Marketing communications is something that is closely related to PR. However, there are a few differences to be aware of as well. Marketing communications is generally referred to as how a business communicated with the market in general, or to the specific market that they are targeting.
Public Relations are very closely related to this obviously, because PR is all about communication with the public. The two differ in how they go about their jobs. PR is all about reputation management and getting recognition for the company in a positive way as much as possible. But marketing communications may be compared to similar tools such as advertising or direct marketing. In essence, marketing communications are closely related to everything from personal selling, direct marketing, promotions and public relations to advertising.
But marketing communications are made up of four specific things. They are known as the 4 P’s: Price, promotion, product, and placement. There are some schools of thought that also add people, physical evidence and process for a total of 7, but the most common usage of the keys is price, promotion, product and placement.
The Varying Methods of Marketing Communications
Let’s discuss some of the various methods of marketing communications that are available today. Some of these will be rather old-fashioned, while some of them will use the latest technology.
Content That Is Written
Even after all this time, written content still holds the number one spot as the best way to communicate your company’s message to someone else. Written ads can we found on everything from massive billboards in Times Square, to the written script for a radio commercial. Written messages are clear, concise and deliver the message that the advertiser wants you to hear. Some of the most common examples of written content include blogs, websites and flyers.
Another type of medium that is used to great effect is the medium of images, which includes pictures, charts, and various other graphics that you can think of. Images have a huge impact on viewers. Have you heard the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words? There is some truth to that. Depending upon the picture, a thousand words may not be enough to describe the entire thing. This is why the smart marketer or marketing communications person combines both images and words.
Video Communications
Increasingly, people are much more in tune to Video Communications in any other mediumPeriod movies are more popular than ever, end YouTube is one of the most visited sites on the internet. Video marketing obviously works.
The Marketing Power of Music
Another thing that you should be aware of is that music has its own marketing power. There is a reason that production companies spend years putting together a package of production music and sell it for thousands of dollars. Research and a great deal of care have gone into choosing each of those selections, which can have an impression on someone and make them want to buy or not.
In summary, be aware that there are quite a few different mediums that someone could use for marketing communications; from the conventional television or radio commercial to the advertisement on the sidebar of a popular blog, marketing communications is one of the deepest and the most interesting topics in public relations.
What Is Your Marketing Communications Strategy?
If you are going to use marketing communications as a PR tool, then you must understand how to use it correctly. You can give a Scythe to a person and tell them to cut down the wheat in a field, but unless they already are skilled in that particular endeavor, it is likely that the family is going to starve come winter.
This is exactly why you must come up with a marketing communication strategy before you begin. What marketing communication can do is everything from developing initial brand awareness to growing an already solid company, but you must know how to use the tool correctly. Let’s go over some of the various factors that go into creating a strategy.
Components of Marketing Communication
In order to create anything in this world, you must first need the building blocks. In the case of marketing communications, you need to know the components that a strategy is made up of. Marketing communication components include advertising, personal selling, retail selling, direct marketing and several others. Understanding what the components of marketing communications are will help you to use this tool better.
Strategies
There are several marketing communication strategies that you have to choose from as a business owner. One is demonstrating superiority over all the other products on the market. Another strategy is to present the product and then tell the customer how they would benefit from owning it. Still a third is to create a bond of trust between the company and the customer by telling them a story such as how you began the business in the first place.
Benefits
The business benefits from these strategies because they are able to build a relationship with the customer, inspire trust and get the customer to see the benefits that they would receive if they chose their products and services.
Considerations
They’re definitely a few things that you want to keep in mind as you are developing strategies. The first is that there is no cut and dried method that will work for every single product out there. Marketing communication strategy must be unique to the product or service which it is promoting.
Understanding marketing communications is something that is important for every aspect of business, from the sale of products to the building relationships with customers. If you can master marketing communications, you will have a much higher chance of success then someone who ignores these strategies. Learning new strategies, the adoption of modern and future technology and adjusting your marketing message are all part of effective marketing communications and will help you whether you are in PR, marketing or simply a business owner.