Executive Summary
Black-and-Decker Company is repositioning itself in the United Arab Emirates market. The company deals with electrical gadgets that include drilling machines, vacuum cleaners, cooking machines, and lawn mowers. With increased competition for the UAE market by the providers of electrical equipment that have flooded the market, the company must look for ways in which to position its products in the market in order to beat the competition and be the market leader of electrical appliances in UAE. This research will look into the shortcomings and the weakness of the current Black and Decker products advertised in the UAE market.
The UAE market is certainly different from most of the markets of Black and Decker such as United States and United Kingdom that are some of the most predominant markets of Black and Decker. The research will discuss the situational analysis of the market in the UAE and communication objectives that will suit the market. The research will look into the most effective communication strategy for the company by designing a creative brief for the company that will formulate the market strategies in the UAE. The integrated marketing communication design will cater for the broadcast media, the print media, and direct sales.
The research will focus on how the company will incorporate public relations in its marketing communications to position the product successfully in the mind of most of the consumers. This will involve the use of new media in UAE to reach the polarized consumers in the country. In addition, the research will look into the application of ethics in the marketing campaign to ensure that the campaign is ethical and produces the desired results to both the consumer and the company. The research is from the perspective of a marketing communication agency looking for ways to assist Black and Decker to penetrate the UAE market using its marketing communications strategies.
Introduction
The brand position is the association that the customers and the public have concerning a company and its products. The brand position comes about because of five elements that are the brand position, the personality of the brand, the promise of the brand, the story of the brand and the associations of the brand. The research looks into the various ways in which the brand may be positioned in the market using integrated marketing communication plans. The integrated marketing is a comprehensive form of marketing and it expounds on how to position the brand in order to have increased sales volume and brand awareness.
The integrated marketing communications looks into how sales promotion strategies, advertising, public relations, as well as the customer service may integrate and provide a result oriented marketing in a cost effective way.
Evaluation of the current IMC Plan
Black and Decker is a US based company that specializes in the production and sales of electrical tools and accessories. Other than that, it manufactures home appliances and garden equipment. In the recent years, its gross sales in the United States and the United Kingdom have been on the decline mainly due to the decline of the housing industry in the United States and in UK, which are the major markets for the tools and home appliances. The decline in sales volume in America led the company to venture into the emerging markets, which are not doing badly. One of the countries where the country has a niche for itself is the United Arab Emirates where the company is one of the most prominent companies in the sale of home appliances. However, increased competition from the Bosch Company has been a challenge (Bradley, 2010).
The current marketing communication in UAE is ineffective for a number of reasons, the first one being the fact that some of the products promoted by the company do not identify with the locals. Lawn mower may have their market in UK and in the US but not in UAE where the larger part of the country is a desert and not many of the homes have grass lawns. However, other home appliances such as vacuum cleaners, microwaves, and drillers have a market in the UAE. The company must therefore have a marketing campaign focusing on home appliances more than the power accessories.
The second weakness of the current marketing communication is that they it is not effective to place the brand as a market leader in the country as there is stiff competition from companies such as Makita, which have rigorous marketing campaigns for their products in the market. In the marketing campaign, the company must look for ways of increasing awareness for their products through well-planned advertising that considers the demographics of the target market. The current marketing messages are general and they do not target a specific market. The messages must have a target audience for them to be effective (Bradley, 2010).
The current marketing campaign focuses on a limited marketing communication strategy especially direct marketing using the retailers. However, the new marketing campaign will use different marketing strategies such as target advertising using popular channels. Public relations will form part of the communication strategies as well as online advertising. The marketing strategy will seek to establish the Black and Decker as a major home appliance brand in the UAE.
The new market campaign must focus on how to incorporate messages and images that the local people will relate. The market campaign must focus on the products that will meet the current needs of the consumers in UAE. The messages must be specific and focusing on a specific market. The housing industry is one of the robust industries in the UAE mainly due to the increased expatriate middle class population in the country. The messages must focus on this group of individuals. When formulating the messages the cultural values of the people in UAE are an important consideration otherwise the messages communicated will not have the desired effect. The values of the society are necessary to create the actual target audience and reach out the prospective buyers.
The new market strategy will also look into the ways of formulating the company’s image, which is an imperative part of brand positioning. The new strategies will consider the issue of ethics in marketing the product to create a trusted brand in the country.
