2009年10月27日

Coupon

每次經濟低迷時,value-for-money strategy是許多品牌成功的策略。要消費者認為是value-for-money有兩種不同的辦法。

1. 價錢減少,但產品質量沒變
2. 相同價錢,但產品質量提高


如果消費者經濟能力有限,減價是最直接的方法。而且改變產品不是一頭半個能做到的事,所以促銷最為快捷有效。促銷有很多不同的手法,減價是最常見,其他提供折購的優惠,包括coupon、贈品、現金回贈等,其實都是變相減價。Coupon的優點就是其
訂明的期限,鼓勵消費者盡快採用。可是並非每個品牌都適合減價促銷,經常減價甚至會弄死一個品牌的。

大家如果家裡或朋友中,有位精打細算的消費者,大抵都聽過他的勸告,說這個那個產品平時不要買,一定要等特價。當大部分消費者對一件商品有如此的印象,也就說明商品中了減價毒,在競爭激烈的市場中,將會甚難再加價。所以很多品牌做特價都不會太狼,印coupon也不會太濫。要麼加價時便得很費勁,不是要轉pack打廣告,便是要推出加強版,才能擺脫「減價毒」。

今年初,各大品牌都不停出coupon,連匯豐信用卡也破天荒出消費券。「星期日檔案」訪問大學教授,街頭巷尾的人都以銀包內厚疊疊的coupon為豪。近期,情況好像改變了,coupon少了。麥當勞年頭推出大量coupon,甚至以頭版banner刊登,還加上一系列超值選,都是以低價招徠。最近熱送可口可樂杯,在雜誌刊登勁誇封面廣告,反應不錯,據說部分分店經已換晒。萬寧不再延續「正能量」活動,反而推出漫畫flip book,據說推出第一天部分分店已經換完。這是什麼現象?

消費者心態因應社會環境轉變了,豬流感比想像中溫和,股市又重上二萬點,減薪裁員都停了,還有人在不斷增取加薪,市面一樣歌舞昇平,餐廳大排長龍,書展旺丁又旺財,大家都厭倦了自去年開始湧現的大量負面消息。大家都想找點小玩意打發時間。於是乎有趣的redemption取代了現金折扣券,更受消費者歡迎

國泰公佈業績,乘客收益率大跌兩成,除了商務客減少,很多人也因為想勒緊褲頭,而留港消費。但以麥當勞和萬寧的活動反應推測,市民外遊的興致應該回升,且看國泰下季業績會否扭轉。

Outdoor Ads



Billboard Advertising

One high-impact, cost-effective way of spreading your company's sales message is through outdoor advertising. One of the best sales strategies, billboard advertising has increased in popularity over the past few years. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America has estimated that most businesses in the United States have spent more $5.6 billion on outdoor and billboard advertising in the year 2006. Ever since, there has been a constant increase in the number of businesses using outdoor billboard advertising to market their products and services. If you are wondering how much it costs and if the costs are worth the money, you can be rest assured that billboard advertising is your best advertising bet. Using billboards to advertise your goods and services is a smart move, and the cost of putting up a billboard advertisement is much less than what you would expect. There are several reasons for the recent rise in billboard advertising, of which cost effectiveness plays a big role. For instance, putting an ad in the newspaper for a day or a television commercial has a useful life of only about thirty seconds. On the other hand, a billboard works for you 24 hours, seven days a week. Compared to most other forms of advertising, billboards are also much more affordable.

By selecting billboard signs as your preferred advertising medium, you are choosing the most high-impact, cost-effective medium. With the advances in technology today, you have limitless possibilities for the design of your company's billboards. Here are a few benefits of choosing billboard advertising over other media:
1. Billboard advertising grabs the attention of potential customers like no other form of advertising can.
2. One of the most cost-effective mediums of advertising
3. Brand awareness and strong name recognition
4. Colorful, creative and eye-catching ads have more impact
5. Reaches out to thousands of people on a daily basis
6. Targets a specific audience according to location
7. Ads are not lost in the mix of competitors and editorials
8. Messages are delivered continuously and frequently
9. Directs potential clients and customers to your place of business
These are but a few of the many advantages that billboard advertising has. With so many benefits, it's no wonder that so many business owners are using billboard advertising today. From putting them up at airports to sticking them on car or truck wraps to even showcasing them at movie theatres, billboard advertising makes it possible for you to advertise your products and services anywhere.

