Brand Communication Process

A Gooey Interface

For companies, interface refers to the ease with which customers and other stakeholders can communicate with the company. Marketing communication can be seen as the interface between customers and companies. Having a gooey interface means that the brand relationship is sticky; that is, there is loyalty between the brand and its customers.
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Traditional Communication Model

An Interacting Marketing Communication Model

The Message

Everything sends a message. Each brand contact strengthens, maintains, or weakens the brand relationship. Building brand relationships requires managing a brands total communication package everything it says and does then analyzing it all to see if they are working in concert.
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The IMC Message Typology

Planned Messages
Planned messages include marketing communication messages delivered by: Advertising, Sales promotion, Personal sales, Merchandising materials; Press releases, Events, Sponsorships; Packaging, Annual reports. Traditional planned messages usually promote the brand or company and their objectives. They also encourage action. Messages are intended for customers and other key stakeholders. 6

Product Messages
Product messages include all messages sent by a products design, performance, pricing, and distribution.

Service Messages
Service messages come from contact with service representatives, receptionists, secretaries, delivery people, and all other representatives of a company. Five measures of service are: Tangibles Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy
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Unplanned Messages
Unplanned messages include: Brand or company related news stories Gossip or rumor Actions of special interest groups Comments made by the trade and competitors Findings by government or research institutions Word of mouth

Media Channels and Brand Contact Points

Any person, event, or thing that provides exposure to a brand is considered a medium. Interactive media includes: Telephone Internet Every brand-related, information-bearing interaction that a customer or a potential customer has with a brand is referred to as a: Brand contact point
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Three Types of Brand Contact Points

Brand- or company- created contacts Intrinsic Customer-created

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Customer-initiated Marketing Communication Model

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Noise From Conflict and Clutter

Noise surrounds the communication process and negatively impacts the receivers message decoding. Noise can come from: Competitive brands Multiple messages competing for customer attention Off-strategy messages Inconsistencies and contradictions Poor timing and executional flaws

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Receiver Decoding and Perceptions

The receiver is the targeted audience the customer, potential customer, or other stakeholder. Audience will decode messages based on past experiences with that brand, what they know about the product category, and personal experience. Everything the receiver brings to the decoding process will affect the meaning of the message. Misinterpretation can be prevented by keeping messages simple and by building on redundancies.
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The Importance of Perceptions

Perceptions are the collective result of everything a stakeholder sees, hears, reads, or experiences about a company and its brand. The source of a perception is the consumers mind, not the companys message. Perceptions are reality for the person who holds it.
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The Role of Communication in Perception

Marketing communication can close the gap between intended messages and perceived messages because MC messages can set brand expectations.

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Feedback and Interactivity

Companies are recognizing that two-way communication can allow them immediate access to customer and stakeholder feedback. No responses or negative feedback should be further investigated.

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The Five Rs of Purposeful Dialogue

Purposeful dialogue must include the Five Rs of interactivity: Recourse Recognition Responsiveness Respect Reinforcement
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A Communication-based Marketing Model for Managing Relationships

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