Marketing Communications Overall assessment of MC; How wisely are resources used? What is the share of free and low-cost

Marketing communications of an Internet startup Internet and social media give limitless opportunities for the promotion of any business with almost no investment. However, not everyone succeeds in doing this. But for those who think and constantly try different options, everything is mandatory.

How to build marketing communications in a startup I'll start with general rules... The product you make should solve the problem of the people you see as your customers. Roughly speaking, this is where the product strategy starts. But at the same time you need to deal with and

It is necessary to launch marketing communications as early as possible However, with an important caveat - when the main product hypothesis is tested and the basic functionality of the product is clear. The disclaimer is important, because if you just throw "at least something" on the market, the result

Marketing communications is the process of communicating information about a product to a target audience. It should be understood that no company is able to act at once in all markets, while satisfying the needs of all consumers. On the contrary, a company will only succeed if it targets a market whose customers are most likely to be interested in its marketing program. A target audience is a group of people who receive marketing messages and have the ability to respond to them. Even such giants of the market as Coca-Cola and Pepsico to promote their new products focus on specific population groups. For example, the target market for “Diet Coke” is comprised of conscious consumers of a beverage created using dietary ingredients. Thus, "Diet Coke" is intended for those who consciously prefer such non-alcoholic drinks - young people aged 12 to 24 years of both sexes and women from 25 to 45 years old.

Company professionals must understand that a variety of means can be used to most effectively communicate a marketing message. For example, the presence of a built-in CD-player and natural leather trim is an example of a sustainable marketing message about the high quality of the car. The price of a product can also convey certain information to customers - obviously, a 99 cent pen is unlikely to have the same respectable look and durability as a $ 50 pen. A company that distributes its products primarily through stores selling at discount prices, this alone informs customers a lot about the status of its products.

Thus, the product, its price and the way it is distributed can provide consumers with important market information. These three elements, along with marketing communications, form the marketing mix. Marketing communications are used to demonstrate important characteristics of the other three elements of the marketing mix in order to increase consumer engagement in purchasing a product. If marketing communications are based on a comprehensive, well-thought-out marketing plan, then they can generate a “great idea” that will be fully absorbed by the target audience. For example, Microsoft's "great idea" was to enable computer users to access information of interest by pressing just a few keys on the keyboard. The implementation of this idea in relation to the Internet was embodied in the slogan "Where do you want to go today?" and a graphic of a hand pointing to a Microsoft software product as an answer to a question.

Marketing communications, along with the other three elements of the marketing mix, are a key factor in making strategic decisions based on a marketing plan. A marketing plan is a document that analyzes the current marketing situation, identifies market opportunities and associated hazards, sets development goals and outlines an action plan to achieve them. Each of the marketing mix areas has its own goals and strategies. For example, a pricing goal and strategy might be to increase sales in a given territory by setting a lower price for the item than its main competitors. Marketing communications are designed to give target audiences an idea of ​​the overall marketing strategy of the firm by sending them special messages about the product, its price and sales methods in order to generate interest or persuade them to accept a certain point of view.

In the following, we will look at five basic elements that are present in all marketing communications: consumer persuasion, goals, contact points, participants in the marketing process, and various types of marketing communications activities.

Persuasion and information

All marketing communications are aimed at providing the target audience with certain information or persuading them to change their attitude or behavior. For example, Kraft would like to make consumers believe that its cheeses are superior in quality to those of all other manufacturers. Hallmark strives to be remembered by customers “whenever they would like to send the most best postcard". Selling firms * use a variety of ways to convince consumers. They can use any information, arguments and incentives. It is also necessary to actively listen to the voice of customers. For example, the helpline phone number on diaper packs is one of the most successful marketing communications tools, as new mothers can always use it to comment on company issues. of this product or get advice on how to use it.

All marketing communications are focused on solving specific tasks, which, in turn, must correspond to the goals of the communication program. Typically these goals include creating awareness among shoppers. trade mark, dissemination of information, enhancement of market culture, formation of a positive image of the company or its brand. The ultimate goal of any marketing communications strategy is to help the firm sell its product and thus maintain its business.

Contact points

For successful work on the market, the company must deliver its marketing messages to any place where the target audience can contact with its brand. Places for such contacts can be very different: from a store that directly sells goods to a room in which a customer can watch commercials on TV or call a hotline and get information of interest to him. Marketers can plan ahead for certain types of contacts, such as those that arise in the process. advertising campaign however, sometimes contacts take place independently of the plans developed. Such unplanned contacts may occur as a result of the dissemination of certain information received by customers. In particular, the overall design of a retailer may indicate unequivocally that it only sells inexpensive goods, and poor service would indicate that the firm cares little about the interests of its customers. In order to have the greatest impact on the target audience, the company must consider the problem of possible contact with the consumer as an important part of its marketing program. For successful implementation the latter, it is necessary that the marketing message at each point of contact works to convince the buyer of the merits of the offered product.

