Planning a Communication Campaign in Smith and Nephew - Research Paper Example

 Marketing Communications Introduction 3 Company Profile – Smith and Nephew 3 Objectives 4 Steps involved in Planning a Communication Campaign 5 Actions Determining an Effective Communication Campaign 6 Marketing Plan of Smith and Nephew 6 Target Audience 7 Situational Analysis 7 Communication Process for the Campaign 7 Marketing Message 8 Choice of Media 8 Budget Development 9 Critical Steps of Objective Task Budgeting for Communication Campaign 10 Strategy Adopted 11 Monitoring, Evaluating and Controlling to Measure the Effectiveness of Communication Campaign 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction Marketing communications is a promotional strategy involving marketer initiated techniques directed to target audiences in an attempt to influence attitudes and behaviors. The marketing communications mix is a consolidated campaign including all the promotional activities like advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, and direct marketing communications. This marketing report involves planning strategies to design an effective communications campaign for the leading company of Smith and Jones Orthopedia. The entire marketing report will focus on planning strategies involved, analysis of market conditions, company’s competitor data and current market position. The objectives of the communications campaign and the elements involved in marketing communications are focused in detail. Finally, the marketing strategy and communication method is selected and applied. There is a detailed analysis on the cost of campaign for budget allocation and lastly the effectiveness of the marketing communications campaign is gauged by proven methods. Company Profile – Smith and Nephew Smith and Nephew is one of the famous names in health care services. They are proven leaders having three main business units located across the globe offering specialized services in the orthopaedic, endoscopy and advanced wound management and reconstruction and trauma. Together as a single business unit, Smith and Nephew offer around 1000 different product ranges. Smith and Nephew is considered as a powerful leader in advanced wound management and arthroscopy. Smith and Nephew operates in 32 countries across the globe with a turnover of $3.8 billion pertaining to annual sales. For many decades, Smith and Nephew has produced many advanced devices for all the health care professionals with the help of a premium technology which helps the hospital staff and other surgeons to provide a quick and economical treatment. The advantage of Smith and Nephew is the effective use of ageing demographics and increasing the life span of patients with the dependence on technology. Technical equipment helps in rapid recovery from surgery and also in improving the mobility for effective health care design. Objectives The objectives of the marketing report are to run a communications campaign for Smith and Nephew regarding the announcement of the computer assisted surgery development agreement between Smith and Nephew Orthopedic and Brain Lab. The objectives of the communication planning will be: Informing the customer of the latest computer assisted surgery Reminding the customer of the communications campaign Finally persuading the customer to view a demo or lecture on the technical advantages of the computer assisted surgery The schematic diagram of a communications campaign given below also validates our choice of objectives. Source: “Marketing Principles and Perspectives”, Bearden, Ingram, Chapter 16 pg 5, 5th edition, Tata McGraw-Hill Publication Steps involved in Planning a Communications Campaign Source: ICFAI Management Journal First step is to identify the target audience If there are more number of target audiences, then we have to prioritize the order which is important for sustainability Objectives framed for the communications campaign Selection of various messages and rechecks if there is more avenue or scope for the message communication Choice of media Production of media materials like tapes, ribbons, etc. Promotional kits should be used in media materials Formulation of strategy plan and implementation of the same Evaluation to test the effectiveness of implementation of strategy focused Analyze and decide on the communication strategies for future benefits Next step will be to design an effective work plan for the communication process. The work plan strategy involved allocation of practical resources to facilitate the communications campaign. It is important to devise a work plan on the basis of the communication campaign strategy. Base your annual work plan on your communication strategy. Some of the essentials listed are as follows: Media materials for supporting the press releases, video, annual report, newsletter, campaign Data on the number of planned materials and their time lines defined for completion Identifying process owners who are responsible for the work plan effectiveness Budget formation Await for approval of the work plan, allocation of resources and the work order budget Actions Determining an Effective Communications Campaign Source: “Marketing Principles and Perspectives”, Bearden, Ingram, Chapter 16 pg 8, 5th edition, Tata McGraw-Hill Publication There are 7 key actions to identify an effective communications campaign. The actions involved and key process owners to execute are: Action Process Owner Review of derived Market Plan Marketing Manager Situational Analysis Researcher/Analyst in Marketing Communications Process Analysis Business Development Executive & Marketing Manager Budget Development Marketing Manager & Financial Controller Program Development Marketing Executive and Field staff Integration and Implementation of the Plan Business Development Executive & Marketing Manager Monitoring, Evaluating and Controlling the Communications Campaign Quality Assurance & Business Development Executive Now let us apply the 7 Key actions to the Smith and Nephew announcement in order to design an Effective Communication Campaign. Marketing Plan of Smith and Nephew The Marketing Plan should be based on the objectives as stated above. Target Audience The campaign will be most helpful for the people who are suffering from surgery and serious health care problems in orthopedic domains like knee cap replacement, and need some technical support to overcome their handicap .The target audience will be the orthopedic doctors and clinical surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists. Situational Analysis The situational analysis is conducted to understand the current scenario of the market by analysing whether the competitive environment, economic and social environment, and finally the marketing mix considerations are conducive or supportive in order to conduct the communications campaign. Once the analysis expects a positive signal, then we can go ahead with the next step of the communications campaign. Communication Process for the Campaign Source: “Marketing Principles and Perspectives”, Bearden, Ingram, Chapter 