THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING.

JACKSON Aneth, BAPRM 3 REG NO. 42565

The Relationship Between Communication & Marketing. 

The expression marketing and communicationis often used to denote all facets of a company's marketing process, including communication. In reality, marketing is an umbrella concept and communication is a key component of it, along with market research and customer service.

Companies use market research to understand customers and then prepare benefits messages used in communication.

▫The Audience

Before you can effectively promote or communicate benefits, you need to understand the audience. This is why the research element of marketing is critical. When companies develop a marketing plan, they identify particular customer segments with potential interest in products and services.

From this list, one or more target markets are identified for emphasis in promotional campaigns. Research within targeted customer groups allows for better understanding of customer needs and buying motives.

▫Message Development

Establishing marketing objectives and developing messages are another key part of a marketing plan. Objectives include increasing marketing share, growing the customer base, creating more favorable brand attitudes, encouraging brand switching and generating sales.

With the objective and audience in mind, the next phase of transition into the communication side of marketing is message formulation. Companies need to impress targeted customers with a valuable mixture of desired benefits and a reasonable price.


▫Methods of Communication

Marketing communication or promotion typically centers around three major elements advertising, public relations and selling. Some companies utilize all three communication approaches, while others focus on one or two.

Advertising includes paid messages presented through media. Public relations is unpaid for media coverage. Companies that sell high end or complex products often use sales professionals to assertively present product or service benefits to customers.

Picking the right methods of communication, as well as the right media to reach the target audience, carries major weight in achieving communication objectives.


▫Customer Service

Retaining customers is another function of marketing. This includes customer service strategies and techniques where service and support employees communicate with customers about their experiences.

Follow-up communication helps ensure resolution of any problems and allows the business to learn about any common issues experienced by customers. Additionally, post-sale technical support is needed with complex products, such as technology, to enable customers to get maximum benefits.

In nutshell,

Communication is an essential part of marketing. Through Communication the brand connects with the customers and it delivers the Marketing messages to the audience.

As for how the relationship should be, I think it should be a two-way relationship. A brand delivers the message, listens to the audience’ feedback about that message, and improves the product or the service accordingly.

Customers like to be heard and like to feel as a part of the brands' community and that's not just in social media. A one-way marketing makes the brand inhuman and out of reach which will drive the audience away.

So don't just talk to your fans, listen and react.