Participants in the marketing process

The target audience includes not only potential customers. A participant in the marketing process is any person who contributes to the success of a company or the promotion of its products. Thus, the participants in the marketing process can include employees of the company, sellers of its products, suppliers, residents of the territories where goods are produced and sold, funds mass media, bodies state regulation commercial activities as well as buyers.

The target market for Diet Coke is comprised of Diet Drink Consciousness populations. One of the participants in the marketing process of this company is the Office for Sanitary Supervision of Quality food products and medicines (Food and Drug Administration - FDA), since it regulates the sale of food and beverages to the public, including “Diet Coke” products. Other participants include wholesalers and retailers who directly influence how and when a product finds a buyer, financial analysts who influence the behavior of the company's shareholders, as well as the population of the territories where Diet Coke plants are located.

The idea that participants in the marketing process, along with consumers, can play an important role in the implementation of a company's marketing program is gaining more and more confirmation in the practice of modern business. For example, Houston-based Men 's Wearhouse, which owns more than 260 department stores and has an annual turnover of more than $ 430 million, attributes its success to its people skills. only followed by consumers, suppliers, locals and shareholders The company is convinced that caring for its employees will lead to better customer service.

Competitors of the firm can also be considered as participants in its marketing process. For example, IBM and Apple at one time joined forces to create a new computer. Such partnerships are becoming more common as companies agree to work with each other to maintain their market share. In particular, Asian airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore International Airlines, Thai Airways International and Malaysian Airlines Systems have developed joint flight schedules to protect their market from the entry of larger, world-renowned air carriers.

State bodies dealing with issues legal regulation businesses can also have a big impact on the work of many companies, from the leaders in the cigarette industry to Microsoft. When promoting some of its new products, Microsoft has felt it necessary to issue special messages to government bodies and to her competitors, in which she tried to allay their fears about her intentions to monopolize the market. Marketing communication messages

Hundreds of different types of communications can be used to spread marketing messages. This process can be carried out both with the help of a pre-developed marketing communications program, and through the unplanned use of elements of the marketing mix and other methods of establishing contact with the consumer. Thus, planned and unplanned marketing messages can be used to achieve marketing contact.

The following communication tools are used to deliver the planned messages to the consumer:

• * Advertising is any form of communication paid for by a specific person intended to promote goods, services or ideas. While some types of advertising (eg direct mail) are targeted at a specific individual, most advertising messages are targeted at large groups of the population and are distributed by media such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines.
• * Sales promotion -- different kinds marketing activities that are certain time increase the initial value of a product or service and directly stimulate consumer purchasing activity (such as coupons or trial samples), distributors and sales staff.
• * Public relations (public relations) - coordinated efforts to create a favorable image of the product in the minds of the population. They are implemented by supporting certain programs and activities that are not directly related to the sale of goods: the publication in the press of important information from a commercial point of view, "publicity" on radio and television.
• * Direct marketing is an interactive marketing system that allows consumers to easily obtain information of interest to them and purchase goods through the use of various channels of information dissemination. Includes direct mail, print catalog orders, and online catalog sales.
• * Personal selling - establishing personal contact with one or more potential buyers for the purpose of selling goods. Examples of such contacts are telephone conversations between regional representatives of the manufacturer and local companies or enterprises. retail, selective calls potential buyers directly to your home or selling goods by phone orders.
• * Special means to stimulate trade or advertising and design tools for points of sale - means the use of funds that deliver marketing messages directly to the points of sale and increase the likelihood of purchase of goods by buyers. Such funds, in particular the store's internal coupons, remind the buyer of certain product, deliver him a marketing message from the company or inform him of the benefits of a future purchase.
• * Packaging - in addition to the main function, it serves as the location of the marketing communication message. Therefore, both technologists and designers and specialists in planning marketing communications are engaged in the development of product packaging. Since it is the marketing message on the packaging that the store visitor sees in front of him at the moment of making a purchase decision, it plays an extremely important role in the process of convincing consumers.
• * Special souvenirs - free gifts that serve as a reminder of the manufacturing company and its brand name.
• * Sponsorship - financial support provided by the company non-profit organizations when carrying out various events in exchange for the right to establish with them special relationship... Sponsoring activities can increase the company's prestige and form a positive image of its activities. Examples of sponsorship include financial support for tennis tournaments or the donation of funds to charitable public foundations.
• * Grant of a license - the practice of selling the right to use the corporate symbols of a company or its product. When a university allows a manufacturer of T-shirts to use their name as an inscription on them, then this permission must be issued in the form of a special contract.
• * After-sales service is an important part of maintaining marketing communications, which is after-sales service to the customer. Programs service are dedicated to meeting the current needs of customers. An important tool for maintaining a positive perception of the company in the after-sales period is also the provision of guarantees for the goods sold.

