48
We can extend this analysis by considering the effectiveness of offline media in com-
parison with online media. We can make the following observations:
1 Reach of media. We saw in Chapters 2 and 3, that access to the Internet has exceeded
50% in many developed countries. While this indicates that the Internet is now a
mass medium, there are a significant minority that don’t have access and cannot be
reached via this medium. As we saw in Chapter 2, reach varies markedly by age and
social group, so the Internet is innappropriate for reaching some groups.
2 Media consumption. Most customers spend more of their time in the real world than
the virtual world so it follows that digital media may not be the best method to reach
them. However, a counter-argument to this is that the intensity and depth of online
interactions are greater and they often involve specific customer journeys related to
product research or purchase.
3 Involvement. Use of the Internet has been described as a ‘lean-forward’ experience, sug-
gesting high involvement based on the interactivity and control exerted by web users.
This means that the user is receptive to content on a site. However, there is evidence that
certain forms of graphic advertising such as banner adverts are filtered out when infor-
mational content is sought. A study of online newspaper readers (Poynter, 2000) found
that text and captions were read first, with readers then later returning to graphics.
4 Building awareness. It can be argued that because of the form of their creative, some
forms of offline advertising such as TV are more effective at explaining concepts and
creating retention (Branthwaite et al., 2000).
We conclude this section with a review of how consumers perceive the Internet in
comparison to traditional media. Refer to Mini Case Study 8.1 for the summary of the
results of a qualitative survey.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERACTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
355
Branthwaite et al. (2000) conducted a global qualitative project covering 14 countries, across North and
South America, East and West Europe, Asia and Australia to investigate consumer perceptions of the
Internet and other media. In order to reflect changing media habits and anticipate future trends, a young,
dynamic sample were selected in the 18–35 age range, with access to the Internet, and regular users of
all four media. Consumers’ perceptions of the Internet, when asked to explain how they felt about the
Internet in relation to different animals, were as follows:
The dominant sense here was of something exciting, but also inherently malevolent, dangerous and
frightening in the Internet.
The positive aspect was expressed mainly through images of a bird but also a cheetah or dolphin. These
captured the spirit of freedom, opening horizons, versatility, agility, effortlessness and efficiency. Even
though these impressions were relative to alternative ways of accomplishing goals, they were sometimes
naive or idealistic. However, there was more scepticism about these features with substantial experience
or great naivety.
Despite their idealism and enthusiasm for the Internet, these users found a prevalent and deep-rooted
suspicion of the way it operated. The malevolent undertones of the Internet came through symbols of
snakes or foxes predominantly, which were associated with cunning, slyness and unreliability. While
these symbols embodied similar suspicions, the snake was menacing, intimidating, treacherous and eva-
sive, while the fox was actively deceptive, predatory, surreptitious, plotting and persistent. For many
Mini Case Study 8.1
Consumer perceptions of the Internet and
different media
87
CHAPTER 8 · INTERACTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
356
consumers, the Internet was felt to have a will of its own, in the form of the creators of the sites (the
ghosts in the machine). A snake traps you and then tightens its grip. A fox is mischievous.
In comparison with other media, the Internet was described as follows:
The Internet seemed less like a medium of communication than the others, and more like a reservoir of
information.
This distinction was based on differences in the mode of operating: other media communicated to you
whereas with the Internet the user had to actively seek and extract information for themselves. In this
sense, the Internet is a recessive medium that sits waiting to be interrogated, whereas other media are
actively trying to target their communications to the consumer.
This meant that these users (who were not addicted or high Internet users) were usually task-
orientated and focused on manipulating their way around (tunnel vision). The more inexperienced you
were, the more concentration was needed, but irritation or frustration was never far away for most people.
Everywhere, regardless of experience and availability, the Internet was seen as a huge resource, with
futuristic values, that indicated the way the world was going to be. It was respected for its convenience
and usefulness. Through the Internet you could learn, solve problems, achieve goals, travel the world
without leaving your desk, and enter otherwise inaccessible spaces. It gave choice and control, but also
feelings of isolation and inadequacy. There was an onus on people wherever possible to experience this
medium and use it for learning and communicating.
