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Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications 1
CHAPTER 15 Marketing Communications
This chapter begins with the learning outcome summaries, followed by a set of lesson plans for you
to use to deliver the content in Chapter 15.
• Lecture (for large sections) on page 3
• Company Clips (video) on page 4
• Group Work (for smaller sections) on page 6
Review and Assignments begin on page 7
Review questions
Application questions
Application exercise
Ethics exercise
Video assignment
Case assignment
Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing from faculty around the country begin on page 18
2 Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications
LEARNING OUTCOMES
15-1 Discuss the role of promotion in the marketing mix
Promotional strategy is the plan for using the elements of promotion—advertising, public relations, sales promotion,
personal selling, and social media—to meet the firm’s overall objectives and marketing goals. Based on these objectives,
the elements of the promotional strategy become a coordinated promotion plan. The promotion plan then becomes an
integral part of the total marketing strategy for reaching the target market along with product, distribution, and price.
15-2 Describe the communication process
The communication process has several steps. When an individual or organization has a message it wishes to convey to a
target audience, it encodes that message using language and symbols familiar to the intended receiver and sends the
message through a channel of communication. Noise in the transmission channel distorts the source’s intended message.
Reception occurs if the message falls within the receiver’s frame of reference. The receiver decodes the message and
usually provides feedback to the source. Normally, feedback is direct for interpersonal communication and indirect for
mass communication. Social Media have increased the amount of feedback received by marketers: consumers are
now able to become senders, and marketers can personalize the feedback channel by initiating direct
conversations with customers.
15-3 Explain the goals and tasks of promotion
The fundamental goals of promotion are to induce, modify, or reinforce behavior by informing, persuading, and
reminding. Informative promotion explains a good’s or service’s purpose and benefits. Promotion that informs the
consumer is typically used to increase demand for a general product category or to introduce a new good or service.
Persuasive promotion is designed to stimulate a purchase or an action. Promotion that persuades the consumer to buy is
essential during the growth stage of the product life cycle, when competition becomes fierce. Reminder promotion is
used to keep the product and brand name in the public’s mind. Promotions that remind are generally used during the
maturity stage of the product life cycle. Connection Promotion is designed to form relationships with customer and
potential customers using social media. Connecting encourages customers to become brand advocates and share their
experiences via social media.
15-4 Discuss the elements of the promotional mix
The elements of the promotional mix include advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, and social
media. Advertising is a form of impersonal, one-way mass communication paid for by the source. Public relations is the
function of promotion concerned with a firm’s public image. Sales promotion is typically used to back up other
components of the promotional mix by stimulating immediate demand. Personal selling typically involves direct
communication, in person or by telephone; the seller tries to initiate a purchase by informing and persuading one or more
potential buyers. Finally, social media are promotion tools used to facilitate conversations among people online.
15-5 Discuss the AIDA concept and its relationship to the promotional mix
The AIDA model outlines the four basic stages in the purchase decision-making process, which are initiated and
propelled by promotional activities: (1) attention, (2) interest, (3) desire, and (4) action. The components of the
promotional mix have varying levels of influence at each stage of the AIDA model. Advertising is a good tool for
increasing awareness and knowledge of a good or service. Sales promotion is effective when consumers are at the
purchase stage of the decision-making process. Personal selling is most effective in developing customer interest and
desire.
15-6 Discuss the concept of integrated marketing communications
Integrated marketing communications is the careful coordination of all promotional messages for a product or service to
ensure the consistency of messages at every contact point where a company meets the consumer—advertising, sales
promotion, personal selling, public relations, and social media, as well as direct marketing, packaging, and other forms
of communication. Marketing managers carefully coordinate all promotional activities to ensure that consumers see and
hear one message. Integrated marketing communications has received more attention in recent years due to the
Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications 3
proliferation of media choices, the fragmentation of mass markets into more segmented niches, and the decrease in
advertising spending in favor of promotional techniques that generate an immediate sales response.