Unscheduled calls include all other means of communicating various information about a company and its brand to potential customers. For example, a dirty vehicle delivering goods, a lack of a safe parking space near a store, unfriendly behavior of order takers, an unkempt building where a firm's office is located, irritated employees, or constantly busy phones are some of the negative messages that can have a stronger impact on consumers. impact than planned marketing communications, including advertising and established public relations. All employees of the company, and especially those who directly deal with clients, can inadvertently become sources of transmission of unwanted information if they do not pass special training, in the process of which they will get acquainted with the communication effects of their actions and manner of communication. While marketing communications professionals may not always have to be held accountable for these unplanned calls, they should anticipate and rule out calls that are inconsistent with the firm’s overall communications strategy, and encourage the dissemination of information that fits the strategy.

Depending on the circumstances, the various activities from the marketing mix can be either planned or unplanned hits. Marketing mix decisions such as choosing a place to sell a product, predicting its future success with customers and correctly determining a price have a direct impact on the level of interest in a product from consumers. The main levers of control of the marketing mix are in the hands of the chief marketing officer, and therefore many marketing decisions are controlled directly by him. However, these decisions are not always considered in terms of establishing marketing contacts, and communications professionals may not be involved in planning the marketing mix. If marketing communications specialists are not involved in the development of a marketing mix and do not help evaluate the effectiveness of its calls, this complex can be considered as a source of unplanned calls. When marketing communications specialists are involved in developing a marketing mix and evaluating the results of its calls, then this complex is considered as a source of planned calls. Consider the distribution of planned and unplanned communication messages and their receipt by consumers and other participants in the marketing process. Obviously, both types of communication can be equally important. Ideally, they (public relations) help to inform and convince consumers who, thanks to this, enter the store, already knowing about the company's brand and having a positive opinion about it. This type of sales promotion creates additional incentives for making purchases. In addition, it is necessary to remember some of the characteristics of the product and the store in which it will be sold. Appearance packaging, brand names, cleanliness in the sales area and the friendliness of the service staff can have a beneficial effect on customers. All of these factors together influence the decision of consumers to buy a particular product.

In the story we told at the beginning of the chapter on the Windows 95 launch of the program, Microsoft used a variety of marketing communications tools to target targeted audiences with targeted messages: advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, and specialty packaging. The BCI concept, which we will consider in the next section, will help to more accurately explain the features of using each of these tools.

Marketing communications can create positive experiences that increase customer satisfaction with the product they purchase and add value to a company's products in the eyes of consumers. For example, for many young men and women, buying Levi "s" jeans means more than just adding to their wardrobe, as Levi "s Strauss & Co. managed to create a particularly attractive image of its products thanks to the skillful use of advertising and thoughtful organization of trade. However, no amount of marketing communications effort will ever help a company producing low-quality products. Experience shows that the simplest way To "bury" any low-quality product is to create and implement a good communication program for it, since it is such a program that will quickly show the target audience all its shortcomings.

Marketing communications goals

Modern marketing requires a lot more than just creating good product, assign an attractive price to it and ensure its availability to target buyers. Firms must still be actively promoting the product, i.e. establish communications with their customers. At the same time, there should be nothing accidental in the content of communications. Communication marketing is a marketing activity that creates a favorable image of the product and the company itself in the minds of consumers. Promotion (English - promotion) is any form of messages used by a firm to inform, persuade or remind consumers about their products and their merits.

Communications (in marketing) - methods and forms of presenting information and influencing a specific (target) audience.

The target audience is the collection of consumers who make purchasing decisions and the forces that influence them. Promotion of products should excite consumers' desire to make the first purchase and make all subsequent ones.

Features of marketing communications

Marketing communications is the process of transferring a message from a manufacturer to a consumer in order to provide him with the goods and services of the organization in an attractive light for the target audience. If we proceed from the concepts put forward by the school of social systems, then marketing communications can be considered as necessary tool ensuring interaction of the organization with external environment direct impact.

The main goal of marketing communications is to influence consumer behavior. Accordingly, the following tasks of marketing communications can be distinguished: informing the audience about the existence of certain goods and services, explaining their purpose; persuasion - the formation of a favorable consumer attitude towards the organization and its brands; image creation - the formation of the image of the organization associated with the differentiation of the brands of the product by the consumer; reinforcement - retaining regular customers.

Marketing communications include: personal selling, media advertising, direct marketing, product promotions, and public relations. The most modern forms of marketing communications are various forms of direct response to consumers, promotion through electronic networks and the Internet. The main object of communicative influence is not always the individual consumer. Often, the object is a “purchasing decision-making unit” consisting of several persons.

Experts characterize five main buying roles: the initiator of the purchase - the first to offer to buy a product or service; influencing - gives advice; decision maker - makes a choice according to one of the components of the decision: what to buy, where and in general the buyers; buyer - makes a purchase; user - uses the product. The concept of the “decision maker” becomes the basis for building a marketing communications plan. For example, when choosing a tourist trip, it was noted that people who “have an influence” (friends, relatives, colleagues, etc.), who offer their own solutions to the problem, are especially important. Communication strategy travel agency must take this circumstance into account.

