Marketing Communication Plan

1      Compare different marketing communication planning models: what are the stages?

Marketing communications plans  should consist of the following elements. These
elements are now considered in turn. (Fill and Turnbull 2016)

● Context analysis (developed from a communications perspective)
● Communications objectives
● Marketing communications strategy
● Coordinated communications mix (tools, media and content)
● Resources (human and financial)
● Scheduling and implementation
● Evaluation and control
● Feedback.

The Integrated Marketing Communications Plan by McDonald and Wilson

1. Matching Communications Tool Strengths with the Purpose of the Communication

2. Matching Communications to Segment Media Consumption

3. Combining Communications Tools in the Customer Journey

The Marketing Communications Planning Framework by Fill

Although the two terms MC strategy and MC planning are interlinked, MC strategy is more about the choice of audience and positioning what is to be communicated; whereas, planning relates to the resource and implementation of the strategy. (Fill 2009)

Figure 1. The Marketing Communications Planning framework (MCPF) (Fill 2009)

The process of marketing communications, however, is not linear, as depicted in this framework, but integrative and interdependent. It emphasizes the value of stakeholder theory (moral and ethical values in the management of business) and the need to build partnerships with buyers and other organisations networked with the firm. (Fill 2009)

The Integrated Marketing Communication Process by Karunakaran process involves participants who can be divided into five major groups:

1. The advertiser or client

2. Advertising agency

3. Media organizations

4. Marketing communications specialist

5. Collateral services

Each of these groups has specific roles in the promotional process. (Karunakaran 2007)

2      Discuss the different stages of the marketing communication planning process.

Marketing communications plans (Fill and Turnbull 2016)

●  Context analysis 
The purpose  is to understand the key market and communications drivers that influence a brand (or organisation). Main elements cover the customer context, business context as well as internal and external context.

●  Communications objectives

• Corporate objectives: mission and target business area
• Marketing objectives: market share, sales revenues, volumes, ROI and profitability objectives.
• Marketing communications objectives: awareness levels, perception, comprehension, attitudes towards and overall degree of the preference for the brand

●  Marketing communications strategy
It should always be customer- instead of method/media-oriented, depends on whether the target audience is a customer segment, a distributor or dealer network or whether other stakeholders need to be reached.

●  Coordinated communications mix (tools, media and content)

●  Resources (human and financial)
The resources necessary to support the plan need to be determined and these refer not only to the financial issues but to the quality of available marketing expertise and the time that is available to achieve the required outcomes.

●  Scheduling and implementation
Events should be scheduled according to the goals and the strategic thrust. 

●  Evaluation and control
The success of a promotional strategy and the associated plan is the degree to which the objectives set are achieved.


●  Feedback.
Information fed back in a formal and systematic manner constitutes an opportunity for organisations to learn from their previous campaign activities.

The Integrated Marketing Communications plan (McDonald and Wilson 2011)

1. Matching Communications Tool Strengths with the Purpose of the Communication

§  Differentiate. Positioning the company, product or brand so that it is perceived to be different from its competitors.

§  Reinforce. Reminding or reassuring customers about a brand

§  Inform. Making customers aware of a brand’s existence or attributes

§  Persuade. Encouraging customers to behave in particular ways.

2. Matching Communications to Segment Media Consumption

Figure 2.  Example of aligning communications media to target segments for a housebuilder (McDonald and Wilson 2011)

3. Combining Communications Tools in the Customer Journey

For many years, people believed that advertising worked in a delightfully simple way, with the advertiser sending a message and the target receiving it and understanding it; research has claimed opposite. integrated campaigns work better than single-channel ones even when you are targeting a specific segment.

Ted Baker, the British fashion brand, promotes their newest campaign centered around a fake soap opera called “Keeping up with the Bakers”, partnering with Google Nexus to create digital window displays that link real world to their social activity. Instagram Stories has been utilized to share updates from the “sitcom” and a shoppable 360 film has also been created to allow shoppers the freedom to explore before making a real world purchase. (Boyd 2017)

The Integrated Marketing Communication process (Karunakaran 2007)

1. The Advertiser or Client The client has the products, services or causes to be marketed and promoted, and also provides the funds that pay for advertising and promotions. The advertiser develops the marketing programme and makes the final decision regarding the advertising and promotional programme to be employed. The company may perform most of these efforts itself, either through its own advertising department or by setting up an inhouse agency.

2. Advertising Agency Most organizations use an advertising agency, an outside firm that specializes in the creation, production and placement of the communications message and that may provide other services to facilitate the marketing and promotions process. Proctor & Gamble, for example, uses the services of 12 ad agencies and two major media buying services companies.