Copywriting: Creating Advertising Headlines That Get Noticed

Before you being writing headlines for advertisements, take a quick test. Flip through a magazine, newspaper or even visit a website and read a few stories.

How did you make your decision on which stories to select? It wasn't the fancy opening sentence or the little picture that went along with the article.

The headline and maybe even the subhead made you want to read or even ignore the story. The same rule applies for print advertising.

Consumers scan headlines before committing to reading the entire ad. If you haven't written a powerful headline, your print ad copy might as well say, "blah, blah, blah," because it's not going to be read. Writing your headline is one of the most important factors in writing your print ad.

An effective headline doesn't just pique your reader's curiosity. It hooks them. They are drawn into the ad, compelled to read more.

There are many approaches you can take to write a solid headline. Explore these various methods for every print ad you create:


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Be Direct with an Offer or Guarantee

Headlines don't have to be complicated. If you have a special offer that will lure customers in, don't think you have to spend hours trying to create a witty, humorous headline to go along with your ad copy.

Sample headlines from print ads:

30 Free Digital Camera Prints from Snapfish

Print ad for: Snapfish

LifeStyle PartyTime Kitchen $159.99

Print ad for: Step 2

Make a Statement

These are the popular-type of headlines you usually see in print ads running in national magazines. Sometimes they're creative and catchy. Sometimes they're just a couple of short words. Sometimes they're a sentence or two. Magazines are loaded with these headlines.

This is why a lot of people think you must write this type of headline in order for your ad to be a success. That isn't always the case, of course. Knowing your market, your products and what exactly it is you're trying to sell will help you determine if using a statement as your headline is right for your ad.

Sample headlines from print ads:

Mommy's new favorite mucus fighter!

Print ad for: Mucinex Cough

Be One in a Million, Not One of a Million

Print ad for: Pantene Pro-V


Use News in Your Headline

If your ad is introducing a new product to the market or an improvement on one of your existing products, you can use that news in your headline. Introducing, Finally, Announcing, Now andNew are popular choice words you'll find in these types of headlines.

Sample headlines from print ads:

Introducing Freschetta Pizzamore. For Take-Out Taste at Your Place.

Print ad for: Freschetta Pizzamore

In a Perfect World, Your Baby Would Always Be This Protected. New Good Start Natural Cultures

Print ad for: Nestle Formula


The Question (and Sometimes Answer) Headline

The question and answer format can easily be overdone in advertising. A question's wording can also run the risk that your potential customer can answer the question with a "no" and they'll skip reading your ad. Carefully choose your question so you don't lose your reader right from the start.

Sample headlines from print ads:

Need Curb Appeal? Go With a Pro!

Print ad for: Classic Gardens and Landscapes Inc.

Do your plans include having another baby in the next five years?

Print ad for: Mirena


Show the Benefits

You know there's a benefit for customers choosing your product over your competitor's. Putting the benefit(s) right into your headline can immediately capture the reader's attention.

Sample headlines from print ads:

Spread Endorsed by Cardiologists. And Taste Buds.

Print ad for: Promise

We have twice the antioxidant power of orange juice and we help protect your immune system.

Print ad for: Welch's 100% Grape Juice


Use Testimonials

Your headline can be straight from your customer's mouth. Testimonials aren't as popular as other types of headlines but they can be very convincing for a potential customer to keep reading.

Sample headlines from print ads:

"I've relied on Lexol products for 30 years."

Print ad for: Lexol

"I learned about Little Remedies from experience...my cousin's."


Create a How-To

Using a how-to headline is found more in newspaper ads these days as opposed to print ads in magazines. Using a how-to headline like, "How to Stop Smoking in 2 Weeks," can give your ad a lot more mileage than, "Quitting Smoking is Hard."

This can be a very easy headline to write if your product is right. These headlines don't have to sound like a how-to instructional book either. They can be creative too.