Situational Analysis
The situation analysis looks into the consumer behaviors in a world that is not predictable. The consumer of the home appliances are the new and the existing homeowners in the United Arab Emirates. The quest for home ownership in the United Arab Emirates is on the rise currently for a number of reasons. The first one being that there is an increase in the expatriates working in the country who are earning high levels of income and they are looking for a nice home.
These are the target markets of the product. When it comes to the target market for the home appliance the major market are women as they are the one who use the appliances and are likely to describe an effective home product. The research from various studies shows that women in UAE, especially the local citizens are the ones who are responsible for the decisions on home appliances. With this kind of information, targeting women is imperative (Bradley, 2010).
The other aspect of marketing which is imperative in the field is that of assessing the competitors advertising in the market. One of the most aggressive competitors in the market is the DeWitt and Bosch for the Power accessories and home appliances. However, the competitors focus more on the power accessories rather than the home appliances. Cutting a niche in the market as the supplier and the appropriate manufacturer of home appliances such as electric cookers, electric fans will provide an edge to the company’s position in the market (Bradley, 2010).
The other major situational analysis is the fact that most of the people in the UAE have high levels of disposable income. Most of the households have high disposable income, both the local and the expatriate population mainly due to the many upcoming multinationals and the oil production levels of the country. The UAE is also a major tourist destination and has transit cities such as Dubai, which serve as a major international market. Positioning products and services in this market will therefore serve as a major step for the company towards globalization (Bradley, 2010).
In a survey conducted by Consumer Insight to describe what most customers, buy when looking for home appliances most of the respondents indicated that they only buy products that make their work easier (Bradley, 2010). They also look for products that are of higher quality. Others especially women looked for home appliances that would last longer and receive appreciation from their peers. This means that the company must strategize to provide products that are of higher quality to meet the needs and expectations of the customers in terms of quality (Clow, 2007).
When analyzing the customer demographics, looking into their favorite media services will go a long way in ensuring that the company has appropriate channels to reach out the target market. Most of the young homeowners have a link to the internet and they use it several times a day. They are on face book, and other social media sites. They have cable television and subscribe to home magazines especially those, which deal with home decorations. This enables the marketing agency to look for the appropriate media to reach out the prospective buyers (Balmer, 2003).
Brand Positioning
This is how the current brand is faring in the market and how the existing and potential customers perceive it. The black and Decker is relatively new in the UAE market and few people are aware of it. The need to create a popular brand in the market other than the Makita power accessories brand, which is the current competitor of the UAE home appliances and accessories market calls for a different form of brand positioning.
When positioning the brand it is important to create messages that will last long. In considering that the company is a new entrant in the UAE market it is important to ensure that the company creates a brand that is appropriate for the market.
Before creating the desired brand, assessing the current brand position is important. The current brand positioning refers to how the current users and the public view the Black and Decker appliances. It refers to the associations that the customers have in the brand. The associations differ as per the brand and may be cultural or social. The associations and the current brand positioning come about by conducting surveys and focus group that give information on the perceptions that they have concerning the brand. The information may depict the company positively or negatively. Knowing the perceptions on the brand, associations, the feelings, and images evoked by the brand enables the marketing communication agency to strategize on how to build a new brand or how to create new and desired brand perceptions. The perceptions also refer to the brand image (Bendiger, 1999).
The first brand image derived from the market is that it is a renowned producer of home appliances. Most of the people can name at least one appliance made by Black and Decker Company. This shows that the brand already has position in the market as provider of home appliances. However, most of the people are unaware of some of the Power accessories and electrical equipment made by the company. The company products are easy to handle as described by the users who see the appliances as less complicated compared with appliances from other manufacturers. The brand is however perceived to be of lower quality by many people especially those who have never used it.
The brand positioned as of higher quality is the Dewitt Company. The other issue is that the company is perceived to be foreign than local and some prospective customers feel that using the product would not benefit their country especially because the local subsidiary does not engage in any visible marketing corporate social responsibility. Many people do not perceive the brand as a home oriented brand therefore many women do not associate the brand with family or home (Chris, 2001).
Creative Strategy and Tactics
After identifying the brand position in the market, the next step is formulating a strategy on how to position the brand such that it will meet the desired objectives. The marketing communication strategies to position the desired brand in the market are as follows. First, there must be awareness about the brand using different forms of media to reach out the target market. In this case, the target market is the homeowners especially women who make the decision of buying the home appliances. Formulating strategies of reaching out this demographic is imperative (Balmer, 2003).