The most positive attitudes were in North America. Slick and well-structured web sites made a posi-
tive impression and were a valuable means of securing information through the links to other sites and to
carry out e-commerce. However, even here there was frustration at slow downloading and some unco-
operative sites. In other countries, there was concern at the irresponsibility of the medium, lack of
seriousness and dependability. There was desire for supervisory and controlling bodies (which are
common for print and TV). Banner ads were resented as contributing to the distractions and irritations.
Sometimes they seemed deliberately hostile by distracting you and then getting you lost. Internet adver-
tising had the lowest respect and status, being regarded as peripheral and trivial.
In the least economically advanced countries, the Internet was considered a divisive medium which
excluded those without the resources, expertise or special knowledge.
Table 8.2 and Figure 8.4 present the final evaluation of the Internet against other media.
Table 8.2 Comparison of the properties of different media
TV
Outdoor
Print
Internet
Intrusiveness
High
High
Low
Low
Control/selectivity
Passive
Passive
Active, selective
Active, selective
of consumption
Episode
Long
Short
Long
Restless,
attention span
fragmented
Active processing
Low
Low
High
High
Mood
Relaxed, seeking
Bored, under-
Relaxed, seeking
Goal-orientated
emotional gratification
stimulated
interest, stimulation Needs-related
Modality
Audio/visual
Visual
Visual
Visual (auditory
increasing)
Processing
Episodic, superficial
Episodic/semantic
Semantic, deep
Semantic, deep
Context
As individual in
Solitary (in public
Individual
Alone, private
interpersonal setting
space)
Personal
Source: Branthwaite et al. (2000)
52
In common with other communications media, the Internet will be most effective when
it is deployed as part of an integrated marketing communications approach. Kotler et al.
(2001) describe integrated marketing communications as:
the concept under which a company carefully integrates and co-ordinates its many com-
munications channels to deliver a clear, consistent message about the organisation and its
products.
The characteristics of integrated marketing communications have been summarised
by Pickton and Broderick (2001) as the 4 Cs of:
Coherence – different communications are logically connected.
Consistency – multiple messages support and reinforce, and are not contradictory.
Continuity – communications are connected and consistent through time.
Complementary – synergistic, or the sum of the parts is greater than the whole!
The 4 Cs also act as guidelines for how communications should be integrated.
Further guidelines on integrated marketing communications from Pickton and
Broderick (2001) that can be usefully applied to Internet marketing are the following.
1 Communications planning is based on clearly identified marketing communications
objectives (see later section).
2 Internet marketing involves the full range of target audiences (see the section on devel-
oping customer-oriented content in Chapter 7). The full range of target audiences is
the customer segments plus employees, shareholders and suppliers.
3 Internet marketing should involve management of all forms of contact, which includes
management of both outbound communications such as banner advertising or direct
e-mail and inbound communications such as e-mail enquiries.
INTEGRATED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
357
Figure 8.4 Summary of the different characteristics of media
Source: Millward Brown Qualitative
Entertainment
Information
Intrusive
Recessive
Cinema
Radio
Magazines
Internet
Newspapers
Internet
TV
Outdoor
Integrated Internet marketing communications
Integrated
marketing
communications
The coordination of
communications
channels to deliver a
clear, consistent
message.
63
4 Internet marketing should utilise a range of promotional tools. These are the promo-
tional tools illustrated in Figure 8.1.
5 A range of media should be used to deliver the message about the web site. Marketing
managers need to consider the most effective mix of media to drive traffic to their
web site. The different techniques can be characterised as traditional offline market-
ing communications or new online communications. The objective of employing
these techniques is to acquire new traffic on an e-commerce site using the techniques
summarised in Figure 8.1. Many of these techniques can also be used to drive cus-
tomers to a site for retention.
6 The communications plan should involve careful selection of most effective promo-
tional and media mix. This is discussed at the end of the chapter.
Additionally, we can say that integrated marketing communications should be used
to support customers through the entire buying process, across different media.
