Advertising And Integrated Plan Communication For Samsung Gear

Literature review

Discuss about the Advertising and Integrated Plan Communication.

Samsung Gar is a smart watch, from the line of wearable computing devices offered by Samsung Electronics. The specifications of this product can be discussed as a no cellular connectivity with only 68 g. wight (Samsung AU 2016). It has a Tizen based OS with “4 GB, 512 MB RAM” internal space. It has “SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM” amenities with sensors for “Accelerometer, gyro, and heart rate.” It can be a very useful product for the tourists and sports enthusiasts (Samsung AU 2016).

As opined by Kerr and Patti (2015) IMC or the integrated marketing communication is a strategy or approach to “brand communications” in which the diverse modes work simultaneously to create a flawless experience for the consumers and are offered with a related tone and method that reinforces “the brand’s core massage”.

While writing an IMC plan hence, it is important follow some well-defined strategies or steps. As mentioned by Shin (2013) while writing a marketing plan, knowing the target audience is a prerequisite. There is no general audience; the customers are always specific according to their choices and requirements and it is important to identify the right communication channel to address them. As opined by Tafesse and Kitchen (2015) in the case of writing an IMC plan, it is important for the company to make a situation analysis. By evaluating the internal and external opportunities and threats, an effective marketing strategy can be developed. 

As mentioned by Kliatchko and Schultz (2014) in the context of writing an IMC plan the team needs to determine the communication objectives to set the appropriate strategies for attracting the target audience within the minimum budget. As discussed by Sharma (2015) in writing the IMC plan, the marketing team needs to develop the strategies according to the communication objective of the company. there are a number of conventional and innovative communication strategies. Depending on the selection of the target audience, the strategies are needed to be developed.

Last but the most important stage in developing an IMC plan, it is typically important to outline a method to evaluate the effectiveness of the IMC plan. As opined   by Tafesse and Kitchen (2015) it is important to know what is being helpful and what is constricting the effort of achieving the communication goals.

As opined by Wedel and Kamakura (2012) identifying the appropriate potential customer is necessary for the marketers to be successful in the market. For the successful identification of the target audience, the whole market needs to be segmented into different categories. As mentioned by Cross et al. (2015) depending on the characteristics and requirements of the potential customers, they can be segmented in different categories.

Market segments for IMC campaign

The customer segmentation for Samsung Gear can be done with the following variables:

Age: The target audience can come from 13 to 70 or more years of age. The specifications of the product can hugely attack the youngsters, as they are generally inclined to latest technologies. On the other hand, as the product can measure heartbeats and other physical ratings, it will be helpful for the aged population.

Gender: No gender biasness is necessary for segmenting the market.

Income level: The company is now charging almost (), hence, the target market for this product can be identified as the high and middle-income group (Samsung AU 2016).

Education: As the product is a smart watch and it provides a number of numeric and description-based information, the users need to have a certain level of literacy in both the conventional as well as the technological field.

Country: As the product can be identified as a lifestyle offering of Samsung and the price is considerably high, only the economically developed and developing countries will be targeted.

Region: Depending on the product’s features, the customers from the urban region will be targeted. As opined by Cross et al. (2015) the rural people are not that much technologically updated and they try to avoid these products.

Personality: The adventurous and enthusiast people can b identified as the target audience for this IMC plan. The sports enthusiast and the adventurous people will need this product for providing connectivity and security in distant places. The inquisitive and lover of explorations and the fitness conscious people will be made aware of the utility of this product in safely satisfying their hobbies and inner calls. Both the introverts and extroverts can be targeted and make aware of the offerings on the product.

The product do not need any cellular connectivity and has even has the futures of sending SMS and emails, it will be a useful attraction for the tourists. The adventure enthusiasts, educational tourists and players can be identified as the potential customers.

Here, in the context of Samsung Gear, the marketing communication objectives can b as followed:

Drive brand switching:

For this particular product, the brand has a few eminent and strong competitors like Apple, Sony, Pebble and others. Hence, it is important for the organization to attract the customers who has already chosen the competitive brands. The advertisement strategies need to be developed so that the customers can identify the point of differentiation to the other brands.

Marketing communication objectives

Influencing the purchase intention:

As discussed by Tafesse and Kitchen (2015) the IMC strategy needs to influence the buying intention of the potential customers. By identifying the positive aspects in satisfying the customer’s requirements, the brand can motivate the customers to buy their product.