15-7 Describe the factors that affect the promotional mix
Promotion managers consider many factors when creating promotional mixes. These factors include the nature of the
product, product life-cycle stage, target market characteristics, the type of buying decision involved, availability of
funds, and feasibility of push or pull strategies. As products move through different stages of the product life cycle,
marketers will choose to use different promotional elements. Characteristics of the target market, such as geographic
location of potential buyers and brand loyalty, influence the promotional mix as does whether the buying decision is
complex or routine. The amount of funds a firm has to allocate to promotion may also help determine the promotional
mix. Last, if a firm uses a push strategy to promote the product or service, the marketing manager might choose to use
aggressive advertising and personal selling to wholesalers and retailers. If a pull strategy is chosen, then the manager
often relies on aggressive mass promotion, such as advertising and sales promotion, to stimulate consumer demand.
TERMS
advertising
integrated marketing
communications (IMC)
promotional mix
AIDA concept
promotional strategy
channel
interpersonal communication
publicity
communication
mass communication
public relations
competitive advantage
noise
pull strategy
decoding
owned media
push strategy
encoding
paid media
receiver
earned media
personal selling
sales promotion
feedback
promotion
sender
LESSON PLAN FOR LECTURE
Brief Outline and Suggested PowerPoint Slides:
Learning Outcomes and Topics
PowerPoint Slides
LO1 Discuss the role of promotion in the marketing
mix
15-1 The Role of Promotion in the
Marketing Mix
1: Marketing Communications
2: Learning Outcomes
3: Learning Outcomes
4: The Role of Promotion in the Marketing Mix
5: The Role of Promotion
6: Exhibit 15.1: Role of Promotion in the Marketing Mix
7: Competitive Advantage
LO2 Describe the communication process
15-2 Marketing Communication
8: Marketing Communication
9: Communication
10: Marketing Communication
11: Marketing Communication
12: The Sender and Encoding
13: The Channel and Noise
14: The Receiver and Decoding
15: Exhibit 15.2: Communication Process
16: Communication and the Internet
4 Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications
Learning Outcomes and Topics
PowerPoint Slides
LO3 Explain the goal and tasks of promotion
15-3 The Goals and Tasks of Promotion
17: The Goals of Promotion
18: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
19: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
20: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
21: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
22: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
23: Goals and Tasks of Promotion
LO4 Discuss the elements of the promotional mix
15-4 The Promotional Mix
24: The Promotional Mix
25: The Promotional Mix
26: Advertising
27: Advertising Media
28: Advertising
29: Public Relations
30: The Function of Public Relations
31: Sales Promotion
32: Sales Promotion
33: Personal Selling
34: Personal Selling
35: Content Marketing and Social Media
36: The Communication Process and the Promotional Mix
37: Exhibit 15.3:Digital Media Types
38: Exhibit 15.4: Characteristics of the Elements in the
Promotional Mix
LO5 Discuss the AIDA concept and its relationship to
the promotional mix
15-5 Promotional Goals and the AIDA
Concept
39: Promotional Goals and the AIDA Concept
40: The AIDA Concept
41: The AIDA Concept
42: Exhibit 15.5: The Promotional Mix and AIDA
LO6 Discuss the concept of integrated marketing
communications
15-6 Integrated Marketing Communications
43: Integrated Marketing Communications
44: Integrated Marketing Communications
45: IMC Popularity Growth
LO7 Describe the factors that affect the promotional
mix
15-7 Factors Affecting the Promotional Mix
46: Factors Affecting the Promotional Mix
47: Factors Affecting the Choice of Promotional Mix
48: Exhibit 15.6: Product Life Cycle and the Promotional
Mix
49: Target Market Characteristics
50: Type of Buying Decision
51: Available Funds
52: Exhibit 15.7: Push Strategy versus Pull Strategy
53: Chapter 15 Video
Suggested Homework:
• The end of this chapter contains assignments for the Pepe’s Pizzeria video and for the Coors Light case.
• This chapter’s online study tools include flashcards, visual summaries, practice quizzes, and other resources that can
be assigned or used as the basis for longer investigations into marketing.
