Communication Theory
Brand Communication
2022 – 2023
Steven Meel
[Link]@[Link]
PLANNING
1. Integrated Communications
2. Branding
3. How Marketing Communications Work
4. Marketing Communications Planning
5. Advertising
6. Brand Activation
7. Sponsorship – 18 November
8. Direct Marketing - 25 November
No class on Friday 2 December, but…
9. Exhibitions and Trade Fairs / PR / PESO – 9 December
10. Mediaplanning + Ethics – 16 December
11. DEBATE – interactive workshop – 23 December (online class)
Lesson 7:
Direct Marketing
chapter 9
page 405 - 432
Promotion or marketing communications (MC)
Point-of-purchase
Advertising Brand activation
communications
Online Direct Marketing
Sponsorship
communications communications
Exhibitions &
Public relations
trade fairs
Meet Helena
Shopkeeper of
“Herbs & Spices"
Introduction:
WHY Direct Marketing
● Advertising budgets being cut - cost effectiveness is crucial
● Growing importance of one-to-one communications &
relationship marketing
● DATA > capture email addresses
● Direct marketing > low production costs
Introduction: Direct Marketing
● Direct Marketing is about CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE
○ Habits, needs, and other market information
● Marketing uses INCENTIVES
○ to try brands
○ to keep using the same brand
One-to-one communication becomes more important
Relationship marketing
Lifetime bonding of customers
>> SOLUTION = DIRECT MARKETING <<
DIRECT MARKETING OR NOT??
Direct Marketing is a Marketing Communication Technique
Definition: Direct marketing means contacting CUSTOMERS & PROSPECTS in a
direct & personal way with the intention of generating
an immediate and measurable response or reaction.
● (e-)mailings
● Direct Mail (DM)
● Catalogues
● Telephone
● Brochures
● Websites
● Mobile applications
DIRECT
MARKETING IS A
VERY OLD(SCHOOL)
COMMUNICATION
TECHNIQUE.
IS
DIRECT MARKETING
STILL RELEVANT
IN 2022?
Objectives and target groups
Direct marketing may be the appropriate communications tool for different
purposes:
1/ direct sales channel
○ mail order business; selling without face-to-face contact
2/ support the sales team, dealers or retailers
○ prepare, stimulate or facilitate sales
○ reduce cost of sales visits
3/ customer retention and loyalty
○ improve customer relations - increase satisfaction & loyalty
Direct marketing as a mkcomm technique
● Direct Mail
Direct marketing media & tools: direct mail
Direct mail includes written commercial messages,
personally addressed and sent by mail or email.
Advantages:
● opportunity to personalize messages
● flexibility in the use of creative ideas
● ability to communicate fast
● target specific groups
● customise messages & offers
Disadvantages:
● response to mailings is usually rather low > clutter - junk mail image
Direct marketing as a mkcomm technique
● Brochures
Direct marketing as a
mkcomm technique
Catalogues:
A catalogue is a book or
magazine containing details
and pictures of items
currently being offered for
sale, especially as used by
companies that do much of
their business by mail order.
Direct marketing as a mkcomm technique
● (e-)mailings
Direct marketing media & tools: telemarketing
● Telemarketing is any
measurable activity
using the phone to
help find, get, keep
and develop
customers.
Direct marketing media & tools: telemarketing
Advantages:
● flexible
● interactive
● quick medium
● effectiveness can be tracked immediately
Disadvantages:
● hard-selling & intrusive medium
● expensive
Categories of marketing communication
Above
mass communication
difficult to measure
goal = brand identity
Below
individual communication
one-to-one communication
easy to measure the effect
Direct marketing as a mkcomm technique
Differences between Direct marketing communications & Mass Media
communications
Mass Media Direct Media
segmenting individualising
recall, recognition and image measurement response measurement (per client)
mass one-way communications targeted two-way communications
Difficult to measure the effect Very easy to measure the effect
Highly visible to competition Less visible to competition
Will mass media cease to exist??
[Link]
Media & tools
two categories are distinct: addressable media & non-addressable media
Non-
Addressable
addressable
Media & tools
Non-addressable media with a direct response
● Direct response print-advertising or coupon advertising = placing an ad in
a newspaper or magazine with the following characteristics
○ direct feedback from the reader (returning coupon, calling a phone
number, visiting website,...)
○ clear link between the response & the message advertised
○ identification of the respondent
Direct marketing media & tools
Non-addressable media:
● Direct response print-advertising or coupon advertising = placing an ad in
a newspaper or magazine with the following characteristics
○ direct feedback from the reader (returning coupon, calling a phone
number, visiting website,...)
○ clear link between the response & the message advertised
○ identification of the respondent
A lot of print campaigns use now a QR-code
Media & tools
Non-addressable media:
● Direct response television (DRTV) advertising
○ uses TV as a medium to generate reactions
○ DRTV as sales tool > teleshopping
○ DRTV ads <> traditional ads
■ choice of response method: phone
number/red button
● Direct response radio advertising
(in app)
Direct marketing media & tools
Addressable media:
Media by means of which it is possible to communicate individually with each
customer and prospect.
● Direct mail
● Telemarketing
● Catalogues
CAN Television deliver ADDRESSABLE (personal) messages?
Direct contact > database
Make sure you have a
qualitative database
The more accurate your selection, the higher your
conversion.
Database management: one year xx
30 % errors!
Database marketing
Database: is a collection of interrelated data of customers & prospects which can be
used for different applications such as analysis, individual selection, segmentation and
customer retention, loyalty and service support.
Database marketing
As a brand manager, what are the minimum requirements?
Email
Age
transaction data
Communications
marketing actions data
…
Database marketing
Database stores 3 kinds of information:
● Market data (= socio-demographic..)
● Relationship data (= promotions, DM actions..)
● Company data (= departments, products)
Database marketing
2 possible SOURCES of data:
● internal: for example order & invoice information
● external: lists compiled outside the company which can be bought or hired for
direct marketing purposes.
The success of any direct marketing campaign depends on the quality and structure of
the database used.
The effectiveness of direct marketing campaigns will increase if you have a specific
target audience.
Database marketing
A database must be managed correctly. Most of the data will expire quickly, and
frequent updates are required to prevent the database from losing its value.
There are five potential pitfalls for a marketing database.
1. Incompleteness
2. Data expiration
3. Unreliability
4. Inconsistency
5. Duplications
What (personal)
information do you share?
Database marketing
Privacy concerns:
Consumers are concerned about what companies know about them and how those
companies obtain and use personal information.
They want to control what companies do with their information as well as control the
number of catalogues and the amount of advertising material they receive.
● Robinson list - Do not call or Do not mail list
● GDPR: General data protection regulation
GDPR
● A regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individual citizens of
the European Union
● Subscribe/unsubscribe
● Possible fine: 20 million € or 4% of annual net revenue
