This paper is formulated to identify the impact of advertisers attempt influencing over a group of people. Among different methods of segmentation, targeting and the positioning alternatives this paper attempted to cover most of them to generate an overall understanding about group influence. Apart from the conventional system the paper also covers the influence of the reference group, celebrities, and brand ambassador and advertisers strategy to use them for the brand positioning.
As it is understood that communication is an important tool to promote the product to the target market segment, most of the marketers tries innovative approach towards its marketing communication. (Bruce David Keillor, 2007) Being understood the promotion as an effective tool to communicate the product it became a part of the traditional marketing mix. Among the popular marketing tools advertising is also considered as a requirement for the international marketers. This promotional tool become so famous that it is now been favored by most of the international marketers and advertisers.
Before communicating any message toward any targeted customer segment; the advertisers conducts researches about the culture, to some extent subculture. This is because; Culture is in the core of the external influences determining the saving and spending pattern of any particular segment. It helps advertiser to identify the morals, art, belief, knowledge, taste, custom to determine the consumer behavior of any market segment. Again, due to the globalization the customer segmentation are becoming more diverse as well as fragmented as the cultural blending is taking place.
Promotion is now a vital part in the marketing mix as it adds value to the products or services influencing the buying behavior. The promotional activities help the companies to communicate the message toward the target segment. To attract the existing and potential customers the individuals business houses engage their effort in different types of advertising using maximum numbers of effective media with appealing messages towards the market segments. For instance, sometimes companies introduce different promotional packages i. e buy one get one free, holiday package are some of the mostly common promotional offers. (William J. Stanton, 1984)
As it is understood that the awareness programme may vary along with the nature of the products, the marketers also promote the product where awareness plays a vital role. In the promotion section the intension of the marketers is to increase the customer awareness where they lead the customers to feel to possess individual products. The awareness programme may also vary depending on the nature of the industry. In some industry promotions are required at a continuous basis where in some other industry it may be done periodically. Marketers can target to encourage habitual purchase for some products. The process can be referred to the three phase model as follows:
Perception means the understanding of the receivers or the consumers against each message originated by the advertisers. The perception of every individual varies along with the experience, knowledge and other filters. The perception may be linked with the post purchase behavior or motivational need. The delivered message of the advertisers may influence the consumer’s perception and guide them to purchase. As perception is an important issue the advertisers use all possible ways to make the message to be heard and to be understood by the target market. This can be maintained by introducing selective attention, perception and retention. Where selective attention is to gain the attention of the target customers for the particular purpose and selective perception is the expected sense in the customers mind in response to the advertisement and the selective retention is the process of recalling the product after any specific ads. These can be obtained by the use and re enforcement of symbolism. (Marieke K. de Mooij , 2010)
Newspapers: The most conventional way, still popular, advertisement in the newspaper most of the population read them at some time helping the advertisement the capability to reach a wide audience. For instance the advertisements of ‘ lucozade sports’ in the Daily Mirror is printed targeting the sporting readers pursue to buys the drink due to its established brand name and having successful history along with successful sports people featured in the paper.
Other Carrier Bags: Lately the carrier bags are becoming popular media for advertisements as they are used by numbers of shoppers. The carrier bags mostly contains the name of the shop. For instance: 25% of all walker crisps. This mode of advertisement is more effective to influence the consumers for purchasing the consumer goods.
Television: Another effective way to advertise the product which reaches numbers of audiences when it is made in a meaningful, entertaining and glamorous manner. As there are numbers of TV channels are available it becomes more effective to communicate with different segment at the same time.
Radio: Unlike the TV the radio advertisement requires the emphasis on the equality of the representation of the products through voice disregarding the body language. Radio is also a popular way which is comparatively cheaper than TV, still having numbers of channels which is helpful to reach diverse market segment.
Cinema: As cinema a popular media of entertainment many marketers or advertisers prefer to use its popularity. Mostly the local consumer products are advertised in Cinema. The advertisements usually shown in the cinemas are of foods and drinks usually high in sugar and fat for example ice- cream, popcorn or fizzy drinks. Some of these foods can be purchased in the cinema premises.
Vehicles: Advertising through the transportation vehicles is very effective as it can help to promote the product to diverse numbers of corners of the localities, cities, and countries. Now a days apart from the consumer products, products from other industries are also promoted through vehicle.
Still the marketers identified shop window display, Mail Slots, Magazines, Exhibitions and Demonstrations, Internet as an effective media to reach their customers apart from the above mentioned media. Furthermore the companies offer free sample to let the consumers try the products and after evaluating the performance they may go for the final purchase.
Brand Positioning:
The marketing and advertising trend across the world product experience and every single initiative are targeted towards their customers to establish a position in their mind. Apart from the advertisement the advertisers initiates some product campaign so that s/he can secure his or her products well positioned means the advertisement is one of the instruments of positioning strategy.
Understanding the influence of the reference group over the fan, followers the marketers become aware of their usefulness in terms of advertising a products and services towards their market segment. So the term ‘ Brand Ambassador’ becomes so famous these days. Though the brand ambassador is an individual to represent an organization that most excellent expose the service, product and of the organization. But the current trend is a brand ambassador is a renowned individual or a celebrity who is used to uphold and promote a service or product.
Brand is a product’s positioning with unique identity of the product, service or the business itself. The advertisers are keen to establish their brand name, symbol in the customer’s mind. If the marketer don’t want to create any image still that will be implicitly created in the customers mind. Understanding the importance of the branding the advertisers are using the top celebrities or rock star to promote the brand towards the target customers. For instance, Chanel is using Keira Knightley as its brand ambassador. These brand ambassadors are being used to establish the brand image in the consumers mind. But apart from that the employees of the company and the existing users are the brand ambassadors of every company as they are directly representing the products or can explain product experience to the surrounding people. (Kenneth E. Clow , 2007)
Use of Reference Group:
A reference group is the individual that intends to use as a secure point to examine his/her self viewpoints and outlooks. Any individual may or may not a member and inspire to become a member in a particular reference group; still may have a severe influence over one’s behavior patterns, attitudes, opinions or values. The reference group may be positive or negative. The positive reference group is the individual patterns his or her own beliefs and behavior to be harmonious with those of the group where negative reference group is just as significant. The political party, sorority, labor union, the church are examples of both the reference group for any individual.
Depending on the degree of influences the reference groups are divided into two broader parts. Primary (member of a sorority) having the severe influence on every individual in the group and secondary (member of a boating club) having less influence on the members.
While using different media the marketers try to communicate their message in an interesting manner so that the customers feel the in need of the product. To do that they use creative, or use reference group to initiate the appeal in the customers mind. As the reference group plays an important role in the target market, it is observed that in the current promotional trend the celebrities are being used in most of the product in the market. Most importantly by the use of the reference group the communication become very easy as the target segments become very positive toward the advertisement as it is showing their favorite artists, players or models. It is a ‘ point of reference’ to identify anyone’s own judgments, behavior, preference and belief. The size of any reference group may vary from a single individual to a large number of people for instance religious institutions, political parties. (Paul B. Paulus)
Conclusion
Communication is a must for the success of any business organization and important factor to achieve the company objectives. (Lee Froschheiser) The advertisers are in a mission to enable their products or services to take place in the mind of the target segment. To do that, the marketers formulate the appropriate communicating message for the segment or segments. After successful formulation of the communicating message the marketers try to use the most effective media to reach the existing and the potential customers so that the customers pursue conducting the purchase. As the competition is rising due to the globalization of the market and trade liberalization, the advertisers are bringing innovative ideas to motivate the target market.