In formulating the marketing communication strategy, one must consider the objectives of creating the promised brand. The next step after creating awareness is to look for images that would convey a proper message to the market as this would ensure that most of the images used have good design and that the messages communicated to the audiences create the intended meaning. The messages must be honest to match the customers’ expectation and the product capabilities.
In creating the desired brand, the following actions are important. First, the messages must increase awareness of the brand. The brand will improve with time and it will ensure that there is appropriate responsibility to assist the brand in raising interest from the customers. In creating the awareness, the brand must first get the attention of the people. Drafting a good script that relates with the cultural values and needs of the UAE society will be a step forward in getting the public interested (Bendiger, 1999).
The following are strategies, which the company will use to formulate messages that would brand the company and position it as a home appliances company of choice for women in the United Arab Emirates. Having known the current brand position and the need for a new brand, the creative strategies, and tactics are ways that will communicate the desired messages to the potential customers to elicit their interest in the product. The creative strategies are the ways in which the messages will reach out the potential customers and make them loyal.
The first creative strategy is that of formulating the big idea. This is the manner of presenting the messages to match the desired response. The big ideas come through presenting the product’s benefits to the public. Black and Decker must present benefits of using their air conditioners. The major benefit is that of customizable room temperatures in the house unlike in houses that do not have air conditioners.
Creating the unique value proposition of the product is an imperative creative strategy of selling the air conditioners in the United Arab Emirates. Easy to use fan that is customizable is a unique selling strategy. However, for products which have high level of completion like most of the home appliances and power tools there is no major unique proposition. This tactic may not work effectively in UAE (Chris, 2001).
Use of values is another tactic worth employing when creating advertizing strategies. Values have stronger appeal than most of the other strategies as they relate with the customers socially and culturally. Having a product that promotes a certain value or a case in the society is a major marketing approach. In the case of the Black and Decker Company, having products whose value proposition engage in charity through donations will complement the company’s public relation and corporate social responsibility activities.
Making the company an advocate of women in the society by promoting courses for women in the United Arab Emirates especially those, which are not in conflict with traditions and the culture of that society, is a major step forward. Black and Decker will act as a champion of women courses such as education and motherhood. Since most of the users of Black and Decker products are women, appealing them is imperative (Chris, 2001).
The other tactic is that of using a preemptive claim. This is a statement usually derived from the product’s benefit or user proposition to give an impression of the advantages of the product. When advertizing the product it is important to have the user proposition in place to create awareness about the product’s benefits. In the case of black and Decker in UAE, the appropriate preemptive claim to market the product is “Black and Decker appliances, the tools that give you comfort at home.” This statement is general but it will serve the role of reminding the potential customers of the benefits of having Black and Decker home appliances in their homes (Bendinger, 1999).
The other strategy is that of using aspiration. Everyone has aspirations of having a better life. Use of aspiration applies to less differentiated products to make them look unique. This is done through linking the brand or the product to a better and promising lifestyle. Black and Decker shall use this strategy by showing an Emir or a prominent person in UAE using the Black and Decker home appliances. This link will certainly send a message to the viewers of the message in UAE.
Use of personalities to promote the product is an important tactic in communicating promotional messages. This is especially through a respected opinion maker in the society who uses the product. Use of celebrities among UAE locals will certainly go a long way in promoting the company. However, when assigning particular celebrities the opportunity it is imperative to investigate their influence on what they are associated with and which audience they influence most (Bendinger, 1999).
Using the feel good tactic will apply when positioning the brand in the UAE market. This usually employs positive emotions such as happiness, friendship, and trust to attract the customers. Black and Decker in the UAE will use this approach in the commercial adverts on radio and television. The most appropriate feel good tactic is the use of soothing and attractive music. Brain stores music faster than any other type of message. Using music to attract audience and when making the preemptive statements will certainly go a long way in promoting the brand (Bendinger, 1999).
Use of hype or high pressure messages will also apply in Black and Decker creative strategy. This is where the company uses strong visuals and attractive colors to grab the attention of the public making the ordinary look extraordinary. Hype usually works together with other sales promotions strategy such as use of lottery and discounts to boost sales. Black and Decker will use attractive colors especially when advertising in the print media.
