Promotional Communication Techniques - Coursework Example

?Promotional Communication Techniques Introduction: Founded in 1962, MAC Birmingham is an over half-a-century old art centre and tourist attraction that caters to consumers of all ages, gender and backgrounds, and a “national leader in developing work with children, families and young people” (About MAC 2013). Their business model envisages showcasing of contemporary art by organising programmes covering the “full range of art practices” with a special focus on children, youngsters and families (About MAC 2013). However, they welcome people of all ages and diverse cultures to their events and also run around “120 arts courses” (About MAC 2013). Section-A: Advertising and Design: 1. Target Market Profile: The products of MAC target a wide range of consumers that encompasses people of all age groups, cultural and economic backgrounds and gender. However, they accord significance to working with children and families. Therefore, their target market is quite wide and diversified and they will have to incorporate variety in their products and well as promotional techniques. On the other hand, due to their emphasis on children, youngsters and families, their strategies will also have to be devised to appeal to this segment of audience. Thus, while designing product promotion strategies and visual ad materials, they have to make sure that these things appeal to the whole range of their target market. 2. Product Differentiation: In the case of MAC, product differentiation is a key component for them to gain access to a wide variety of consumers whose spatial recognition, aesthetical perceptions and expectation of quality vary drastically. Spatial recognition plays a major role in the case of art and evidence suggests that spatial differentiation leads to “greater product differentiation” (Datta & Sudhir 2012: 2). So far it relates to products such as arts and arts classes, the expectations of MAC’s audience vary drastically. Therefore, MAC will have to employ different means to “meet those expectations” of their wide range of customers (Levitt 1980: 5). 3. Above the Line Advertising Media: Above the line ad refers to the promotional campaigns undertaken through “major media” such as TV, radio, newspapers etc and is usually assigned to a professional ad agency (Grabara & Okweit 2011: 636). Ads of this nature are highly effective not only in informing and educating the consumers but also to “manipulate and persuade” them (637). Taking into consideration the target audience of MAC, which encompasses people of all ages and backgrounds, above line ad can be an effective means to introduce and strengthen their brand as well as to create “favourite images” constantly in the minds of the consumers (637). As can be discerned from the Target Market Character Profile Assessment (CPA) sheet, a major portion of the consumers for MAC falls in category that views visual media at a higher rate. Thus, the most appropriate option for promoting their products is through television advertisement. This will enable them to access a large segment of the audience such as children and youngsters who are their main focus as well as adults including elders. The rate of consumption of TV of all categories of the target audience is quite high and hence TV ads will enable the company to make their product to reach to almost hundred percent of the population. On the other hand, it is relevant that though it is primarily locality based, MAC belongs to the category of a tourist attraction and therefore their products have relevance to audience at national and international levels. Thus, ad campaigns through national television networks will enable the company to access an audience from the domestic market as well as those who come to England for business or tourism purposes. Another major above the line ad platform for this company could be the print media such as news papers and magazines. Ads in this media will enable them to access a major portion of the audience such as elder people, adults as well as youngsters who are the consumers of this media. The life cycle of the company’s product also allows them the leeway for promotional activities in TV and print media because only some of their products, such as courses, are limited by timeframe. In all other cases, they are not limited by product life cycle as their other products are useful to the clients around the year and not subject to seasonal fluctuations. However, one major constraint for TV ads is the high cost, when they use the national media. Thus, they may consider limited promotional activities in major channels and active campaigns in local channels. In so far as print ads are concerned, the major limitation is that most of the children and younger generation do not rely much on print media except for those who are interested in literature and information. Again, consumers of literature are lower and hence it limits the scope for accessing audience of this segment, while information based printed media has more consumers. Thus, the company will have to focus more on campaigns through information based print media and less on literature based magazines. The main advantage of print media in this context is that when compared to TV, the cost will be lower. On the other hand, TV has maximum reach to audience, as evidence shows that “almost all adults (95%)” have digital TV in their homes (Adults Media Use and Attitudes Report 2012: 14). Besides, TV offers excellent scope for a wide variety of highly attractive ads, along with the possibility of including moving images, whereas print ads provide lesser leeway for attracting their focus segment, which are the younger generations. Due to the limited scope for accessing the audience, when designing print ads, the company will have to focus on design aspects to make their ads most attractive for alluring for younger generations and thus gain access into a wider segment to create an impression. 