrations (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen, 2009). Horizontal Integration can be extended across corporate functions as well as the marketing mix. For instance, finance, production, communications and distribution operations can be made to work together to create the most effective messages for potential customers (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). On the other hand, singular departments like advertising, direct mail and sales combine efforts in working on data integration (Girvin: Strategic Branding Blog, 2010). This calls for a marketing information structure that gathers and shares the important information across varied departments. Vertical Integration basically means that all marketing purposes have to support the higher level business goals (Malhotra, 2004). Internal Integration holds that all the personnel working in a company have to be informed at all times, of any fresh developments taking place; whether this means new corporate identities, strategic partners, advertisements, or service standards. Lastly, external integration holds that external partners like public relations firms and advertising agencies have to work together to generate an all inclusive and comprehensive message to potential and existing clients. IMC – Forces of Change Marketing communication today is much more complicated than it was in the past. In the past, there were limited media gadgets through which consumers could obtain information on the goods and services that were available. Today, consumers have the targeted magazines, direct mail, websites, e-mail socialisation, movie theatre advertising, and many more (De Pelsmacker, Geuens, and Van den Bergh, 2004). The integrated communication strategies of most companies have had to adapt to the developing modes of communication that are provided by advancements in the technological sector in order to remain relevant. Any company today that does not have a website, for instance, is not likely to be able to retain any customers other than those that are within its geographical location. Rationale for IMC The rationale behind advertising is merely to persuade customers to make purchases, realise profits, and provide visibility for a brand (Lings, 2004). In many cases, the business establishments that have invested in integrated marketing methods usually develop numerous response channels to gather information about their potential customers and use customer feedback in order to make sure that their customers feel like that their needs are being considered (Knox, 2004). Through the realisation of integrated marketing, all internal as well as external modes of communication in an organisation can offer customers a consistent message (Reid, 2003). IMC Planning and Management Any efficient marketing communication development practice is based on four main factors. These include planning, plan implementation, organisation, and control. It is critical for a company to focus on communicating about the business’s high standards when appealing to customers since it is through successful quality management that any organisation reaches its marketing objectives. Quality management means that all company divisions have to implement the best practices in executing all organisational processes (Carrillat, Jaramillo and Locander, 2004). When a company produces quality products and services, its satisfied customers will create a positive public image for it. Satisfied customers also result in a brand’s popularity; thus exposing the product to even more potential clients. However, standardised quality implementation is often a difficult thing to achieve for most companies (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2006). Many organisations do not have unified standards of excellence in their outfits, and implementing the necessary changes is something that may require a lot of capital. IMC Content Integrated marketing communication (IMC) basically commends the concept of message coordination so as to realise maximum impact. (Kliatchko, 2005) has that IMC has some distinct attributes, which he calls the ‘four props of IMC’. These include content, stakeholders, results, and channels. He has asserted that these elements are evident on different IMC levels and that each of them is dominant in different stages (Pickton and Broderick, 2005). The phrase ‘digital marketing’ is growing to be an accepted part of marketing; more so than other traditional modes of marketing. It includes a wide range of tools and technologies like e-mail marketing, weblogs, search engine optimisation, social networking, video marketing, pay per click, and user generated content (Ewing and Napoli 2004). All these elements can be developed on behalf of organisations by firms that specialise on software development companies. Many marketers now refer to the existence of a ‘networked economy’, where customers can actually consult with each other; thus functioning as an additional sales force for popular products or services in the market. Message Synthesis Integrated Marketing Communication aims at coordinating all factors in the marketing communication mix in order to achieve the best effect (Dawar, 2004). This theory is further examined in the 4Cs of IMC which identify how different Marketing Communication Mix implements ought to be coordinated. In the aspect of coherence, the relevance of the marketing communication systems to be used is examined (Aaker, 2010). Each system should blend well into other messages and also be a part of the main message. In consistency, a corporation should ensure that the different marketing tools it is using are sending an identical message and that none are contradicting each other (Cornelissen and Lock, 2000). In continuity, a corporation should ensure that all messages have a lasting character in that there is room for improvement as well as development. In the complementary aspect, a corporation should ensure that all its messages to the public are well blended and come together to deliver a comprehensive and easily understood message to the public. The types of communication media chosen to relay messages about products to the public should also be chosen after the marketers have considered their targeted customers’ preferences and attitudes. Customers ought to be addressed through media elements that they prefer. A company’s integrated marketing communication choice ought to be based on research conducted on the customer base so as to help the marketing team understand why its customers buy what they buy when they buy it. Integrated Marketing Communications Case Study: Old Spice The main message in the Old Spice’s advertisements is ‘the man your man could smell like’. Old Spice is perceived by many consumers to be the ‘traditional’ of male body wash products and was founded in 1934 by William Lightfoot Shultz. Procter & Gamble took ownership, in 1990, of the Old Spice brand in 1990. While Old Spice was long considered to be a product used by the older male generation, the product’s image has been considerable adjusted to appeal to the present generation. Its makeover includes advertisements with attractive models and trendy new packaging styles that appeal to males in their twenties as well as teenage boys. The re-imaging has resulted in a considerable increase in sales, showing that marketing efforts can actually transform