Introduction
In the recent times, businesses have become aware of the need to be close to their customers. Due to the increasing competition on earth, there has been increased need for companies to become more responsive to the need of the customers. There has been change in production and the consumers have been given a more say in the production process.
In order to base production on consumer demand, there has been a need to be close to the consumers in order to understand them more. In this regard, there has been the adoption of direct marking strategy which emphasize on communicating directly with the consumers in order to understand what they want. Direct marketing has seen increased use of direct communication with consumer without the intervention of any media and which is of focused on driving purchases that is attributed to a specific call to action which means it is driven towards satisfaction of consumers. (Barnes, 2005).
Intergraded marketing communication therefore can be defined as an approach that requires the use of different means of communication in order to reach the consumers. It involves the use of an array of means of communication with an aim of reaching all the consumers. It is based on the fact that different marketing communications will help a marketing strategy to reach many customers than when the strategy uses only one means of communication.
Product description
The product that I am going to engage an integrated marketing approach to is a unique hair styling solution which has been produced in order to provide for hair styling in the shortest time possible. This product has been produced in order to help the users who are usually on a busy daily schedule to save time on the activities that they are doing. The product blows fresh air onto those who need fresh hair styling but who are also so much tied to their busy schedule so that they are able to attend to their daily schedules and at that same time appear smart.
Promotion – mass advertising
Mass adverting is a marketing strategy that is usually aimed at reaching a vast number of customers. It is a method of advertising that is not targeted to a particular segment in the market but which is targeted to the mass. This means that is uses an array of mass media in order to reach more people. It has several advantages as well as disadvantages.
Pros
In the use of mass advertising, there is the aspect of reaching a vast number of people. In this case using mass adverting will help the marking strategy to reach more people which mean there will be increased probability of the product reaching more people in the marking and therefore recording a good number of sales at the same time. The aim of any marking strategy is to reach as many customers as possible. This will help to crate a wider customer’s awareness of their product which will increase it sales. Mass communicant is also advantages in that it is repetitive and it is likely to lead to a lot of influences. In this case there will be a number of people who are reached by the advisement who are likely to influence the others.
Cons
One disadvantage with mass marketing is that it lacks the needed specificity in the target market. This means that there is no particular segment of the market that it is directed to. Therefore it will be difficult to concentrate on that specific market segment and therefore it may not be effective. In one is target school children, the choice of the media to use may not be influential since it will tend to generalize the market strategy. It is also difficult to know customer specificity on the product since there is reduced interaction with the customers.
Promotion – direct marketing
Direct marketing is a marketing strategy that is aimed at reaching a specific consumer in the market. In this regard it used marketing strategy that emphasize on delivering the specific message to the specific targeted consumer. It attempts to send massage direct to the consumer’s without the use of intervention of any media. In involves commercial communication like direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing and others. It seeks to get the response of consumers in the market. (George, 2005).
Pros
Direct marketing is preferred by many marketers because it has many positive impacts on the consumer which can be measure directly. It can reach a specific consumer and at the same time evaluate the effect of the marketing strategy on the consumer. It is able to obtain responses from the consumers at once.
Cons
There have been disadvantages that have been found with the use of the method like junk mails, unwanted massages which are all considered as spasm. It has also been criticized on privacy and environmental reasons which mean consumers are already starting to feel the effects of direct marketing in their life.
Promotion – sales promotion
Sales promotion has been described as any initiative by any marketing strategy which is aimed at promoting or increasing sales of their product. They are considered as valid and creative approaches that are used by companies in order to encourage customer buy their products. Example of sales promotion include contest, point of purchase display, rebates, free travels such as holidays and freights, buy-one-get-one, customer relationship management incentives, and others. It can also include discounts, joint promotions, free sample and others.
Pros
Sales promotions have been considered as some of the most important marketing initiatives which are useful especially when introducing a new product in the market. This is because they help the consumer to experience the real products. They are also likely to improve the sales of a product in the market and therefore help it to acquire new customers.
Cons
Sales promotions are expensive to carry out as they will involve the company factoring in the cost of the product or the discount that is given to the consumers. If not well factored in and well controlled, sales promotion have been shown to lead to massive loss. Therefore they are expensive for the company and they may not achieve the intended mission.
Promotion – publicity/public relations
Publicity has been seen as one of the most recent methods of marking that has been adopted by many companies. In this case a company engages in a series of activities that are meant to improve the relationship between the company and the consumers. One of the most recent method that has been employed by companies has been the use of Corporate social responsibility where company have been carrying out several project that are meant to publicize the company and at the same time benefit the community.
Pros
It has been one of the most important ways which has helped the companies to interact with the community. It has helped companies to play their moral obligation towards the community and other stakeholders.
Cons
It has a cost factor on the budget of the company. Most companies have been using a large segment of their profits for publicity activities.
Promotion – personal selling
This is a marketing communication approach in which companies have been engaging in person to person selling. It is the most recent form of direct marking where companies have been using sales agent in order to communicate direct with the consumers. (Warsaw, 2004).
Pros
This is one of the most effectively strategy that can help the marketing strategy to get the feedback from the consumer and as well convince the consumer about the product. It also helps to get the immediate feeling of the consumer about the product.
Cons
It is costly and may not reach a large segment of the consumer in the market. It will need to have many sales agents who are competitive in order to be effective.
Core strategy
The core strategy that I will use in the marketing strategy will to reach person in order to convince them on the effectiveness the product. This means that it will target to reach consumer as well as get their feedback about the product. The marketing message will be “personal touch: Hair stylist on the move” in order to catch the attention of the consumer.
IMC approach
The marking approach that will be employed in the market will be that of communicating direct with the consumers and at the same time reaching as many consumers as possible. This means that there will be need to employ a number of marketing communications in order to reach the target. Therefore the marketing strategy will employ direct marking approaches in combination with personal selling. It will establish a website to communication to the consumers and also establish outlets where it will employ sales agent to market the product. This will be in order to reach as many customers as possible through they internet and get their reposes at once.
Internet role
The internet will be crucial in the process since it will the main tool in the e-marketing strategy. It will be used of communication with the consumers in giving tips on the use of the product as well as getting their feedback.
Measuring advertising effectiveness
In order to m ensure the effectiveness of the method of advertising used. there will be evaluation of many aspects of the process. The first evaluation will be based on the number of customers who will have been reached by the method. In this case I will evaluate the number of consumers who have been giving comments about the product. It will also evaluate the rate of increase in sales in order to understand the effectiveness of the method used. It will also evaluate the amount of money that will have been used in advertising and the amount of sales that have been realized to measure the cost effectiveness of the method.
Conclusion
Marketing communication is one of the most important marketing mix approaches that help a product to reach to the consumer. There are many methods of advertising that can be used and they also have advantages and disadvantages. In my marking strategy I am going to employ direct marketing strategies in which there will be marketing over the internet in combination with personal sales. The effectiveness of the marketing method used will be evaluated in relation the number of consumers reached, increase in sales and the cost effectiveness of the method used.
References
Barnes, B. (2005). Strategic advertising campaign. Lincolnwood: NTC Publishing.
George, B. (2005). Introduction to advertisement and promotion: an integrated marketing communication perspective. Chicago: Irwin.
Warsaw, M. (2004). Promotion strategy: managing marketing communication process. Burr Ridge: Irwin.