Today's consumers are skeptical about many of the initiatives of marketing professionals, so it is difficult to attract and retain consumer interest in any type of product. Even recognized leaders like Procter & Gamble, General Motors or Microsoft cannot be absolutely sure of the reliability of their market positions. Nowadays, in order to ensure a successful sale of a product, a company needs to do more than just ensure its excellent quality, set the lowest price on it, or simply place the product in the best possible way on store shelves. The company must sell its products with original, informative and attractive messages that would convince those products to meet the needs and desires of consumers. A key factor in product marketing is communications which is reflected in the title of this chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to explaining basic concept marketing communications. We'll start by looking at the concept of marketing. Next, we will define BCIs and show why they are so important to business. Finally, we will demonstrate how IMCs can be incorporated into a firm's marketing program.

Marketing communications

Marketing communications represent the process of transferring information about the product target audience. It should be understood that no company is able to act at once in all markets, while satisfying the needs of all consumers. On the contrary, a company will only succeed if it targets a market whose customers are most likely to be interested in its marketing program. The target audience is a group of people who receive marketing messages and have the ability to respond to them. Even such market giants as Coca-Cola and Pepsico to promote their new products, they focus on specific groups of the population. For example, the target market for “Diet Coke” is comprised of conscious consumers of a beverage created using dietary ingredients. Thus, "Diet Coke" is intended for those who consciously prefer such non-alcoholic drinks - young people aged 12 to 24 years of both sexes and women from 25 to 45 years old.

Company professionals must understand that a variety of means can be used to most effectively communicate a marketing message. For example, the presence of a built-in CD-player and natural leather trim is an example of a sustainable marketing message about the high quality of the car. The price of a product can also convey certain information to customers - obviously, a 99 cent pen is unlikely to have the same respectable look and durability as a $ 50 pen. A company that distributes its products primarily through stores selling at discount prices, this alone informs customers a lot about the status of its products.

Thus, the product, its price and the way it is distributed can provide consumers with important market information. These three elements, along with marketing communications, form marketing mix. Marketing communications are used to demonstrate important characteristics of the other three elements of the marketing mix in order to increase consumer engagement in purchasing a product. If marketing communications are based on a comprehensive, well-thought-out marketing plan, then they can generate a “great idea” that will be fully absorbed by the target audience. For example, "great idea" Microsof t was to enable computer users to obtain information of interest by pressing just a few keys on the keyboard. The implementation of this idea in relation to the Internet was embodied in the slogan "Where do you want to go today?" and a graphic image of a hand pointing to a software product Microsoft, as an answer to the question.

Marketing communications, along with the other three elements of the marketing mix, are a key factor in making strategic decisions based on a marketing plan. Marketing plan is a document that reflects an analysis of the current marketing situation, identifies market opportunities and associated risks, sets development goals and outlines an action plan aimed at achieving them. Each of the marketing mix areas has its own goals and strategies. For example, a pricing goal and strategy might be to increase sales in a given territory by setting a lower price for the item than its main competitors. Marketing communications are designed to give target audiences an idea of ​​the overall marketing strategy of the firm by sending them special messages about the product, its price and sales methods in order to generate interest or persuade them to accept a certain point of view.

In the following, we will look at five basic elements that are present in all marketing communications: consumer persuasion, goals, contact points, participants in the marketing process, and various types of marketing communications activities.

Persuasion and information

All marketing communications are aimed at providing the target audience with certain information or persuading them to change their attitude or behavior. For example, a company Kraft would like to make consumers believe that its cheeses are superior in quality to those of all other manufacturers. Firm Hallmark strives to ensure that customers remember her "whenever they would like to send the very best postcard." Selling firms * use a variety of ways to convince consumers. They can use any information, arguments and incentives. It is also necessary to actively listen to the voice of customers. For example, the telephone number of the help desk, indicated on the packaging of diapers, is one of the most successful tools for establishing marketing communications, since young mothers can always use it in order to comment on a given product to the company or get advice on its use.

Goals

All marketing communications are focused on solving specific problems, which, in turn, must correspond to the goals of the communication program. Typically these goals include building brand awareness among shoppers, spreading information, enhancing market culture, and building a positive image of the company or its brand. The ultimate goal of any marketing communications strategy is to help the firm sell its product and thus maintain its business.

Contact points

For successful work in the market, a company must deliver its marketing messages to any places where contact of the target audience with its brand is possible. Places for such contacts can be very different: from a store that directly sells goods to a room in which a customer can watch commercials on TV or call a hotline and get information of interest to him. Marketers can plan ahead for certain types of contacts, such as those arising from an advertising campaign, but sometimes contacts take place independently of the plans developed. Such unplanned contacts may occur as a result of the dissemination of certain information received by customers. In particular, the overall design of a retailer may indicate unequivocally that it only sells inexpensive goods, and poor service would indicate that the firm cares little about the interests of its customers. In order to have the greatest impact on the target audience, the company must consider the problem of possible contact with the consumer as an important part of its marketing program. For the successful implementation of the latter, it is necessary that the marketing message in each contact point works to convince the buyer of the merits of the offered product.