LESSON PLAN FOR VIDEO
Company Clips
Segment Summary: Pepe’s Pizzeria
Pepe’s Pizzeria is a popular restaurant located in Connecticut. The CEO discusses the thought process behind their
marketing strategy, how promotions work for Pepe’s and the general location strategy that comes into play when opening
new locations.
These teaching notes combine activities that you can assign students to prepare before class, that you can do in class
before watching the video, that you can do in class while watching the video, and that you can assign students to
complete as assignments after watching the video in class.
During the viewing portion of the teaching notes, stop the video periodically where appropriate to ask students the
questions or perform the activities listed on the grid. You may even want to give the students the questions before
starting the video and have them think about the answers while viewing the segment. That way, students will be engaged
in active viewing rather than passive viewing.
PRE-CLASS PREP FOR YOU:
PRE-CLASS PREP FOR YOUR STUDENTS:
• Preview the Company Clips video segment for
Chapter 15. This exercise reviews concepts for LO1–
LO7.
• Review your lesson plan.
• Make sure you have all of the equipment needed to
show the video to the class, including the DVD and a
way to project the video.
• You can also stream the video HERE
• Have students review and familiarize themselves with the
following terms and concepts: competitive advantage,
elements of the promotional mix, the communication
process, the goals and tasks of promotion, the AIDA
concept, factors that affect the marketing mix, and
integrated marketing communications.
• Have students bring written definitions of three of the
above terms to class.
• Ask students to monitor their mail (or a friends mail) for
two weeks. Have them collect all the mail that pertains to
restaurants in those two weeks, and bring it to class.
VIDEO REVIEW EXERCISE
ACTIVITY
Warm Up
Briefly discuss students’ findings. What types of restaurants are sending out mailers? Are they national
chains, local chains, independent restaurants, delivery only, dine-in promotions? Ask students about
their restaurant dining habits: how often do they dine in? Carry out/eat delivery? Have them classify the
types of restaurants they eat at in an average month. Based on the results, discuss student perceptions on
the mailers they brought in a why they do/don’t eat there
In-class
Preview
• Remind students about the elements of promotion while you Exhibit 15.1 (the role of promotion in
the marketing mix) onto the board.
• Discuss Exhibit 15.1, Role of Promotion in the Marketing Mix. Point out that promotion does not
simply refer to advertising, but the whole of an organization’s communication strategy.
• Discuss Exhibit 15.2, Communication Process. Select either a mailer brought in by a student or a
promotion for a well-known product to use as an example, and discuss how noise can adversely
affect the desired effect of a message. Also, note that marketers are increasingly relying on
individual consumer feedback to adjust their marketing mixes.
• Have copies of the Company Clips questions available for students to take notes on while viewing
the video segment.
Viewing
(Solutions
below.)
1. What are the goals for Pepe’s promotions? Explain your reasoning.
2. Discuss how the factors that affect the promotional mix affect how Pepe’s promotes its various
locations.
Follow-up
• In class, divide students into groups of three to five students and have them prepare a short report
on how Pepe’s Pizzeria integrates its marketing communications.
Solutions for Viewing Activities:
1. What are the goals for Pepe’s promotions? Explain your reasoning.
6 Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications
Student answers will vary to some extent. They could address how Pepe’s integrates it atmosphere in all its stores
2. Discuss how the factors that affect the promotional mix affect how Pepe’s promotes its various locations.
Student answers will vary. The following are some possible answers for each of the factors affecting the
promotional mix.
Nature of the product: Pepe’s is a consumable, and is restricted to areas where customers can come eat in or pick up
their pizza. It is viewed as a consumer product, but could also be used by businesses. The main form of promotion is
LESSON PLAN FOR GROUP WORK
In most cases, group activities should be completed after some chapter content has been covered, probably in the second
or third session of the chapter coverage. (See “Lesson Plan for Lecture” above.)
• For “Class Activity – Promotional Mix,” provide the information and the questions asked by the class activities.
