Marketing - The Importance of Public Relations - Essay Example

Part A. The Importance of Public Relations To this day a new era in marketing and promotions has surfaced in our generation. Many marketers have set aside traditional approaches and have come to embrace fresh perspectives in promoting their products to their customers. To this day, marketing has transcended from being an expense to being an investment; from being product oriented to becoming customer oriented. Marketing and advertising has become an investment because of the profitable results that are likely to emerge upon implementation of such strategies (Goldberg, 1992). Moreover, instead of focusing on product attributes, marketers have realized that it is the customer who should be the essential focus of every marketing strategy since it is the customer who is the recipient and the ultimate evaluator of the products and services the company provides. One of the approaches used with different organisations is the use of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). Hence, the main goal of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the Integrated Marketing Communications relating to the products RC Cola, specifically its RC brand. This paper will provide insightful details regarding IMC and the tools that can be used by the marketer to promote their product portfolios. In addition, this paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the IMC tools. Public Relations/ Marketing Plan for a Softdrinks Company Overview of the Company The main products of the company comprises of different soft drinks brand including RC and Diet RC,. In order to promote their RC brand, specifically the Diet RC, the marketing division of the company has been able to utilize different marketing strategy in order to be competitive in the market place. In addition, different approaches of promotional campaigns have been imposed so as to make the product more appealing to the target market and to make RC have a light , crisp and refreshing taste and assured safety (RC World, 2005) Accordingly, 60% of the marketing resources in RC are used on advertising. The advertising and promotional tools used by the company include TV promotions with radio, magazine, cinema and outdoor support. Other promotional items include point of sale material, consumer premiums (e.g. clothing, caps, etc), and sporting and concert sponsorships. Although, these promotional tools that is use to promote the RC brands can be considered as one of the strength of the company, the marketing department is still aware that they must used other promotional or communication tools to sustain their competitive position. In addition, the market nowadays has been greatly influenced by the modern technology such as the internet (Shultz, 1993). With this, the marketers must be able to adapt with these changes and utilize another marketing technique or communication tools which is adjusted to the changes and trends in the market place, i.e. the Integrated Marketing Communication. The Concept of IMC An integrated marketing communications (IMC) program reflects a consistent style and approach to everything a particular company do. IMC has come to symbolize the new focus of marketing discipline on integrating the communications functions to communicate to all of an organization’s stakeholders and not just its customers (Wightman, 1999). Basically, this paper aims to examine the reasons for the increasing importance of the IMC perspective in planning and executing advertising and promotional programs. In addition Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is a marketing plan which advances the goal of establishing and strengthening the mutual relationship of the company to its customers by providing a way to make contact with customers through advertisements (Smith & Taylor, 1998). Advantages and Disadvantages of IMC Marketing communication is very important for the success of every company. It is very important that the company can communicate effectively and efficiently with the customers. One of the advantages of IMC is it can provide number of communication disciplines which can add value to the company. Through IMC the company will be able to communicate with the target audience with the right message and the right methods, so that resources will not be wasted in the irrelevant areas (Shimp, 2002). Furthermore, IMC creates true accountability by maximizing resources and linking communications activities directly to organizational goals (Eagle & Kitchen, 2000). Although IMC, encompasses many advantages it also has its disadvantages. Since the method is heavily reliant on the customer buying behavior database the problems which the company may face will also be related to the database. The information or knowledge of the company on customer behavior may be insufficient or inaccurate. Apart from this the company may also experience the problem of integrating the different positive or negative consumer perception of the product, the limitations in the message delivery system or in the channels of advertising, and the acceptability and efficacy of the message being advertised. There is also a saturation limit among customers above which behavior cannot be influenced (Griffin & McArthur, 1997) Other problems in the implementation of the IMC relates to the expectations of the company. Companies using the IMC method may be advertising because of the expected consequence of immediate increased sales. This expectation actually downplays the objective of using IMC which is to reach out to consumers. The increase in sales is just a manifestation of the effective contact which the company made through their advertisements (Griffin & McArthur, 1997). Application of the Concept in RC Cola Although, the marketers of RC have been able to promote RC brands, it is important that they also consider the application of Integrated Marketing Communication as part of their strategy. In this manner, this paper will provide an IMC strategy for RC. Communication objectives The marketing communications objectives for the RC Cola campaign to promote their RC brands are as follows To provide information to consumers about the different RC. To differentiate RC and from the products of the competitors To accentuate the value of RC and the reason why the consumers should avail the product To stimulate demand and increase sales for RC To assure the safety and pureness of the cola products of RC. The RC cola is regarded as quality product which is a result of a highly expertise making process combined with the most advance technology available to ensure consumer’s satisfaction. This information must not only be provided to consumers, it should differentiate the product from competing brands and should provide information for the basis of charging a higher price. Furthermore, greater ownership utility cannot only be derived from the product’s premium quality, but also from the overall satisfaction of identifying with the brands of the products of RC, specifically Diet RC. Moreover, efforts to build brand loyalty, to secure new consumers while retaining existing consumers and to increase repeat purchases are also directed towards stimulating demand and increasing sales within a large yet mature market. Integrated Marketing Communication Tools For these purposes, RC Cola will be applying the IMC process in addressing communications and promotion of products as part of an overall marketing mix. In doing so, the following communication channels will be employed: Broadcast, print, support and interactive media One of the IMC tools which are commonly used by different industries in order to promote their product is the use of broadcast, print, support and interactive media. These tools include TV advertisement, radio, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, posters, bulleting boards and other interactive media. In line with Diet RC, the company may use these IMC tool in order to reach different people anytime and anywhere. The advantage of using such tool is it may be much cheaper than other IMC tools. In addition, since most of the people have their own television and some target market has radio, the company will be sure that their promotional campaign will reach many consumers. In addition, the use of print ads and interactive media is also useful to reach individuals, specifically that target market that have no time watching or listening. However, the disadvantage of using this technique can be attributed to the growth of internet and other modern technology. Because of this people nowadays devotes their times in these new technology that they forget to use the TV or radio and or prefer not to buy magazines and other print ads. Advertising A very popular method of promotion is through advertising. Advertising can be costly but like all marketing strategies, it is not to be considered an expense but an investment. The costs for good advertising may be relatively high but the profitable results will all be worth it (Vestergaard & Schroder, 1985). Advertising is very appropriate for the RC products for the same reason of increasing awareness and affecting consumer behavior. Moreover, advertising through media can reach a wider range of population across the globe, thus the message will reach a greater number of people. An even larger population can be reached in advertising rather than in sales promotions and other approaches. In this modern era of globalization and technological age, even the poorest people have access to media. Therefore this is considered as one major promotional tactic that must be employed by the company. The forms of media that will be hired to advertise the company’s products will be television, radio, print, outdoor advertising and the internet. The same message will be used across all advertising mediums. The only disadvantage that can be attached to this tool is the expensive costs of this campaign. Direct marketing Direct marketing is the use of mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or Internet to communicate directly with or solicit a direct response from specific customers and prospects. This tool will be useful to Diet RC for the identification of the preferences of their target market and may even ask some feedbacks or comments directly from their consumer. On the other hand, its disadvantage is that the marketer may encounter a problem regarding time, costs and effort: Time because of the uncertainty if the product will be availed using this tool, costs because, even if the company hires personnel for direct selling, the management is still not sure whether this will work or not. Direct marketing is also disadvantageous because there are thousands of youngsters who will be possible consumers all over the country and this may prove to be ineffective as well. Young people are often in a great hurry and would want to purchase directly rather than mail an order form to the company. Sales promotion; One form of marketing a product is through sales promotions. Sales promotion can mainly be found in malls, but they are also available in all other sales outlets. The main advantage of using this IMC tool is it can easily make the target audience be aware of the existence of the products. This may be done by giving free tastes and discounts for customers. Moreover, sales representatives will be hired for every strategic location to facilitate purchase of