Planning integrated marketing communications
The Account Planning Group (www
.apg.or
g.uk
), in its definition of media planning
highlights the importance of the role of media planning when they say that the planner:
needs to understand the customer and the brand to unearth a key insight for the commu-
nication/solution [Relevance].
As media channels have mushroomed and communication channels have multiplied, it
has become increasingly important for communication to cut through the cynicism and
connect with its audience[Distinctiveness].
…the planner can provide the edge needed to ensure the solution reaches out through
the clutter to its intended audience [Targeted reach].
…needs to demonstrate how and why the communication has performed
[Effectiveness].
More specifically, Pickton and Broderick (2001) state that the aim of marketing commu-
nications media planning as part of integrated marketing communications should be to:
Reach the target audience
Determine the appropriate Frequency for messaging
Achieve Impact through the creative for each media.
Media-neutral planning (MNP)
The concept of media-neutral planning (MNP) has been used to describe an approach to
planning integrated marketing campaigns including online elements. Since it is a rela-
tively new concept, it is difficult to describe absolutely. To read a review of the different
interpretations see Tapp (2005) who notes that there are three different aspects of plan-
ning often encompassed with media-neutral planning:
Channel planning, i.e. which route to market shall we take: retail, direct, sales part-
ners, etc. (we would say this emphasis is rare);
Communications-mix planning, i.e. how do we split our budget between advertising,
direct marketing, sales promotions and PR;
Media planning, i.e. spending money on TV, press, direct mail, and so on.
In our view, MNP is most usually applied to the second and third elements and the
approach is based on reaching consumers across a range of media to maximise response.
For example, Crawshaw (2004) says:
CHAPTER 8 · INTERACTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
358
Media-neutral
planning (MNP)
An approach to
planning ad campaigns
to maximise response
across different media
according to consumer
usage of these media.
53
The simple reason we would want media-neutral communications is so that we can con-
nect the right message with our target audience, at the right time and place to persuade
them to do what we want. This will lead to powerful, effective, value for money communi-
cations that solve clients’ business challenges.
A customer-centric media-planning approach is key to this process, Anthony Clifton,
Planning Director at WWAV Rapp Collins Media Group is quoted by the Account
Planning Group as saying (quoted in Crawshaw, 2004):
real consumer insight has to be positioned at the core of the integrated planning process
and the planner must glean a complete understanding of the client’s stake holders, who
they are, their mindset, media consumption patterns and relationship with the business –
are they ‘life-time’ consumers or have they purchased once, are they high value or low
value customers etc. This requires lifting the bonnet of the database, segmentation and
market evaluation.
Online marketers also need to remind themselves that many customers prefer to com-
municate via traditional media, so we should support them in this. The need for
marketers to still support a range of communications channels is suggested in Mini Case
Study 8.2 ‘Disasters Emergency Committee uses a range of media to gain donations’.
INTEGRATED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
359
There are few people who did not see the images of the human and physical devastation caused by the
earthquake on the ocean floor near Sumatra, Indonesia and subsequent tsunami on 26 December 2004.
These images and reports were the catalyst for unprecedented levels of individual and corporate philan-
thropy. From a communications perspective, it is a useful indication of channel preferences. Over £350
million was donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Tsunami Earthquake Appeal through a
range of channels shown in Figure 8.5. While the Internet was a source of many donations, it is perhaps
Mini Case Study 8.2
Disasters Emergency Committee uses a range of
media to raise funds
Figure 8.5 Source of donations to the 2004–5 Asian Tsunami appeal
Source: Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) (www
.dec.or
g.uk
)
Gift Aid tax reclaim
From DEC member agencies
Post Office
Web site
Corporates, trusts and other
Postal donations
Banks
Telephone
0
10
20
30
40
£millions
How donations were received
50
60
70
80
51
Integration through time
For integrated communications to be successful, the different techniques should be suc-
cessfully integrated through time as part of a campaign or campaigns.
Figure 8.6 shows how communications can be planned around a particular event. (SE
denotes ‘search engine’; C1 and C2 are campaigns 1 and 2.) Here we have chosen the launch
of a new version of a web site, but other alternatives include a new product launch or a key
seminar. This planning will help provide a continuous message to customers. It also ensures
a maximum number of customers are reached using different media over the period.
