15-1

Communications Objectives

• Category need: Earning an MBA boosts salaries an average of 35%

• Brand awareness: University of Houston has a variety of MBA programs

• Brand attitude: An amazing number of CEO’s are Bauer alums

• Purchase intention: Come to our orientation this month, at……

15-2

Design the Communications

• Message/Creative strategy• Informational appeal: the audience learns

something• Transformational appeal: someone who uses

this brand now has a “transformed” experience

• Message source: a testimonial?

15-3

Select Communication Channels

• Personal communication channels

• Nonpersonal communication channels

• Integration of communication channels: What can we do as communicators to influence opinion leaders by something we say in an ad? (the two-step flow of communication) See pp. 285-286

15-4

Establish the Budget

• Affordable

• Percentage-of-sales

• Competitive parity

• Objective-and-task: This is the method marketers like.

15-5

Communication Guidelines:

1. If you don’t have a product that merits repeat purchase, fix it before you promote it.

2. If you can’t afford repeat exposures, choose a smaller target audience.

3. Promotion that says “We exist” is not worth paying for.

4. Promotion that says “We’re cheap” is not worth paying for if buyers don’t know who you are.

15-6

IN GENERAL, you might figure on spending at least:

• $5,000 to reach 100 people by personal selling (could be far more, of course)• $200 to reach 100 peopleby telemarketing• $100 to reach 100 people by direct mail• $5 to reach peopleby media advertising• A major “it depends” for Web ads, but you may be

charged by click-through

Plus production costs for advertising, especially high for TV commercials

15-7

Developing Effective Marketing Communications

Cost-Effectiveness of Different Promotional Tools at Different Buyer-Readiness Stages