Use of role reversal tactic will also apply in branding the company. This refers to situation where the young people become wise and women play roles usually associated with men. This will especially apply in advertising home appliances showing women operating lawn mowers and air conditioners to show that it is possible for women to handle the tools made by Black and Decker Company.
To position the brand the company will also engage the use of testimonials in its advertising. Testimonials are messages of success from people who have used the products or a trusted mechanic or engineer describing the quality of the Black and Decker products. In a country where quality is imperative than the price providing testimonials on the quality of the product will go along way in ensuring that the product is successful in the market. Use of pictures depicting people using the products will also be important in convincing the potential customers of the benefits of using the products (Chris, 2001).
The other strategy is the use of stories to promote the brand. Stories are usually dramatized aspects of day-to-day life depicting the challenges encountered and how the product serves to solve the problem. In the case of Black and Decker home appliances, dramatizing a story on how it sometimes becomes hot in the home or in the office making it hard to work or stay in the house comfortably will certainly appeal many people who have experienced the extreme weather conditions. Providing the Black and Decker fans and air conditioners as the solution to that problem will promote the sales of the products in the country. Stories are effective when the users can identify with the story. The taglines messages must be simple such that they are easy to remember (Bendinger, 1999).
To make the stories effective it is imperative to ensure that they are repeated severally to have the intended impact. Repetition is part of the creative strategy of branding the company, as without repetition the prospects are likely to forget or dismiss the messages. Having easy to remember propositions, using of celebrities and opinion makers to promote the product, as well as ensuring that the messages are attractive are important ways of creating the necessary messages (Drucker, 1974)
The creative tactics also involve making a choice on the appeal to use in each media. In print media, the company will use detailed testimonials and attractive pictures of the products. For television, using audiovisual messages that are appealing through drama will be effective. In the case of radio, using the musicals and preemptive statements will certainly position the company positively in the mind of the listeners. For the magazines, use of pompous colors to attract the readers will yield positive results for this media. The online social media on the other hand may use a combination of various strategies where the video and commercial adverts will go to face book and you tube while the selling propositions will be in web directory adverts. Billboards and coupons with hype messages on discounts will serve the purpose of creating the hype (Chris, 2001).
Creating the strategy of communicating to the prospective buyers involves telling the customers clearly, what is there for them in order to arouse their interest. The strategy will aim to communicate the advantages of having the products at home. Showing how the products make the home better would deliver the intended result. The need to create messages such that they will arouse an intense desire in the mind of prospective customers will serve as a major part of the creative strategy (Chris, 2001).
Messages of print and other graphics must portray the benefits of the product on how they simplify life at home. An air conditioned cool house using the Black and Decker fans will certainly arouse desire for those who would want to air condition their houses. After arousing the desire, the next step will be that of arousing the prospective customers to take action in order to benefit from the products provided by Black and Decker. In scripting, the part of the script that makes the customer to take action is including the details of where the product is available as well as including deadlines on offers and discounts. This will serve to prompt the customer to take action in order to have the product (Balmer, 2003).
The Response Model and Communication Objectives
Having analyzed the domestic market in UAE and its demographics in terms of earnings and expectations on the home appliances the next step is setting the communication objectives of the intended marketing campaign. The communication objectives assist in assessing the success of the marketing strategies. The communication objectives are usually designed by the company executives to ensure that they are in line with what they expect from the integrated marketing campaign. The first objective is to increase the sales volume of the Black and Decker Company in UAE. The second objective of this marketing campaign is to position the brand in the UAE market as a choice brand for women by ensuring that it is brand choice for women homeowners (Bradley, 2010).
The other objective of the marketing campaign is to position the brand to make it quality oriented. Quality is valued in the UAE more than the price and positioning the brand as a provider of home solution appliances will serve a major purpose. The marketing campaign must position the brand as home oriented in terms of making work at home easier hence creating comfort at home. Placing the brand in such a manner would have a positive impact on the brand. Although the price is not a major factor, being the leader in terms of making the products affordable is also a major factor in promoting the brand. Creating awareness of the product in the market is another major strategy of making the product more competitive. The awareness is imperative, as it positions the product in the market as market leader. With the objectives in place, creating the desired brand is easy (Drucker, 1974).
