We must understand there are various communication platforms we can use to engage customers/ clients and sway them into becoming a ‘market source’ for our businesses, products & services!
‘’Marketing’ is essentially the action of ‘promoting’ and ‘selling’ products or services, including ‘market research’ and advertising.
Source; Oxford Dictionary. Let’s view the various key elements of the ‘marketing Communications Mix
As brand builders.. We need strategies & platforms to support our marketing efforts. Hence let’s have a quick peek into what our mix comprises!!
We must understand the Social media mix!
To “Understand the Full Nature of Marketing Communications’’…….
We must understand a bit about Brand Building!!
A Peek Into the……… Marketing Communications Mix!
Interactive Marketing:
Interactive Marketing has recently gained popularity as a marketing communication tool, wherein the customers can interact with the firms online and can get their queries resolved online. Amazon is one of the best examples of interactive marketing. Customers make their choice and can see what they have chosen or ordered in the recent past.
Several websites also offer the platform to the customers wherein they ask questions and get the answers online.
Culled from the internet.
Word-of- Mouth Marketing:
It is one of the oldest & most widely practiced method of communication tool wherein customer share their experiences with peers & friends about the goods and services they bought recently.
Personal Selling:
This is the traditional method of marketing communication wherein the salesmen approach the prospective customers directly and inform them about the goods and services they are dealing in. It’s one of the most reliable modes of communication because it is done directly either orally, i.e., face to face or in writing via emails or text messages.
It is also a method our Íya-ology sellers, etc , have used for decades!
We must understand/ define the Product/ service we are selling clearly & develop a market!
Defining Your Product /Service & Developing a Market
- What are you selling?
- What makes your product or service different from others?
- What need is your product or service meeting?
- Whose need is the product or service meeting?
- Building the tangibles for the brand (product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people)
We must understand the branding needs/ brand architecture of our/client’s products/services!
Branding your product/service
- Creating a visual identity for your product/service
- Developing the positioning statement for product/service
- Developing the communication idea for your product/service
- Identifying appropriate and cost effective media channels to communicate
- How to determine your campaign objectives based on product life cycle?
- The importance of consistency in brand building (Everything communicates)
We must understand personal
branding versus corporate branding!
PERSONAL BRANDING- THE BASICS!
In brief, a personal brand is your reputation or image., that you intentionally create, manage and communicate about, in a way that an audience finds engaging.
Consider how many big brands communicate how special they are – even when their product is pretty similar to the competition. ABC Transport, Starbucks, Coca- Cola, Apple, BMW.
These brands have ‘brand personalities’ that are clear, consistent and compelling. According to Wikipedia, Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves.
Personal branding often involves the application of one’s name to various products. For example, ‘Dangote’, A name extensively on his corporate buildings and on the products
he manufactures.
The relationship between brands and consumers needs to be constantly made and refreshed!!
PERSONAL BRAND BUILDING FUNDAMENTALS
- Be persistent in all you do (from your walk, talk & dressing)
- Be smart and strategic
- Learn from mistakes
- ‘Seize the moment’ but keep reinventing yourself.
- Be personable, (listen, smile, be respectful), but be ‘authentic’
- Your personal brand & your company brand may be distinct or similar. E.g. Richard Branson & Virgin Group; Chief Ade Ojo & The Elizade/ Toyota group.
WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL BRAND?
Selling your yourself before your product or service- Self-evaluation (Getting feedback from trusted friends/family/associates)
- Identifying your unique selling point
- Defining and re-defining your brand
- Managing your physical/Mental/Emotional well being
- Managing your relationship /network.
Selling your yourself before your product or serviceCORPORATE BRANDING- THE BASICS!
A Corporate brand is the reputation or image of your business/ organisation, built via strategic & concerted planning, values & imagery. Examples of Corporate brands include Unilever, Coca-Cola, Multichoice, GOTv, etc.
CONCLUSION
We must understand how the advantages and disadvantages of each segment of ‘the mix’ then choose ‘the mix’ that will best deliver the communication objectives!