Participants in the marketing process

The target audience includes not only potential customers. A participant in the marketing process any person who contributes to the success of a company or the promotion of its products is called. Thus, the participants in the marketing process can include the company's employees, sellers of its products, suppliers, residents of the territories where goods are produced and sold, the media, government regulatory bodies for commercial activities, as well as buyers.

The target market for Diet Coke is comprised of Diet Drink Consciousness populations. One of the participants in the marketing process of this company is the Food and Drug Administration ( Food and Drug Administration - FDA), since it regulates the sale of food and beverages to the public, including “Diet Coke” products. Other participants include wholesalers and retailers who directly influence how and when a product finds a buyer, financial analysts who influence the behavior of the company's shareholders, as well as the population of the territories where Diet Coke plants are located.

The idea that participants in the marketing process, along with consumers, can play an important role in the implementation of a company's marketing program is gaining more and more confirmation in the practice of modern business. For example, a Houston-based company Men’s Wearhouse, which owns more than 260 department stores and has an annual turnover of over $ 430 million, attributes its success to its people skills. Thus, in the list of the most important participants in its marketing process, its own employees occupy the first place, followed only by consumers, suppliers, local residents and shareholders. The company is convinced that caring for its employees will provide better customer service.

Competitors of the firm can also be considered as participants in its marketing process. For example, IBM and Apple at one time they joined forces to create a new computer. Such partnerships are becoming more common as companies agree to work with each other to maintain their market share. In particular, Asian airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore International Airlines, Thai Airways International and Malaysian Airlines Systems have developed a joint flight schedule to protect their market from the entry of larger, world-renowned air carriers.

Governments responsible for business regulation can also have a big impact on the work of many companies, from the leaders in the cigarette industry to the Microsoft... When promoting some of its new products, the company Microsoft considered it necessary to issue special appeals to government agencies and to its competitors, in which it tried to allay their fears about their intentions to monopolize the market.

Marketing communication messages

Hundreds of different types of communications can be used to spread marketing messages. This process can be carried out both with the help of a pre-developed marketing communications program, and through the unplanned use of elements of the marketing mix and other methods of establishing contact with the consumer. Thus, planned and unplanned marketing messages can be used to achieve marketing contact.

For delivery to the consumer planned calls the following communication tools are used:

·
• Advertising- any form of communication paid for by a specific person intended to promote goods, services or ideas. While some types of advertising (eg direct mail) are targeted at a specific individual, most advertising messages are targeted at large groups of the population and are distributed by media such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines. ·
• Sales promotion- various types of marketing activities that for a certain time increase the initial value of a product or service and directly stimulate the purchasing activity of consumers (for example, coupons or trial samples), the work of distributors and sales personnel.
• Public Relations (public relations)- coordinated efforts to create a favorable image of the product in the minds of the population. They are implemented by supporting certain programs and activities that are not directly related to the sale of goods: the publication in the press of important information from a commercial point of view, "publicity" on radio and television.
• Direct marketing- an interactive marketing system that allows consumers to easily obtain information of interest to them and purchase goods using various channels of information dissemination. Includes direct mail, print catalog orders, and online catalog sales.
• Personal sale- establishing personal contact with one or more potential buyers for the purpose of selling goods. Examples of such contacts include telephone calls between regional representatives of a manufacturer and local companies or retailers, selective calls to potential customers directly at home, or sales of goods by telephone orders.
• Special products for promotion of trade or advertising and design products for points of sale- means the use of means that deliver the marketing message directly to the points of sale and increase the likelihood of purchase of goods by buyers. Such means, in particular the store's internal coupons, remind the buyer of a certain product, deliver the company's marketing message or inform about the benefits of a future purchase.
• Package- in addition to the main function, it serves as the location of the marketing communication message. Therefore, both technologists and designers and specialists in planning marketing communications are engaged in the development of product packaging. Since it is the marketing message on the packaging that the store visitor sees in front of him at the moment of making a purchase decision, it plays an extremely important role in the process of convincing consumers.
• Special souvenirs- free gifts that serve as a reminder of the company that manufactures the product and its brand name.
• Sponsorship- financial support provided by the company to non-profit organizations during various events in exchange for the right to establish special relations with them. Sponsoring activities can increase the company's prestige and form a positive image of its activities. Examples of sponsorship include financial support for tennis tournaments or the donation of funds to charitable public foundations.
• License Grant- the practice of selling the right to use the corporate symbols of the company or its goods. When a university allows a manufacturer of T-shirts to use their name as an inscription on them, then this permission must be issued in the form of a special contract.
• Service maintenance- an important part of maintaining marketing communications, which is after-sales service to the buyer. Service programs are designed to meet current customer needs. An important tool for maintaining a positive perception of the company in the after-sales period is also the provision of guarantees for the goods sold.