Measuring Effectiveness of the Promotions Messages
The following results will be the means of assessing the impact of the promotional messages to the target market. The first result of successful promotional messages is that they increase consumer awareness of the product. When this has increased by a huge margin then the promotional messages will have achieved the desired results. The awareness is a major result because it means that the messages distributed get the attention of the public or the audiences.
In the modern age, there are huge amounts of information such that the brain works to restrict unnecessary information (Chris, 2001). Drafting the messages such that many people do not reject them is certainly a good step forward. The other procedure of assessing the impact of the promotional messages is an increased sales volume. When the messages communicate the benefits of the products effectively, the result is that people will want to have the products. The best way of assessing the impact of the messages is increased sales volume (Balmer, 2003).
The other way of identifying the effectiveness of the promotional messages is when the marketing communication activities have placed the brand in the mind of the customers with the right mental positioning. This is when the brand is perceived as per the company’s objectives. In case of the Black and Decker Company appliances, the desired mental positioning is that of positioning the brand as of high quality. The second desired mental positioning is that of having the brand as one which is home oriented by giving the customers advantages when using the appliances at home. The brand must also take position as the woman’s choice of appliance (Balmer, 2003).
Social media provides a platform for measuring the effectiveness of the promotional messages dispatched to the audiences. The promotional messages are such that they create awareness concerning the company’s activities. The comment section provided in the social sites allows the customer and the public to make commentaries on what they think about the product. Assessing the commentaries on such forums makes it easy to know how the brand is faring in the market and the area where the marketing communications requires improvement (Bendiger, 1999).
Media Planning and Budgeting
For the messages to reach out the desired targeted audiences they must use particular channel of communication. Planning on the channels to use ensures that the plan is cost effective and the type of media used to reach out the consumers will be effective (Drucker, 1974). From the situational analysis discussed above, most of the homeowners have cable television connections. They also indicated that they subscribe to home magazines that educate on how to make the home better. They also have internet connections and they use them to interconnect with people using the social media (Chris, 2001).
Media planning therefore involves designing appropriate messages for each of the channels. In the case of Black and Decker there are some messages, which go through the television cables especially audiovisual messages on how to use the home appliances to decorate, home and bring out the best image in those homes. The other channel is that of home subscription magazines. The company will advertise in those magazines to reach out the current and potential homeowners who are looking for ways of decorating their homes and making them more comfortable.
Due to the online availability of most of the people in the country, the company will use social media to advertise and create awareness about its products. Apart from advertising in social media, the company will have messages for the mainstream newspapers to publicize its social corporate activities as well as promoting its products.
Having made a decision on the kind of appropriate media to use in conveying the message to the target market, the other step will be preparing a marketing communication budget to cater for the marketing communication activities. This ensures that the methods used to reach the customers are affordable for the company. It also ensures that the company does not overspend its resources in its marketing promotions. It must therefore be proportional to revenues generated by the company.
Broadcast Media
The involvement of broadcast media especially radio and television will certainly ensure progress of the marketing communication of the Black and Decker Company. The role played by radio and television in the integrated marketing communication is that of creating awareness about the Black and Decker as a provider of home appliances. Previous marketing campaigns focused on the company as a provider of power accessories equipment but this awareness will focus more on home appliances such as heating fans, air conditioners, cookers, and cutleries. The radio and television are some of the most influential media mainly because many people watch either television or listen to radio. However, due to the many advertisements that go on in the mainstream televisions attention of the target audience is a challenging task. The messages must be catchy such that they get the attention of the customers. When the messages are catchy, they induce interest of the viewers. The radio and television scripts must also relate with the local people in UAE to get their attention. For radio, using an attractive piece of music will certainly go a long way in ensuring that the messages formulated attract the target market. Twenty per cent of the budget will cater for the broadcast media communication.
Print Media
Using the targeted magazines to reach out the target audience will be an important strategy, which is cheap and will yield results. This involves preparing and advertising magazines for the Black and Decker adverts. The advertising will focus on home appliances that suit various families. To reach out the new market and position itself as a provider of home appliances the company must have an offer to the customers. The company must have home appliances that are affordable to the new homeowners and attractive to women. Preferably, the products offered to the family should be cheaper than what the competitors offer (Chris, 2001).
As part of the short-term strategy, the company needs to advertise in some targeted magazine subscriptions. These are magazines, which have a defined target market and the members subscribed to them pay attention or have an interest in the information contained therein. The interest of the information is particularly important in the sense that it is easier to arouse the desire of an interested prospect (Bendiger, 1999).
