The Sales Process

• Leads are potential customers; qualifying assesses their value.
• Lead sources include current customers, research, the Internet, trade shows, and cold calls.

Preapproach

• This involves developing goals and a meeting plan.

Sales Presentation & Overcoming Objections

• Meeting the customer and conducting real-time consumer research are key.
• Anticipate objections and respond on-the-fly

Closing the Sale

• Goal in this stage is getting the order
• Often the most stressful step in the process
• A "no" response can potentially lead to future "yes"

Follow-Up

• It involves maintaining contact to build relationships.
• Five Dimensions of Service Quality:
• Reliability
• Responsiveness
• Assurance
• Empathy
• Tangibles

Communication Process Considerations

• Short-term vs. long-term goals
• Nature of the market: consumer vs. business
• Nature of the product: simple/complex, high/low involvement
• Determining who is more susceptible to marketing messages

Budget Determination

• Budget depends on the role of advertising in overall promotional goals.
• Product life cycle stage and market/brand/product differences affect budget size.

Conveying the Message / Creative Strategy

• Key creative objectives include identifying the main benefit, its supporting evidence, and the target audience.

Appeal Techniques

• Rational appeals use logic, facts, and benefits, appealing to the head.
• Emotional appeals use feelings and values, appealing to the heart and tend to have stronger recall.

Media Evaluation & Selection

• Media planning involves evaluating/selecting the media mix and deciding on type & frequency.

Media Mix

• Airtime, print, and digital buys are all components of the media mix.
• Continuous advertising maintains a constant presence.
• Flighting uses scheduled intervals.
• Pulsing combines a baseline with peak periods.

Creating Communications

• Medium type impacts execution style.
• Consistency across IMC components is key.
• Creativity must not overshadow the message.
• Must adhere to laws & cultural values.

Impact Assessment

• Pretesting

• Tracking

• Post-testing

• Lagged effect: response may be delayed; merely being exposed doesn't guarantee a purchase.

• Reach: the percentage of people exposed at least once per week.

• Frequency: the average number of exposures.

• Continuity: how long exposure needs to continue.

Media Objectives

• Example: Prioritize reach/frequency early, continuity later
• More spending during launch/summer, steady otherwise.
• Emphasize the brand experience.

Media Execution

• Blocking chart: a schedule of ad placements.
• TV – number of spots/month
• Magazines – insertions/month

IMC Tools

• Experiential Engagement
• Event Marketing
• Event Sponsorships
• Personal Selling
• Direct Marketing
• Public Relations (PR)
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Humorous Comparative
• Emotional Rational/Factual
• Lifestyle Sexual

Personal Selling

• More expensive, B2B focus
• Used to create long-term relationships (e.g. contracts, shelf-stocking)

Direct Marketing

• It focuses on product information, a sales message, and a targeted audience.

Public Relations (PR)

• It is a lower cost way to build brand image.
• Skeptical audiences see PR as more legitimate
• Interactive, not just informative

Public Relations (PR) Tools

• Press Release
• Press Conference
• Media Kit, Website, Newsletter
• Annual Report
• Booklets/Brochures

Roles of Public Relations

• Corporate communications
• Reputation management
• Internal communications
• Publicity generation
• Product placement/branded content
• Community relations
• Fundraising

Cause-Related Marketing

• Involves brand + charity teaming up for mutual benefit.
• Positively impacts brand perception

Experiential Marketing

• Uses senses + emotion for stronger consumer connection.

Event Marketing & Sponsorships

• Coordinates marketing elements around a live theme.
• Examples: Flash mobs
• Event Sponsorship: financial support in exchange for ad privileges.

Omnichannel Marketing

• Stores offer browsing & physical interaction, personal service, cash/credit options, instant gratification & social experience, and reduce risk for hesitant buyers.
• The Internet allows for wider selection & deeper info, personalized promotions & service, and expands market reach.
• Kiosks offer access to online-exclusive items, wish lists, gift registries, and loyalty info.
• Catalogues enables convenient browsing, stating basic product info and are perceived as a safer, low-pressure option.

Psychological Factors Influencing Decision-Making

• Perceptions involve selective exposure, selective attention, selective comprehension, and selective retention.

Canadian Marketing Code of Ethics and Standards

• Marketers must not disseminate material that exploits sex, horror, mutilation, torture, cruelty, violence, or hate, unless required by law.
• Marketers must not exploit the credulity, lack of knowledge, or inexperience of any consumer.

Universal Marketing Practices

• Marketing communications must be truthful, clear, and easy to understand.
• Marketers must not make a representation that is false or misleading in a material respect.
• Marketers must not disparage or exploit any person or group based on protected characteristics.
• Marketers must not disseminate unsolicited material that is sexually explicit, vulgar, or indecent in nature, unless required by law.

Parasocial Phenomena

• Relationship with characters on a soap opera becomes so real that the person dresses up for their televised (and fictional) ceremony.

Forbidden Communication

• Includes undue influence (minors, addicts, vulnerable situations), medical claims, and false information (deception vs. puffery).
• Content that is harassing or disturbing is forbidden.

Required Communication

• Includes nutritional information, French & English requirements, and hazardous material information.

The Social Media Strategist

• Digital media is putting things online
• Social media involves getting action from the consumer.

