WINNING or LOSING by WORD of MOUTH

Advertising is sometimes called controlled communication because advertisers control the timing, content, and distribution of the message. However, some of the most important communication with potential buyers is uncontrolled communication, messages over which advertisers have no direct control. Word of mouth is a good example.

In general, the more difficult it is for potential purchasers to evaluate a product before making a decision, the more important word of mouth can be. For instance, you can’t sit through a movie at your local cinema and then decide whether or not you want to pay for it; you have to buy your ticket first. As a result, movies can get a big boost from positive word of mouth. Potential customers can relate to the experience of actual customers, particularly customers they already know and trust, which helps reduce the uncertaintly of trying a new product or supply.

Conversely, dissatisfied customers can distroy a business. Customers who aren’t happy with the goods and services they purchase will also spread the word. If word gets around that people didn’t like a movie the film can fail quickly. Moreover, dissatisfied customers are likely to tell from 10 to 20 people about their bad experiences, whereas happy customers share their experience with one-third as many people. Your ads may lose their their impact for potential customers who heard from friends or neighbours that your product wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

What can you do to help ensure positive word of mouth? The possibilities fall into two categories: things that can be done through advertising and things that can’t. One of the few ways that advertising can help with word of mouth is to target people whose opinions are respected by others. Product enthusiasts, people who take great interest in particular types of products are a good example. Consumers in the market for cars, cameras, computers, and other complicated products often turn to enthusiasts for advice. A good way to reach enthusiasts with your advertising massage is through specialized magazines such as Fine Woodworking or Road & Track. Enthusiasts are usually willing to to read ads with long copy if the message gives them the information they want. Many of these magazines also highlight new products or product innovations that will appeal to enthusiasts. Software manufacturers such as Borland and Microsoft make a point of rushing advance copies of new program versions to computer magazines to test and review so that enthusiasts will be the first to know about the latest features.

More important than what you can do with advertising, however is what you can’t do with it. Above all else, the product must satisfy its intended market. Advertising can’t overcome poor product performance or mistakes in consumer service. Advertising isn’t magic. The best way to get your customers to spread the good word about you is to make sure they are satisfied.

SALES PROMOTION

Products are made and services are provided in response to consumer needs and wants. If consumers need or want a particular product they will buy it, provided they know it is available and believe it offers some advantages over similar products. The problem is to make the consumer aware of the product and the advantages it offers. This process is known as marketing or sales promotion. There are three main types of marketing when the product or service is presented: on television or radio, through written sales messages, or personally by sales people. Today even small business are engaged in national wide or international business activities. The size of the potential market and growing competition have called for improved marketing methods. While radio, television, and personal selling are all major sales media, selling by mail continues to be an important marketing method.

Generally speaking the basic function of marketing is to determine the needs of the customers and then to satisfy them, thus bringing profit to the firm.

Marketing research collects and analyses information to help managers to make decisions. It covers trends of the market, demand and supply, analysis of the product for sale and of the product produced by competing firms. Export promotion means economic and political publicity, advertising, personal selling, fairs, exhibitions and sales promotion. Advertising informs people about the new product, gives its characteristics, persuades people to buy it. Personal selling means personal contracts between the seller and prospective buyer. In other words it means collecting contacts. Public relations are to show the reliability of the firm, its respectful attitude to the clients, the high quality of its products and specialists working in it. They also mean the presentation of films and booklets on the history and achievements of the firm, as well as special radio and TV programmes.

Adverts have become a part of our daily life. There are different kinds of advrtisements, as you know: TV commercials, ads in newspapers and magazines. They are naturally made up by specialists. What are properly written sales messages? A properly written sales message causes the reader to want to buy a product. To write it effectively one should be familiar with the terms “selling features”, “buying drivers”, “sales appeals”, In addition, psychological drives also play a part. Therefore, the writer of a successful sales message must first decide what needs, wants or drives the particular product will satisfy. To do this the writer must study the offer that is the product itself, and the reader, who is a potential buyer. Before writing a sales message we must try to determine how the offer will benefit the person, what it will satisfy. To be able to write a successful sales message you must first study:

1. The offer being made,

2. The reader to whom the offer is being made.

The offer includes:

1. Material and construction of the product.

2. Method of operation.

3. Design and appearance.

4. Performance fact.

5. Unique feature.

6. Service benefits.

7. Price and terms.

Now about the reader – potential buyer, that is:

1. Who will read the message?

2. Where does the person live?

3. What are buying habits of the person?

4. Is this a new customer?

5. What are the barriers to changing buying habits?

6. What appeals will be most acceptable?

This type of study helps the writer to identify first, how the reader can use what is offered; secondly, why the product is needed; thirdly, what desires the purchase will satisfy. This helps to bring the offer and the customer’s needs together.

Marketing Today

Marketing is a new science. What has been around previously is the art of salesmanship. Salesmanship is the art of manufacturing something and making another person want it. Marketing is the art of finding out what the other person wants, then manufacturing it for him.

In a market of multiple choice, it is no longer sufficient to produce a product and show your customers that it satisfies one of the basic needs. You must show them it provides benefits other products fail to provide, that it can be supplied at a competitive price and above all, supplied reliably. But in this fast-changing world, competitors catch up more quickly than ever.

Preferences that consumers have for this or that product work for shorte and shorter periods. Choice make marketing work.

Companies need to be constantly engaged in product development, if they wish to grow and make profits. Coca Cola was successful for many years with one product in one size until Pepsi Cola challenged them with a bottle double the size at the same cost to the consumer. Since then Coca Cola has many changes. Today Coca Cola has many different soft drinks, cheases, wines, movie companies, television production companies, to name only a few of its holdings. Multiple choices for the consumer is the motor that drives the marketing vehicle.

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