Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

Individual Student Record of Grading Outcomes

(To be completed by student while submitting the assessment and by the faculty when reporting the outcome of the students work)

SECTION A: TO BE FILLED BY THE STUDENT

Student Name: Mohsin Shaikh Unit Name : Advertising and Promotions Assignment Title : Integrated Promotional Strategy Due Date: 19/06/2013 Date Submitted : (if different) Term: April- June 2013

Student Declaration: By submitting the assessment electronically or in print, I confirm that this is my own work and that I have not plagiarised any part of it. I have also noted the assessment criteria and pass mark. I declare that the work I am submitting for assessment contains no sections copied in whole or in part from any other sources, unless it is explicitly identified by means of quotation mark or in case of very long quotations, by means of wholly indented paragraphs.

You are working as a Product Manager for a XYZ company and are responsible for the launch, marketing and promotion of a new brand (product/services). The job requires you to handle a variety of tasks, the following questions reflect associated responsibilities, so carefully read and answer: 1. Describe branding and discuss how you would handle relevant aspects; such as, brand identity & name selection, brand positioning & development etc; and the specific efforts towards building your brand in order to strengthen your business. (LO2, Assessment criteria 2.2) 2. Explain the role and significance of advertising in the integrated promotional strategy for your product. (LO2, Assessment criteria 2.1) 3. Briefly discuss and evaluate the role & significance of some primary and other belowthe- line (BTL) promotional techniques; also explain how you would incorporate the ones relevant to your product in your integrated promotional strategy. (LO3, Assessment criteria 3.1 & 3.2) 4. Explain in detail the advertising objectives and process of creating and executing the advertising message for your brand; also the work

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

arrangements with the advertising agency. (LO2, Assessment criteria 2.3 & 2.4)

1. Describe branding and discuss how you would handle relevant aspects; such as, brand identity & name selection, brand positioning & development etc; and the specific efforts towards building your brand in order to strengthen your business. (LO2, Assessment criteria 2.2) Answers:

Branding is more than just a business buzzword. It has become the crux of selling in the new economy. If the old marketing mantra was," Nothing happens until somebody sells something," the new philosophy could be" Nothing happens until somebody brands something." In its simplest form, a brand is a noun. It is the name attached to a product or service. However, upon close inspection, a brand represents many more intangible aspects of a product or service: a collection of feelings and perceptions about quality, image, lifestyle and status. It creates in the mind of customers and prospects the perception that there is no product or service on the market that is quite like yours. In short, a brand offers the customer a guarantee and then delivers on it. You might infer, then, that if you build a powerful brand, you will in turn be able to create a powerful marketing program. However, if you can't convince customers that your product is worthy of purchasing, no amount of advertising dollars, fancy packaging or public relations will help you achieve your sales goals. Therefore, successful branding programs begin with superior products and services, backed by excellent customer service that permeates an entire organization.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

Every business wants to be a customer's first choice. Building and managing a brand can play a significant part in making that happen. The concept of a brand extends far beyond just your company logo to your business' core values and to every interaction you have with customers and suppliers. In effect, your brand creates and maintains yourreputation and so reflects your customers' experience of your organisation. Customers and employees can build up emotional attachments to certain brands, allowing for strong loyalties and even a sense of ownership. This can help maintain employee motivation and increase your sales but it can also cause problems if you don't consult these stakeholders as your business grows. Your brand is what you are really selling to your customers, not just a product or service for which there may already be many existing providers. A strong brand can make any business stand out from the crowd, particularly in competitive markets. This guide shows you how to create a brand, how to budget for it and how to manage it.

First steps for creating a brand Building your brand Managing your brand Reviewing your brand Growth opportunities Budgeting for a brand Ten tips on branding FIRST STEPS FOR CREATING A BRAND Successful branding is about promoting your strengths. Start by thinking about what you're good at and what you believe in as a business. For example: particular skills - such as excellence in design high-quality customer service providing the best value for money in your marketplace innovation - perhaps in a niche market You need to be sure that you can always deliver your promises using your strengths, sometimes referred to as "brand values". What customers want You also need to match these brand values to your customers' requirements. What drives your customers? What makes them buy? In most cases, it's not only about price or performance. Ask existing customers what they like about doing business with you. And asking potential customers what they look for in their buying decisions can also give you useful information to help develop your business - and your brand.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

