Marketing communication: principles and practice

2 Making the promise
: At this stage of the marketing process, the major
objective is to influence those consumers and buyers with whom an
exchange is desired. The hierarchy of effects model (Figure 15.3) shows
phases through which the thinking and behaviour of these people have to
be shifted if sales are to be made. Marketers are then attempting to create
an image and to support relationship building with customers and other
stakeholders: initiators, users, decision-makers, influencers, buyers, and
gatekeepers. It should be noted that universal acceptance of this model
has dwindled in recent years, and more sophisticated models of advertising
effects are now available. Professor Andrew Ehrenberg, for one, has been
a vociferous critic. However, this model does give a sensible grounding to
our understanding of what marketing communication managers may be
trying to accomplish when planning the operation of their communication
systems.
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Communication goals must be set if the activities and resource usage of the
marketing department are to be best deployed in contributing to corporate
business goals. Figure 15.4 outlines a number of goals from which the two
priorities of an integrated marketing communication programme should be
selected. This concentrated effort will ensure that goals can be accomplished
and overstretching of limited resources avoided.
The wider marketing campaign may have social-change goals (Kotler,
1982):
•
cognitive
change: to inform about, or increase recognition of, a cause 
•
action
change: to call for demonstration or petition-signing against some
behaviour or action of others
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Create awareness 
among those who have 
never heard of the
product
Create awareness 
among those who have 
heard of the product but
do not appreciate its
advantages
Create comprehension
among those who are
not yet considering
buying it
Create interest and
intention among those
who are convinced of
the product’s merits
but have yet to buy it
Prompt 
purchase
action