14.4: Communication Strategy Flashcards
What are the key components of a communication strategy in marketing?
Key components include social media, direct selling, sales promotion, and various forms of advertising. The strategy is partly defined by the choice of channels used to communicate the product attributes to prospective customers.
What are traditional forms of communication that firms have used?
Traditionally, firms have used direct selling, point-of-sale promotions, mass advertising, or a combination of channels to communicate with customers.
What has changed in communication strategy due to social media?
With the advent of social media, multinational corporations need to have active, interactive social media platforms to go along with the more traditional direct selling, sales promotion, and advertising methods.
What are the barriers to international communication?
Barriers include cultural differences, source effects, and noise levels which can jeopardize the effectiveness of a firm’s international communication.
How can firms overcome cultural barriers in international marketing?
Firms can overcome cultural barriers by developing cross-cultural literacy, using local input, and developing local sales forces to adapt marketing messages to different cultural contexts.
What are source effects in international communication?
Source effects occur when potential consumers evaluate a marketing message based on the status or image of the sender, which can be positive or negative depending on the country’s perception of the firm’s origin.
What are noise levels in the context of international communication?
Noise levels refer to the number of other messages competing for potential consumers’ attention, which can vary greatly across countries.
What is the difference between push and pull strategies in marketing?
A push strategy emphasizes personal selling and requires intensive use of a sales force, while a pull strategy depends more on mass media advertising to communicate to potential consumers.
How does product type and consumer sophistication influence marketing strategy?
Product type and consumer sophistication affect whether a firm employs a push or pull strategy. Complex products and sophisticated consumers often require pull strategies, while less sophisticated markets or new complex products may benefit from a push strategy.
What is channel length, and how does it affect market entry?
Channel length refers to the number of intermediaries a product must pass through to reach the consumer. Longer distribution channels can lead to inertia in the channel, making market entry difficult.
How does media availability affect marketing strategies?
Media availability influences whether a firm can use a pull strategy effectively. Limited media availability in some countries makes a push strategy more attractive, whereas a pull strategy is feasible in countries with extensive media options.
When are push strategies typically emphasized?
Push strategies tend to be emphasized for industrial products or complex new products, when distribution channels are short, and when few print or social media are available.
When are pull strategies typically emphasized?
Pull strategies are often used for consumer goods, when distribution channels are long, and when there is sufficient print and social media to carry the marketing message.
What are the arguments for standardized global advertising?
The support for standardized advertising is threefold: it has significant economic advantages, it leverages scarce creative talent more effectively, and many brand names are global, benefiting from standardized messages, especially in regions with high travel and media overlap.
What are the arguments against standardized global advertising?
The main arguments against it include the potential for messages to fail due to cultural diversity, and advertising regulations that may block the implementation of standardized campaigns.