16 pg 7, 5th edition, Tata McGraw-Hill Publication The schematic diagram of the communication process is given below: Marketing Message Source: http://www.hcfi.net/060704.pdf “Executing a Successful Healthcare Marketing Campaign” Marketing Message is of prime importance for any communications campaign and it is the key determinant for a successful marketing strategy .It acts as an interpreter communicating the objectives framed by the company to the target customers. The sample marketing message in this context will be: “Smith & Nephew teaming up with Brain Lab offers most technically advanced computer assisted surgery to all the orthopedic health care patients. For further details, please drop in for a free communications campaign conducted in your area. Registration for the campaign closes by next week; doctors and surgeons will be given first preference.” Choice of Media The choice of Media is mainly dependent on the type of communication to be used. If the communication is explicitly conveying a clear and distinctive message with higher degree of preference, then the choice of media will be: Explicit communication conveys a distinct, clearly stated message through personal selling, advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, or some combination of these methods for more effective results. Implicit communication conveys a briefing on the service and they are communicated within the company in the form of circulars, memos etc. The health care campaign by Smith & Brain Lab would be more effective and can focus on a wider target base if they adopt a marketing communications mix. These are critical parameters which contribute to effective planning of the communication campaign. Budget Development Budget Development critically aims at the allocation of correct funding to conduct the campaign and also the proposed return on the investment should be gauged. If the communications campaign involves mass appeal targeting a greater customer base then the budget allocation should be at the higher end too. Key Factors influencing the Budget Development include: Overall size of the Smith and Nephew and its ally Brain lab Financial statements and reserves of both the companies Focus area of Business : Medical field, Orthopedic health care Market Dispersion: Doctors, patients who are suffering from trauma pertaining to surgery in knee cap or any other surgery, specialized orthopedic surgeons Position in the Marketplace: Smith and Nephew is an industry leader in each of our three main Global Business Units - Orthopedic Reconstruction and Trauma, Endoscopy and Advanced Wound Management Source: http://global.smith-nephew.com/master/about_us_at_a_glance_1201.htm Some of the more commonly adopted budget methods are: Roman G. Hiebing, Scott W. Cooper, “The successful marketing plan”, Tata McGraw hill publication pg 388 to 391 Steven A. Finkler, David Marc Ward, ”Cost accounting for health care organizations” Jones & Bartlett Publishers pg 533 to 535 Sales Percentage: The practice of correlating the present value of sales or response and based on the results, the budget is decided. Competitive Parity: Budget is decided on the basis of the estimation of spend in similar campaigns conducted by the competitors. The basic assumption is that the competitors also have marketing objectives in sync with the focus company. All-You-Can-Afford: Budgeting method is based on owner’s perception and beliefs on the feasible amount as budget and hence this method is not based on definitive objectives as there is always a threat that the budget can have a too high spending preference or a too low spending preference due to the fact that perceptions differ based on individuals. Objective-Task: Budgeting method based on the defined objectives for the communications campaign focusing on the outcome of the campaign, strategies to be adopted and the unit cost associated with each of the strategy to have an atomic focus on the effectiveness of the amount spent in each strategy. The Smith & Nephew health care campaign can choose the Objective-Task Budgeting for better results. Critical Steps of Objective-Task Budgeting for Communications Campaign Establish Objectives The best focus will be to promote awareness about the computer assisted surgery to 25% of the target audience. Determine Specific Tasks To decide on the medium of promotion either in television, distribution of brochures in hospitals and clinical surgery out patient clinics and local newspapers and then allocate budget based on the relevance and actual costing. Estimate Costs Associated with Tasks To evaluate the costs of promotional activities in an individual approach and determine the cost incurred with the focus area as communications campaign medium. Monitor and Adjust To monitor the cost budgeting in the elemental and introduce adjustments in case of any additional cost needed for the communications campaign. Strategy Adopted The communications campaign should be a combination of PUSH and PULL strategies for better awareness and response. Monitoring, Evaluating and Controlling to Measure the Effectiveness of Communications Campaign Communications campaign must be monitored in the following way: Relate sales percentage with number of visitors of the campaign and test the effectiveness Personal Selling strategy results will help in identifying the new business prospects and suspects Review response results and final enrollments Conclusion The communications campaign for Smith and Nephew Brain Lab will be designed, based on the above discussions .To reiterate, the effectiveness of the communications campaign is visible only when all the critical parameters are focused. First and foremost is the clear definition of objectives for the campaign and choosing the right target audience. The strategy and budgeting procedures need to be validated and checked for compliance on set standards by monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the communications campaign. References Blythe. J., (2006) Essentials of Marketing Communications Prentice Hall, Harlow Smith P. R. & Taylor J (2004) Marketing Communications - an Integrated Approach, 4th edition London: Kogan Page Tested Advertising Methods – John Caples – 5th Edition – Prentice Hall Simply Marketing Communications – Chris Fill – 2006 – Prentice Hall Marketing Communications – Chris Fill and Graham Highes – Official CIM Coursebook – 2005-2006 – Elsevier Marketing Principles and Perspectives - Bearden, Ingram, Chapter 16 pg 7, 5th edition, Tata McGraw hill publication Wright, R. (2002) Advertising. Harlow: FT Prentice-Hall. Kotler P, Armstrong G, Saunders J, Wong J, (2001) Principles of Marketing 3rd European Edition London: FT/Prentice Hall, Roman G. Hiebing, Scott W. Cooper, “The successful marketing plan”, Tata McGraw hill publication pg 388 to 391 Steven A. Finkler, David Marc Ward, ”Cost accounting for health care organizations” Jones & Bartlett Publishers pg 533 to 535 Web links http://global.smith-nephew.com/master/about_us_at_a_glance_1201.htm http://global.smith-nephew.com/master/newsandmedia/2490.htm Read More