4. Below the Line Promotional Media: The promotion models such as direct mails, banners, fliers, brochures, posters etc fall in the category of “below the line” advertising and it can also “take the form of sponsorship” (636). In addition, promotional activities through the internet, websites, social networking also can be termed as below the line advertisement. A major share of MAC’s audience is children and young adults. Therefore, when targeting this segment of the audience, the company can rely on internet and social networking. For a company like MAC, especially in the context of its products, below the line ads are the best suited. Since their main focus group is children and young adults, they can distribute fliers and brochures in school and college campuses, apart from door-step deliveries. In an age of technological advancement, processes such as DTP have become quite easy as well as cost effective and they can do it through in house source. On the other hand, mass scale printing from outside sources can also be done without incurring much expenditure. Mediums like this also afford the opportunity for experimenting highly innovative design concepts that can be quite attractive for the target population. Flex board banners are another effective strategy for advertising for a local population. Placed at prominent locations, hoardings and banners can have good impact on the consumers. Direct mails are another means of easy access to a wider segment of the target population. This is a simple and cheap way of promotion and widely accepted by most of the industries. However, a major limitation of this method is that most of the people do not go through such mails and, on most occasions, delete them without reading. It is also relevant that the products of MAC are rather local based mainly and hence all of the above promotional methods are suitable for the company. Promotion efforts through below the line methods such as internet and social networking can be another effective strategy for MAC for accessing the maximum number of the target audience, especially their main focus group of children, youngsters and families. Statistical evidence shows that currently “36 million adults (73%) in Great Britain” access internet on daily basis and “53%” people use it in mobile devices and the facility is available in “83%” of homes (Internet Access – Households and Individuals 2013: 1). Thus, it transpires that every member of an average household has the ability to access internet at all times. Children use the internet very often for playing games, chatting, sending and receiving mails, browsing websites etc. Therefore, the company can exploit these avenues for reaching out to the maximum number of audience and market their products effectively. More significantly, when one considers the cost factor, it is much too less to the point of being zero. In addition, the company can reach out to local, national as well as international levels by using their websites, emails or chat sessions. Internet also offers the company the leeway of placing ad materials as banners and buttons on other websites such as search engines, at extremely cheap costs. Similarly, social networking can be another significant and highly effective way in which MAC can promote their products and services. In the present day, social networking has become the most popular activity for people including children and young adults. Similarly, the trends in the modern day suggest that youngsters in the age group of 16 – 24 years frequently engage in “leisure and recreation” activities through online and 93% participate in social networking (4). Thus, the company can embark on promotional campaigns through this media, which is highly cost effective apart from being the fastest mode of reaching out to audience. In addition, the use of this media will enable them to access a global audience, without the constraints of national boundaries. Thus, when one considers the costs involved, the use of below line advertisement strategies is more appropriate for a company like MAC for promoting their products and services in the local, national as well as international markets. 5. Promotional Techniques/Public Relation Strategies Used in Promotion: Creativity fosters innovation and, therefore, it is the most crucial and basic element of all industries and especially in industries that support arts. However, creativity has to be integrated with the demands of marketplaces and aligned to conform to the expectations and aspirations of the consumers of art to tap the best potential of the market. MAC promotion strategies, as stated earlier, have to focus primarily on “below the line” advertising such as catalogues and brochures. Therefore, it becomes highly significant for them to design their ad contents as “expressions of ideas and concepts” that appeal to and are ingestible to their target audience (Marketing Crafts and Visual Arts 2003: 40). Since their target audiences encompasses people of all backgrounds and ages, it is vital that they facilitate variety in their promotional materials so that the contents appeal to all segments of consumers. This is also equally applicable to their secondary marketing strategies such as media ads including TV and print. PR activities are another major step for the company to effectively promote their products and services. They need to collaborate with all the stakeholders within the society such as community colleges and schools, agencies working for the promotion of art, local government authorities, corporate entities for sponsorships and also individual artists and other professionals in the field of art. Like any other industry, business entities in art segment also are of vital importance to the economy of a region. In addition, being a tourist attraction, MAC significantly contributes to the revenue earnings of Birmingham. Therefore, they need to organize public relations campaign by highlighting their organization “as a key component” in Birmingham economy and launching other “marketing initiatives” that can enhance their reputation within the community (Arts & the Economy n.d: 10). Similarly they also need to organise public relation programmes within all the school, college and university campuses in the region, with a specific focus on promoting their art courses. Sponsoring some poor children and youngsters for their courses and giving publicity to such initiatives will also go a long way in enhancing their image in the public. They can also display the details of sponsorship in the website so that people accessing their site from all over the world will come to know about the humanitarian work the company undertakes. Similarly, all their PR activities also need to be publicised through social networking as well as sending out e-mails or messages through other electronic media. This will offer them wide publicity of their PR endeavours and enable them to gain a high level popularity without incurring huge overheads as advertising expenses. Similarly, the internet offers PR practitioners the leeway to do research on public opinion as well as to “increase the interaction” with members of the public and other organizations in a cost effective manner (James 2007: 138). This will enable MAC to organise their public relation activities in a streamlined manner and make their presence felt not only within the community but also