Other than the subscription magazines, the company will advertise in mainstream newspapers that is, newspapers intended for general readership. The main aim of advertising in these newspapers will be to promote the company’s activities especially social corporate activities. The newspapers are good due to their wide audience and that they reach out a large number of people compared to the subscription magazines. Twenty per cent of the marketing communication budget will go to the print media communications.
Sales Promotion
Sales promotion is another major aspect of marketing communication to position the Black and Decker home appliances in the UAE market. Considering that the product is new in this market sales promotion will be a critical strategy to design. There are sales promotions strategies that increase sales volume after increasing customer awareness. The company uses retail stores to sell the products and giving discounts on the products sold in the stores would certainly attract the customers. However, while this strategy may work in other countries effectively it may not work effectively in UAE where most of the customers are concerned with the quality more than the price. Promoting the product by offering quality guarantee through extended warranty period will certainly attract most of the customers. Providing high quality services is imperative in sales promotions (Bendiger, 1999).
In sales promotions, giving offers on some of the products will also apply. The purpose of sales promotions is to increase sales of the products. Sales promotion may involve holding demonstrations in the stores to portray to the customers how the appliances are used and the advantages of using them. Activities such as end of the year sales discounts will go a long way in boosting sales in the market (Bendiger, 1999).
Selling is not the only aim of marketing, retaining the customer is also a major objective of the sales promotions. In maintaining customers introducing loyalty reward program where a customer earn bonus points or a gift after making purchases of a certain value may promote sales immensely. This makes the customers feel appreciated for their work. In the previous study, we found out that most of the customers who buy home appliances are women and having rewards that will suit them would attract even more women to make the purchases.
In sales promotions, having cash prize lottery where customers and anyone who buys the products participates in a lottery to win a prize will not only create publicity for the product but will also be a good promotional strategy that will yield the desired results.
Good customer service is also a sales promotional strategy that will go a long way in promoting sales. Many people like to be treated well and to be appreciated. Having a customer care department to deal with the complaints that arise from transactions going on will be a major step in boosting the company’s image and promoting the sales made by the company. Creating a good image starts with the manner in which the company’s employees treat their customers. Treating customers positively will enhance the image of the company.
In effort to building, a good image of the organization introducing uniform for the company’s staff will also go a long way in marketing the company. The uniforms are identity of the company. The uniforms should be in such a way that they match with the colors and logos of the company. The uniforms position the company as an organized company. Ten percent of the budget will go into sales promotions to give out brochures and staff uniforms and customer care activities.
Direct Marketing
The other integrated marketing strategy that is important for the company is direct marketing. The direct marketing involves going to the potential customers directly and giving them messages about the brand. Direct marketing involves ensuring having brochures and mailing lists for people who are likely to be prospects of home appliances as well as homeowners. Direct marketing is even more appropriate in consideration of the fact that the organization requires to reach out the people directly especially in situations where the competition is very aggressive. Direct marketing will involve a team of marketers distributing flyers and t-shirts bearing the company’s mails and logos.
In consideration of the fact that the company is a new entrant in the UAE market direct marketing will be an appropriate approach to promote the company. Black and Decker will use retail shop distribution as part of direct marketing activity. In the retail shop, the company will provide fliers and brochures with details of the prices and the company’s profile. Direct marketing will involve holding demonstrations to show people how to use the appliances.
In direct marketing, the company will give coupons indicating the discounts and the price services in the area of the company where they need to create appropriate strategies. The company will spend ten percent of the budget in direct marketing.
Public Relations
Public relations are a major part of integrated marketing communications. The public relations activities incorporate a number of activities that provide a marketing platform of the company’s brand. The first public relations activity that Black and Decker Company must engage in is that of corporate social responsibilities. The responsibilities such as promoting a certain course will be an important branding and creating a positive image of the company. The fact that the company deals with home appliances, sponsoring home events would certainly boost the company’s image.
As part of public relations, press releases to give details of the company’s corporate responsibilities such as donations made by the company will position the company positively in the mind of the public. In the current brand, the company is perceived as foreign and has little or no local attachments. Making the company local through community activities such as sponsoring sports and engaging in charity works will make it possible for most people to identify with the company. The social corporate activities serve as a good platform for the company to engage in its sales promotion activities. Integrating public relations as a major part of the company marketing communications is cost effective, and provides the desired branding results (Clow, 2007).
