Free Marketing Communication Essay Sample
Marketing communications refers to a coordinated promotional messages which can be delivered through channels such as the print media, television , radio , personal selling or even direct mail (Kurtz, 2010). Advertising involves the use of creative strategies to get the attention of the consumer and also provoke shoppers to buy or use a certain product.
To create a viable advertising strategy for the bio cell, a SWOT analysis comes in handy. This is simply an analysis of the product's strengths , weaknesses , opportunities and threats which would help us gain a full view of the company, market as well as the product itself. To do this, an assessment of what is going on in the market is done. The history, current situation and major trends in the market are looked at (Kurtz, 2010). An action is then taken which involves taking care of the opportunities or problems identified. The battery market has in the past been faced by problems such as short life span of products , polarization and local action which reduce the working of batteries. The SWOT analysis reveals sustainability and environmental friendliness of the bio cell, and ability to survive diverse climatic conditions as strengths (Kurtz, 2010). The SWOT analysis also reveals a growing competition from companies selling products in the same line and also price slashers. The advertising strategy adopted should be able to address these problems (Kurtz, 2010).
Several advertising strategies which help the company realize its marketing goals can be employed. Firstly , the company can use facts and figures about the bio cell as a strategy (Kurtz, 2010). This information can be dispensed through the various communication methods discussed which include the print media , radio and television.
Facts such as the environmental friendliness of the cell since it doesn't use chemicals in its making unlike other batteries can be cited . The fact that it doesn't undergo polarization which reduces current flow in other batteries can also be cited to attract buyers. Another wonderful fact about this cell that can really market it is that it doesn't experience local action which leads to corrosion of electrodes in other batteries.
Star power can also be used as a strategy whereby the bio cell is associated with a celebrity . This would make people see it as a smart technology since human beings have a tendency of seeing as great things that are done or possessed by celebrities (Kurtz, 2010). This would especially endear the cell to the youth who are the greatest target group because of their habit of trying out things. This can be coupled with the "Are you cool" strategy whereby the celebrity can try to convince the youth that if they don't use a bio cell , then they are a nerd (Kurtz, 2010). This target group would therefore see as cool the use of a bio cell and this would ensure large sells hence profit maximization.
The bandwagon strategy can also be employed whereby the advertising media used can try to convince people that everybody nowadays is using a bio cell due to its numerous advantages over other batteries. Repetition can also be a nice strategy (Kurtz, 2010). Advertisers believe
that if a product is seen or heard about over and over again , people tend to buy it more. Put downs strategy which involves putting down competitor's product by making yours seem better can also be a good one (Joshi,2005) . This can be done by citing the strengths of the bio cell and the weaknesses of the other products in the same line of production. This would ensure that the marketing goal of having the product enjoy a longer life span in the market is achieved (Joshi,2005). Online advertisement through the company web page can also be very effective.
Push method which involves convincing retailers or dealers to carry and advertise the product can also be used as a strategy. The company can give them inducements to persuade them. This strategy would create a large channel of distribution which would in turn ensure a large number of people are reached hence a large sales volume (Joshi,2005).
To measure the effectiveness of the advertising strategy , a number of models can be employed. Firstly , the various stages of purchasing behavior can be looked at. These stages are called buyer readiness stages and they include: Awareness - knowledge - liking - preference - conviction - and lastly a purchase of the product (Joshi,2005). To measure the effectiveness of online advertisement , the number of page views collected through counters and search engine page rankings can be employed (Joshi,2005). An approach of marketing that has a responsive section can also be used to measure advertisement effectiveness. This approach result to a more appropriate communication between the company and the prospective buyers (Joshi,2005).
Promotional strategies that can help boost the sales of the company may include putting information about the cell into an interesting story which can be picked up by the media (Joshi,2005). Networking can also be a smart promotional strategy. This can be done within the industry and clients. In such functions , the company representative can have an interesting story or a joke which can make everybody present remember the product. The company can also make cells for promotional purposes which can motivate customers to use the product (Joshi,2005) .
To measure customer satisfaction , the company can track and measure the number of customer complaints because dissatisfied customers are very likely to complain (Joshi,2005). The company can also rely on feedback from employees in the channel of distribution who include dealers and retailers. The company can also make use of questionnaires to collect views from customers. These questionnaires can be distributed by dealers and retailers (Joshi,2005). For customers who pay by depositing money in the company's account , a delay in doing so can also be an indication of dissatisfaction (Joshi,2005). The most effective method of measuring customer satisfaction though is the use of a customer satisfaction surveying program (Joshi,2005). These programs are made by the marketing and sales employees but top management champion them. Satisfaction results are then made available to the employees who communicate them to the customers and inform them the strategies the company has put in place to address their needs (Joshi,2005).
Gaps between customer expectations and experiences can be addressed by first identifying the customer expectations . These expectations are then evaluated to single out the unrealistic ones so that the customer can be shown why they are impractical (Joshi,2005). The company should then take advantage of up-to-date technology to solve the realistic customer complaints. The company should learn from customers their desired outcomes and then work to give them exactly that (Joshi,2005). The company should also learn about the products in the same line of production and how people rate them. The company should then strive to give its product a competitive edge over the others in the same production line. The company should keep track of the dynamic needs of customers and always ensure that the product meets them (Joshi,2005).