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Fundamentals Of Communication In Marketing
These participants are:
- Advertiser
- Advertising agency
- Media organizations
- Marketing communication specialist organizations
- Collateral services
THE ADVERTISERS OR CLIENTS: These are the key participants in the process. They have the
products, services or causes to be marketed and they provide the funds that pay for advertising and
promotions. The advertisers also assume major responsibility for developing the marketing programme
and making the final decisions regarding the advertising and promotional programme to be employed.
The organization may perform most of these efforts itself, either through its own advertising department
or by setting up an in-house agency. In Nigeria, their association is called Advertisers Association of
Nigeria (ADVAN).
ADVERTISING AGENCY: This is an external firm that specializes in the creation, production and
placement of the communication message and that may provide other services to facilitate the marketing
and promotions process. Most advertising agencies are acting as partners with advertisers and assuming
more responsibility for developing the marketing and promotional programmes. All agencies in Nigeria
are operating under the ambit of Asscoiation of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN).
MEDIA ORGANISATIONS: These are other major participants in the advertising and promotion
process. The primary function of most media is to provide information or entertainment to their
subscribers, viewers or readers. From the viewpoint of promotional planner, the purpose of the media
is to provide an environment for the firm’s marketing communications message. The media must have
editorial or programme content that attracts consumers so advertisers and their agencies want to buy
time or space with them. While the media perform many other functions that help advertisers understand
their markets and their customers, a medium’s primary objective is to sell itself as a way for companies
to reach their target markets with their messages effectively.
SPECIALISED MARKETING COMMUNICATION SERVICES: These include direct marketing
agencies, sales promotion agencies, interactive agencies and public relations firms. These organizations
provide services in their area of expertise. A direct-response agency develops and implements direct
marketing programmes, while sales promotion agencies develop promotional programmes such as
contests, sweepstakes, premium offers or sampling. Interactive agencies are retained to develop websites
for the Internet and help marketers as they move deeper into the field of interactive media. Public relations
firms are used to generate and manage publicity for a company and its products and services, as well as
to focus on its relationships and communications with its relevant publics.