Unplanned calls includes all other means of communicating various information about the company and its trademark to potential customers. For example, a dirty vehicle delivering goods, a lack of a safe parking space near a store, unfriendly behavior of order takers, an unkempt building where a firm's office is located, irritated employees, or constantly busy phones are some of the negative messages that can have a stronger impact on consumers. impact than planned marketing communications, including advertising and established public relations. All employees of the company, and especially those who directly deal with clients, can inadvertently become sources of transmission of unwanted information, if they do not undergo special training, during which they become familiar with the communication effects of their actions and manner of communication. While marketing communications professionals may not always have to be held accountable for these unplanned calls, they should anticipate and rule out calls that are inconsistent with the firm’s overall communications strategy, and encourage the dissemination of information that fits the strategy.

Depending on the circumstances, the various activities from the marketing mix can be either planned or unplanned hits. Marketing mix decisions such as choosing a place to sell a product, predicting its future success with customers and correctly determining a price have a direct impact on the level of interest in a product from consumers. The main levers of control of the marketing mix are in the hands of the chief marketing officer, and therefore many marketing decisions are controlled directly by him. However, these decisions are not always considered in terms of establishing marketing contacts, and communications professionals may not be involved in planning the marketing mix. If marketing communications specialists are not involved in the development of a marketing mix and do not help evaluate the effectiveness of its calls, this complex can be considered as a source of unplanned calls. When marketing communications specialists are involved in developing a marketing mix and evaluating the results of its calls, then this complex is considered as a source of planned calls.

Consider the distribution of planned and unplanned communication messages and their receipt by consumers and other participants in the marketing process. Obviously, both types of communication can be equally important. Ideally, they (public relations) contribute to informing and convincing consumers, who, thanks to this, enter the store already knowing about the company's brand and having a positive opinion about it. This type of sales promotion creates additional incentives for making purchases. In addition, it is necessary to remember some of the characteristics of the product and the store in which it will be sold. The appearance of the packaging, the presence of brand names, the cleanliness of the sales area and the friendliness of the service personnel can have a beneficial effect on customers. All of these factors together influence the decision of consumers to buy a particular product.

In the story we told at the beginning of this chapter about the launch of the Windows 95 program, the company Microsoft used a variety of marketing communications tools to target planned messages to its target audience: advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, and specialty packaging. The BCI concept, which we will consider in the next section, will help to more accurately explain the features of using each of these tools.

Marketing communications can create positive experiences that increase customer satisfaction with the product they purchase and add value to a company's products in the eyes of consumers. For example, for many young men and women, buying Levi’s jeans means more than just adding to their wardrobe, as the company Levi's Strauss & Co. managed to create a particularly attractive image of its products thanks to the skillful use of advertising and thoughtful organization of trade. However, no amount of marketing communications effort will ever help a company producing low-quality products. Experience shows that the simplest way to "bury" any low-quality product is to create and implement a good communication program for it, since it is such a program that will quickly show the target audience all its shortcomings.

It's no secret that communication is a very important, even integral moment. public relations... This concept primarily means the exchange of various kinds of information between subjects.

Even at the origins of human society, interaction and communication played an important role. These were the first channels of communication. Today, the role of information continues to grow. Due to this great importance for mankind have all existing species communication channels.

Many people know the phrase of the famous writer Antoine de Saint Exupery. At one time, he said that the most valuable thing in the world is This statement has not lost its relevance today. between people, without any doubt, is one of the main factors of success in many areas of human society. It helps you make loyal and reliable friends, build a career, and gain recognition and success. Without effectively building such relationships through communication channels, all this becomes impossible.

Definition of the concept

What are communication channels? The definition of this concept is important for the process itself. So, a communication channel is this or that means, using which, you can transfer a message from a source to a recipient. The first of them sends this or that information, and the second receives it. In this case, there may be more than one addressee. So, during the presentation, the lecturer conveys information to the whole audience. Moreover, the message may not be limited to text or sounds. It often includes intonation, gestures, etc.

Development of communication in human society

Communication channels are real or imagined communication lines through which information travels. At the same time, both the source and the subscriber need certain means for perception. They are codes and languages, as well as technical devices.

The means and channels of communication have undergone changes with the development of human society. Together with people, they went from a primitive system to a post-industrial civilization. At the same time, not only the number changed, but also new types of communication channels arose. Natural ways of transmitting information were gradually supplemented by artificial ones, created for these purposes by people themselves.

Non-verbal and verbal channels

These types of information transfer are natural. Non-verbal and verbal communication channels use means that are naturally inherent in humans. Thanks to this, the transmission of a semantic message becomes possible.

Non-verbal (non-verbal) and verbal (verbal) are channels of social communication. Moreover, the first of them is the most ancient.

It arose in the process of biological evolution long before the very appearance of man, when higher animals expressed their attitude to certain events with various emotions.

Proficiency in speech or the use of a verbal communication channel is a hallmark of the human race. For the emergence of this process, it was necessary to develop the articulatory system, the formation of a special zone in the brain, etc. It is precisely in connection with the absence of all these biological prerequisites that representatives of the animal world are not able to speak.

