The mass communications mix

Abstract

A firm may communicate with its markets on two levels: it may use advertising, public relations or sales promotions to reach a wide target group of people; or it may use personal selling or direct marketing aimed specifically at individual corporate buyers or individual consumers. In this chapter we will consider the first level normally concerned with reaching large numbers of people through the mass media, whether press or electronic, or through distribution channels. In the next chapter we will consider selling activities and the distribution systems generally. The boundary is not absolute, and should not be, as the various activities need to be integrated. Advertising may be planned to introduce a new product to a mass market, but the advertising plans themselves will be used by sales people to persuade retailers to stock the new product. In many markets for both consumer and industrial products, advertising may be used to generate enquiries which are then followed up by sales people. Although then different aspects of a firm’s communications with its markets are treated in two chapters, they all need to be co-ordinated in an integrated marketing plan.