Strategic Management & Effectual Marketing Communication
(Lahore, Oct 20, 2006)
Communication is not only a vital but also a strategic factor for an organization's existence. Communication consists of both verbal and nonverbal elements. It's about creating intended perception. Making the target audience comprehend what one wants them to. Therefore, messages and other communication tools are tailored in a certain manner to make it as palatable as possible. Marketing communication is solely aimed for outsiders. For getting optimal intended results from marketing communication efforts, it has to be incorporated with all other functions of the organization. It would be a long term, consistent and synchronized approach for a successful image building of the organization, its products and services. For realizing this, following measures are recommended:
Strategic Management:
The clear well defined business processes with elaborated guidelines makes the task of members easier, attain efficiency, minimizes risks, prepare for any probable threats and reduces dichotomies. Strategic Management is the most viable option for bigger organizations in ever competitive, high tech and internationalized environment. It's all about defining one's business. The central function of the strategic management is setting policies that explicitly steer the absolute don'ts, desirable do's and undefined probabilities for unexpected new developments. This helps the decision makers to know the limitations and avoid miscommunication that may affect the image of the organization.
Clarity of Objective:
Fundamental aim of strategic management is defining the objectives of the organization. Afterwards, this objective is the terminus of all organizational activities. This gives the direction as well as pin down the scope of the activities. Clear objectives, precisely measurable objectives (as far as possible), are also the gauge for evaluating the performance of the various departments of the organization.
Adherence to strong business ethics:
With some backlashes in the short run, sustainable growth and progress of any organization depends on strong business ethics. Truth and fairness are confidence-winning values; both for internally and externally concerned people. Specifically, it makes the task of marketing communication easier by minimizing chances of misrepresentation.
Information Management:
In our present ever-competitive world, even minor mistakes can cost organization's extinction. Of course, this is an extreme. Nonetheless, extremes are cases of special study for learning and gaining competitive edge. Therefore, management of information is of utmost importance for avoiding mistakes, smooth and efficient functioning of the organizational activities.
Creating awareness about the marketing information:
All marketing information should be documented and pass along the members of the organization. This would ensure the creation of a well-informed workforce to serve the interests of the organization in the best possible manner.
Above are mentioned the broad aspects for synchronized and incorporated marketing communication. Below we will highlight the necessities for a specific marketing communication objective.
Preparing Advertising plan:
Although every situation is different and consequently demands a specific strategy for accomplishing it, yet the fundamentals can be generalized. Therefore, for every situation whether launching a new product or routine advertising for established product or for any other activity a mix of advertising media would be used. How much to spend on kind of media would entirely depend on the particular situation? First step would be to prepare an advertising plan that would consist of:
Ascertain communication Objective:
Ascertaining advertising objective is most vital, as all marketing communication activities would be aimed at realizing it. It is highly desirable to make it as objective as possible for it would gives the clarity. Further breaking down into sub objectives would also be beneficial for same reasons of clarity.
Identifying target market/audience:
After ascertaining communication objective, next task is to identify the target audience. This is extremely crucial for preparing tailored communication to get desired action/s. In it focus would be on finding the traits of target audience like education, age, sex, social class, income level, cultural values etc.
Selecting marketing communication mix:
Marketing communication consists of all those verbal, written, graphic and visual elements that comes across target audience, that includes: advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing. The selection of marketing communication is based on objective, budget, and traits of audience.
Choosing media mix:
Media is the via through which messages come across target audience, it may include: newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets, web, television, point of purchase display, billboards, direct selling etc. This choice is dependant on budget and marketing communication mix.
Preparing message content:
Message content is created after gathering data of the target market/audience by keeping in view their preferences and their likes/dislikes. Albeit content of the message varies among media from static to animated elements, yet essence is quite similar. Type of copy writing or script writing is mainly based on the nature of the product and traits of target market. It is highly desirable that theme for a particular campaign should be standardized for imprinting a substantial image of the product/service/idea. This would help in creating a intended effect in the audiences' mind that would consequently result in a desired action.
Implementing Advertising Plan:
Pre testing:
To avoid any mistakes that have left due to inaccurate information or for some other reasons, it is prudent to test the message content and/or product/service on a population sample. It is extremely useful particularly in the case where target segment consists of varied traits and spread over a larger geographical area.
Launch, Post research and Corrective actions:
Marketing communication is a continuous activity that needs to be monitored and measured to set objectives for any required modifications and improvements. This is required because of any uncontrollable and unpredictable factors.
This process would guarantee a smooth, efficient and effective marketing communication.
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