Marketing Communications - Coursework Example

Marketing communications Q Political campaigns are characterized by the need for developing a strong and positive communication approach that is captivating and increases the interest of the target electorate. Depending on the target audience and the campaign approaches intended by the campaign planners, the process of budgeting is crucial. It determines the efficiency of the process and the overall success of the campaign that determines how the targeted market will receive the product. Different theoretical factors affect the budgeting process in campaign communication as will be determined in this section (Keller, 2001). The objective of the communication campaign has a predominant impact on the budgeting process as it influences the size of the target audience and the approaches that can be effectively used. As a result, the communication planning and budgeting process must develop clear objectives for their campaign, which will acts as reference for the campaign budgeting process. The size of the organization influences the budget that it sets aside for communication campaign due to the different sizes of the market that such companies control. Samsung for example has a global market that a communication budget would need to cover and this increases the total expenses of the process. Taco Bells, however, is focused mainly in the United States and Mexico and this reduces the size of its communication campaign as the size of the target market is restricted (Khodakarami & Chan, 2013). The actions of the competitors have a significant impact on the communication approach adopt by an organization as marketing communication campaigns seek to eliminate the dominating impacts of the competitors. By determining the actions of the competitor, an organization sets its budget based on such actions and moves by neutralizing the impacts it has on the target market. The responsiveness of the market and the expected returns from this communication process also determines the nature of the communication budget adopted by an organization (Shukla, 2010). Q.2 In the process of communication campaign, a number of marketing communication tools are used which assists in the passing of the message to the targeted group. In this case, the campaign aims to introduce a new product into the market by informing the target market of its presence and positive attributes. A number of communication tools are available that can be adopted for advertising communication campaign which assists in passing the information to a large number of audience (Keller, 2001). The tools used for communication campaign can be classified as personal or non-personal and their impacts on the clients depend on the intended communication. Through advertising, communication is enhanced and organization increases the possibility of reaching their target market within a short time frame. Different approaches of advertising exists which includes personal advertising like direct salesmanship or non-personal advertisement approaches like the use of catalogues and mails. Personal advertisement can be used as a communication tool during the introduction of a product whose presence in the market is relatively unknown and its overall applications new to the customers (Khodakarami & Chan, 2013). Apart from advertisement, public relations are also a common tool of communication campaign that is considered as a passive way of influencing the response of the target market. Through building positive relations with the market, an organization increases its presence and preferences among the consumers. Personal selling which involves direct interaction with customer and persuasively informing them of the benefits of the product is an alternative tool of communication campaign in marketing. This communication campaign approach can be used in the event where the communication is expected to increase the overall sales and the presence of the product in the market. Finally, sales promotion is commonly used as an alternative communication campaign approach and it involves the use of materials or communications as a way of inducing the public to buy the products in the market (Naidoo & Wu, 2011). Q.3 Marketing context plays a critical role in developing a marketing communication approach as it assist in devising the most captivating approach based on the nature of the goods. The establishment of the customer context including the characteristics of the segment, awareness of the product within the group, their level of involvement and perceived risk is essential in designing the communication approach. While developing the communication plan, the segment of the market targeted must be identified which will be critical in studying their attitude and knowledge of the product? In the event that the knowledge of the product is low, the communication campaign must ensure that adequate information is provided to enhance their interest towards the same. Identifying any perceived risks will also assist in developing persuasive communication campaigns in order to eliminate the fears from within the customers (Graham & Frankenberger, 2011). The business context must also be identified to enable the communication campaign carry the image of the company while increasing awareness and benefits of the product within the market. Through the analysis of the brand and the brand image within the market, the business will be well placed to address the emerging questions from the general public. The packaging and branding of the product and how it is presented to the target group must be based on the behaviors of the main competitors (Blois & Puth, 2000). The branding and desire to meet the customer context during the communication campaign is also influenced by the financial constraints and marketing expertise. This forms part of the internal context, which will determine the size of the communication budget and the tools that the business is willing to use during the campaign. The competitive advantage and market analysis must also be made as part of the marketing preparations, a process that evaluates the position held by the stakeholders and how the communication affects them. For example, if Ford intends to introduce a new product into the market and follow up with proper communication, the stakeholders must be influenced by the communication approach (Graham & Frankenberger, 2011). Q.4 Marketing strategies are the approaches that enable an organization to focus its resources towards a given opportunity and increase the overall sales from the process. The strategies used in marketing can either be short or long