In: Operations Management
The communication mix refers to specific methods used to promote the company or its products to targeted customers. The communication mix refers to specific methods used to promote the company or its products to targeted customers. Some depictions of the promotional mix include five elements, while others add a sixth – event sponsorship. The Marketing Communications Mix is the specific mix of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing a company uses to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives. A company’s promotional mix that includes advertising, PR, direct marketing, social media, and integrated marketing is called marketing communications mix.
The Advertising Element---------Advertising is often the most prominent element of the communication mix. In fact, marketing and advertising are often misconstrued as the same thing. Advertising includes all messages a business pays to deliver through a medium to reach a targeted audience. Since it involves the majority of paid messages, companies often allocate significant amounts of the marketing budget to the advertising function. While it can be costly, the advertiser has ultimate control over the message delivered, since it pays the television or radio station, print publication or website for placement.
Personal Selling and Direct Marketing---------Personal selling is sometimes integrated with the direct marketing element. However, many companies make such extensive use of a sales force that it is important to consider this component distinctly. Distribution channel suppliers use salespeople to promote products for resale to trade buyers. Retail salespeople promote the value of goods and services to consumers in retail businesses.
Sales promotion - Short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. Sales promotions or discounts are similar to advertising in that they are often promoted through paid communication. However, sales promotions actually involve offering a discounted price to a buyer. This may include coupons, percent-off deals and rebates. Along with ads to promote deals and coupon mailers, companies use exterior signs and in-store signage to call customer attention to the discounts.
Public relations - Building good relationships with the company’s various publics by obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good "corporate image", and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, and events.
Personal selling - Personal presentation by the firm’s sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships.
Packaging – Packaging can be a great addition to your marketing communications mix. Wrapping up a product is not only about keeping it safe and clean, but packaging can be used to boost the branding of your product and organization. Moreover, nicely wrapping your product will help your product stand out from competitors and may bring extra sales, trust, and convenience.
importance----------
1. Reaches large, geographically dispersed audiences, often with high frequency; Low cost per exposure, though overall costs are high; Consumers perceive advertised goods as more legitimate;
2. Most effective tool for building buyers’ preferences, convictions, and actions; Personal interaction allows for feedback and adjustments; Relationship-oriented; Buyers are more attentive; Sales force represents a long-term commitment.
3. The importance of marketing communication mix can also be felt when we see that it is connected with the marketing mix.
4. The research on this started from 1940. It flourished with the entrance of new media.
5. Businesses always try to use communication mix to get the share and attention of market.
6. Due to increased competition level we can use one of the tools to acquire new customers in the market.
7. Right communication mix can be used by realizing right target customers.