• The first Application Exercise is extremely well suited to group work. Form students into teams of no more than
four students. Each team must create a print advertisement for a given product without using a set of words
generally used in association with the product. This is a variation on the Hasbro game Taboo. Full information on
setting up the exercise can be found later in this manual.
Class Activity – Promotional Mix
The purpose of this exercise is to emphasize the effect of various factors on the strategy of choosing a promotional mix.
The main factors that affect the promotional mix can be classified into three major categories: 1) product related, 2)
market related, and 3) organization related. Product-related factors include product type, product costs and risks, product
life cycle stage, and amount and complexity of product information. Market-related considerations are target market
characteristics and the type of buying decision involved. Organization-related factors are the availability of funds and
feasibility of a push or pull strategy.
Divide the class into teams and give each team one of the following situation descriptions:
Situation #1
Consumer durable product that is slightly complex
Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications 7
Introductory stage of product life cycle
Selective distribution
Large firm
Highly concentrated market (in large urban areas only)
Situation #2
Convenience item
Growth stage of product life cycle
Intensive distribution
Small firm
Nonconcentrated, large market
Situation #3
Industrial product that is large, complex, and expensive
Introductory stage of product life cycle
Small company (few available funds)
Small market, highly dispersed
Situation #4
Consumer food item
Mature stage of product life cycle
Intensive distribution
Large company
Nonconcentrated market
Each team should present a plan that outlines the promotion ingredients to be used and the relative importance of each
element in the promotional mix. The team should be able to explain which factors were most important and how the
team arrived at its decisions.
REVIEW AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR CHAPTER 15
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is a promotional strategy? Explain the concept of a competitive advantage in relation to promotional
strategy.
Although students’ answers will vary, they should address some of these points: The role of promotion strategy is to
2. Why is understanding the target market a crucial aspect of the communication process?
Successful communication requires a degree of a common “language” or overlapping frames of reference between
8 Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications
3. Discuss the AIDA concept. How do these different stages of consumer involvement affect the promotional
mix?
The AIDA concept was developed to explain the process through which consumers reach the decision to try a
4. Explain the difference between a “pull” promotional strategy and a “push” promotional strategy. Under
what conditions should each strategy be used?
“Push” strategies are commonly used for new products for which consumers have little information and for complex
5. Discuss the importance of integrated marketing communications. Give some current examples of companies
that are and are not practicing integrated marketing communications.
Integrated marketing communications carefully coordinate all the promotional activities to produce a consistent,
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1. As the promotional manager for a new line of cosmetics targeted to preteen girls, you have been assigned the
task of deciding which promotional mix elements—advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and
personal selling—should be used in promoting it. Your budget for promoting the preteen cosmetics line is
limited. Write a promotional plan explaining your choice of promotional mix elements given the nature of the
product, the stage in the product life cycle, target market characteristics, type of buying decision, available
funds, and pull or push strategy.
Answers to this question will vary greatly.
2. Why might a marketing manager choose to promote his or her product using persuasion? Give some current
examples of persuasive promotion.
Persuasive promotion is typically used to build customer loyalty for a product in the growth stage of the product life
3. Choose a partner from the class and go together to interview the owner or manager of several small
businesses in your city. Ask them what their promotional objectives are and why. For example, are they
trying to inform, persuade, or remind customers to do business with them? Also determine if they believe
they have an awareness problem or whether they need to persuade customers to come to them instead of
competitors. Ask them to list the characteristics of their primary market, the strengths and weaknesses of
their direct competitors, and how they are positioning their store to compete. Prepare a report to present in
class summarizing your findings.
Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications 9
4. How does a Web site’s ease of use affect its ability to create attention, interest, desire, and action? Visit the
kitchen and bath pages of Kohler’s Web site (http://www.kohler.com) and determine how successful the
company is at moving consumers through the AIDA process.
Students’ answers will vary.
5. Use Radioguide.com (http://www.radioguide.com) to find a listing of radio Web sites in your area. View
several of the stations’ sites and compare the promotions featured. What conclusions can you draw about the
target market of each station based on the types of promotions they are currently running? Would any of the
promotions entice you to tune to a station that you normally don’t listen to?
