Business Marketing Communication - Article Example

Running head: Business Marketing Communication Business Marketing Communication ***************** Business Marketing Communication Question1: How dynamic and complex is the UK marketing communications environment'Answer: Communication is, essential in any relationship. Building and managing relationships with consumers and customers has a direct bearing on marketing communications. Marketing communications helps define an organisation's relationships with customers not only by the kind of messages exchanged, but also by the choice of media and occasion to suit their customers' preferences.

Traditional marketing models fail to capture the complexity of contemporary consumer behaviour. Simple cause and effect can no longer be relied upon as a predictive guide for consumers or markets. Established communication models, particularly those which picture communication as a magic bullet fired at the customer's mind to ensure compliance with marketing plans, are similarly inadequate. Instead, both academics and practitioners are embracing models which acknowledge the autonomy and unpredictability of customers.

Initially building communication was not identified and recognized as a task of strategic importance in an organisation, but now with cut throat competition and a deluge of marketing tools, building relations and spreading information has increasingly become more important. One reason for seeing marketing communications as tactical rather than strategic is that much of its development and execution has been outsourced to marketing services agencies offering a range of specialisms (such as design, creative consultancy or sales promotion).

This casts some doubt on its position as a core competence. Furthermore, much advertising and promotion thinking risks being short to medium term because the people and organisations involved are constantly changing.Butterfield suggests that, because of the increased importance of company-wide brand values in providing competitive advantage, marketing is becoming a way of delivering a communications strategy, rather than the other way round. Q.2 What changes are taking place in the UK marketing communications enviroment'Answer: As the Corporate have recognized the complex nature of consumer behavior, there has been a major shift in the position of Marketing Communication in the minds of decision makers.

The traditional hierarchy of strategy has been challenged by the increasing importance of brands as a source of competitive advantage. As a result, organisations are recognising communications as a strategic issue and reconfiguring their internal and external relationships accordingly. The traditional distinctions between push, pull and profile strategies (focusing communications on channel intermediaries, end-users, and stakeholders respectively) are giving way to ways of analysing and planning marketing communications which recognise the complexity of how customers receive messages.

The hierarchical model of planning which has traditionally placed communications alongside the other variables of the marketing mix is due for a rethink. This model starts with corporate strategy, which translates into a number of functional strategies (including marketing). It sees marketing communications as a subset of marketing strategy. Butterfield suggests that, because of the increased importance of company-wide brand values in providing competitive advantage, marketing is becoming a way of delivering a communications strategy, rather than the other way round.

He points to firms such as Virgin or BMW where the company brand subsumes separate offerings, or to firms like the Body Shop where company values provide competitive differentiation.This 'new' model, communications starts with the company, and marketing becomes part of the 'delivery mechanism' for the communications strategy.' ReferencesButterfield, J. (1997) 'Strategy Development' in Butterfield, L. (ed.) (1997) Excellence in Advertising, Oxford Institute of Practitioners in Advertising/Butterworth Heinemann pp. 65-90.Economist, The (2001) 'Rebirth of a salesman', 14 April 2001, p. 82.Business Marketing Communication