The emergence of artificial canals

With the development of human society, the need for the transfer of information was formed in the absence of direct contact between two or more subjects. That is why artificial communication channels appeared. The very first of them was the documentary. It included jewelry and amulets, tattoos and symbols that have certain concepts ("tree", "beast", "woman", etc.). This primitive painting was the initial stage in the development of writing. With its appearance, a new means of documentary communication channel arose. Over time, the manuscripts were supplemented by printed literature and the press.

Along with the development of the documentary communication channel, the verbal communication continued to improve. She received telegraph, telephone, radio and television at her disposal.

Today humanity has a huge selection of communication channels. Social media of information transmission have been replenished with new inventions, and these are, first of all, computers.

Types of social communication

IN modern society information transfer is carried out on the basis of the channels used and the means of material and technical equipment. In this regard, the following types of social communication are distinguished:

1. Oral. This communication uses both natural non-verbal and verbal channels and media at the same time.
2. Documentary. This communication uses channels that were artificially created by man to transmit information. These include printing, writing and art that convey meaning in space and time.
3. Electronic. It is based on wire and radio communications, computer technology, magnetic and optical recording media.

All three types of social exist in unity with each other.

Oral communication

The very name of this method of communication contains its real content. Oral communication, that is, "transmitted through the mouth", is not limited to only verbal interactions. It is also carried out with the help of the senses.
That is why the structure of oral communication includes different ways and the means that are its elements. The most striking of them is speech. She is able to convey information of increased complexity. The language of this or that nation allows the use of ambiguous words and effective phrases. In the process of such transmission of a message, the effect of "descent of a compressed spring" often occurs, that is, the transmission of a single concept or term causes the interlocutor to understand a large amount of information.

A lot important element oral communication is the reaction of the recipient. She can be benevolent or hostile, active or passive, feigned, etc.

In addition to verbal communication an important element of verbal communication is visual contact. When transmitting simple information, he plays big role than the speech of the interlocutor. Visual information, including gestures, postures and facial expressions, is needed to introduce emotional and sensory components into verbal communication... An important element in this case is the concept of appearance. Hence there is a proverb that says that any person is greeted by his clothes. And this is not surprising. Indeed, in the old days, clothes to a large extent spoke of the class belonging of the interlocutor. Today, the elements of a non-verbal image include not only branded clothing, but also a watch, a car, a cell phone, and so on.

The social and landscape environment of the interlocutor is also inscribed in the process of oral communication. This includes elements of the landscape, etc.

So, oral communication is a complex interaction of subjects, the process of which includes all the senses, as well as intuitive and logical resources. In addition, it is the basic way of transmitting information, without which all its other forms become impossible.

Documentary communication

This is another kind of messaging method. Its main means is a document, which includes a material stable object created for use in social communication. His distinctive features are:

1. The presence of meaning. Only in this case it becomes possible for subjects to communicate. A message without meaning is referred to as noise.
2. The presence of a stable material form, which serves to ensure the long-term preservation of the document. What is written with a pitchfork on the water does not belong to this category.
3. Intended for use in communication channels. These can be objects that were not originally documents. This status was given to historical, cultural, ethnographic and archaeological artifacts later due to the presence in them of a meaning that can be deciphered and "read" like a text.
4. Completeness of the message enclosed in the document. but this requirement is relative in terms of unfinished literary works, sketches, sketches, drafts, etc., which at one time were written by great scientists, poets, artists.

Today there is a certain typification of documents.

Moreover, it was developed based on their iconic form. So, all documents are divided into:

1. Readable. These include works of writing created in a natural or artificial language.
2. Iconic. This type includes documents that carry images (drawings and paintings, photographs and films, transparencies, etc.).
3. Ideographic. These are documents using legend(maps and drawings, emblems and diagrams, emblems, etc.).
4. Symbolic. These are items related to material objects that perform documentary functions (historical relics, museum exhibits, architectural monuments).
5. Auditory. These are phonetic, sounding documents, as well as various kinds of sound recordings.
6. Machine readable. These include disks and magnetic tapes, punched cards, etc.

All the listed types of documents are types of communication channels.

Written text is also an integral part business communication... In other words, documents are the main communication channels for each of the existing organizations.

The written genres of any company usually have legal validity. That is why they are deprived of the emotional and any other personal principle. But at the same time, documents are communication channels of an organization that have consistency and objectivity, clarity and semantic exhaustion, compositional orderliness, etc. The text of such a message is directed not only to report, prove, declare, etc. carry the embodiment of the accepted standard.

Electronic communication

The 20th century was the period of the second technical revolution, as a result of which television and phototelegraph, computer communications and video recording appeared. In the same period, there was also Email, which by the end of the 90s became the global communication system of the Internet. All this is the next stage in the development of message transmission methods. It is characterized by the transfer of information from oral and documentary forms to electronic.

Since its inception new type messaging was presented as a means of bridging the distance between subjects. In addition, it was planned to use the electronic communication channel as a repository of not only written, but also oral information. This was an instrumental stage in the development of such communication. It became possible due to the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution.