on a national and international level. Another major area that they can tap the potential of the market is by organising art exhibitions and other such events. Art exhibition is a proven way not only to sell art but also to generate interest in the public about art. In addition, MAC can use this activity as a platform for public relation where they can make the public aware of their various endeavours that are aimed at promoting art and culture. During the art exhibitions, the company may host other events or cultural programmes with the participation of children, which will help the promotion of their courses and other products or services. Sustained efforts of this nature will create a profound image of the company within the public mind and thus gain them better access to their target audience. On the other hand, MAC may explore the possibilities also for organizing various programmes in old age homes or rehabilitation centres for entertaining the elderly people. This can be done through the participation of children and youngsters and they will not have to incur much expenditure for such programmes. This, apart from generating good public opinion, will also help the younger generations who are undertaking various courses in their organization to demonstrate their talent and creativity and gain some experience through their performance in public view. 6. Design Analysis: Primarily, I have analysed MAC’s designs based on two brochures they have distributed recently. The products, done in high quality art paper, reflect professionalism both in terms of the material as well as content. The content focuses on aesthetic attributes as well as the concept of ingestion by the target audience. It includes a variety of images depicting various elements of the contemporary life and envisages themes such as the relationship among humans as well as that of people and animals, nature and other material things. Any texts accompanying the images have also been created with imagination and innovativeness in the expression of ideas and concepts. Similarly, the designers have taken extra care to make sure that the contents of the brochures do appeal to all segments of their target audience, including children. The texture, colour schemes and layout of the brochures also illustrate the amount of imagination and creativity that have gone behind their design. In addition, with a view to illustrate their competency in the art and design contents I will attempt to analyse some of the images on their websites provided below: Image-I (Source: Home Page MAC Art) The above image has an effective colour scheme that aligns the background and the dog’s fur in a mutually complimentary unit, with the animal’s white patch in perfect harmony with the white circles in the background. On the other hand, the girl’s frock while aligning with the hue of the design in the background, offers a stark contrast to the entire background, thus accentuating her jovial mood. This image, which portrays a harmonious relationship between the human and the beast, will appeal to all segments of the target audience irrespective of age or gender. Image-II (Source: Home Page MAC Art) This image also has a mutually complimentary colour scheme, yet all the colour elements contrast with one another. The yellow-blue-green scheme, in which all colours are basically from a single colour element, illustrates the sense of colour schemes. The contrasting white, especially of the shining stars, adds to the vividness of the image. The setting immediately places the viewer in a fairytale world and this image will instantly appeal to children and youngsters. On the other hand, adults cannot simply ignore fairytales and the wonderful world they depict. Image-III (Source: Home Page MAC Art) The colour scheme of the image illustrates a sober environment where people coexist in a harmonious manner. However, more significantly it depicts concepts rather than ideas of design or colour schemes in which the designer wants to communicate the notion that art links people of all ages and backgrounds. This ad will appeal to all segments of the target audience Image-IV (Source: MAC Art Home Page) This piece is absolutely stunning for its excellent imagery of a flight to liberation, and also depicts the stark contrast of colours, the efect of lights and its impact on the image. Besides, it connotes the importance of the environment by showing the sole owl, which is an endangered species on a chopped wooden perch. The target audience will highly appreciate this work. Image-V (Source: Home Page MAC Art) This image, albeit done in black and white, illustrates the effect of contrast and light quite well. The colour contrast also highlights the juxtaposition of the tiny bird and huge human but points to an aura of harmony. The contrasting elements are also signified in the woman’s skirt and top as well as the bird’s feather and the perch on which it sits. This image stands out as a classic example of the creative talent of MAC’s human resources and the target audience will be able to appreciate and enjoy its various elements. References About Mac. 2013. Home Page of MAC Art Website. Retrieved October 31, 2103, from Arts & the Economy: Using Arts and Culture to Stimulate State Economic Development. n.d. NGA Center for Best Practices. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Adults Media Use and Attitudes Report. 2012. Ofcom Research Report. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Datta, S and Sudhir, K. 2012. Does Reducing Spatial Differentiation Increase Product Differentiation? Effects of Zoning on Retail Entry and Format Variety. Connecticut: Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Grabara, J. K. and Okweit, B.2011. Advertising in Small and Medium Enterprises: The Practical Examples and Advices. Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Vol.13 (2): pp.636-642. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Internet Access – Household and Individuals, 2013. Statistical Bulletin, Office for National Statistics. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from James, M. 2007. A Review of the Impact of New Media on Public Relations: Challenges for Terrain, Practice and Education. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal. Vol.8: pp.137-148. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Levitt, T. 1980. Marketing Success through Differentiation – of Anything. Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 1980: Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Marketing Crafts and Visual Arts: The Role of Intellectual Property. 2003. World Intellectual Property Organization. Retrieved October 31, 2013, from Read More