Sample headlines from print ads:

How to Get Results Super Fast with New Xomax

Print ad for: Xomax

How to Destroy Canada's Ancient Boreal Foreset, in 3 Easy Steps.

Print ad for: Greenpeace


Share the Reasons

Reasons are another quick way you can come up with a good headline. In fact, a headline that states the reasons can help jump-start your entire ad. You state there are so many reasons why your company is this or your product is better than that and then the body of your ad copy backs up those numbered reasons.

Sample headlines from print ads:

Here are 200 Reasons Why Coldwell Banker Properties is #1

Print ad for: Coldwell Banker

The List of Reasons to Use the Body Journal is Endless. But It Starts Here.

Print ad for: Body Journal

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Try writing your headline from a variety of these approaches. You don't have to narrow your list all the way down to just one headline.

You can always run an A/B test to see which headline is pulling in more consumers. Run one ad in one magazine with your first headline and change the headline for the second magazine.

An easy way to track your A/B test results is by using a different URL in each of the ads. Create two identical pages you want your customers to visit. Put one URL in one ad and the other in the second ad. That way, you'll know exactly which headline is attracting the most customers and generating the most sales for your company.

"Creative" ads

Brand Building vs Promotion

Marketing人要說服老闆花錢賣廣告,很多時都要證明「廣告投資」有回報。但「廣告效益計唔到」的說法卻深入民心,所以老闆們唯有以「不願使,但又不能不使」的心態去做budget。但真正重視brand building的公司,會很「捨得」投資廣告或brand building,原因其實也與回報有關。

Brand building
是長期工作,是長遠投資。不像price promotion,今天出一個報紙廣告,便可能多30%營業額,絕對是「有數得計」。事實上,有些公司甚至將corporate image和追sales的廣告投資分開運作和計算。追sales的廣告以投資回報作planning foundation,用什麼信息,落什麼媒體才最有效,以經驗作調整,希望投資回報率不斷升高。所以大家有時會見到同一個廣告,在不同的報紙會有不同的銷售熱線,或者報紙的coupon會有個media code,以追蹤生意來源自什麼媒體。這種近乎direct marketing的做法,可以有很多變化,有機會再談。

至於brand building,不太熟悉marketingadvertising運作的朋友,很多時都不能掌握如何衡量投資。由於這類廣告投資回報不能量化,很多時有些老闆甚至否定brand building的重要性。Brand building已經不是什麼新概念,而且在外國有很多學術與業界研究,肯定其價值。

Brand building
與「投資回報」有最密切關係的,便是price gap。簡單的說,品牌價值高的產品,可以賣貴DmarginDMarlboroMercedesGucciLevi’sSKIIAdidas等品牌,都是以品牌提升產品價值。歐洲有研究指出,一些倚靠品牌形象銷售的產品,例如deodorants、染髮劑、洋酒等,訂價可以因品牌價值而高61%;即使一些不太倚賴形象作銷售的產品,例如kitchen towelfloor cleaner等,訂價也可以因品牌形象而高38%

Brand building
也不只是針對高檔消費品,其實不同的消費者也會喜愛品牌價值高的產品。年青消費者追求social acceptance,對自我形象很重視,所以brand imagery對他們來說很重要。但較低收入的消費者,卻不代表不會追求名牌產品。相反,他們會更著重brand imagery。雖然現實上他們會購買低價產品,但他們只是have to do so,而非want to do so,他們也需要告訴朋友他們也是sophisticated consumers的。

在經濟低迷時期,做promotion是無可厚非,但忽略brand building,長遠來說始終很難留住消費者,在市場上肯定吃虧。

2009年10月25日

Web 2.0: Obama



奧巴馬大勝,締造歷史。美國的傳媒說奧巴馬是藉web 2.0取得勝利,香港也有政治評論員分析web 2.0的大選現象。無論如何,web 2.0抬頭,在全球最受觸目的政治選舉中發揮了強大力量,廣告人和marketing人絕對不能忽略這個現象,因為web 2.0已殺入品牌宣傳領域,先行的美國開始了各種示範。落後的香港人,在上次立法會選舉也被web 2.0攻陷,造就了黃毓民,梁國雄等高票當選。不同的網民各自將黃毓民扔蕉和大罵任志剛的片段上網,瀏覽率都過10萬。現在立法會議員的精彩發言,有的被放上YouTube,有的放上blog,這些都只是web 2.0的一部分。

