Challenges Involved in Executing an Effective Viral Campaign - Burger King - Essay Example

?Burger King Table of Contents Marketing Communication Planning Framework 3 Situation Analysis 5 Challenges Involved In Executing an Effective Viral Campaign 9 Repositioning 10 Appropriate Positioning for Burger King 11 References 13 Marketing Communication Planning Framework Marketing communication is considered to be an essential tool that an organisation utilises to convey wide range of promotional information to its target customers. The vivid kinds of business promotional activities undertaken by an organisation in order to endorse their products or services may be through advertisements, public relation, personal selling, websites, brochures, press publicity among others. These tools prove to be of immense eminence at the time of positioning a new product in the market segment. With the help of these marketing communication techniques a product can be expansively marketed and product consciousness may be generated amongst the public regarding the various aspects with regard to the product (Laitenen, 2009). The above mentioned tools may be used in segregation, but an organisation can get superlative advantage when these tools are used in a unified way to create impact among the target customers. Messages can be customer oriented or it may be related with the product but the basic underlining principle should be how to convey or deliver the message in the effective most way. Media may be further alienated into six chief classes’ print, outdoor, broadcast, in-store and other media class. Each class has a distinct media type, for example broadcast includes radio and television whereas print class has newspapers and magazines. The combination of the three elements i.e. the messages, the media and the tools is termed as integrated marketing communication (IMC) (Laitenen, 2009). Planning for the promotion is an indispensable management activity and it should therefore be developed within an appropriate framework. Marketing communication planning framework certifies the provision of a visual guide among different elements. This plan is based on the basis of gathering of relevant information (Laitenen, 2009). The prominent factors that must be incorporated in the market communication plan are the context analysis which deals with defining an opportunity or problem. It identifies the opportunities which are available in the market segment. In the promotional objective tool, the object should be pragmatic in approach. The final end should however be in inducing the customers in buying the product. Corporate objective implies to the business area where the business unit should tend to function. Through promotional strategy the distinct marketing communication techniques are identified and subsequently selected. The three P’s strategy of marketing communication is pull, push and profile. Pull strategy mainly focuses on the consumers and the basic goal is to induce them to procure the product. For the push strategy, the prospects are the channel intermediaries. A profile strategy emphasises on the brand development (Laitenen, 2009). Budget is concerned with the opportunities and precincts of the thriving marketing communication plan. It considers the monetary aspect of the concern. Schedules are the determining factors of time that may be a determinant in attaining the organisational objective (Laitenen, 2009). The communication process is followed by scrutinising the entire plan. It measures the level to which the target has been achieved. Control and evaluation is thus the most important factor to judge the efficiency of the executed project (Laitenen, 2009). Marketing Communication Planning Framework Source: (Laitenen, 2009). Situation Analysis Burger King has been lacking behind when being compared to McDonald’s and Subway due to their declining sales figure which were disappointing. It was facing sturdy competition from its competitors who were reaching peaks in terms of gratifying their prospect customers. It had been observed by the analysts that that latest campaigns of Burger King focused on the young men as their target due to which children, women and families were estranged. It had thus become indispensable on part of Burger King to reposition its brand to demarcate its product line from its competitors (Marketing Week, 2010). In the context of the provided scenario, Burger King should work on improvising its assorted policies and should make an effectual planning module with the assistance of which it can enhance its sales figure. It should target the women, children as well as families by providing various eye-catching offers to them. They may plan to develop a more appropriate ambience which would draw the consideration of people. They may plan to bring in variance in their product line by introducing new products that would distinguish its product from that of its competitors and it may gain a competitive advantage over others. They may undertake effective advertisement campaigns in the most innovative manner which would attract the kids to drop in their restaurants. They may also provide other offers such as discounts and build their brand name. Importance of Viral Marketing Viral marketing has proved to be a primitive idea that has been a valuable marketing tool since time. It is a promotional activity whereby there is free transmission of various ideas through the word-of-mouth process. Word-of-mouth advertising implies to a direct communication regarding certain services, products, brands and events amongst people. Through this process people can share their personal experiences in context to a particular product with their acquaintances, relatives and friends. It is very analogous to a computer virus as the information regarding a product can be transmitted at a rapid rate. Viral marketing are highly endorsed by the social networking sites by posting the current status with the help of which the brand awareness in the customers’ mind concerning the brand augments, as a result the sales figures also get inflated (Leskove, 2007). Viral marketing offers potential for today’s organisation as at times it proves to take advantage of the existing social networking sites by inducing the customers to share any product allied information’s with their associates (Leskove, 2007). Viral marketing is extensively reachable to a large group of people which would generate awareness in the mind of the customers regarding the product. It is comparatively an economical medium as an extensive budget is not planned in order to promote the products. It is a highly credible and a realistic medium. It is a very effectual medium as message can be seen by plenteous people. Keeping