Memo Advising Outline of Marketing Communication Mix

To: Managing Director of new airline company.

From: Marketing Consultant

Date: xxxx

Subject: Advising on the promotional and advertising campaign outlining the marketing communication mix.

People no longer buy shoes to keep their feet warm. They buy shoes because of the way shoes make them feel- masculine, feminine, different, young, and glamorous. Buying shoes has become an emotional experience. Business is now selling excitement rather than shoes. Since the airline company is targeting business persons and others requesting a very personalized treatment it should focus on selling an experience of complete “V.I.P” treatment in sophistication rather than a simple means of traveling comfortably.

The Marketing Communication Mix

Another one of the 4P's is 'promotion'. This includes all of the tools available to the marketer for 'marketing communication'. As with Neil H.Borden's marketing mix, marketing communications has its own 'promotions mix.' Think of it like a cake mix, the basic ingredients are always the same. However if you vary the amounts of one of the ingredients, the final outcome is different. It is the same with promotions. You can 'integrate' different aspects of the promotions mix to deliver a unique campaign. The elements of the promotions mix are:

1. Personal selling

2. Sales promotion

3. Public relations

4. Direct marketing

5. Advertising

Let us look at the individual components of the promotions mix in more detail. Remember all of the elements are 'integrated' to form a specific communications campaign.

1. Personal Selling

Personal Selling is an effective way to manage personal customer relationships. The sales person acts on behalf of the organization. They tend to be well trained in the approaches and techniques of personal selling. However sales people are very expensive and should only be used where there is a genuine return on investment. For example salesmen are often used to sell cars or home improvements where the margin is high.

2. Sales Promotion

Sales promotion tends to be thought of as being all promotions apart from advertising, personal selling, and public relations. For example the BOGOF promotion, or Buy One Get One Free. Others include couponing, money-off promotions, competitions, free accessories (such as free blades with a new razor), introductory offers (such as buy digital TV and get free installation), and so on. Each sales promotion should be carefully costed and compared with the next best alternative.

3. Public Relations (PR)

Public Relations is defined as 'the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics' (Institute of Public Relations). It is relatively cheap, but certainly not cheap.