| Demand Generation
You have a great product. It is priced effectively and readily
available through your channel partners. But how should you
promote it to create demand? You need a marketing communication
plan.
An effective marketing communication plan tells the target
market your product is available and explains how it will
benefit them. The plan generates leads for your distribution
channel and directs prospects to where they can purchase your
product.
The type of marketing communication you use depends upon
your company’s specific marketing objectives, your understanding
of the target market and the response you desire from the
receiver of your message — e.g., awareness, interest,
desire or action. Once you have determined these variables,
you can choose the most appropriate medium for person-to-person
and mass communication.
The most widely used approaches to marketing communication,
listed by objective, are as follows:
|
To achieve this Objective… |
Use this Marketing Approach
|
| Create awareness |
Advertising |
| Project an image |
Public relations |
| Generate leads |
Direct marketing |
| Affect behavior |
Sales promotion |
| Stimulate desire or action |
Personal selling |
Below are examples of the tools available within each marketing
communications approach.
|
Advertising
|
Public Relations |
Direct Marketing |
Print ads
Packaging
Literature
Ad reprints
Yellow Pages
AV material
Videotapes
Buyers’ guides
Cooperative advertising
Point of Purchase Displays
Testimonials
Client references
Banner ads
|
Press kits
Publications
Events
News releases
News stories
Charitable donations
Community involvement
Identity media
Lobbying activity
Seminars
Speeches |
Catalogs
Mailings
Telemarketing
Fax & e-mail broadcasts
Web site
Newsletter
Interactive CD
Business reply cards
Calendars
Posters
New-customer kits
Guest books |
|
Sales Promotion
|
Personal Selling |
|
Premiums & incentives
Financing options
Trade-in allowances
Continuity programs
Rebates
Couponsrebates
Product samples
Entertainment
Sweepstakes & contests
Price-off Sales
Packaging
|
Product demonstrations
Demo inventory
Trade shows
Sales meetings
Slide or video presentations
Incentive programs
Net meetings
Video-conferences |
|
We can help you develop a marketing communications plan that
will meet your objectives in the most cost-effective manner.
|