term and aim at improving the competitive advantage of companies by improving their overall marketing ratings. The success of these strategies is influenced by a number of internal and external factors, which should be considered during the process of devising the strategies. Demographics have an important role on the marketing strategies adopted by an organization as it has an impact on the demand that can be created in the process (OReilly, 2014). If MacDonald intends to introduce a breakfast bouquet in one its outlets in the United Kingdom, the communication campaign adopted will be influenced by the gender, age difference and religion of the people within the region. The current economic conditions and any projections made also impacts on the attitude of the potential market that must be considered while developing the marketing strategies (Youssef, 2012). Factors such as inflation, the changing levels of inflation and the increase in taxation affect the attitude of the market and thus the marketing strategies. If the target of MacDonald is Sheffield, the market size and the neighboring commercial centers must be considered while developing the marketing strategy. This will ensure that the communication approach adopted meets the need of the entire market and increase the overall presence of the product within the public. Market share controlled by the organization also affects the marketing strategy adopted and the communication budget of the organization (Blois & Puth, 2000). Q.5 The marketing media use influences the number of target market reached and the overall impacts of the marketing process adopted by an organization. A number of marketing and advertisement media exists and their usage influences the success of the communication process. All advertisement processes seek to reach out to the highest number of potential market and this can only be achieved using performing media (Vizard, 2014). The class of the audience is an important factor while selecting the advertisement media ad this influences the possibility of reaching them with the information. For example, if a product targeting university students is to be introduced into the market, the marketing media must encompass the busy schedule of the students and use a method that is captivating while brief. As a result, the social status, age distribution, educational background and income distribution must be considered before a media is selected (OReilly, 2014). Media have different coverage and the number of people that can be able to use them and this influences the number of people who will get the information intended. For example, the use of internet communication and advertisement is restricted in some countries due to the high cost of internet connectivity. As a result, the use of radio, print and television medium of advertisement will produce better results as compared to the use of the internet. Products that target mothers and young children must use a media that is common with this group in order to attain higher results. Competition also increases the need for using an approach that is more engaging and convincing to the targeted group (Erciş, 2011). Q.6 Psychology describes the benefits of cognitive and behavioral abilities of individuals during the process of learning their behaviors and understanding their responses. Cognitive and behavioral theories as thus essential tools that marketers can use to influence the response of the target market towards their products. The use of cognitive theories can be essential in developing marketing approaches that are reflective of the expected behavior towards the product. One of the theories that have been repeatedly applied to marketing and advertising is cognitive dissonance, a psychological study of the behavior and belief of the target market. In this case, a situation arises when an individual holds two conflicting attitudes towards a product, which affects their ability to acquire and use the product (Erciş, 2011). This is common in products which have higher levels of commitment for example homes, cars and hotel rooms, which affects the comforts of the consumers. In most instances, products in the market have their substitutes, which give customers the chance to choose them against the others. By exploiting the cognitive dissonance theory, the conflicting attitudes one harbors towards the same product may increase their chances of acquiring the product. For example, toothpaste, which is highly competitive, is difficult to market in instance where cognitive dissonance exist unless the organization can devise approaches of meeting the conflicting needs of the market. To improve their performance in the highly competitive market, companies such as those within the highly competitive industries can adopt approaches that are cognitive in nature. By touching on the inner feelings of the target market through the product, the success of the product is relatively increased, as the customers will feel obliged to identify with the product (Erciş, 2011). References Erciş, M 2011, Factors Affecting Customer Attachment in the Marketing Communication and its Implementation on Tourism Sector, Online Journal Of Communication & Media Technologies, 1, 3, pp. 83-95. Shukla, T 2010, Factors Affecting Internet Marketing Campaigns with Reference to Viral and Permission Marketing, I UP Journal of Management Research, 9, 1, pp. 26-37. Youssef, R 2012, Factors affecting consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing, Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 19, 3, pp. 147-162. Naidoo, V, & Wu, T 2011, Marketing strategy implementation in higher education: A mixed approach for model development and testing, Journal of Marketing Management, 27, 11/12, pp. 1117-1141. Khodakarami, F, & Chan, Y 2013, An Investigation of Factors Affecting Marketing Information Systems Use, Journal Of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 7, 2, pp. 115-121. Keller, K 2001, Mastering the Marketing Communications Mix: Micro and Macro Perspectives on Integrated Marketing Communication Programs, Journal of Marketing Management, 17, 7/8, pp. 819-847. Graham, R, & Frankenberger, K 2011, The earnings effects of marketing communication expenditures during recessions, Journal Of Advertising, 40, 2, pp. 5-24. Blois, K, & Puth, G 2000, Marketing Communications, Oxford Textbook of Marketing p. 271. Oxford University Press 2000 . OReilly, L 2014, Lego to co-create marketing campaign with UK fans, Marketing Week (Online Edition), p. 5. Vizard, S 2014, Marketing investment starts to pay off for M&S as clothing sales rise, Marketing Week (Online Edition), p. 1. Read More