In keeping with planning for other media, Pincott (2000) suggests there are two key
strategies in planning integrated Internet marketing communications. First, there should
be a media strategy which will mainly be determined by how to reach the target audi-
ence. This will define the online promotion techniques described in this chapter and
CHAPTER 8 · INTERACTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
360
surprising that the volume of online donations is not higher and it shows the continued popularity of
traditional communications channels. The popularity of the web in comparison to e-mail and SMS is also
striking as indicated by these details of donations:
Telephone: Over £75 million was donated through the DEC appeal telephone line. Overall the appeal
received a total of 1.7 million calls via the automated system at peak times and over 100 volunteers
answered 12,500 live calls.
Online: On New Year’s Eve, with the help of major Internet service providers, the world record for
online donations was broken with over £10 million donated in 24 hours. Overall £44 million was
donated online by over half a million web users.
Text messaging: Major UK mobile phone operators raised £1 million by joining forces and offering a
free donation mechanism – enabling people to text their gifts.
Interactive TV: The Community Channel raised over £0.5 million from donors using the ‘red button’ on
interactive TV.
Figure 8.6 Integration of different communications tools through time
Jan 2002
Dec 2002
Link building/affiliates
Seminars
SE optimisation
Relaunch
Jun 2002
Print ads
Banner ads
SE registration
Press release
Press release
E-catalogue
Postcard
E-mail C1
E-mail C2
Direct mail
E-newsletter
Key
70
where to advertise online. Second, there is the creative strategy. Pincott says that ‘the
dominant online marketing paradigm is one of direct response’. However, he goes on to
suggest that all site promotion will also influence perceptions of the brand.
It follows that brands do not have to drive visitors to their own site; through advertis-
ing and creating interactive microsites on third-party sites, they can potentially be more
effective in reaching their audience who are more likely to spend their time on online
media sites than on destination brand sites.
INTEGRATED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
361
Consider the options for online promotion of a fast-moving consumer goods brand (FMCG) such as
coffee (e.g. Nescafe, www
.nescafe.co.uk
), tomato ketchup (e.g., Heinz, www
.heinzketchup.com
), or toi-
letries (e.g., Andrex, www
.andr
expuppy
.co.uk
). The challenge is obvious – it is difficult to reach a large
audience similar to using mass media such as TV, magazines or outdoor. Such destination sites will only
attract a limited number of visitors, such as brand loyalists (who it is important to engage since these are
often key advocates of these products) or students researching the brands! Another approach which can
drive more volume is to use on-pack promotions or direct response TV and print campaigns that encour-
age consumers to enter competitions and engage into e-mail or text message dialogue in keeping with
their profile. The 2005 Walkers Crisps (www
.walkers.co.uk
) ‘Win With Walkers’ competition is a good
example of this. Walkers gave away an iPod Mini every five minutes (8,700 in total) to texters who
responded to messages on 600 million packets of crisps. The campaign was supported by a £1.5 million
advertising push, featuring ex-footballer Gary Lineker. In September alone, 5% of the UK population
entered, which must explain why I didn’t win when I texted in at four in the morning!
The final approach, which is required to achieve reach volume is to advertise on third party sites. Figure
8.7 show the options with the analogy made to the different groups of planets in the solar system and the
arrows indicate which approach is selected to achieve reach or traffic building. Typically the smaller the
site, the more accurate targeting is possible, but demographic targeting is possible on large portals. For
example, McDonalds advertises on MSN Hotmail based on the profile of the user and Ford uses AOL to
reach family-oriented purchasers.
Mini Case Study 8.3
Which planet are you on?
Figure 8.7 An analogy between different web sites and the planets
Google
Giant
Planets
(horizontal
portals)
Small Planets
(vertical
portals)
Lesser
Minor
(‘destination
sites’)
Newspaper
site
Gender
interest
sites
Special
interest
sites
+ large
retailers
‘Traffic building’
?
Comparison
interest sites
MSN
Yahoo!
ISPs
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