Need marketing help with a 50 word response to each student to keep discussion about social media

ORIGINAL QUESTION

Topic 1: Social Media, Advertising Strategy, and Sales Promotion

In every job there is some sales and marketing that must go on. You must persuade your boss to accept a new entrepreneurial idea; you must convince a team of colleagues that a particular strategy will work as just two examples.

Suppose that a new Social Media Marketing program is being developed for your school. As an Administrator, how would you advertise it and find support for this new program?

  • What would be your goals in terms of advertising this new program to current and prospective students?
  • What type of advertising strategy would you suggest for this new Social Media Marketing major?
  • How is advertising and sales promotion similar? Dissimilar?
  • Which do you think is a more effective communication tool for marketing managers and why?

Student 1 Response:

Which do you think is a more effective communication tool for marketing managers and why?

My first goal would be to research the product and come up with a great pitch to get the staff and students on board with the program.  I would also make sure I know everything there is to know about the program so I will be able to answer any and all questions.

Since I am trying to advertise to the staff and students, I would try and make fliers and posters and make sure there is vast resources for the staff and students to look at.  Communicating is the best way to make sure all information gets to everyone in a timely manner.  I would also set a time frame for people to think and then have a formal meeting to see what individuals think and see if we couldn’t get this new program into place.

Advertising “positions a product or service against that of competitors to convey a brand message to consumers and to enhance its value in the consumer’s eyes. A television commercial for a brand new automobile emphasizing the car’s new features and styling is an example of advertising.” (Nielsen, n.d.). Sales promotions “include a variety of strategies designed to offer purchasers an extra incentive to buy, usually in the short-term. Examples of sales promotions include cents-off coupons, two-for-the-price-of-one sales and double coupons at the grocery store, all for a limited period of time,” Nielsen, n.d.).  As you can see they are quite similar to one another.  The main difference between the two is the “nature of the appeal to the consumer.” (Nielsen, n.d.).  When using a coupon to purchase something, that is a promotional.  Advertising is more of what you see on T.V. when a company is trying to sell something or gain interest from the consumer, like Toyota and the Tacoma.  Might I add, those are some nice trucks; that is if you’re a Toyota fan.

I think all the communication tools are equally important, but depending on what the company’s budget is, may really determine the tool that works best for that particular marketing manager.  I believe that no matter what your budget is, public relations is a great way to go.  You may have to give up quite a bit of your own time due to public appearances, news, events and so forth. 

References:

Nielsen, Lisa (n.d.). Difference Between Advertising and Sales Promotion. Retrieved Nov 25, 2015 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-advertising-sales-promotions-3377.html#

Student 2 Response:

If I was a school administrator, my advertising goals will be to show how the social media program will benefit the students in the end, how it can open up more possibilities for the future, and how social media can help you change lives. The advertising strategy, I would use will be mobile, the Internet, and billboards. Mobile advertising has become big; most people have their cell phones all the time, especially the younger generation. As a school administrator, using mobile advertisement will reach tons about our program. The Internet will be the second strategy; next to mobile people are on the Internet just as much. With the Internet, we can advertise on social media sites, like Facebook and Instagram. Billboards can help spread the message about our new program to many.

Sales promotions are inducements or gimmicks, which the purpose is to encourage the purchase of a product or service immediately. Advertising give a product or service a position that send a message to help enhance the product or service in the consumer’s eyes. The difference between sales promotion and advertisement is how it appeals to the customer. Sales promotion have a non-emotional attachment to consumers; advertisement has an emotional attachment to consumers. Sales promotion have a short time period, while advertisement is a long-term vision. Sales promotion and advertisement both focus on a profitable sales and help stimulate the appetite for the company’s goods and services. They both help increase sale revenue.

The most effective communication tool for marketing managers will be face-to-face because it will not cause any miscommunication. Face-to-face can help you see people’s facial expressions when you are talking to them and explaining what need to be done and how it needs to be done. You cannot go wrong with face-to-face communication.

References:

Friedman, H. H. (2012). Advertising, Publicity, and Sales Promotions. Retrieved from http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/economic/friedman/mmadvertising.htm

Winer, R. S., & Dhar, R. (2011). Marketing management (4th ed.)

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