If your brand values are in line with what existing and potential customers look for when they're buying, you've got the beginnings of a useful brand and you're ready to start building it. But if they're not, you'll probably need to reconsider either the benefits you offer to your present customers or whether you're targeting the right people. For example, a clothing store that has high fashion as a brand value can capitalise on it if its customers and potential customers want to buy the trendiest gear. But if its customer base is made up of pensioners, it's unlikely those brand values will be in line with its customers' buying needs. What your employees should know Create a document containing your core company values and benchmarks for how you want to operate and be seen to operate. It should encapsulate the purpose of your business and why you think you are different from your competitors. Communicate this to your employees to ensure you are all working towards the same aims, and review it regularly. BUILDING YOUR BRAND If you want to build and maintain a strong brand, you'll need to focus on what your customers want and how you can guarantee to deliver it. You'll need to be consistent in your service and every other point of contact customers have with you - for example phone calls, letters, emails, etc. Once you've defined your brand values and your customers' needs you can start to build your brand byconsistently communicating your brand values. Tell your customers Remember that every possible contact you have with a customer or potential customer needs to reinforce your brand values. Key areas to consider are:

your business name the names of your products or services any slogan you use your logo the style and quality of your stationery product pricing and packaging your premises where and how you advertise how you and your employees dress how you and your employees behave your company website

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

If all these are consistently in line with your brand values, your brand will be strengthened. But if all of them aren't in line, your brand - and your business - could be seriously damaged. A brand makes promises to customers and if they aren't fulfilled, your customers will be far less likely to buy again. For example, Delightful Jewellery's "Elegant" range may be beautifully produced, stylishly packaged and glamorously advertised in glossy magazines. Its brand values could be "classy, special, elegant". But if staff are rude or unprofessional on the phone, customers won't think about Delightful Jewellery's elegance they'll think about its staff's rudeness. As a result the brand -and possibly the business - will be undermined. Your logo can be of particular significance to customers. You should create a policy on its usage, ensuring it is used consistently and its quality is always maintained. This acts as a reassurance when customers are considering buying your products or receive them after purchase. Your logo can act as an initial guarantee of quality in these circumstances. Similarly, ensure that you consider the design and quality of your invoices and receipts, which can often be the last stage in an interaction with a customer. This can affect their willingness to give you repeat custom and even to pay on time. MANAGING YOUR BRAND It's a good idea to get one person to take responsibility for your brand strategy - if you can't do it yourself, appoint a qualified employee instead. All of your employees will play a crucial part in managing your brand because how they act has a powerful impact on what customers and your own staff think of your business. If your employees believe in what your brand stands for, their actions will provide effective evidence of it when they are dealing with colleagues and customers. Keep employees involved by setting up a suggestion scheme, or regularly taking the time to discuss your brand and how your business is performing. Continually reinforce the message that what they do is important and explain why. Make sure they know that breaking the promises to customers that your brand makes - even just once - can damage the brand and your business. Outside your business Get regular feedback from satisfied customers to check that your business is consistently delivering on the promises your brand makes. Ask dissatisfied customers or former customers as well - you can gain valuable, and sometimes more honest, information from them about how your brand is perceived. Honest and constructive criticism can help you see where there's room for improvement. Remember that customers change too. See the page in this guide on reviewing your brand for details of how regular reviews help you ensure that your brand still matches their needs and preferences. Even the most traditional and wellestablished brands have to work hard to stay relevant to their customers.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

REVIEWING YOUR BRAND A successful brand will remain so as long as you and your staff maintain its values in the eyes of your customers. When reviewing your brand, remember that your customers and employees will have often built up an emotional attachment to it, and even feel a sense of ownership of it. It is therefore critical that any changes you make are sensitive to their existing relationship with your brand. Use your findings from consultations with your customers, suppliers and employees to assess the wider perception of your brand. If there are any problems with your customers' experiences, don't be tempted to just change your logo (often mistakenly referred to as a "rebrand") to solve them. This is an expensive process and would not solve the problems, if they are centred on failings in your systems or staff training, for example. Remember that your brand represents the whole customer experience, not just your signage or stationery, and cannot be changed overnight. You should regularly review your customers' experiences of your business. This will provide an early indication of any elements of your brand that are underperforming. Prompt action to correct this underperforming element can save a lot of money and negate the need to rebrand your whole business. GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES The reviewing process can often give you an indication of areas into which you can expand your business. However, it is equally important to use the findings from your review to check if your brand can withstand being stretched to other products or services. For example, if you find that customers strongly associate your brand with particular products, it may be wise to introduce new products under a sub-brand, which may include a different logo. To grow your business, you should encourage innovation and the development of your products and services. This will help you to stay ahead of your competitors and respond to the changing needs of your customers. However, your brand should always underpin your core values and provide customers with a consistent and reliable experience. Your brand may therefore become synonymous with innovation, but in itself may never change. BUDGETING FOR A BRAND As your brand should encompass most areas of your business, from stationery to how you deliver your product or service to customers, it can be difficult to define a budget for building and maintaining it. But it's a good idea to set a budget, otherwise it's easy to spend money unnecessarily. A budget will focus the mind and force you to prioritise your