Students’ answers will vary.
6. Visit http://www.teenresearch.com. What research can this company offer about the size and growth of the
teen market, buying power of teenagers, and their buying habits? Why might these statistics be important to
a company targeting teenagers in terms of marketing communications and promotion strategy?
7. What do you think is the role of Hallmark’s Web site (http://www.hallmark.com) in the company’s integrated
marketing communications plan? What seems to be the marketing function of the site? Do you think the site
is effective?
Students’ answers will vary.
APPLICATION EXERCISES
Application 1
Many people are not aware of the rationale behind certain advertising messages. “Why do Infiniti ads show rocks and
trees instead of automobiles?” “If car safety is so important, why do automobile ads often show cars skidding on wet,
shiny surfaces?” “Target’s ads are funky, with all the bright colors and product packaging, but what’s the message?”
One way to understand the vagaries of the encoding process is to think of the popular board game Taboo by Hasbro. In
this game, each team tries to get its members to guess a word without using obvious word clues. For example, to get the
team to guess “apple,” you may not say such words as red, fruit, pie, cider, or core. Sometimes advertising is like Taboo
in that advertisers are not allowed to use certain words or descriptions. For example, pharmaceutical companies are not
permitted to make certain claims or to say what a drug treats unless the ad also mentions the potential side effects.
Language choices are also limited in advertising. To appreciate this, you can apply the Taboo game rules in an
advertising format.
Activities
1. Select a product from the list below, and then create a print advertisement or a television storyboard for that product.
As part of the exercise, give your product a brand name. Taboo words, visuals, and concepts are given for each
product type. Taboo items cannot be present in your work.
Product Taboo Words, Visuals, and Concepts
Deodorant Odor, underarm, perspiration, smell, sweat
Pain reliever Pain, aches, fever, child-proof cap, gel
Soft drinks Sugar-free, refreshing, thirst, swimwear, any celebrity
10 Chapter 15 ♦ Marketing Communications
2. Now create a second ad or storyboard for your product. This time, however, you must use all the words, visuals, and
concepts that are listed in the right column.
Product Must-Use Words, Visuals, and Concepts
Deodorant A romantic couple, monster trucks
Pain reliever A mother and child, oatmeal, homework
Soft drinks A cup of coffee, cookies, birthday cake, wine
Purpose: Many students are unclear as to the rationale behind certain advertising messages, so this exercise is designed
to help students understand the artistry inherent in the encoding process.
Setting It Up: This works as an individual assignment, but is an exceptional group project. This is because it blends
many modalities, is an engaging activity, and provides students what may be considered a welcome change from the
text-based learning that is the norm for most. If you choose to assign a group project, then it is suggested that you allot a
class period for students to present their work.
This exercise was inspired by the following Great Idea in Teaching Marketing:
Lynn R. Goodwin
University of St. Thomas
TABOO OR NOT TABOO, THAT IS THE QUESTION
When discussing the communication process in my advertising class, many of my students have some difficulty
understanding the artistry inherent in the encoding process. More precisely, many students are unclear as to the rationale
behind certain advertising messages. “Why did Infiniti ads show rocks and trees instead of automobiles?” they ask. Or,
“Why did MCI show a waif with a funny accent and hat jumping around on a rock strewn beach?”
Many of us, not being privy to the innermost workings of certain ad agency brains, may have no answer to this type of
question. I have, however, devised an exercise that helps students understand the vagaries of the encoding process.
I begin by bringing a copy of Taboo (Hasbro’s well-known game) to class. The object of the game is simple: each player
must get the other members of his or her team to say a particular word. The catch is that certain other words cannot be
used during this process. These words are taboo (hence the game’s name). For example, in attempting to elicit the word
apple, players are prohibited from using the words red, fruit, pie, cider, and core.
Following the playing of Taboo, I enter into a brief discussion of how the game relates to the communication process
(specifically encoding and decoding). Subsequently I discuss the rationale behind many advertisers’ less than
straightforward messages.
