Marketing communication: principles and practice

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T R A T E G I E S A N D O B J E C T I V E S
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Targeted direct marketing
Selective advertising
Stakeholder relations
Corporate identity
Product form and function
After-sales support
Exhibitions, trade shows, etc.
Distribution arrangements
Pricing structure
Sales promotion
Internal marketing communications
Packaging design
Sales literature
Displays
Interpersonal interaction
Figure 15.7
Detailed decisions of a marketing community strategy

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ADVERTISING STRATEGIES 
Although in many markets advertising is by far the major element of the
marketing communication budget (in others it will be the salesforce
operation), we should take care not to confuse an advertising strategy with
a marketing communication strategy. Advertising campaigns and budget
allocations should be a subsidiary part of the marketing communication
strategy.
Leiss 
et al
. (1986) identify two basic approaches to the use of advertising:
1
Hard sell
: provides a reason to buy, suggests a unique selling proposition,
appeals to fear, and may offer a tie-in; this rationalistic process is designed
to persuade
2
soft sell
: stories of consumers consuming as mini ‘soap opera’, testi-
monials, strongly emotive and creative; this irrational process is designed
to suggest and appeal to the consumer/buyer
Advertising objectives are summarized in Figure 15.8.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND PRODUCT
LIFE CYCLE
Although a simplistic model of what is really much more complex, the
product life cycle is a useful conceptual tool for recognizing that communi-
cation objectives must be carefully matched to the situation of the consumer/
buyer (Table 15.2 and Box 15.4).