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

spending on your branding effort. Before you spend any money, make sure what you propose to spend will help deliver your promises and promote your brand values. The key areas you could budget for are: design needs, such as a logo, signage, business stationery or product packaging your premises your advertising time you'll need to spend with employees to make sure they understand your brand any resources you'll have to provide for employees to enable them to carry out what the brand promises, e.g. customer service costs keeping your company website updated You don't need to do everything at once. As long as employees understand and deliver what your brand promises, it stands a good chance of success. You can create stationery, logos, packaging and advertising quite cheaply if the budget is tight. However, it is a good idea to think about your future growth when devising your image as changing it later can prove costly. You may also find that customers and employees will have already built up a relationship with your brand, which can then make it more problematic to change. TEN TIPS ON BRANDING To build a successful brand you should:

Focus on what your business achieves for its customers. Your brand is no good to you if it isn't delivering what customers want. Take ownership of your brand. Pay attention to customers' needs, but you should still control what you want your brand to mean to them. Be honest. If you don't believe in your brand, no one else will. Keep your brand simple by focusing on a small number of key brand values. Be consistent. Every aspect of your business should make customers feel the same way about you. Be thorough. Look at all your systems to make sure they help to support your brand. Involve employees. Make sure they understand your brand and believe in it. Communicate your brand. Make sure every advertisement, brochure and letter helps reinforce the same message. If you have a logo, use it everywhere, but make sure the quality is consistent. Meet and exceed what your brand promises. Failing, just once, will damage your brand. Manage your brand. Continually look for opportunities to make improvements. And don't be afraid to make changes to reflect shifts in the way you do business or new trends in your marke

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

Q2 Explain the role and significance of advertising in the integrated promotional strategy for your product. Strategy aimed at unifying different marketing methods such as mass marketing, one-to-one marketing, and direct marketing. Its objective is to complement and reinforce the market impact of each method, and to employ the market data generated by these efforts in product development, pricing, distribution, customer service, etc The importance of a marketing strategy is that it helps a company create, communicate and deliver value to target consumers, using the tools of promotion, product, price and distribution. The importance of a promotional strategy is that it enables marketers to determine the most effective communication vehicles, which may include advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and/or public relations. Deciding on a marketing communications strategy is one of the primary roles of the marketing manager and this process involves some key decisions about who the customer is, how to contact them, and what the message should be. These questions can be answered using a three stage process, which is equally relevant for all elements of the marketing mix: Segmentation Dividing the marketing into distinct groups Targeting Deciding which of these groups to communicate with, and how to talk to them Positioning How the product or brand should be perceived by the target groups Messaging Delivering a specific message in order to influence the target groups 1. SEGMENTATION Dividing potential customers into discrete groups is vital if you want to increase the success rate of any communications message. If you don't know who you are talking to, it's unlikely you will get much of a response. Who are the potential customers? How many sub-groups should you divide them into? How do these groups differ? Hopefully, most of this information will be readily available from your market research. Once you have an idea of the customer, you should further drill down to explore them in more detail.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

What are their media consumption habits? What are their expectations and aspirations? What are their priorities? How much disposable income do they have? What are their buying habits? Are they likely to have children? How many holidays do they take a year? How much money do they give to charity? How can you help them? This information can be obtained in a variety of ways, from commissioning a specialist market research agency, to examining sales patterns or social media interactions. Commonly used market research methods include:

Sales analysis and buying patterns Questionnaires Desk research Website statistics, especially social media Focus groups Face-to-face interviews Specialist market research companies

Once you have built up an accurate picture of your customer, it's time to get their attention 2. TARGETING For the purposes of advertising, targeting is the process of communicating with the right segment(s) and ensuring the best possible response rate. The methods you use to target your audience must relate to your marketing plan objectives are you trying to generate awareness of a new product, or attract business away from a competitor? METHODS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Advertising is just one element of the marketing communication arsenal, which can be divided into the following areas: ADVERTISING A MASS MEDIA APPROACH TO PROMOTION

