Marketing Communications

410 CHAPTER 12 BRAND ACTIVATION

Brand activation is most effective when the instruments used – sales promotions, point-of-purchase commu-

nications or brand experiences – are integrated in the overall marketing communications efforts. First of all, the

effectiveness of trade promotions can be enhanced by supplementing them with consumer promotions. Promotions

can be announced via commercials in the mass media and reinforced by point-of-purchase communications. Public

relations can be combined with sales promotions to create events and specific brand experiences in which, for

instance, samples and/or coupons can be distributed, or prizes can be won. Advertising and POP communications

can use images of these events to remind consumers of their brand experiences. Within the framework of sponsor-

ship of events, team sampling, couponing and demonstrations can be used to acquaint the public with the product

and to stimulate trial. Consumers can also be involved by getting them to vote for their favourite versions, come

up with original ideas for product innovation or marketing communications, etc. Press releases on brand experi-

ence programmes and specific customer responses to these programmes can be developed in an effort to get free

publicity. Coupons can be inserted in direct mailings, or e-coupons can be distributed through the company’s website

or Facebook page or via interactive advertising on interactive digital TV commercials. Product placement can be

used to stir up interest in a company’s offerings via interactive promotional offers during product use in the TV

programme. Brand experience programmes can deliver proof of the brand promise promoted in mass ads. Customer

engagement and loyalty that result from brand experience programmes can be reinforced by customer relationship

programmes, which in turn can be enhanced by linking them to various types of loyalty promotions: contests, saving

cards, self-liquidators, etc. Promotions may also serve as a traffic-building device for stands at exhibitions and trade

fairs, and exhibitions and trade fairs can be used as venues to build specific brand experiences.

IMC INSIGHT

Integrating brand activation in IMC

Summary

Brand activation plays a crucial role in stimulating brand purchases in the short term. Brand

activation programmes have become increasingly important as a result of communications

clutter, less brand loyalty, and the lack of diff erentiation between brands. Th ree important

tools to activate a brand are sales promotions, point-of-purchase communications and creat-

ing brand experiences. Sales promotions can be targeted at retailers, the sales force or end-

consumers. Consumer promotions include monetary incentives (price cuts, coupons, savings

cards), prizes (competitions, sweepstakes and lotteries) and product promotions (sampling,

extra volume, free in-mail, premiums). By means of sales promotions, various objectives can

be pursued: attracting new customers, making existing ones loyal, increasing market size,

reinforcing other communications tools and rewarding loyal customers. Although in the

short run promotions can increase trial, loyalty and profi tability, they can also lead to deal-

proneness, brand-switching, a post-promotion dip and negative eff ects on profi tability. In the

medium and long run, the eff ects are unclear, but a potential negative eff ect on brand image

should be taken into account.

As is the case for sales promotions, point-of-purchase communications enjoy the advan-

tage that they reach consumers at the moment when, and the place where, they are making

decisions. Th e objectives of in-store communications are to attract the consumer’s attention, to

remind him or her of ongoing or previous advertising, to inform, to persuade and to build an

image of the brands on shelves. Several instruments of in-store communications can be used,

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