consumers and the giving of free drinks. In addition, the sales representatives can easily answer consumer query about the features of the products. However, the disadvantage of using this IMC tool is the costs. Hiring new employees to be sales representatives may be expensive for the company. In addition, sales promotion may not always possible because the product that the company produces is for sale and not to be given out as free. Personal selling Personal selling involves selling through a person-to-person communication process. Thus, its advantage include the ability to interact with the receiver allows the sender to determine the impact of the message. This more precise message content lets the sender address the consumer’s specific concerns, problems, and needs. Finally, in many personal selling situations, a one-to-one presentation is conducted. Therefore, the likelihood of distractions is minimized and the buyer is generally paying close attention the sale message. One of the disadvantages is the problems in comprehension, specifically when the sales representative is not efficient in communicating with the customers. In this case, personal selling can be offered to the target group such as hotels, restaurants, schools and convenient stores that normally buy soft drink products. In addition, Personal selling requires a one on one interaction between client and sales person and this may not be so appealing to young people who do not want to wait long or to listen to a long narration of product characteristics Public relations and Publicity Public relations and publicity is a variety of programs designed to promote or protect a company’s image or its individual products. The advantage of this tool is it may boost the company image and it may enable the company to be known because of its unique image than its competitor. However, not all consumers may be attracted to this kind of promotional campaign. Hence, the company may not achieve its goal because of this kind of barriers. The Internet The internet has been a valuable source of information in creating the market approach. It has provided data on marketing mix and IMC and strategies employed by other companies. Moreover, the internet is also a very good avenue for advertising because many individuals surf the web and many transactions are done through the web. In addition customers can also subscribe to the RC products through its web site. The disadvantage of using the internet is the existence of spam e-mails which is not good for the company. When the customer has received spam messages, some may lose their loyalty to the company because they think that the company violates their privacy. In addition, internet is also expensive but effective. Sponsorship Finally, the last promotional method that can be used is sponsorship. The company will help sponsor concerts of renowned bands that are expected to be attended by young people. Aside from that, it will also sponsor prices of game shows to make the product even widely known. During such events, sales promotion and advertising will take place as well. Again this is one way of making the product known and accepted in the market. During sponsorship of huge events, the company will be associated with these big events making it popular and widespread. Once a product has established its name and popularity in the market, then it can continue gaining more customers thus increasing sales and profit. What is important is keeping the brand or the company’s name in the mind of the consumers. Once this has been accomplished, it will be easier to convince people to try the product and have it upgraded in the future when new developments will arise. Part B. Question 1: How could the management of TfL’s crisis communications be assessed or evaluated? On this basis how well did the TfL team do? In order to evaluate the crisis communication performance of the team of TFL, the company may employ the performance appraisal is a process of assessing whether organizational objectives are met. It would evaluate how the employee’s performance has fared to satisfy the organization (Debrah, et al., 2003). Evaluation seeks to monitor and improve effectiveness by giving the employee feedback on his/her performance. This process should be carried out at regular intervals and should follow specific protocols to maintain objectivity in the evaluation process. The company should have a clear set of evaluation or assessment tools that will be used in all levels of the organization. The process should either be carried out as an individual consultation or a face-to-face evaluation. Lastly, a standard review mechanism conducted by a third party should be commissioned for the reassurance of fair play and objectivity in the evaluation (Spencer, 2004). This concept has its strengths as defined by Caruth & Handlogten, (1997) for it helps the manager to be able to identify individual present performance along with the employee’s future potential. Evaluation also assesses the weaknesses and the accompanying disciplinary actions. The third strength is that it can determine which training aspect should be developed for the particular employee. It also increases the communication line between the employer and the employee because of the feedback and evaluation process. According to Spencer (2004), evaluation is also a way for the organization to assess the role of the manager as well for evaluation and supervision are interdependent because evaluation is a tool for measuring supervision. Moreover, another advantage is that evaluation aims to establish trust among the entire organization because objectivity and fair play are called into this task. Lastly, the evaluation process is