The functional areas of Marketing Communication

Marketing is all about the activities companies undertake to bring their products to the market.

What makes marketing communication so exciting and challenging is that there are so many tools from which to choose from.

Here are the eight most common tools -

1) Advertising
Advertising is non-personal, paid announcements by an identified sponsor.

2) Sales Promotion
Sales Promotion works by adding extra value, such as a price discount or a free trial, to an offer to stimulate consumers to try or buy a product.

3) Direct Marketing
Direct Marketing is an interactive, database-driven MC process that uses a range of media to motivate a response from customers and prospects.

4) Public Relations
Public relations means efforts to generate and control publicity in an effort to gain the support and co-operation of those publics.

5) Personal Selling
Personal selling is interpersonal communication in which a salesperson uncovers and satisfies the needs of a customer to the mutual benefit of both.

6) Packaging
A package is a container and conveyor of information. A package can help in brand building.

7) Events and sponsorshops
Events are highly targeted brand-associated activities designed to actively engage customers and prospects and generate publicity.

8) Customer service
Customer service is a company's attitude and behavior during interactions with customers.