Sponsoring women club activities will also go a long way in positioning the brand as a choice appliance for women. The public relations activities must enable the prospective buyers of the home appliances to identify with women through women activities sponsorship. Customer care is a part of public relations. How the company treats its prospects and the existing customers gives the image of the organization. Ten per cent of the marketing communications budget will cater for the organizations public relations.
Internet Marketing
The online marketing and use of social media as a platform for marketing communication is imperative. With most of the people interconnected through the social networks, it is crucial that the company seeks publicity of its events through the social media. Social media is less costly compared with other forms of media and using it to publicize the brand would results in positive publicity. It also ensures that the market has information on any new development (Brandley, 2010).
The need to keep on communicating every now and then, as part of branding strategies and a way of getting into the mind of the audiences by use of the social media is advantageous. In the case of Black and Decker, the company will use face book pages to promote its brand. Advertising on social media directed to people who own homes and are working may be a good strategy of reaching out the target market. This is because most of the social media sites provide adverts as per the demographics that one wants to reach out. The demography of this advertising is interesting as it reaches out a huge number of people wherever they are.
The targeted advertising also creates awareness to people who were previously ignorant of the services and have an interest in them. The social media incorporates sending out videos via face book depicting the products offered and how to use those home appliances (Clow, 2007).
The social media also provides forums where users of the product may share their views on the home appliances and their complaints. This information assists the company to gauge the brand perception and instances of improving the products to suit the needs of the customers. It also markets the company through positive comments and compliments offered through the social media and serve as testimonials of the company’s products (Chris, 2010).
Other than use of social media, advertising in other websites such as the home and office directories will certainly increase the company’s prospects of having more clients (Chris, 2001). There are websites that provide information on home appliances and home decorations. Advertising in such websites will be an added advantage to the company as they provide awareness of the company’s activities to the target market. This is because users of such websites usually have an interest in decorating their homes and making their homes better. Ten percent of the advertizing budget will go to the social media advertising activities by subscribing to pay per click services.
Ethical and Social Issues
In integrated marketing communication, it is imperative to apply ethics to the marketing campaigns. The ethics in marketing campaign usually interconnects with the need to create a brand whose promise is at par with what it delivers. Doing a marketing campaign to promote a brand such that the campaign makes promises which it will not deliver is a fatal marketing communications mistake. Such communications may deliver fantastic results at first but they are not sustainable, as customers dislike dishonest brands. In the marketing activities, honesty in representing the brand will have priority (Drucker, 1974).
Building trust in a new market is one of the focuses of the major brands in the market and this brand is not exceptional. Therefore, the brand will ensure that the messages communicated will go a long way to build trust for the potential customers. The trust will position the brand as a market leader. The production department of Black and Decker must endeavor to ensure that the products are as per the messages communicated in the media. Communicating misleading information would create negative publicity about the brand (Clow, 2007).
Conclusion
The UAE is a major emerging market with a huge potential for the marketers of home appliances and electrical products to reap huge profits. The demographics and the situational analysis in the market show that it is a major market in the Middle East. The marketing communication department of Black and Decker must endeavor to ensure that it has implemented this plan in the UAE market to reap the potential benefits of the wide market. Positioning the Black and Decker appliances as the most appropriate home equipment will be a major task due to the current competition from other manufacturers in the industry.
By using appropriate marketing strategies that will reach the target market as well as branding the company, the company will go a long way in building its large market. The appropriateness of the marketing communications activities will get the attention of the public when the messages relate with the public. The messages must tell the prospects what is there for them for the messages to warrant their attention. When the brand is positioned well in the market and the manufacturers have played their part well in matching the brand’s promise with the brand deliveries, it will penetrate the market easily and lead in among the competitors.
References
Balmer, J. (2003). Revealing the corporation: Perspectives on identity, image, reputation, corporate branding, and corporate-level marketing. London: Routledge.
Bendinger, B. (1999). Advertising & the business of brands. London: Pearson.
Bradley, N. (2010). Marketing research. Tools and techniques. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chris, F. (2001). Marketing communications: Contexts, strategies and applications. New York: Prentice Hall.
Clow, K. (2007). Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications 3rd edition. London: Pearson Education.
Drucker, P. (1974). Management: tasks, responsibilities, practices. New York: Harper & Row.