the perception of a product among customers (Euromonitor, 2010). In its 33-second advertisement, Old Spice is promoted by Isaiah Mustafa, a former NFL wide receiver (Old Spice, 2010). The advertisement includes has three images; one in a bathroom, a subsequent image on a boat and subsequently a tropical island. In the starting image which shows Isaiah Mustafa in a bathroom and standing next to a running shower, Old Spice body wash is introduced by Mustafa and is put in front of the camera in front of Mustafa’s torso. In the next image, Mustafa appears on a sailboat, and Old Spice Body Wash, which is poised on his left hand is transformed into an oyster shell, and then swiftly to some diamonds. The camera does not pan out at the surroundings but remains focused on Mustafa’s torso. Slowly, the camera appears to move as Mustafa’s surroundings are altered once more from being on a sailboat’s deck to having mounted on a white stallion before a tropical background. The last image does not have Mustafa but has the Old Spice product’s bright red color. The campaign logo ‘smell like a man, man’ is also included. This is a catchy phrase that invited the spectator to find out more about the product being advertised (Old Spice, 2010). The closeness of the subject being used in the advertisement, Isaiah Mustafa, to the camera, as well as his front position, encourages viewers to feel that there is some personal involvement between Mustafa and themselves. This power of distance makes the participant feel like an active part of the advertisement (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006). In addition, the spectator is continuously exposed to an eye view level throughout the commercial, thus making him or her feel that Mustafa may be communicating directly with him or her. The advertisement uses colours that have a blue tint all the way through. Marketing researchers have in the past emphasised that when a distinct colour format is used, spectators tend to believe that the image is real (Chisnall, 2005). The Old Spice advertisement’s lighting remains subtle all through the first part of the commercial but grows more brilliant towards the end of the advertisement. This provides the advertisement with a romantic feel. Sound Sound can actually create a relationship between the subject of an advertisement and its viewer while also enhancing the impact of the images being screened. The only voice used in the Old Spice Body Wash commercial comes from Mustafa. The spectator is therefore drawn to the subject through this voice, in addition to other factors such as the images. This voice could be said to assume the authority of an actual figure due to this power to capture the attention of the spectator. In the advertisement, the voice forms a relationship with the spectator who is compelled to listen to what the voice is saying in order to comprehend the message of the commercial. The voice is deep and unhurried, thus establishing a relaxed atmosphere. As the voice is not severe, the viewer can construe the commercial to be informal. The only other sounds included in the commercial are sounds of nature scenes but not other voices, which might deflect attention from the main voice. At the beginning of the advertisement, there is the sound of a shower. In the middle part of the commercial, there is the sound of ocean waves, wind, and falling diamonds. The wind and waves are romantic symbols that carry the viewer to a time of relaxation and enjoyment. They also remind the viewer of times of happiness and rest or even prospective vacations. There is also the sound of the standard Old Spice sailor’s whistle refrain along with a neighing horse at the end of the advertisement. The whistle is a vital part of the advertisement that plays on the memory of the viewer who will then associate the product with an old and well-proven brand. When a viewer can remember a commercial, then it is effective. The absence of music in this advertisement merely serves to add more significance to the only voice in the commercial. It also helps in adding to the sense of personal association between the viewer of the advertisement and Isaiah Mustafa, the advertisement’s model. In this advertisement, sound and image are used to generate a calm and dreamy atmosphere in which to deliver a message about a product. Text In the Old Spice advertisement, the only written text materialises at the end of the commercial in the form of the Old Spice campaign name and logo. In the advertisement, the use of personal pronouns like ‘you’ when the participant is speaking to female listeners used recurrently in order to make the advertisement appear to be a private conversation occurring between the viewer and the participant. “At the end of the commercial, the speaker declares anything is possible when your man smells like a man and not a lady” (Conversition, 2010). This is a pronouncement that makes the spectator speculate on what it would be like if their spouse smelled like Old Spice. The different sceneries change even as the speaker talks more. This coordination between the speaker’s words and the changing makes the images appear to be more detailed to the spectator. The changing images also appear to bring a deeper level of understanding to the advertisement’s message. Inclusion and Exclusion The advertisement’s focus is the Old Spice body wash. Isaiah Mustafa, however, can also be viewed as a component of Old Spice Body Wash because he is ‘the man your man could smell like’ (Stevenson, 2004). The advertisement’s inclusion aspect can be said to be the visual imagery that is exercised. The pictures start with Isaiah Mustafa presumably being in his bathroom, and then being on a sailboat. Lastly, he is shown on a horse in some tropical destination. The different sceneries in which the product (Mustafa) is shown may cause the viewer to presume that Old Spice products are useful in any of the different locations that Mustafa has been shown in, or anywhere else, for that matter. The exclusion aspect is represented by the absence of the brand and logo at all times during the commercial. It is only in the beginning and the end when the Old Spice brand and logo is displayed. The brand may not have been well established, and so the marketer’s efforts were concentrated on the keeping the viewer’s attention. Conclusion Competitive marketers understand that in the current marketing field, there are techniques as well as opportunities for reaching and influencing any existing as well as potential customers with information on their company’s products and services. The challenge lies in knowing the best way to make use of various IMC tools in order to deliver messages to customers efficiently. Any effective IMC program calls for its marketers to use the right combination of communication techniques, understand the function of the different communication tools, and then harmonise their use. To achieve this goal, it is vital to have strong message consistency. This will result in a strong sales impact and sustain brand equity. It will also combine the organisation's brand messages and images as they come through various business activities. References Aaker, D.A. (2010) Building strong brands, Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, London. Carrillat, F.A., Jaramillo, F. & Locander, W. 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