When using electricity, the problem of speed in the transmission of information was solved. And if earlier the movement of radio waves occurred at the speed of light, now the global exchange of messages is provided almost instantly. At the same time, it allows you to transmit oral and written speech, as well as an image. In addition, electronic communication channels solved the problem of storing messages, which allowed us to enter a new paperless stage in the development of social communication.

At the intellectual stage of development, there was a transition from quantitative changes to the methods of transmitting messages to qualitative ones. It was caused by the fact that the needs of society for the preservation and dissemination of texts began to exceed the capabilities that the existing ones possessed. technical means... Humanity began to need new devices that would be able to store large amounts of information and transmit it over long distances. And they were created as a result of scientific and technical developments. Today, communication channels include computer and expert systems, as well as word processors... At the same time, artificial intelligence was connected to the process of transferring information. This allowed a person to entrust the computer with routine operations that require many repetitions and constant attention.

At the present stage, the personal and group communication needs of humanity are met through the use of the Internet. This is a global computer network in which virtual space is created.

The rapid development of electronic communication channels affects almost all spheres of human activity. This includes both the work of enterprises and the economy of countries as a whole.

Marketing communication

This method of transferring information is used in all areas of activity, the purpose of which is to achieve successful sales to meet the needs of society.

Marketing communication channels are used to create a positive image of the organization in the market. At the same time, they are an effective tool in the sales process. As a result of this transfer of information:

• sending messages to target groups of the audience about the implementation of the sale of certain services or goods;
• creating a favorable attitude towards the company;
• formation of the brand image, which allows to arouse the confidence of buyers;
• attracting new consumers.

Marketing communication channels can be both external and internal. Moreover, all of them are designed to transfer information from the manufacturer to the consumer in order to meet the needs of society and generate profits from sales.

The main components of marketing communication include:

1. Advertising in any form that allows you to disseminate information that helps to sell goods and services.
2. Sales promotion. This is a special type of activity that allows you to maintain market share. corporate influence and popularizes new items.
3. Direct mail. This communication channel is designed to drive sales through the postal service.
4. Telemarketing. This communication channel uses telephony to grow sales and build positive consumer sentiment about the company.
5. Public relations. It is a special form of marketing communication using exhibitions and fairs, packaging and design as advertising.

All of the above methods of transmitting messages are directed by companies to increase consumer demand and increase sales. That is why every organization strives to develop and implement a strategy in the field of marketing process management.

Characteristics of the personal communication channel

Messaging plays an important role in modern society. In this regard, the characteristic of communication channels is so important and relevant for a person. Let's consider them in more detail.

Personal communication channels are considered to be one of the most universal. Their main advantages are:

• the possibility of direct emotional impact on the recipients of information;
• feedback, which makes it possible to instantly respond to what is happening;
• targeting;
• confidentiality;
• the ability to get by with a minimum of intermediaries and technical means;
• cheapness.

However, despite all of the above characteristics, personal communication channels are not always used. This is due to their negative sides, the main one being the limited audience size.

It should be borne in mind that personal ones are the most effective channels of communication in cases when it is required to establish relationships with people whose point of view is significant for society. In other words, with “opinion leaders”.

Characteristics of media channels

There is another way of communication, which makes it possible to transmit messages to the maximum possible number of consumers. It is often used for marketing purposes. This is the transmission of messages through channels of mass communication. Their main assets are television and radio, outdoor advertising and the press, and the Internet. These are all communication channels used to convey information to the general public. Let's consider their main characteristics.

Television media are channels of mass communication. Their main advantage is:

1. Mass character. The audience sitting in front of the TV is the largest possible. It is TV that gives a modern person more than half of all the information he receives.
2. Speeds. The transmitted information is received by all viewers at the same time.
3. Multithreading. All transmitted messages have their impact on the viewer through audiovisual contact, which ensures maximum assimilation.

The disadvantages of television include poor control over the information flow. TV is not able to provide information to the required target audience.

The press also belongs to the channels of mass information. At the same time, printed media have the following advantages:

1. Low cost. This method is relatively inexpensive to get the message across to the right target audience.
2. Accuracy of handling. Necessary will definitely read the information you submitted if it is published in a publication specializing in a similar subject.
3. The ability to present details. The media can publish the most complete information.
4. Ease of perception. Everything stated in printed edition information is read by the user on his own initiative. This has a positive effect on her perception.

Those transmitting the information necessary for the manufacturer include outdoor advertising... Its main advantages include:

1. Catchiness. This becomes possible due to the large size of the boards and the use of large drawings and texts.
2. Location. The consumer knows the place of installation of the advertising medium.
3. Low cost. The price of such an advertisement is much lower than a message posted on TV or in the media.

The most modern mass media is the Internet. Its advantages include:

1. Low cost of advertising.
2. Buyer's interest.
3. Possibility of getting feedback.
4. Propagation speed.

Among the disadvantages of the Internet, there is a low credit of user confidence. Indeed, this global network can contain information of any kind, even knowingly unreliable. That is why messages published in other media are of great interest among the layman.