the present scenario under consideration, it has been witnessed that internet has served to be a quite significant factor in varying the life of people by updating them every now and then regarding the accessibility of the advanced products through various social networking sites. It brings to its customers an innovative approach which breaks through the conventional advertising procedure which was cumbersome and permits the marketers to efficiently converse with its prospect customers also increasing the product line (Leskove, 2007). Viral marketing phenomenon amalgamates modified communications whereby the existing clients are stimulated to pervade the information’s regarding the project to their friends, families and acquaintances all over again through a personalised communication which leads to trust building. Viral marketing is increasing at a rapid pace as the cost linked with it is comparatively low, accelerated rate of transmission of information’s is possible through it, it is scalable and simple in terms of implementing, and has ‘low barriers to entry’(Sarnefors, 2004). Challenges Involved In Executing an Effective Viral Campaign Viral contents may at times be extensively large on part of the recipient to receive the content. Every individual do not have an easy accessibility to internet, so this can be a significant issue related with it. If viral marketing is done in a bungling way, then it may tend to build a pessimistic buzz. At times, the media format may be such that it would not be supporting the file and necessary software would be required to be installed for opening that particular file. Software’s such as antivirus or firewalls forbid clients from viewing the text message. Another challenge allied with viral marketing is that one has to work with an unidentified group, so the probability of getting intimidation through e-mail enhances. The element of risk is associated with it unlike traditional marketing. An efficient viral marketing to a great extent depends upon the customer’s behaviour as how they forward the message to their associates is a crucial aspect in this process of marketing (Eckler & Rodger, 2010). Repositioning In the present scenario, the cut-throat competition is on the pinnacle; also the innovative measures and the customers varying requirements have made it indispensable for an organisation to undertake repositioning. It is a process through which the present position as well as the marketing mix of a brand is re-evaluated and a new position for it which is additionally apposite is identified. Repositioning provides an exclusively new life to a product. The prime purpose of repositioning is to enhance the lifecycle of a meticulous product. It may also be done with an intention to rectify the mistake allied with the previous positioning. It is concerned with the detection of a new untenanted market and through various promotional activities endorsing a particular product on an exclusively new and improved standard (Moutinho, 2000). Appropriate Positioning for Burger King Burger King may reposition its products by means of user positioning strategy, as with the help of this strategy the positioning can be done on the basis of the needs of the consumers. In this strategy, the buyer’s requirements are taken into key consideration for positioning a product. It has been observed that the primary target of Burger King should be making the brand appeal to the children, families and women. The communication tools that would be of utmost importance in fruitfully repositioning a brand may be through advertising, public relations and sales promotion. For instance, they can focus on female as well as children as their targeted segment. Children usually prefer fast foods with beverages, so they can provide beverages with vivid varieties of their product line. They can use additional mayonnaise for stuffing in their burger line. They can also serve the food to their customers in the most innovative way. Advertisement is an effective tool of marketing communication, as it is widely accessible to a large number of viewers through magazines, television, internet and newspapers among others. With the help of this media, Burger King can reach to a wide number of prospects in repositioning its product. It is at times considered as an expensive method of communication; still it is an effectual media. Innovative advertisements can generate brand awareness in the minds of the public. Burger King can use kids for advertisement campaigns and draw the attention of children as well as female consumers. They can exhibit these advertisements during cartoon shows and animated movies (Mullin & Cummins, 2008). Public relation is yet another significant communication tool as it enhances the goodwill of the organisation. Through public relation a company can be represented in front of the public in the most desired way that would in turn be beneficial for the organisation (Mullin & Cummins, 2008). Sales promotion being another important communication tool as generally it is applied in context to samples, demonstrations, event sponsorship, coupons, and public appearances with an intention to boost up the short-term sales to create an image for the brand (Mullin & Cummins, 2008). Burger King can restructure the ambience of the restraints so that people feel like visiting their restaurants. They can use bright colours and extremely outstanding interior decorations to attract children with their respective families. References Eckler, P. & Rodgers, S., 2010. Viral Marketing on the Internet. Online Library. [Online] Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444316568.wiem04009/full [Accessed July 29, 2011]. Laitenen, J., 2009. Marketing Communication Plan. Degree Programme in International Business. [Online] Available at: https://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/2618/Laitinen_Jenni-Mari.pdf [Accessed July 29, 2011]. Leskove, J., 2007. The Dynamics of Viral Marketing. Abstract [Online] Available at: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ladamic/papers/viral/viralTWeb.pdf [Accessed July 29, 2011]. Moutinho, L., 2000. Strategic Management In Tourism. CABI. Mullin, R. & Cummins, J., 2008. Sales Promotion: How to Create, Implement & Integrate Campaigns That Really Work. Kogan Page Publishers. Marketing Week, 2010. Turning Around A Burger King Past Its Prime. Food & Drink. [Online] Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/food-and-drink/turning-around-a-burger-king-past-its-prime/3017946.article [Accessed July 29, 2011]. Sarnefors, M., 2004. The Irresistible Outbreak of Trust. Viral Marketing. [Online] Available at: http://www.themanager.org/marketing/Viral_Marketing.htm [Accessed July 29, 2011]. Read More