Engagement, Objectives, and Clear Metrics

• Focus on ROI and affecting attitudes or behavior in the target market.
• Online Arena Advantage offers immediate data
• i.e. "who clicked through" and "from where".

Chrysler Case

• Individuals associated with a brand are held to a higher standard, even when tweeting from personal accounts.

Lucky Seven

• An executive champion
• Consensus on ownership of social media
• Internal leader with power to act and strategize
• Clear metrics for expectations and success
• Partnership between social media and legal
• Clear social media policy (internal and possibly public)
• Comprehensive education for the organization on policy, tech, and expectations

Transparency vs. Authenticity

• Authenticity is the feeling of “real” motivations, actions, and emotional connection (subjective).
• Transparency is clearly disclosing when someone is speaking for an organization (objective and legally required).
• Nondisclosure = presenting brand views without disclosing affiliation.

Engagement, Objectives, and Clear Metrics (Cont'd)

• Focus on acquisitions online, appointments made, and digital software units sold.
• Focus on cost avoidance measures like call deflection and first-contact resolution.
• Resolve customer issues and complete customer service surveys
• "Saves"

Engagement Assessment

• Check if site traffic increases are tied to social media.
• Check if followers sharing content
• Are desired results occurring?
• Are metrics improving vs. traditional customer service?
• Response time
• Satisfaction rates

Four Fundamental Questions for Metrics

• What data will we collect?
• Which metrics matter most?
• How will we collect it?
• What tools are most effective?
• How will we analyze it?
• How will we report it?

Ensure Meaningful Metrics

• Have measurements, not just numbers.
• Understand what that number means.
• Very the authenticity of Twitter followers

IMC Steps

• Identify Target Audience

• Set Objectives

• Determine Budget

• Construct Message

• Evaluate and Select Media

• Create Communication

• Assess Impact

• Campaign objectives and timeframe should match the marketing plan and target the correct audience.

• Elements of the message include USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and appeal.

• Media planning selects the media mix.

• GRP and scheduling choice all depend on the goals

Schedule Types

• Continuous

• Flighting

• Pulsing

• Assess Impact

• Before

• During

• After

• Metrics should be relevant and compared to the correct standard or a counter-factual world where there is no campaign.

Vertical Markets

• Market encompassing companies and customers interconnected around a specific niche
• Such markets may have their own set of business standards with high barriers to entry for new companies.
• Vertical Marketing Channel: supply chain in which the members act as a unified system.

Brand Loyalty

• Create new brand awareness or loyalty.

Identifying the Consumer

• Gather information about interested people.

Communication Strategies

• Focus on how the product is presented.
• Allow for trials in situations where people are buying remotely or the product cannot be reused.
• Try to put the offering into a slogan
• Determine why adopt or switch

Diffusion of Innovation

• Categories of adopters include innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Product Qualities

• Relative Advantage
• Compatibility
• Observability
• Complexity & Trialability

Push vs. Pull Marketing

• Push Marketing applies pressure on the distributor through direct incentive such as price deals.
• Pull Marketing applies pressure on the distributor through indirect incentive using consumer demand; provide support to retailers (training, in-store displays, direct interaction, product samples).

The Appeal

• Strategies either focus on odds or the origin of a need.
• Rational Strategy focuses on logic, facts, and practical benefits; engage the audience’s head.
• Emotional Strategy connects with the audience’s heart feelings, desires, or values; use happiness, fear, nostalgia, belonging to create memorable connections.

Media Considerations

• Reach: Total unduplicated audience exposed to a message one or more times in a period (usually a week)
• Frequency: The average number of times a message is exposed to an audience over a period
• Continuity: The length of time required to generate impact on a target

Schedule Types

• Continuous
• Constant exposure
• Flighting
• Interval exposure
• Pulsing
• Intervals of varying length of constant exposure

IMC Framework

• Creative strategy
• Media strategy
• Market research

Importance of Distribution

• Challenges include efficient and quick delivery at low cost and convincing retailers to carry products

Distribution Channels

• Buying: Purchase goods for resale
• Risk Taking: Own inventory that could become outdated
• Promotion: Promote products to attract consumers
• Selling: Transact with potential customers

Logistical Functions

• Physical Distribution: Transport goods
• Risk Taking: Maintain and protect inventory

Facilitating Functions

• Gathering Information: Share market/consumer insights
• Financing: Provide credit/financial services

Types of Distribution Channels

• Companies that transfer ownership (e.g., wholesalers, retailers)
• Logistics Management: Underlying flow of goods
• Supply Chain Management: Sequence of firms that create and deliver goods
• Distribution, Supply Chain, & Logistics: A Relationship

B2C Channel

• Manufacturers create and sell to wholesalers or retailers.
• Wholesalers buy/store large quantities, sell to businesses.
• Retailers sell directly to consumers.

Designing Distribution Channels

• Direct Distribution
• Indirect Distribution
• Multichannel Distribution
• Direct & Indirect Distribution

Types or Phases of Vertical Marketing Systems

• Administered: dominant firms influence the channel without ownership/contract.
• Corporate: complete ownership and control.
• Contractual: independent but joined by contract (e.g., franchising).

Strategic Relationships Depend On

• Mutual Trust
• Open Communication
• Common Goals
• Credible Commitments & Investments