Outdoor Business directories Magazines / newspapers TV / cinema Radio Newsagent windows

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

SALES PROMOTION - PRICE / MONEY RELATED COMMUNICATIONS

Coupons Discounts Competitions Loyalty incentives

PUBLIC RELATIONS - USING THE PRESS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Press launches PR events Press releases

PERSONAL SELLING ONE TO ONE COMMUNICATION WITH A POTENTIAL BUYER

Salesmen Experiential marketing Dealer or showroom sales activities Exhibitions Trade shows

DIRECT MARKETING - TAKING THE MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO THE CONSUMER

Mail order catalogues Bulk mail Personalised letters Email Telemarketing Point of sale displays Packaging design

DIGITAL MARKETING NEW CHANNELS ARE EMERGING CONSTANTLY

Company websites Social media applications such as Facebook or Twitter Blogging Mobile phone promotions using technology such as bluetooth YouTube E-commerce

DECIDING WHICH MEDIA CHANNEL TO USE

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

In nature, evolution occurs most rapidly when competition for resources is intense. The same process is now occurring with promotional media. All traditional media channels are now saturated, and competition for consumer attention is intense. At the same time, the impact of any one medium is becoming diluted. There are many more TV and radio channels, consumer have the ability to skip adverts and free information is now much more accessible. As a result, companies are becoming increasingly innovative in their approach to communications and a host of new media channels have emerged. As a result, media choice is becoming a tricky task, which is why detailed segmentation is so important - it's no use starting a Twitter campaign if none of your target market are regular users of the site. Highly targeted communications often lead to better results. You can usually expect a response rate of under 1% for a relatively generic mass mailing. However, personal letters to a handful of your most loyal customers would lead to a dramatically increased rate of return. When deciding which media to use consider the reach, frequency, media impact and what you can expect for your budget but most of all, ensure your target customer will see the message in the first place. Media choice is a matter of compromise between volume of people versus the personalisation of the message. Q3 Briefly discuss and evaluate the role & significance of some primary and other below the- line (BTL) promotional techniques; also explain how you would incorporate the ones relevant to your product in your integrated promotional strategy. (LO3, Assessment criteria 3.1 & 3.2) Below the line sales promotion Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. With the increasing pressure on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to communicate with the target markets. This has led to a shift from the regular media based advertising. In other words, below-the-line sales promotion is an immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or temporary duration. Below the Line uses less conventional methods than the usual specific channels of advertising to promote products, services, etc. than Above the Line strategies. These may include activities such as direct mail, public relations and sales promotions for which a fee is agreed upon and charged up front. Below the line advertising typically focuses on direct means of communication, most commonly direct mail and e-mail, often using highly targeted lists of names to maximize response rates.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

Another interesting and very effective BTL is Ssop Intercept. Trained sales personnel, often young women, are deployed at Retail Stores, near the shelves of targeted products. These young women convince customers visiting these shelves about the better aspects of their brand compared with others. This is ideal for new launches as it generates trials, which if successful result in repeat sales. In addition,above the line is much more effective when the target group is very large and difficult to define. But if the target group is limited and specific, it is always advisable to use BTL promotions for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Say, for example, if a pen manufacturer is going to promote its product, it may take the ATL route, but if a company manufactures computer UPS, it will certainly take the BTL route, as the target group is very limited and specific. More recently, agencies and clients have switched to an 'Integrated Communication Approach.' BTL is a common technique used for "touch and feel" products (consumer items where the customer will rely on immediate information rather than previously researched items). BTL techniques ensures recall of the brand while at the same time highlighting the features of the product. Explain in detail the advertising objectives and process of creating and executing the advertising message for your brand; also the work arrangements with the advertising agency. (LO2, Assessment criteria 2.3 & 2.4)

Objectives of Advertising Four main Objectives of advertising are: i. ii. iii. iv. Trial Continuity Brand switch Switching back

Lets take a look on these various types of objectives. 1. Trial: the companies which are in their introduction stage generally work for this objective. The trial objective is the one which involves convincing the customers to buy the new product introduced in the market. Here, the advertisers use flashy and attractive ads to make customers take a look on the products and purchase for trials.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