Crating a brand awareness:

As mentioned by Shin (2013) it is the most important objective of the IMC strategies. However, as the product and the brand are popular, it will not be hard for the IMC team to make a great range of potential customers aware of the product and its service offers. As opined by Kerr and Patti (2015) the objective of the brand needs to be known and memorable.

There are a number of IMC tools those are conventionally used to achieve the communication objectives set by the marketers. As opined by Kliatchko and Schultz (2014) the most popular communication tools can be identified as advertisement, public relation, direct marketing, personal selling and many more.

However, in this selected case, depending on the provided budget, the followings can be identified as the most useful IMC tools to attract the selected target market.

As mentioned by Sharma (2015) by using the strategy of advisement, the company can promote the futures and service offerings of the products. Here, the company can opt for an aggressive advertisement strategy. Here, the company needs to eco the slogan or tagline of the brand and opt for such contents that support the approach of the advertisement. As discussed by Castronovo and Huang (2012) advertisements typically increases the brand awareness, which is one of the major communication objective selected for the product.

As opined by Sharma (2015) to create a point of differentiation and obtaining a competitive advantage, the brand may opt for providing gifts to the customers. Moreover, as discussed by Kerr and Patti (2015) providing discounts to different segments of customers increases the sales count. Here, the company can opt for providing discounts to the customers who belongs to the age group to 65 to 70, or the education tourists. This will help the brand in making the customers’ switching the competitive brand and attracting the customers. 

Because of budget constraints, the company now cannot invest in the social charity funds, which can be identified as the best public relation strategy (Sharma 2015). However, for crating brand awareness, the company can use its own website and publish its annual reports or the certificates of achievements in proving the best quality service. The new age customers generally follow these websites, it will provide them the required knowledge about the product. Moreover, by publishing such reports or certificate of achievements in the media, the company will be able to attract the remaining segment of the targeted market.

IMC tools

As opined by Reinartz and Saffert (2013) depending on the character and choice of consumption of the target audience, the companies and to identify the strategic styles for advertisements. 

The company can use the innovative advertising strategies as it addresses the highest number of potential customers.

The company can use the following styles:

The emotional strategy:

As mentioned by Drewniany and Jewler (2013) by using the emotions like joy or fear, a sense of requirement can be created among the potential customers. Here, the company can use the fear of being lost or in a troubled situation to the educational tourists and adventure enthusiasts. The aged population can best be targeted by this particular strategy. According to the “Fear-appeal logic”, the customers can feel physically threatened for not obtaining the product (Reinartz and Saffert 2013). It will encourage them to alter their buying intention in favor of the product. Here, the advertisement needs to strategically use background music to make the people conscious about the treats and the ways of coming out of them by using the product.

Figure 1: Styles of creative advertising strategies

Source: Developed by the author

The resonance strategy:

Here, the company can use the strategy of sharing experience of a celebrity sportsman like Usain Bolt or an adventure enthusiast like Bear Grylls, to make the people aware of the utility of the services offered by the product. As mentioned in the TERS model of endorsers’ attributes, the company needs to employ a sportsperson who is internationally famous to grab the attention of the international customers. Moreover, it will support the requirement of similarity and trustworthiness mentioned in TERS model (Reinartz and Saffert 2013).

As mentioned by Shirkhodaee and Rezaee (2014) having a clear picture about the point of differentiation can make the customers switch the brand. Hence, to achieve the objective of attracting the customers from the competitors the company can us the strategy of discussing the Unique Selling Proposition strategy. By appointing a technological expert, the company can make the potential customers known about the pint of differentiation. According to the TERS model, using the expert will satisfy the variable of Expertise and trustworthiness and make the advertisement effective (Parente and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson 2014). Here, the note of humor can be used to make the differentiation, as it will create a sense of feel-good about the advertisement as well as the brand (Reinartz and Saffert 2013). Here, the use of comic music will be useful to attract the audience.

Styles of creative advertising strategies

As opined by Puzakova t al. (2015) an effective media planning includes the selection and justification of the mediums for interacting to potential customers. Hence, while selecting the channels for communication to the customers, it is needed to identify the availability and accessibility of the customers through that particular media (Christodoulides et al. 2015). Here, in the selected case, depending on the communication objectives, the following media and vehicles can b utilized to communicate with the potential customers.

In the modern world of business, the online promotion or marketing communication is the most common strategy.

The social networking sites: As the target market has been identified, the teenagers the social networking sites can best be utilized. As mentioned by Christodoulides et al. (2015) the new age generation spends almost 18 hours a day in the social sits like Facebook, tweeter, Google + and many more. Hence, to approach this particular age group the social networking sites can be utilized.