美國大選的web 2.0現象,很多也滲入了marketing項目。

YouTube:奧巴馬的演說,片段不計其數,部分更有餘千萬點擊。不錯,是超過一千萬。奧巴馬的勝利宣言,短短兩日已有近200萬點擊率。這個數字marketing人怎可忽視?YouTube為美國大選成立專用頻道(http://www.youtube.com/youchoose),現在電視廣告片放上YouTube已是指定動作,更多有關品牌的片段,都會在自己的網站播放。最明顯是蘋果電腦(http://www.apple.com/),他們的網站除了有電視廣告片,還會有產品發布會的片段。在香港,有些證券發行機構去年開始已在網上發放「評論員分析」,推介冧把,有些甚至在電台上買時段播放。將來連鎖零售店會否發放「抵買情報」?快餐店的代言人會否發表新產品試食會片段?中醫藥產品會否發放精彩的中藥理論短講?大家要拭目以待!

Facebook:除了大家熟悉的friends network,facebook還有「擁躉埋堆」功能。大熱的奧巴馬,有兩百多萬facebook fans,連中國的溫家寶也有6萬多票(facebook在大陸沒有美國般流行),大家可以參考http://www.facebook.com/pages/?browse&ps=151。其實這個功能除了可以埋政治人物堆,marketing經已滲入其中。可口可樂有90多萬fans,http://www.facebook.com/pages/CocaCola/29191256855,facebook上還有很多其他大家熟悉的產品在做marketing!有些宣傳項目,還會寫apps讓人參與,早前海洋公園halloween的campaign,也有facebook app,反應也不錯。

Web Search:今時今日,當大家想了解一件事情,很自然會上網找資料。看資料除了到官方網站,到search engine找找,也可以看到很多相關評論,包括主流媒體的報導,也包括很多個人寫的blog。Search marketing發展狀況已討論過,這裡不多說,總之SEO (Search Engine Optimization)是所有marketing人做website或web program時不會忽略的一環。Web search在美國大選,也發揮了極大的影響力。

在科技日益進步的時代,web 2.0的應用將更方便,更廣泛。iPhone上的application,手機拍片上載video blog,netbook的出現配合3G和wi-fi,上forum上blog寫email都很方便。Web 2.0的應用將會無處不在,那個品牌懂得利用這個板塊,就可以掌握未來消費力最強的一群人,即是現在仍在讀書的各位同學。

請各位努力,將來主宰marketing的人,將會是web 2.0世代的人,而大家就是其中的一份子。

Web 2.0: Mr Laughing

12萬人悼念Laughing哥

突然間,這個星期的娛樂新聞充斥著「Laughing」這個話題。當web 2.0的marketing理論在美國說了很多年之後,奧巴馬才將之發揚光大。太平洋另一端的這個寬頻城市,雖有社民連的熱爆youtube話題,也有幾星期前星期日檔案的「港男港女」節目發酵,令youtube click rate飆升之餘,從傳統電視燒到互聯網,再也漫延回到報章專欄。但是這些「搔不著癢」的web 2.0例子,總讓人覺得這只是傳統傳播在新媒體發揮了力量而已。

當很多marketing人在這些年來嘗試投入網上廣告,總是換來叫人氣餒的反應,大家還是質疑新廣告模式是否適用於香港。海洋公園halloween活動曾經推出過facebook application,參加人數也聲稱超過30萬,但顯然大家也認為這只是網上小玩意,說不上什麼web 2.0 effect。政治議題在網上發酵當然比商業活動容易得多,所以當美國大大小小的評論文章如何吹噓web 2.0總統的年代到了,很多marketing人也不為所動。