2. Continuity: this objective is concerned about keeping the existing customers to stick on to the product. The advertisers here generally keep on bringing something new in the product and the advertisement so that the existing customers keep buying their products. 3. Brand switch: this objective is basically for those companies who want to attract the customers of the competitors. Here, the advertisers try to convince the customers to switch from the existing brand they are using to their product. 4. Switching back: this objective is for the companies who want their previous customers back, who have switched to their competitors. The advertisers use different ways to attract the customers back like discount sale, new advertise, some reworking done on packaging, etc. Basically, advertising is a very artistic way of communicating with the customers. The main characteristics one should have to get on their objectives are great communication skills and very good convincing power. The creative concept and the brand message must be consistent with each other to meet the criteria of IMC. Consistency takes place at two levels: the strategic level, where a brand's imagery, positioning, and identification are constant, and the execution level, where the creative concept and the communication deliver one message to the target audience. When marketers work from a consistent brand strategy all the elements unite under one common theme The Big Idea, to execute the message. The message execution involves telling a story and also focuses on the tone and style, words, pictures, and, of course, consistency. A strong brand has a good story. This philosophy of consistency serves many purposes. It unites different media types, coordinates every consumer touch point, enhances execution, and delivers more impact for the investment. By identifying and working with elements of the brand identity, marketers can create messages that are unique but retain the look and feel of the overall strategy. By creating a consistent look and feel for the product, marketers achieve a clear brand identity in the minds of the customers and prospects. The best examples of the "one look..." philosophy are those communications in which, even when you cover up the logo, you still can recognize the company. Without creative brand consistency, marketers are left with conflicting and contradictory brand communication with limited opportunity for creating customer loyalty and, in turn, profitable growth in sales performance. Creative Message Execution The execution of the brand message involves two sets of decisions:

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

Decisions about the physical elements, which include words, sounds, music, photos, illustrations, costumes, settings, and lighting Decisions about the structure, including layout, flow, and the form (i.e. how everything comes together to deliver the message).

As the design and production team (writers, designers, and producers) seek to get customers' attention and create a memorable message, five decision areas have to be considered:

Message storytelling Tone and style Words (copywriting) Pictures (art direction) Consistency

Each of the above areas is discussed in detail in your textbook; however, we will briefly examine copywriting (words) and art direction (pictures) below. Copywriting Copywriting is often called the language of advertising. As such, it is the process of writing the copy (written or spoken) elements of an advertisement with the goal of communicating, promoting, and selling the brand. It describes the product in a unique, memorable way to motivate the target audience to take action to buy or use the product. The main purpose of copywriting is to influence and persuade the consumer to buy a product or accept a certain point of view. Good copywriting demands a response. Successful copywriting also causes prospective consumers to respond to the offer. There are two types of copywriting: display copy and body copy. The display copy, such as a headline, attracts the attention of the reader. The body copy completes the message, continuing the ideas introduced in the display copy. It compliments the display copy by providing more information, creating interest, establishing credibility, and building desire. Examine the similarities and differences between copywriting for print and for electronic media describe on pages 313 to 321 in your textbook. Art Direction In effective marketing communications, it is not just the words that communicate the message but also the visuals. The visuals work together with the words to present and communicate the Big Idea to the target audience. Together they create association, catch the consumer's attention, enhance memorability, add credibility to the message, and engage the consumer's interest

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

as well as demonstrate how the product works. These factors help explain the visual impact of the message. Art direction is about the process of selecting and combining the visual elements of the message with the verbal elements of the message. It has everything to do with the look and feel of the brand and how it supports the image and the message that is being communicated. Further, the visual is powerful in attracting more awareness because people remember the visual before they remember the word. The Consistency Challenge As discussed earlier, when marketers work from a consistent brand strategy, all the elements unite under one common themeThe Big Idea. Your textbook discusses various aspects of consistency and the challenges in maintaining consistency when communicating brand messages. Figure 3.1 summarizes the importance of consistency across the message creation and execution, which reflects consistency in the brand image and positioning. [d]

Figure 3.1: Creative message strategy, message execution and positioning.

Advertising & promotion Assignment 2- Mohsin Shaikh

The consistency triangle in Figure 10-4 on page 335 reinforces the links between a company's brand messages and the three communication levels. As Table 3.1 below indicates, if consistency gaps occur too often, the brand relationships can be threatened. The table is expanded in module 4.

Levels

Relationships

Consistency Triangle

"Do" Level 1 (4 Company's product messages Ps) are conveyed by how the products perform ( Product), what What the they cost ( Price), where to get brand them ( Place), through does. promotions ( P). Level 2 (IMC tools) What the brand says. This refers to consumer-toconsumer (peer-to-peer) communication and "word of What mouth" (WOM), which is people say about considered to be more the brand. persuasive than most brand messages. "Confirm" Level 3 (WOM) "Confirm" IMC tools to deliver the messages "Say"