On the other hand, the educational tourists, sports parsons, adventure enthusiasts often join groups based on their interests in theses social sites. Hence, by using this vehicle, the company will be able to attract the potential customers.

Moreover, the company website will also be a helpful vehicle in disseminating the information regarding the product and its offerings.

YouTube: This vehicle can best utilize the USP strategy of advertisement. There are a number of tech experts, who often create videos by discussing the product differences in their own channels (Puzakova et al. 2015). In addition, they are quite famous all around the world the company can identify and employ them to make videos by discussing the features that make the brand different from its competitors.

The health magazines can create brand awareness and change the purchasing perception of the aged people. On the other hand, the travel and sports magazines can do the same task to attracting the potential education tourists and fitness lovers. Last but not the last, the normal newspapers can also draw the attention of all the selected targeted audiences.

As mentioned by Vij and Sharma (2013) the marketing communication can also be done via providing information with the help of display racks, leaflets or simply by communicating to the customers. Here, the sales personnel need to inform the customers or give the leaflets to make the customers known about the product.

All the selected target audiences, mainly the educational tourists and the aged population can be made aware of the product specifications by putting up billboards, display signs, banners and flexes in hospitals, tourist spots, educational institutes any many other sources.

This chart will be helpful in identifying the duration of the IMC plan.

Tasks	Week
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Emotional advertisement
Resonance
USP advertisement
Public relation
Sales promotion

Figure 2: GNATT chart

Source: developed by the author

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it can b said that the IMC plans and tools are typically important for the marketers. However, in the modern competitive market it is necessary to identify and use innovative IMC strategies to attract the potential customers and obtain a significant competitive advantage. Here, by using the emotional, resonance and USP strategy, the company can successfully attract the target audience for Samsung Gear and obtain a considerable competitive advantage.

References:

Castronovo, C. and Huang, L., 2012. Social media in an alternative marketing communication model. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 6(1), p.117.

Christodoulides, G., Siamagka, N.T. and Michaelidou, N., 2015. A model for the adoption of social media by B2B organizations. In Ideas in Marketing: Finding the New and Polishing the Old (pp. 578-581). Springer International Publishing.

Cross, J.C., Belich, T.J. and Rudelius, W., 2015. How marketing managers use market segmentation: an exploratory study. In Proceedings of the 1990 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 531-536). Springer International Publishing.

Drewniany, B.L. and Jewler, A.J., 2013. Creative strategy in advertising. Cengage Learning.

Kerr, G. and Patti, C., 2015. Strategic IMC: From abstract concept to marketing management tool. Journal of Marketing Communications, 21(5), pp.317-339.

Kliatchko, J.G. and Schultz, D.E., 2014. Twenty years of IMC: A study of CEO and CMO perspectives in the Asia-Pacific region. International Journal of Advertising, 33(2), pp.373-390.

Parente, D. and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, K., 2014. Advertising campaign strategy: A guide to marketing communication plans. Cengage Learning.

Puzakova, M., Kwak, H., Andras, T.L. and Zinkhan, G.M., 2015. The Role of Mass Media and Marketing Communication in Consumer Ethnocentrism: A Study from the Russian Market. In Proceedings of the 2009 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 180-180). Springer International Publishing.

Reinartz, W. and Saffert, P., 2013. Creativity in advertising: When it works and when it doesn’t. Harvard business review, 91(6), pp.106-111.

Samsung AU. (2016). Samsung Australia | Mobile | TV | Home Appliances. [online] Available at: https://www.samsung.com/au/home/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2016].   (Samsung AU, 2016)

Sharma, R., 2015. IMC: A Tool for Building Competitive Advantage.International Journal of Core Engineering and Management, 2(2), pp.75-88.

Shin, K.Y., 2013. Theory of IMC Strategy. In The Executor of Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy: Marcom Manager’s Working Model(pp. 3-23). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Shirkhodaee, M. and Rezaee, S., 2014. The Power of Creative Advertising and Consumers’ Perceived Risk. Journal of Promotion Management, 20(5), pp.590-606.

Tafesse, W. and Kitchen, P.J., 2015. IMC–an integrative review. International Journal of Advertising, pp.1-17.

Vij, S. and Sharma, J., 2013, January. An Empirical Study on Social Media Behaviour of Consumers and Social Media Marketing Practices of Marketers. In 5th IIMA Conference on Marketing in Emerging Economies.

Wedel, M. and Kamakura, W.A., 2012. Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations (Vol. 8). Springer Science & Business Media.