B2b Marketing - Marketing Communication Tools - Ccs

2. Marketing communication tools

In order to for CCS to continue growing effectively and resisting the economic downturn, it needs to focus on a specific combination of communication tools. These tools must allow it to retain current clients and service providers (for their outsourced operations) as well as attract new clientele. Also, the tools must promote a competitive advantage for CSS. Identifying these tools and justifying their effectiveness is the topic of this section.

2.1. Communication mix

B2B communication tools can be differentiated into several types, which together compose the communication mix. Please see figure 1 below.

Figure 1: A schematic depiction of the communication mix. Adapted from: (Fill, Ch. & Fill, K. 2005; Brennan, R. Canning,L. and McDowell, R. 2011;)

With the exception of personal selling (which is covered in the following question/answer), the other four tools will now be discussed in further detail.

2.2. Advertising

CCS relies predominantly on word-of-mouth promotion of their business and this has served it well so far. However, in order to expand on clientele, CCS may need to utilise a more structured marketing campaign. This should not be difficult to accomplish as this is one of the services which CCS provides for its customers. A major factor of marketing is advertising – choosing the form of media most suitable, not only for CCS's budget but also for its target audience. The diagram below summarises the major forms of advertising: broadcast, print, internet, outdoor, in-store and tradeshows. Please see figure 2.2.1 below for a more in-depth breakdown of these media types. (Fill, Ch. & Fill, K. 2005; Brennan, R. Canning,L. and McDowell, R. 2011)

Figure 2.2.1: The media matrix. The inner ring contains the 6 primary media forms, the middle ring breaks the form of media down to individual types and the outer ring lists the effectiveness of the media, their relative/absolute cost and whether they are being exploited by CCS.

As can be seen in the above media matrix, not all media forms are fully exploited and not all are effective for reaching potential business clients. Recommendations will be given at the end of this section. (Fill, Ch. & Fill, K. 2005; Brennan, R. Canning,L. and McDowell, R. 2011)

2.3. Sales promotion

Sales promotion works by offering the buyer perceived additional value, while in fact reducing hesitation and increasing spending. This form of communication is often used to increase rate of sales or alter potential buyer attitude. This may generally be accomplished by rewarding current customers or encouraging potential customers