What is Marketing Communications?
Marketing communications is comprised of all the paid and non-paid external channels that a business uses to create messages or related media that are provided to an external audience, comprised of customers and prospects, corporate stakeholders, and the public. These messages can be categorized as promotional (sales messages) or brand messages.
Market communication channels are broad and intertwined. They include traditional communication channels such as print, TV, radio, personal selling, direct mail, bill inserts, and events. New digital communication channels, however, are becoming more important in marketing communications. These channels are comprised of Internet advertising, text messaging, blogs, Webinars, Purl's, and new Social Media platforms.
Brand Touchpoints
Marketers have become very adept in recent years in applying insights provided by psychological research studies to the corporate marketing and branding arenas. These studies have shown that strong, successful brands have built a complex relationship with their customers. This relationship can be somewhat emotional, but unexpectedly powerful in terms of brand loyalty.
Because of these insights, non-traditional elements such as package design, corporate logos, and sponsorships have become important brand elements and receive significant focus in any corporate market communications plan.
Types of Marketing Communication
The scope the marketing communications discipline is daunting in its size and concerns. It includes tactics such as:
Marketing communications is comprised of all the paid and non-paid external channels that a business uses to create messages or related media that are provided to an external audience, comprised of customers and prospects, corporate stakeholders, and the public. These messages can be categorized as promotional (sales messages) or brand messages.
Market communication channels are broad and intertwined. They include traditional communication channels such as print, TV, radio, personal selling, direct mail, bill inserts, and events. New digital communication channels, however, are becoming more important in marketing communications. These channels are comprised of Internet advertising, text messaging, blogs, Webinars, Purl's, and new Social Media platforms.
Brand Touchpoints
Marketers have become very adept in recent years in applying insights provided by psychological research studies to the corporate marketing and branding arenas. These studies have shown that strong, successful brands have built a complex relationship with their customers. This relationship can be somewhat emotional, but unexpectedly powerful in terms of brand loyalty.
Because of these insights, non-traditional elements such as package design, corporate logos, and sponsorships have become important brand elements and receive significant focus in any corporate market communications plan.
Types of Marketing Communication
The scope the marketing communications discipline is daunting in its size and concerns. It includes tactics such as:
- Mass Advertising
- Online Advertising
- Content Development (White papers, brochures, Websites, electronic apps, etc.)
- Trade Shows
- Sponsorships
- Promotional offers
- Package design
- Corporate logos and other brand elements (company trucks, building facades)
- Customer Service (music selection while the customer is waiting on the telephone, customer surveys, CSR scripts)
- Brand measurement
- Database marketing
- Digital communications (one-to-one marketing via variable data printing)
Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated market communications is always a topic of concern for any large organization. With such a broad range of communication vehicles, advertising, event marketing, digital communications, and many others, it is very easy for a company's messages to become disjointed and contradictory when sent through so many channels. Marketing professionals seek to integrate all messages, and speak with "one voice" to their customers, assuring a consistent brand position in all communication media and products.
