Marketing communication: principles and practice

INTRODUCTION
Not all marketing communication occurs in a planned programme, but
management implies setting out a schedule of actions and resource allocations
to be deployed for the accomplishment of a specified goal and objectives.
The marketing plan is an essential aspect of the communication manage-
ment process. It is, however, only one aspect, and is an input to the process
rather than a product of it. The design of the marketing communication
system and its programmes of generation, production, and representation
should be based on a knowledge-driven rationale and contributory
judgements and decisions. 
Rarely was the operation of the marketing communication system planned
in its won right until relatively recently. Traditionally, communication
management for marketing purposes was limited to the ‘promotion mix’.
Many corporations still do not have a Marketing Communication Manager,
but rather a marketing manager, advertising manager, and/or communication
manager and public relations manager.
Professional marketing communication planning has to deal with three
aspects of the communication required for responsive and responsible
marketing relationships.
First, there must be an effective and efficient communication system
comprising policies, resources, and performance criteria. Second, there must
be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely communication
objectives set. Third, the execution of planned strategies must be controlled.
The role of marketing research as a provider of knowledge into the
appreciative system cannot be stressed too much. Knowledge is required for
decision-making, evaluation, and selection.
The planning process must result in the design and operation of a market-
ing system that is appropriate for providers and their preferred customers
(Figure 16.1).
The task of the manager of marketing communication is to evaluate the
strategic roles of a variety of communication activities and to use discipline
in applying them in such combination as to provide participation, clarity,
consistency, and impact. In contemporary marketing, responsiveness with
responsibility is paramount (we shall consider responsibility, in ethical terms,
in chapter seventeen).