Effective marketing communication is much more than
"keeping our name before
the public."
Marketing communication first creates awareness of a product or service in the consumer's
mind. Then it demonstrates that the offering is desirable
or that it provides a solution to a challenge the prospect faces. Through repetition
of the key message, it sustains awareness. Finally, it supplies all of the
information necessary to complete the sale.
Consumer product marketers use mass media to build awareness
and desire then rely on retail channels to close the deal. If
the market weakens, they hype sales with promotions, discounts, and coupons.
It's an excellent model for selling low cost, low involvement products like
candy or office supplies.
Our clients typically face a more complex set of challenges.
Aside from limited budgets, they often sell higher cost, high involvement
products and services. Most important, their offerings frequently have a significant
impact on the lives of consumers or the fortunes of business
prospects.
We plan the strategy and implement the tactics.
First we establish goals then refine them into realistic
objectives. Next, we study the target audience: their reading,
listening, viewing, and web surfing habits. We consider their interests and
motivations. Their lifestyles and quirks. We also hunt out untapped potential
markets.
Then, based on more than 30 years of marketing experience, we develop
a strategy and recommend a set of tactics that will achieve
the goals. Besides carefully targeted media, the tactics generally include public
relations initiatives, as well as print and online solutions intended to help
the prospect "take the next step" toward closing. Sometimes, we also
propose suggestions that are clearly "outside the box."
Our approach to marketing creates multiple communication links between the client
and target audiences. It's a process we call Multipath Marketing™. The process
works because every element of the plan - from creative style to media selection
- is coherent and driven by proven marketing principles.
Do you clearly understand what motivates your prospects?
•
Does your marketing achieve measurable
results?
•
Are you building long-term brand equity or relying
on short-term tactics like pricing and discounts?
•
In many categories, “heavy users” – often
just 20% of consumers – are responsible for 80% of sales. Are your messages
tailored to their unique motivations or to the majority who are occasional users?
Our assignment from Lucas County Children Services was to
recruit potential foster parents who shared characteristics common to "the best
foster parents." Our research of individuals
who had been rated among the best by the client showed that
visiting the public library was a major recreational activity. We recommended
that the foster care key message be printed on bookmarks. Then we arranged to
have them distributed at the circulation desks of all branches of the Toledo-Lucas
County Public Library.