但marketing人是時候打醒精神了!因為Laughing哥的出現,證明了一般追電視劇的普羅大眾都經已投入了web 2.0的生活模式。tvb.com在網上組織了劇集的blog和討論區,已經有很不錯的點擊率,加上facebook悼念活動的聲勢,觸發了傳統媒體的報導。這些報導源自普通市民的自發參與,正是web 2.0年代的標記。而這些報導再觸發大眾在私人網誌上的轉載與評論。無綫不是第一天拍電視劇,但從前總是靠電視台的單向宣傳,及以有限度的市場反應去引導輿論。但Laughing的出現,卻展現了真正的雙向交流。由配角變主角不再是無綫高層的行政指令,而是觀眾意見的反射。TVB周刊當然不會放過機會,以「Laughing Forever」作為封面故事。

當新傳播模式從政治走到商營媒體,下一步必定為廣告所用。各位同學上課讀到很多廣告經典案例,都有劃時代意義。由萬寶路牛仔廣告,到7-Up的repositioning,到香港早期的「兩個就夠晒數」等廣告歌,到90年代黎明的MV式電訊廣告,到貝沙灣的豪宅包裝,到iPhone的出現,都是打破既有行銷模式的例子。很大程度上,經典廣告對於marketing人沒有什麼啟發可言,因為跟隨既有的成功模式,最多只會不過不失,卻說不上什麼突破。

正如很多外國評論指出,學術界很期待第一個成功利用web 2.0製造轟動的廣告campaign出現,因為與其閱讀經典,不如體會經典。很多廣告公司和marketing人因budget緊縮而努力「創造奇蹟」,網上廣告的低成本誘因,正給予蘊釀新一個廣告經典前所未有的大量資源。

各位即將畢業的web 2.0世代,marketing正要吸收大家的創意與insight。縱然很多公司都裁員減薪,但只要找到機會發揮,這個行業還是需要了解社會脈搏的新血。請各位同學加油!




http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64826344432
悼念活動正是web 2.0 精神的體現。


網民的「惡搞」式創意,是放大傳播力量的手法之一。

Copywriting in ads

要談廣告,總不能不談文字。Marketing人找廣告公司,很多時都高度重視visual的功力,因為marketing人都是文人,不會影相,不會執相,沒有art director不行。但marketing人很多都兼顧PR工作,文字底子不弱,因此對於廣告文案總是意見多多,很多時更親自操刀。近年,廣告文字以「食字」橫行,並漫延到報章雜誌。

但很多評論都認為,近年的廣告文字力不及雜誌及報章編輯。雜誌封面的誇張標題雖然誇張,但很多時都不得不對執筆編輯佩服得五體投地。原因很簡單,因為封面標題直接影響銷量,所以這些標題有很大的「揹數」壓力。但廣告的標題,往往只是點題。
廣告以concept為主,以visual為主,文字往往是配角。更重要的是廣告公司不會因為一條headline而丟掉生意。

偶然,有些廣告創意以「文字」出發,例如
Bupa的「不怕」(國語)大快活的鑊仔牛柳粒寫成「牛立方」,還拍成廣告片。文字與影象一樣,富有時代感,現在看從前的廣告文案,會有老土的感覺。所以廣告文字創作要靠文字根底與社會觸角,並不能一本通書讀到老,也沒有什麼經典秘笈。

「食字」當然不是唯一招數,中學中文老師有時也會找些
廣告名字作教材,一些神來之筆,盡顯文字功力與創意,例如可口可樂(Coca-cola)、露華濃(Relvon)、養命酒(Yomeshi)等。這些名字都是音義雙全,用字優雅。立法會議員黃毓民的中文根底強,很多政治宣傳口號都比很多廣告文案更出色。「任總坐以袋幣、市民坐以待斃」、「沒有抗爭、哪有改變」、「一路走來、始終如一」、「濟弱扶傾、義無反顧」、「枉尺直尋、都不妥協」等等。特首最新的施政報告,以「群策創新天」為題,被社民連稍改一字,成為「群賊創新天」,為一眾低下階層出了口惡氣,這也是文字力的表現。

