THE EFFECT OF MASS COMMUNICATION ON PRODUCT MARKETING

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

Communication plays a part in almost every aspect of business and being able to communicate
well can boost the overall performance of the business (Google:
www.businessmadesimple.co.uk: culled on 27th February,2010). A good communication is very
essential in building a cohesive and effective team.

In past decades, the art of mass marketing that is; selling highly standardized products to masses
of customers was being perfected by marketers and in so doing developed effective mass- media
communication techniques which was used to support these strategies. Consistently, millions and
even billions of dollars are being invested in television, magazine, or other mass- media
advertising, thereby reaching tens of millions of customers with a single ad (Kotler and
Armstrong, 13th edition).

Building a good customer relationship calls for more than just developing a good product,
pricing it attractively and making it available to the target market. Rather than just creating
customer value only to be a company’s sole priority, promotion must not be left to chance. It
must thus be enhanced in proposing the value proposition which must be communicated to
customers.

Marketing managers however, today, face new marketing challenges with the fast paced realities,
shifting and advance with which communication in marketing seek out of which perhaps no
other area of marketing is changing as profoundly as that of communication in marketing is and
which makes it both exhilarating and daunting. Marketing managers make numerous strategic
and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make
decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning
and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. These decisions are
complicated by interactions between the controllable marketing variables of product, pricing,
promotion, and distribution.

Marketing communications focuses on the product, produce, service and is primarily concerned
with demand generation, product, produce, service positioning. The goal of marketing research is
thus to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer
behaviour. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_research)

I once had a colleague who wanted to buy the MTN 3.5G to enable him browse. He sort the
assistance of a salesperson also with MTN, the salesperson wanting to meet his target, sold to
him a 3.0G which was not the requirement of my colleague and upon confrontation with the guy
he said ‘he wanted to reach his target but he will do well to get him the required one. On
inquiring about the issue, my colleague claimed he did not have an idea of the package in
question until he had used it that was when he realised a wrong product had been sold to him and
was threatening to take legal action against the company.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

Marketers are looking for ways in which to improve the effectiveness of personal
communication and researchers have established an extensive personal communication literature
that addresses a large number of different variables and relationships in a variety of
communication situations. (Petty and Cacioppo, 1981). The study of this personal
communication in marketing however is focused mainly on the traditional situation in which a
salesperson communicates with a potential buyer about the purchase of a product or service. In
studies, examining this traditional situation, it was observed that, a high level of self- interest
typically is assumed here and this is because the objective is to persuade the customer to
purchase the product or service (Journal of Marketing Research: 227-231) and also to meet
market targets. For one to be able to reach its targets strategies are developed and it does not
matter how even if it means the salesperson fabricating up to sell the goods fast.

The essence of this study is ‘To enable customers to seek out more information on their own
about a product, its brand and organisation rather than rely on the scanty information of the
marketer- supplied.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

1. How relevant is mass communication to product marketing?

2. Of what import is mass communication an aid to marketing purposes?

3. How will mass communication aid in promoting a healthy environment among marketers
and suppliers?

4. How effectively will mass communication be easily connected with other consumers to
exchange brand related information?

5. What role will facilitate effective mass communication of a product?

OBJECTIVE:

The general objective of this study is to explore the relevance of communication on marketing.

Specifically the study will:

1. Find out how mass communication could be relevant to marketing

2. Examine the medium of mass communication for product marketing purposes

3. Evaluate how effective mass communication could be to product marketing

4. Evaluate how to be better informed and more communication inclined.

5. Find out how mass communication could give an edge over our competitors.

JUSTIFICATION:
The study will help the researcher unearth the factors that encroach on the scanty information on
the part of the suppliers and the medium through which the customer will be well abreast with
information on a product before purchasing it.

THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

The marketing department of Vodafone Ghana- Kumasi (power to you) is our scope of study.

LIMITATIONS:

1. With respect to time, we had to forgo some of our lectures

2. We had to contact an “insider” in order to get access to the organization and data.

3. Time constraints.

METHODOLOGY:

Both the qualitative and quantitative paradigm of methods would be used in the study for data
techniques and analysis. This will enable the study of an organisation with analysis of its various
departments and units be done comprehensively. The study will be conducted in a natural setting
which will enable the researcher build a holistic picture, analyse words and report detailed views
of information.

The qualitative research survey will include the use of a cross-sectional study using
questionnaire for data collection estimating a large population of interest based on a smaller
sample from the population.