Marketing Communications Tool Evaluation Report

A Marketing Communications Tool Evaluation Report
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A Marketing Communications Tool Evaluation Report
Introduction
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of promoting and increasing tourism in a city. The city of Sheffield has great potential to become a popular tourist destination due to its rich cultural and sports history, modern music scene, and impressive green facilities. However, compared to neighboring cities like Leeds and Manchester, Sheffield still has a lot of ground to cover in terms of visitor numbers. To address this challenge, an integrated marketing plan has been proposed to Sheffield City Council that includes various marketing communications tools. This report critically evaluates advertising as the chosen integrated marketing communications tool in the Sheffield Football Feasting event proposed by Informal Talk. The report examines advertising within the context of integrated marketing communications and evaluates its strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. Additionally, the report provides recommendations on how to measure the success of advertising and the importance of having controls in place. Finally, the report concludes with justified recommendations for the future development of advertising to raise visitor numbers to Sheffield.
Marketing Tool Definition
Marketing is a broad term that refers to a variety of activities aimed at promoting products, services, or ideas to potential customers or clients. Advertising is one of the most important marketing tools used by businesses to communicate their message to their target audiences. It is a paid, non-personal promotion that utilizes various media channels, such as TV, radio, print, online, and outdoor advertising, to reach and persuade customers to buy a product or service or take some other desired action (Rust, 2020). Advertising is one of the key elements in integrated marketing communications that works in conjunction with other communication tools to deliver a consistent and coordinated message to target audiences. One of the most significant advantages of advertising is its ability to create brand awareness and influence customer behavior. With the help of advertising, businesses can reach a large audience quickly and efficiently, making it an effective way to promote products or services (Grewal et al., 2020). Moreover, advertising works in conjunction with other communication tools, such as public relations, sales promotion, and personal selling, to deliver a consistent and coordinated message to target audiences.
Advertising is a diverse field that offers multiple types of advertisement options to businesses. Print advertising, broadcast advertising, online advertising, outdoor advertising, and social media advertising are the most commonly used types of advertising. Print advertising includes advertisements in newspapers, magazines, brochures, and flyers (Desai & Vidyapeeth, 2019). Broadcast advertising refers to advertisements on television or radio. Online advertising encompasses digital ads such as display ads, social media ads, and search engine ads. Outdoor advertising involves billboards, posters, and other physical media placed in public areas. Finally, social media advertising is advertising placed on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Each type of advertising has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Print advertising, for example, is a reliable and long-lasting advertising method that can reach specific demographics. However, it may not be as effective for reaching younger audiences who rely more on digital media. Broadcast advertising can be costly, but it can reach a broad audience and can be effective in creating brand awareness. Online advertising is cost-effective and can be targeted to specific demographics, but it can be intrusive and ignored by internet users. Outdoor advertising is excellent for creating brand awareness, but it can be costly and may not be effective in reaching specific demographics. Social media advertising is highly targeted, cost-effective, and can reach a wide range of audiences. However, it can be perceived as intrusive and can be ignored by users who are bombarded with ads.
Businesses need to choose the appropriate type of advertising based on their target audience and marketing objectives. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each type of advertising can help businesses create a successful marketing campaign. Advertising is a crucial marketing tool that plays a significant role in promoting products, services, or ideas to target audiences. Its ability to create brand awareness and influence customer behavior makes it an essential component of any successful marketing campaign. The effectiveness of advertising can be measured by analyzing the reach, frequency, impact, and cost of the advertising campaign.
Critical Evaluation of Advertising's Strengths and Limitations:
Advertising is an essential component of any successful marketing campaign, and it has several strengths that make it an effective tool for promoting products, services, or ideas. One of the primary strengths of advertising is its ability to create brand awareness. Through advertising, businesses can create a strong brand image that helps customers identify their products and services easily. Advertising also helps to build brand loyalty by creating a sense of familiarity and trust with the audience. This loyalty can translate into repeat purchases, which can increase revenue and drive business growth. Advertising can increase brand awareness and generate interest in the Sheffield Football Feasting event, thus increasing the likelihood of visitors attending the event
Another significant strength of advertising is its ability to reach a large audience quickly. With the advent of digital advertising, businesses can now reach a global audience with their message. This broad reach allows businesses to promote their products or services to a diverse range of customers, which can lead to increased sales and profits. Additionally, advertising allows businesses to target specific demographics, such as age, gender, location, and interests, which can help to increase the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.
Advertising also has the ability to influence customer behavior, which is another strength of this marketing tool. By using persuasive language, attractive visuals, and compelling messages, advertising can motivate customers to take specific actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or visiting a website (Sung, 2021). Advertising can also educate customers about the features and benefits of a product or service, which can help to increase their understanding and interest in the offering.
While advertising has several strengths, it also has its limitations, which should be carefully considered when deciding on its use as a marketing tool. One of the main limitations of advertising is its high cost. Advertising can be very expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. The cost of creating and placing ads in different media channels can quickly add up, making it difficult for small businesses to compete with larger companies that have more significant marketing budgets. This can limit the reach of advertising campaigns and the ability of smaller businesses to attract customers through advertising.
Another limitation of advertising is its potential to generate negative publicity. While advertising is intended to promote products, services, or ideas in a positive light, it can sometimes backfire and generate negative reactions from consumers. This is particularly true when advertising is perceived as misleading, deceptive, or offensive. Negative publicity can harm the reputation of the business and lead to a decline in sales, which can have long-term consequences.
Another limitation of advertising is its limited ability to target specific audiences. While advertising can reach a broad audience, it may not be as effective in reaching a specific target audience. This is especially true in the case of mass media advertising, such as television and radio commercials, which may be seen or heard by a wide range of people, but may not be as effective in reaching specific segments of the population. This can limit the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and reduce their return on investment.
Finally, advertising is also subject to ad fatigue, which occurs when consumers become overwhelmed by the number o...