古代文人寫詩寫辭,既有意境,亦合平仄,好讀好記動心。現代的填詞人,黃霑也好、林夕也好,也寫了不少膾炙人口的歌詞。這些賞心悅目的文字,很少在廣告出現,廣告人和marketing人不妨思考一下。



Copywriting: Sales Claim

產品要突圍而出,除了靠廣告創意,很多時還會利用各種sales claims。比較常見的聲稱手法有幾種:

Credence claims
:一般指利用專業人士或權威機構為品牌和產品作推介,如牙膏聲稱產品為「最多牙醫選用」,消毒藥水為「最多醫生家庭選用」增加些消費者對產品的信心;

Search claims
:例如某消毒清潔液聲稱其「殺菌量比其他品牌高20%」,藉此讓消費者不用貨比三家;

Experience claims
:聲稱帶出體驗的特色,例如指出「體驗無與倫比」、「香港迪士尼--奇妙旅程」、「毫無睡意」、「全無痛楚」等;

Objective claims
:品牌通常透過第三者或市場研究機構,以客觀數據或資料聲稱其品牌的過人之處;如「HSBC’s No.1 Credit Card in HK」、「全港過百萬人曾經使用」等。

Subjective claims
:主觀的聲稱,通常都是品牌自吹自擂之作;如嘉士伯聲稱自己「可能係世界上最好既啤酒」。

有些同學認為,很多sales claims都不可信,其實廣告利用sales claims手法並無不妥,恰當的claims有利增加消費者的購買意欲,減低消費者的時間成本。但間中也有個別例子受到質疑,例如近日多篇報章指出香港醫院藥劑師學會對市面幾款外國奶粉品牌的宣傳資料作調查,發現有關廣告、包裝及網頁對七種添加劑的claims,均沒有足夠臨床證據支持。奶粉商以添加劑成效作賣點,標榜含什麼DHA、什麼什麼素,有助孩子腦部成長等,究竟時否洽當?

這點有待專業人士解構,但從marketing的角度看,根據世界衞生組織 The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes的指引,奶粉商不容許以六個月以下的嬰兒為對象作任何宣傳。在電視廣告以添加劑成效作賣點吸引母親,姑勿論是否失實,但各大奶粉商的廣告,以generic message為品牌整個系列產品賣廣告,實際上已間接影響了消費者的意識,包括初生嬰兒的媽媽和孕婦。雖然廣告上只出現6個月以上食用的奶粉(即所謂234號奶粉),但初生嬰兒奶粉,即所謂1號奶粉,名字、品牌、包裝設計等與較大嬰兒奶粉,即234號奶粉幾乎相同。試問消費者又怎會分辨廣告產品「只是」 針對234號奶粉,「清醒地」與1號區分。結果是外國調查告訴我們,很多媽媽受廣告影響,認為奶粉比母乳更好。雖然奶粉罐上說明「母乳是嬰兒最好的食物」,但這句話的exposure與廣告message相比,實在相差太遠。

奶粉廣告只是少數例子,市面上各種產品廣告都有不同的sales claims,甚至「移形換影」,很多都是出色marketing手法,能有助銷量,只要不是名不副實,其實很值得各位同學參考學習,大家不妨多加留意。

DM: Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is a sub-discipline and type of marketing. There are two main definitional characteristics which distinguish it from other types of marketing. The first is that it attempts to send its messages directly to consumers, without the use of intervening media. This involves commercial communication (direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing) with consumers or businesses, usually unsolicited. The second characteristic is that it is focused on driving a specific "call-to-action." This aspect of direct marketing involves an emphasis on trackable, measurable positive (but not negative) responses from consumers (known simply as "response" in the industry) regardless of medium.

If the advertisement asks the prospect to take a specific action, for instance call a free phone number or visit a website, then the effort is considered to be direct response advertising.


Benefits and drawbacks

Direct marketing is attractive to many marketers, because in many cases its positive effect (but not negative results) can be measured directly. For example, if a marketer sends out one million solicitations by mail, and ten thousand customers can be tracked as having responded to the promotion, the marketer can say with some confidence that the campaign led directly to the responses. The number of recipients who are offended by the junk mail/spam, however, is not easily measured. By contrast, measurement of other media must often be indirect, since there is no direct response from a consumer. Measurement of results, a fundamental element in successful direct marketing, is explored in greater detail elsewhere in this article. Yet since the start of the Internet-age the challenges of Chief Marketing Officers(CMOs) are tracking direct marketing responses and measuring results.

