Effective Communication In Woolworth's Theory Of Marketing

Marketing extraordinaire and professor, Philip Kotler, and Kevin Keller (2011) defined marketing communications as 'the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers, directly or indirectly, about the products and brands they sell.'

Communication is a human activity allowing for the exchange of information. It allows for relationship-building, which has become increasingly important as a marketing tool. In previous years, marketing theories and communication theories upheld a functionalist approach that placed more importance and value on a company and its products. However, in recent years, companies have become increasingly aware that relationships with customers are their most valuable asset (Duncan & Moriarty, 1998). Gaining, retaining and pgrowing customer relationships is achieved through communication.

The communication process ensures successful communication. The process, shown in Figure 1., was developed by Shannon and Weaver (1948) and involves a sender, from whom the

It is a tool used towards achieving hierarchical objectives of the company. Effective communication paves way for building brand loyalty and reinforcing service loyalty (Rafaeli, 1993), resulting in the growth of long-term relationships with customers (Sharma & Patterson,1999). In 2007, Woolworth's reported commitment to deepening and extending their customer relationships. Zyda Rylands (2016), CEO of Woolworth's South Africa, recently spoke of the company’s customer relationship management system, which enables better understanding of customer needs. Woolworth’s effective communication of its commitment to customers and exclusive brand-aligned retail experience offered through the Woolworth's WRewards card, saw an increase to their customer base to 3.1 million and 74 percent revenue. This was significant growth from 3 million customers and 71 percent revenue in