a good way of providing employee satisfaction and maturation which will improve the performance in the future. Question 2.What other activities could have been undertaken to restore passenger confidence as quickly as possible? For the business people and the people in the field of advertising and marketing, the product or service being offered could be a good start in planning and executing an effective campaign. Knowing the product and its demands in the market as well as the people who will likely avail and take advantage of the offer will open the possibilities for a campaign that will be most ideal in the market. The manufacturers and the advertisers should be conscious enough to know the characteristics of their product and its demand. There are products and services that are only utilized in a particular location because of the unique lifestyle of the people. The character of the product, if properly studied, could be made and taken as an advantage rather than a drawback in gaining a larger number of target market. The advertisers especially the people in the creative department should answer to such demands in the advertising industry. Since Television is considered as THE advertising media as people from all over spend a large piece of their time watching everyday than reading the newspaper and any other media. Television most often than not, attracts people from its interactive and multimedia nature as it combines sight, sound and motion in one fall. Because of its unique capacity to instantly garner the attention of the audience, the Television may be considered as the most persuasive medium. After arresting the audience into watching the Television advertisement in question, the audience listens and watches attentively and as the attention span is maintained, the audience finds themselves agreeing to the message and pleased at the visuals and sounds that enrapture them. An effective Television Campaign will positively influence viewers for as long as the advertisement is properly and persuasively designed. The radio as a broadcast communication medium can likewise help in the efficient promotion and education of the consumers through announcements and advertisements. The activities will include the following: Complete a detailed situation analysis to examine the context of the environment and to determine the need for the project. Involve the stakeholders of the project so as to consider their needs and preferences. Identify alternative options of the organization so as to exhaust the available alternatives. Set the assumptions and objectives of the project to distinguish the direction as well as the standards for project assessment. Question 3. What lessons can be learned from TfL’s handling of the crisis? It is always important to know the characteristics and nature of the services offered by any company because this will guarantee the safety of the clients. This guarantee will affect the decision of the clients. The fact that there are really services that cannot be applied or utilized in a particular country should be a constant thought and reminder to the advertisers and business organization with plans of gaining share of clients and consumers. The services should be correctly classified as to whether they will be sellable in the market after the crisis. Question 4 In the role of TfL press officer, how would you respond to the journalist and the Union leader who both ask you the question: “Is it now safe to travel on London’s buses and tubes?” According to Neumann and Sumser (2002), a marketing communication plan is basically a document, it is the responsibility of a press officer to provide all necessary information including the company’s communication objectives, audiences, tactics or strategies to be employed, timing and sequencing of each tactic, and the evaluation system to be used for analyzing outcomes and results. In government organization setting, a marketing communication plan commonly addresses specific responsibilities. These include: 1. The provision of external constituencies with timely, accurate, and complete information about the organizations policies, programs, and services. 2. The provision of internal constituencies with a consistent vision of the organization and its objectives, the implications of internal and external changes, and guidance in achieving mission results. 3. The assurance that the organization is visible, accessible, and accountable to the public it serves. 4. The employment of various ways and means to communicate, and convey information in multiple formats to accommodate diverse needs. 5. The regular identification and concentration on communication needs for the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, programs, and services. 6. The provision of assistance for the collaboration of organizational work with other government organizations in order to achieve coherent and effective Lastly, it is also the scope of the job of a press officer to create or formulate a marketing communication plan is essential for all industries. In most cases, communication is necessary to mobilize support, remove uncertainty, establish acceptance, and most importantly, reduce the risks. Oftentimes, the implementation of marketing communication strategy through for example, new product or new initiative, requires enormous allocations for both staff and financial resources. Hence, all efforts and resources must not go to waste; they must all be directed towards the objective of the company (Neumann and Sumser, 2002). References Neumann, E. & Sumser, R. (2002). Marketing Communications: A Vital Element of Achieving Change. The Public Manager, 31 (4), 9+. 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