While many marketers like this form of marketing, some direct marketing efforts using particular media have been criticized for generating unwanted solicitations. For example, direct mail that is irrelevant to the recipient is considered junk mail, and unwanted email messages are considered spam. Some consumers are demanding an end to direct marketing for privacy and environmental reasons,which direct marketers are able to provide by using "opt out" lists, variable printing and more targeted mailing lists.

Many of the world's largest marketing and advertising agencies started off as direct marketing specialist agencies, namely Carlson Marketing, GyroHSR, Proximity and Iris Nation. Due to declining client budgets and the proliferation of audiences, many of these agencies have diversified and expanded to offer "integrated marketing" rather than simply selling DM services. The term “Integrated Marketing” is used by agencies to describe how they sell the complete marketing communications package, covering DM, digital, SP, PR, events and advertising.


[edit]Channels

Some direct marketers also use media such as door hangers, package inserts, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, email, internet banner ads, digital campaigns, pay-per-click ads, billboards, transit ads. And according to Ad Age, "In 2005, U.S. agencies generated more revenue from marketing services (which include direct marketing) than from traditional advertising and media."

DM: Direct Marketing, examples

E-banking promote to save trees

Cut the apple into pieces by the knief

How to choose media?

同學做marketing project,都會提議廣告要在不同的媒體投放,在功課上會有很多假設,從課本上抄來很多理論,大都有板有眼。但同學們假若能在策略上注入多些現實元素,就更加理想。

很多advertising project,同學們二話不說便會建議使用電視,既大路又好玩,還可以度storyboard。但現實上,電視是很貴的媒體,貴不只於TVB收得貴,更要考慮廣告片的製作費。大品牌的一個基本TV burst,在TVB播放閒閒地都要過百萬,製作費也需數十萬。同學們有時引述的「宣傳易」88套餐,是另類電視廣告,不能與在黃金時間播放的廣告相提並論。不過近年收費電視掘起,在有線電視和now TV落廣告,108萬都有交易,同學們也都掌握得到。但問題是製作費和媒體費用的比例,若製作費比重太高,便變得不太合理。一般可以3:7作參考。

至於同學們都很熟悉的internet,很多idea其實都很可取,甚至比起很多media agency的建議還要好,只欠測試機會。但internet廣告有一點,可以將未經實驗的media plan變得較有說服力,那便是optimization。即是在建議投放不同的媒體和創意時,加入「以變應變」的策略,早有幾手準備,然後按效果和效率,作出適當的變動,那麼什麼出奇創新的意念,都值得一試。

金融海嘯後,同學們都留意到很多戶外廣告牌丟空,大家善用是很明智的做法。但戶外廣告板的弱點是覆蓋,包括巴士站和電車站的廣告牌。但同學們若想投放戶外廣告,其實還有很多選擇,例如港鐵,一些廣告位可購買套餐,覆蓋很多車站,價錢亦不算貴。還有巴士車身,覆蓋全港,也是很多中小型品牌的選擇。戶外廣告除了平面,還有電視,巴士和地鐵都有電視,東鐵和西鐵更有即時有線新聞,很多乘客都會收看。這些戶外媒體,費用也不算高。

有時候,同學們還會建議一些較冷門的媒體,配合年青人的非凡創意,偶有神來之筆。電台廣告可以很破格,難得有些同學還會想到用DM,一樣可以發揮創意,也有同學會追上潮流,在facebook、手提電話等地方入手。同學做project,只要花多一點創意,做多一點研究和調查,便不用硬崩崩的電視+報紙+雜誌了。

畢業後工作,同學們還得調整心理,因為現實環境還有很多書本上沒法學到的選擇媒體準則,包括實際預算、TV commitment、內部同事要求、老闆喜好等,還有千變萬化的媒體議價角力,加上製作費和material deadline等,都會影響最終的媒體決擇。