There is a very close relationship between marketing and communication. No marketing strategy can be created and be successful without clear communication techniques. In order to understand this relationship, we must define what communication and marketing are first. Communication is the process by which thoughts and ideas are being conveyed through various channels between 2 or multiple parties. In this case, these parties can be a marketing agency and the client or a brand and the customers.
Marketing is the set of activities and actions by which companies and other organizations promote their services or product between them and their customers.
Communication happens everywhere, between colleagues, suppliers, clients, and customers but the techniques and ways differ each time. In this article, we aim to focus on marketing communication and the importance of finding the right communication strategy for your brand.
As we already established, marketing cannot exist without effective communication. From the very beginning of the marketing strategy, we must understand the goal of the project, the target audience and do market research to get a clear picture of the steps we have to take. Hence communication is part of each stage of the careful planning process.
Marketing communication is a form of communication that aims to strengthen the marketing strategy, in order to reach a wider market segment. Also, it is an important aspect of the overall marketing mission as well as a determinant of marketing success.
The steps to be able to design effective marketing communications according to Kotler (2006) are:
- Determine the target audience: Identifying potential customers is crucial in order to build a successful business. You must know who you target to be able to customize your strategy for those people.
- Determine the purpose of communication: what is the purpose of your communication? Is it to inform? To influence? Knowing your purpose will help you to have a clear vision of where you are heading.
- Determine the communication strategy: In order to meet and exceed your business objectives, it is important to identify and build a communication strategy. A communication strategy is essentially a plan of action that helps list all the steps that are needed to achieve a set vision. This is a complex task, but it is just as important.
- Designing messages
A lot of work is involved in creating an exceptional marketing communications strategy. It is important to know that in some cases the best decision is to hire a marketing agency or a marketing communications firm that can help to build the best strategy for your business.
The goal of marketing communication
Marketing communication can have multiple goals depending on the brand or the company. One of the most important goals is to spread the word and build brand awareness. First and foremost, brands must let the world know that their products or services exist. If potential customers are unaware that a particular product or service exists, they will never turn into paying customers. Besides building brand awareness, the next goal is to create a positive image of your brand. Nobody will buy your goods or use your services unless they heard good things about them. As part of the PR strategy, it is crucial to understand what the customers want, what they need, and what makes them happy. This way, the brand will have a good baseline that can be further improved in order to exceed customer expectations. A positive image can be achieved in many ways. As an example, helpful and polite customer service is essential to make the customers feel valued and appreciated.
Another goal of marketing communication is the ability to attract potential customers. It is needless to say that it is a must for a brand to survive in a competitive market. The question is how to communicate with the customers to convince them to purchase the products or try the services. Finding the correct answers and making the best decisions can be challenging, Therefore, it is important to do market research, see what the competitors are doing and come up with an action plan that can help the brand achieve this goal. Advertising in the right place, time, and using the right advertising channel can make or break the marketing strategy.
Marketing and communication are intertwined in many ways. Marketing cannot exist without effective communication, so it is crucial to establish ways of communication that benefit the goal of your brand. Even though building a well-thought-out marketing strategy can be a long process, but without it, your brand can suffer.
