Business Communication in Marketing Functions

Effective business communication is a vital factor determining success in marketing. Communication in marketing conveys ideas, helps to complete tasks in a business and recognizes the efforts of businesspeople. Communication in marketing includes advertising, branding, direct marketing, sponsorship, public relations, sales promotion and online marketing. Communications in marketing stresses demand generation and product or service positioning.

Advertising

Advertising effectiveness is measured in terms of increasing awareness and changing attitudes and opinions, not creating sales. Through the use of symbols and images, advertising can help differentiate products and services that are otherwise similar. Because a sales message is distributed through the mass media, as opposed to personal selling, advertising is viewed as a less expensive design to reach prospects and customers.

Branding

According to the American Marketing Association, branding is defined as a “name, term, sign, symbol or invent, or a combination…intended to identify the goods or services of a seller…” Branding is designed to bring your prospects to see the company’s solutions to a problem as the ONLY solution to the prospect’s problem.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is the process of communicating directly with prospects to encourage the prospect’s response by telephone, mail, online response or personal visit. Utilizing direct marketing is good in marketing because highly targeted customers can make purchases using credit cards from any state in the world.

Sponsorships (Event Marketing)

Sponsorships combine advertising and sales promotion with public relations. Sponsorships increase awareness of a company or product, build loyalty with a specific target audience and helps differentiate a product or service from its competitors. Sponsorships are initiated to fabricate long-term relationships.

Public Relations

Public relations identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between a company and the prospects and customers of the company. Public relations is a two-way communication, monitoring feedback and adjusting the message and the company’s actions for maximum benefit.

Sales Promotion

Sales promotion is a direct enticement of offering incentives to enhance or urge up the company’s product or service from producer to customer. Sales promotion can be directed to the customer or a distribution channel. Coupons, samples, premiums, sweepstakes, rebates, etc. are examples of sales promotion. Sales promotion is a supplement to advertising.

Online Marketing

Conducting business over the Internet using online marketing, that is e-Commerce, makes the Internet more than just a channel for distributing information. Online marketing’s advantage is interactivity. By communicating with prospects and customers one-on-one, companies can obtain databases that help companies target specific needs of individuals and build a loyal customer base.