I use ethical (prescription) pharmaceuticals as an example and point out that certain health claims are not permitted in
advertisements unless accompanied by the legally mandated detailed prescribing information. This effectively limits
what can be said regarding a drug’s benefits in the broadcast media. Other reasons behind either internally imposed or
externally imposed limitations on advertising messages are also covered. Product deficits that might preclude a focus on
certain features or aspects of the product are a frequently discussed internally mediated limitation, while ethical
restrictions imposed by professional organizations on advertising are a frequently discussed externally mediated
limitation. In addition, I usually remind the students that advertising may be affective in nature or have as its goal less
direct objectives such as communicating a lifestyle.
After this brief discussion, I draw the obvious comparison between the game of Taboo and these internally or externally
imposed limitations or choices. Then it’s time for the next phase of the exercise.
The final stage of the exercise is the application of the Taboo rules in an advertising format. I ask students to devise
advertising messages or campaigns for specific product categories. The catch is that I also provide a list of words,
visuals, or concepts that they are prohibited from using in the formulation of these messages. A few examples that I have
used include:
Product
Taboo Words. Visuals, Concepts
Deodorant
Odor, Underarm, Perspiration, Smell, Sweat
Toothpaste
Teeth, Smile, Breath, Clean, Plaque
Pain Reliever
Pain, Aches, Fever, Child-Proof Cap, Gelatin-Coated
Soft-Drinks
Sugar-Free, Refreshing, Any Celebrity Spokesperson,
Swimwear, Other Soft-Drinks
Politician
Other Politician(s), Honesty, Crime, Taxes, Patriotism
Automobile
Automobile, Driver Testimonials, Statistical Reports on
Automotive Performance, Handling, Luxury
I sometimes utilize a variation of this exercise in which students are forced to use certain other words, visuals, or
concepts or to take a certain approach. I refer to this as my “Must-Do” exercise. A few examples are presented below:
Product
Must-Do Words, Visuals, Concepts
Deodorant
A Romantic Couple, Monster Trucks
Toothpaste
Lips, Tongue, Flowers
Pain Reliever
A Mother and Child. Oatmeal, Homework
Soft-Drinks
A Cup of Coffee, Cookies, Birthday Cake, Wine
Politician
Benjamin Franklin, A Dollar Bill, An Aircraft Carrier,
Amber Waves of Grain
Automobile
Rocks, Trees, Wind (This one may be too easy)
The construction of various Taboo or Must-Do situations is only limited by the imagination of the instructor. In fact, the
students themselves may be asked to come up with challenges for their classmates.
I find that this process can be used as a brief in-class exercise in a “principles” setting or can form the basis for a major
project in an advertising class. As part of a major project, the necessity of excluding certain words, visuals, or concepts
from the advertising message(s) challenges students to be a bit more imaginative than might ordinarily be the case.
Likewise, the forced inclusion of certain Must-Do words, visuals, or concepts serves a similar function. The exercise can
also be adapted to a discussion of segmentation in advertising by focusing on the inclusion or exclusion of certain words,
visuals, or concepts based on the characteristics, needs, and wants of the targeted segments.
It’s all in fun, but I do feel that the exercise creates a great deal of interest and comment relating to the communication
process. In the end, to do Taboo or not to do Taboo is the question every instructor must face. Enjoy.
Application 2
An important concept in promotion is semiotics, or the study of meaning and meaning-producing events. An
understanding of semiotics can help you not only to identify objects (denotation) but also to grasp the utility of images
and associations (connotation). By manipulating connotations of objects in advertising, you can create, change, or
reinforce images for products. Thus, semiotics is a powerful tool for brand management and promotion.
Activities
1. Make a list of ten images and associations that come to mind for each of the following items: baseball, vinyl record
album, spoon, rubber band.
2. Look through magazines and see if you can find print advertisements that include each of the items (baseball, vinyl
record album, spoon, rubber band) in a supporting role. What seems to be the message of each ad? How does the
item help create or reinforce an image for the product being sold in the ad?
