communication plan implementation...

Prof.ssa Ernestina Giudici 1

COMMUNICATION PLAN Implementation techniques


From target to the results

“Target audience” identification

Measuring the results

Selection of channels and communication

tools

Determining the

communication goals

Selection of the message source

Defining the content

of the message


Message matter

l  The message should facilitate the following trends: ¡  Attraction ¡  Interest ¡  Desire ¡  Purchase

l  There are very few messages that are capable of guiding the consumer from attraction to purchase


l  The problems that need solving in order to create a forceful message ¡  The content: what to communicate

¡  The message structure: how to logically communicate it

¡  The form of communication: how say it symbolically


Integrated communication: the promotional mix

l  The promotional budget must be divided among the most important promotional tools, which are: ¡  Advertising

¡  Personal sales

¡  Promoting sales

¡  Public relations


Factors to take into account for the promotional mix

Type of Product and market

Situation of consumer willingness

Life span of the product


l Advertising is any form of presenting and promoting non personal ideas, goods or services from a well-defined paying subject

Advertising


Basic advertising decisions

Set goals

Budget decisions

Decide the message

Decide the media

Campaign evaluation


Set goals

l  The role of advertising depends on the position of the firm and the marketing-mix strategy

N.B.- Advertising is not able to surrogate a poor product An effective advertising strategy is one of the quickest ways to endanger the performance of a mediocre firm


Adverstising may be:

l  Informative: in the case of a new product, of a new airline, of a new service inside a hotel (e.g. meeting room)

l  Persuasive: it is useful in increasing competive situations. It can sometimes lead to comparative advertising

l  A Reminder: useful for a mature product. Maintains the consumers’ attention on the product


Define the budget

l  In order to define the budget it is necessary to pay attention to the: ¡  Life cycle of the product

¡  Competition and noise

¡  Market share

¡  Frequency of the Advertisement

¡  Product differentiation


l  Tactic or strategic budget? ¡  Strategic = referred, e.g. to the brand

or place ¡  Tactic = action referred, e.g., to the

price

l  A high advertising budget is not necessary, but the advertising commitment must be continuous


Decide the message

l A high budget does not guarantee the advertising campaign’s success

l On the contrary, the advertising message may play an essential role

l The message must be planned carefully and creatively, it must be amusing and appreciated by the public


Message phases

Generation

Evaluation and selection

Realization


Message generation

with reference to some activities (services, tourism, etc.) messages must take an intrinsic obstacle into account:

the product intangibility


The evaluation l  The evaluation of how attractive the message

is may be done on the basis of three elements: ¡  it must be significant, that is to highlight

what makes the product desirable and interesting to consumers

¡  it must be able to show the specificity of the product, to explain the characteristics and why it is superior to those of its competitors

¡  it must be believable: this is not easy because many consumers consider advertising not to be true


Message realization

l The strength of a message is connected to both the content and to the adopted ways in which it is put into effect

l The “creative people” have the task to find the style, the tone, the words, format most adapted to realize the message


Possible approaches l  Real life scenarios

l  Life style (a human relaxing in business class or in their sitting room)

l  Fantasy (Hawaiian sea-side while he is at his office desk)

l  Image and climate (beauty, love, serenity)


l  Musical approach (actors or cartoons strike up a song regarding the product)

l  To show a personality (select a person/face that symbolizes a product)

l  Technical expertise (e.g. hotels with conference rooms that are particularly well equipped)


l  Scientific facts (demonstrating research that highlights that one brand is better than another or is appreciated more than those of the competitors)

l  To make use of testimonial (e.g. Michael Jordan for shoes)


l  The tone of the announcement may be ¡  Positive – highlight many positive elements of

the product ¡  Humorous – not always well accepted

l  Format ¡  The headline should stimulate the reading of

the copy, that is of the central part of the text that must be simple, powerful and persuasive


The elements indicated above must be mixed appropriately

Someone observed that “Even an excellent advertisement will not be noticed by more than 50% of the exposed public. About 30% of the public exposed to the advertisement will remember the key concept of the headline, while an approximate 25% will remember the company name and less than the 10% will read most of the copy. Less than exceptional advertisements do not even reach those results”.


Deciding the media: essential phases

To decide coverage, frequency and impact

To choose between different media

To select specific channels

To decide articulating time


Media Advantages Disadvantages Newspapers

Television

Direct mail

Flexibility, timeliness, intensive coverage of local markets; high acceptance; high reliability Combine image, sound and bustle; sensory stimuli; high attention; high coverage Target selectivity; flexibility; no compe-tition inside the channel; persona-lization

Short duration; low quality of reproduction; low quantity of occasional readers High ranking costs; high noise; temporary exposition; narrowed selection of the public Costs relatively high; possible “scrap paper” effect

Principal media profile


Media Adantages Disadvantages Radio

Magazines

Mass fruition; high geographic and demographic selection; low costs High geographic and demographic selection; reliability and status; high reproduction quality; long duration; high quantity of occasional readers

Audio presentation only; less attention in respect to that on television; no stan-dardized structure; transitory exposition Long notice for the advertising materials delivery; waste of a certain quantity of copies; position not guaranteed


Media Adantages Disadvantages Road signs

E-mail

Social media

Flexibility; high possibility of reite-ration; low costs; weak competition

Target selection; personalization; low costs

Interactivity

No public selection; restriction to the creativity

Permission is necessary; message must be relevant or take over the spamming effect

No public selection


The media “handout”

l  To transmit what may be regarded as “news”

l  To tell the “news” from many points of view to acquire the interest of various audiences

l  To insert the name of a manager to contact in each document sent


The media “handout”(2)

l  Always have a brochure or leaflet for journalists at your disposal

l  To cooperate in providing documents of high quality and interest

l  Make sure that the information is correct

l  Correct any incorrect information


Public relations

l  “Public relations, perhaps the aspect of the communication of marketing less understood, may be the most effective tool in reality” (Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Admistration Quaterly)


Public relations

l  “The process by which we create a positive image and we reach the consumer preference through the intervention of a third part” (Hilton International)


Public relations main activities

l  Press relationships

l  Business communication

l  Lobbying (pressure group)

l  Awareness campaign


Public relations may contribute to achieve the following goals:

l  To create prestige

l  To improve credibility

l  Stimulate the sales force and channels

l  To control communication costs


Aspects to consider carefully

l  Definition of target public

l  Messages and means of information of public relation choice (PR)

l  PR achievement plan

l  Evaluating the results


Main “tools”

l  Publications

l  Events

l  News

l  Speeches

l  Public interest activities

l  Image identity

communication plan implementation...

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