DIGITAL MARKETING – The Internet is here to stay!
Company Websites
Social Media – Facebook or Twitter
Blogging
Mobile Phone Promotions
YouTube
Every one of these promotional avenues has intense competition, so it is imperative the marketer choose their promotional avenue carefully. Remember, a television ad buy is different now than it was 20 years ago. Now we have hundreds of channels, all of which sell advertising. With the addition of streaming television and digital recorders, consumers can skip commercials or fast-forward through them.
Because of this, companies are finding newer ways to promote their businesses. There are new media channels, such as online choices, which add to the choices a company has to choose from. This is why segmentation is so important. The marketer doesn’t want to choose a promotional avenue if their target audience doesn’t use that method. For example, a product geared towards elderly women shouldn’t be promoted on Twitter, since elderly women are not big users of the site.
The better the target, the better the response. Normal response rates are less than 1 percent for a general mass mailing promotion. Think about that! What a waste of a promotion. But if the target is well defined, it gives the marketer a better chance at reaching the customer.
Branding
Branding is a central theme in promotions, and key to positioning a product. Branding is a part of all aspects of a product — from its packaging to its website. The more consistent the branding, the more likely the customer will remember the brand.
Having a successful brand means a customer will pay more than for brands it doesn’t know or trust. This trust is referred to as “brand equity” and is incredibly valuable to the marketer. It is also essential the brand take into account all unique selling points (USPs), as these are the easily recognized parts of a message.
If possible, using corporate identity is a great way to promote a product, especially if it is used consistently. Think of the Kellogg’s logo. You see the logo on a new box of cereal, and since you are familiar with the brand, you are more likely to trust it. This is the ideal situation.
A corporation can use certain colors, logos, or taglines to keep their brand consistent.
Think again of Tide laundry detergent. Quick — what color is the packaging? It is orange, and it has been ingrained in your memory, probably since you were a child. Do you understand why it is so valuable? The color alone defines the corporate identity of the Tide brand.
4. Developing the Message
The marketer has the segments, the target, and the position; what is next? He needs the message. What does he want to say to influence his potential customers? The marketer’s objectives should be aligned with the marketing strategy, and will fit into one of the following categories:
1. Inform – Increase awareness of the product and brand, and try to gain an advantage.
2. Persuade – Attempt to gain an immediate response to drive sales.
3. Remind – To maintain an interest in the product or brand.
The best results come from clear and distinctive promotions, so it is important the marketing works together to formulate a clear message for the targeted audience. The best message won’t work if it doesn’t get to the proper audience.
Advertising
Advertising is the act of communicating directly to an audience using media sources, such as television, print, radio, and online. A successful campaign will keep the customer insight in mind, while communicating the business’s mission and brand. Ads can be directed toward certain demographics, improving the chance of a successful campaign.
A successful ad makes the viewer want to learn more about the product, and gives the viewer means to purchase the product. The best ad techniques will ensure a valuable campaign, which will return value to the company.
The following techniques are the most popular for ad campaigns.
Repetition
Repetition is exactly what it sounds like, and it is a very effective method. It is a means of getting a message into the memory of a customer. This method will always name the product or company name, and ideally more than once. This is particularly helpful in television campaigns, because it gives the opportunity to see and hear the message.
Claims
Another successful method is the promotion of features of the product, and making claims about what the product can do for the consumer. An ad can state that its product is “the best,” even if the product is the same as other products. Claims can often be misleading, so it’s important to use this method carefully. Many ads use the words “helps” or “virtually” to describe their products.
Association
This method associates a product with a person, song, or emotion. Sporting goods companies use athletes, car companies show their cars driving on beautiful winding mountain roads, and others use jingles. Think of the jingle for Folgers Coffee. Can you remember it? Of course you can — it is ingrained in our memory. It results in an emotional response, and therefore is a successful ad.
Promotions
This method uses coupons or sweepstakes to win over customers. By participating in the promotion, he customer enters a relationship with the company. This generates excitement, especially if the consumer thinks they could possibly win something. Everyone likes free products.
Public Relations
Public relations is the act of communicating a positive image to the target audience. PR can include press releases, discussions, and presentations to the community, as well as targeting television and radio programs to discuss the brand.
Small companies that cannot afford large advertising budgets can use public relations to get their name out there. It is important to establish a brand as soon as possible.
As a part of the marketing plan, a marketer must develop a public relations strategy. This can be done in three phases.