3. Media Organizations Media channels provide an environment for a company's marketing communications message. They should have editorial or programme content that attracts consumers so that advertisers and their agencies will want to buy time or space with them.

4. Specialised Services These specialists include direct-marketing agencies, sales promotion agencies, interactive agencies (the Internet, kiosks) and public relations firms. A direct-response agency develops and implements direct-marketing programmes, while sales promotion agencies develop promotional programmes.

5. Collateral Services, including advertisers, agencies, media organizations, and specialized marketing communications firms that perform all the specialized functions that the other participants use in planning and executing advertising and other promotional functions.

3    What are the characteristics of a successful marketing communication plan or campaign?

Your promotional message reaches your intended and targeted audience.
Your message is understood by your audience.
Your message stimulates the recipients, and they take action.
(The Balance 2017)

Apple 

Apple has a brand identity that fully integrates both their physical locations and online presence. So they’re able to maintain their signature customer experience, whether a customer is browsing online or in-store.

 The Brit Awards 2016

In the months leading up to the Brit Music Awards, this campaign by UK TV channel ITV used multiple social media platforms to create an interactive journey, building excitement with a steady trickle of information.

YouTube streamed the show globally;

Facebook hosted a Red Carpet Live show;

Instagram held a red carpet experience;

Snapchat created a Brits Live Story that attracts more young audience;

Vine channel pushed out exclusive content;

Google Play Music is the official streaming and download partner;

Giphy allowed users to share top moments across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Why Did it Work?

The event organizers understood that people use numerous social media tools and expect different things from each, so in order to approach a huge customer base they made effort to present the show in as many social platforms as possible.  (Boyd 2017)

4    Discuss the marketing communication planning of a chosen company.

Super Bowl commercial by Snickers 

While many people realize that a Snickers cannot help you in any way athletically, the Betty White commercial uses this hyperbole to catch the attention of the reader in a very unique way. This commercial successfully combines, comedy, commonplace, and celebrity placement to ensure that this is a memorable and enjoyable advertisement for viewers of many different categories.

When there are millions of people watching the most widely viewed football game Super Bowl in 2012, what do you think everyone is thinking about? Football! If the audience is interested and can relate to the subject of an advertisement, they are far more likely to pay attention to its content.

‘Worlds Apart’ ad campaign by Heineken UK

In their ad video, strangers with contrasting political views are paired up and invited to resolve their differences over a beer.

Heineken has partnered with The Human Library, a non-profit organisation that uses conversation to challenge stereotypes. 

Heineken is running internal ‘Mix It Up’ sessions, where Heineken employees will be encouraged to spend time with people in the company they have not met before.

The brand has also created a Facebook Chatbot, in which users provide answers to a few questions about their passions and the bot will create a own personalised film that shows what they have in common with those they didn’t expect.

The Worlds Apart video can be shared using the hashtag #OpenYourWorld.

IKEA Place 

Augmented reality got a boost this year when IKEA, a longtime adopter, led with Place, quickly embracing Apple’s ARKit. The app allows consumers to view furniture at true scale in their homes. Meanwhile, monitoring social media, the company noticed that consumers were complaining about the lack of a search feature for Place, and so they added one, deploying a new version in five days. - Julie Bernard, Verve (Forbes 2017)

References

Boyd, C. 2017. 10 Outstanding Social Media Campaigns You Need to See. Search Engine Journal. URL: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media-marketing-campaign-examples/192583. Viewed: 3 March 2018.


Campaign Live. Heineken Bids Heal Cultural Divides Social Experiment. Campaign Live. URL: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/heineken-bids-heal-cultural-divides-social-experiment/1431148#zVKpJxGazvMwQPzV.99. Viewed: 3 March 2018.

Fill, C. and Turnbull, S. 2016. Marketing Communications. [online]. Pearson Education Limited. URL: http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=926631. Viewed: 3 March 2018.

Forbes Agency Council. 2017. 12 Most Memorable Marketing Campaigns Of 2017. Forbes. URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/12/14/12-most-memorable-marketing-campaigns-of-2017/3/#167490945d1c. Viewed: 3 March 2018.

Fill, C. and Scot, Mc. 2011. Business Marketing Face to Face. Goodfellow Publishers Ltd.

Karunakaran, K. 2007. Marketing Management, Global Media. Mumbai.

McDonald, M. & Wilson, H. 2011. Marketing Plans: How to Prepare Them, How to Use Them. John Wiley & Sons. Incorporated. New York.