Use Digital Medium as the Most Effective Marketing Communication Strategy - Literature review Example

ASSIGNMENT 3 Student’s Name Code & Course Professor’s name University City Date Introduction The exchange of goods and services in this case across national borders is the vital aspect of international marketing. It involves the identification of target market as well as the analysis of the target customers. Multinational corporations are therefore are important in ensuring that there is production of goods and services in different countries not just the home country. The executing and planning procedure for distribution and promotion of services and products is similar worldwide. Various categories of marketing medium (print, digital and film) are used as forms of advertising however, particular forms including branded websites, other people’s recommendations, consumer opinions posted online, editorial content on newspapers/articles and ads on TV have proven to be the most widely used as they are trusted by the consumers. Fashion industry provides a wide range of competitive products mainly men and women ware from clothes to shoes. These products can be effectively launched into the new German market using the above effective advertisement mediums. The success and strength of such brands and designers have been well in a position to successfully compete against the imported and designer goods regarded to be of high profile. The target group is 50+ aged individuals whose incomes are relatively high disposable and have increased positive attitude in buying luxury products especially fashion. Germany is the Europe’s largest fashion consumer but their brands don’t trade on a sense of German-ness, majorly they export (CBI Market Information Database, 2017). Her fashion products are mainly sold via retailers and catalogue shopping is a vital purchase channel. Webshops however have also gained popularity among consumers though boutiques remain the largest channel. This is important in devising an effective marketing strategy to launch the new fashion products (Abnett, 2014). Therefore the use of the above three advertisement medium will enhance the introduction of for example online shopping which will make the new products competitive. Literature Review Over 30 years the German fashion sector has faced a structural change, mostly as a result of low‐cost competition from the Asian continent. This has made majority of German manufactures to develop an outsourcing policy within the process of restructuring its market for fashion products. For example it has relocated clothing production to other countries e.g. Moldova having low manufacturing costs, whereas functions that are centralized especially marketing and design have their bases in Germany (Hauser, 2010). Germany applies the marketing segmentation theory in enhancing appropriate marketing mix for Moldova as its market segment by tailoring production programs so at to meet its needs. Most German fashion companies aims at higher quality products and the up‐market. Branding is necessary in the up‐market segment because quality of the product and brand affinity are vital factors in enhancing consumer’s buying behavior as stated in buyer behavior theory. When the brands are strong, the fashion industry protects itself against low cost competition and allows them to withstand the margin pressure from the retailers (Matthew, 2014). Export based entry approach to penetrate the German foreign markets mainly requires the use of intermediaries within the country. They sell your product to consumers directly or sell to importing distributors. Vertical integration and new trade channels therefore enable the fashion industry to establish its individual retail outlets thus the value chain is broadened resulting to increased margins. This approach is the best at it allows you to venture most on your domestic business with minimal engagement in the export process. There are also limited marketing liability issues (Delaney, 2017). The approach to be taken on the German target market communications aids in promoting the new fashion industry and its products. Such communications recognizes the organizational factors impact and the increasing role played by the fashion industry in the marketing process. Introducing a product in a new market requires the creation of audience awareness of the product as stated in one of the features of social marketing theory. Internet or news on Television for example is used as communication channels (Fill and Jamieson, 2014). The fashion industry may also decide to use recorded videos or cinemas showing positive reports from previous consumers about the products. In this case they will create inconsistent thoughts (cognitive dissonance) among consumers in the new market confronting them with appealing information that will make them to purchase the launched products. This is in accordance with cognitive dissonance communication theory (Fill and Jamieson, 2014). To add, the products may be displayed to the new target consumers in Germany using showrooms, sales promotion events or word of mouth campaigns. Such events through external attribution concept enhance the customers’ understanding of the goodness of the new product thereby stimulating short-term result that creates an urgency to buy. This is supported by attribution theory which informs us that people always wants to understand the world through events happening around them (Bremner, 2014). The above aspects provides the fashion industry with an effective platform to deliver consistent message on the product brand, image of its goods and services and identify its marketing position. Marketing Strategy Digital Media Fashion industry will focus towards the use of digital media, especially digital social media and fashion blogs. Online platforms and social networking websites enable the connection between the industry and its customers using digital social networking technology (Ahmad and Salman, 2015). This is to make the elitist industry more relatable and accessible to all consumer groups. Various digital social media outlets including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instragram are to be used by the industry to communicate directly to the customers and vice versa. Posts, live-streams, pins, posts and tweets made by the marketing company are seen by the target customers (Durmaz, 2014). This will positively impact on the fashion industry as it will drastically change the dialogue on fashion whereby customers are able to check out on-demand trends desire and also access them on any platform from anywhere, anytime or anywhere. Fashion blogging will form of communication between brands, bloggers, designers and citizens so that the interests of the potential customers are met within a short while as people feel connected and thereby trust the products. Fashion bloggers are used in this case to encourage symmetrically two-way approach whereby they open up communication between the fashion industry agents and the new target customers (Ahmad and Salman, 2015). Fashion blogger will use this influence in driving trends and informing the consumers of the latest news on fashion and other important related quality product features. The web especially blogs on brand and retail sites also will make the ordinary consumers reach out to a mass audience thereby shaping their opinions and eventually they are motivated to make purchasing decisions. Commentaries from smart bloggers have a greater influential ability in purchasing for example a well described leather shoes or trouser. Brands therefore rely on fashion bloggers and designers to get feedback on their products and collections respectively. Film Media The use of film media for example television and radio as a one-way communication method can also be put in practice. Marketing messages are provided to consumers however there will be no method to obtain communication return from the customers. It will require the use of DVR or Tive to record valuable information about the product whereby they program it with commercials. With the use of Television, consumers will be able to simultaneously watch the recorded advertisements and at the same time multi-task other personal duties (Durmaz, 2014). For example users may have online access as they watch television or listen to radio, this provides the consumers with a vital search tool in accessing brands, review products, interact, and still make immediate online purchases. A lot of broadcast networks e.g. FOX and ABC will provide the fashion industry with commercial ad space to various brands in one entire show using video advertising. This would increase sales as it enhances product awareness. Television and radio as a film medium reaches a broad range of varied income consumers of different age groups, consumers who are above 18 years have more screen time hours with television that any other media (Durmaz, 2014). Women also spend in a day, about 5.42 hours watching television. These will be good target group for the fashion industry. The industry is also able to use fashion in creating audiovisual projects produced particularly fashion brands. Such films have seduction power since they secure a more collaborative and engaging experience compared to television advertisements. In fact, they don’t persuade and are therefore not selling oriented but will enhance branding. Fashion films substitute the use of retail experiences in creating brand image of the fashion products (Soloaga and Guerrero, 2016). Films media therefore intend to use the five senses to attract customers’ attention thereby exclusively recreating fashion brands to a large audience. Print Media The use of print media including magazines, newspapers banner ads will offer the fashion industry to target different readership groups in Germany. Target groups for example the ladies heavily concentrate around fashion magazines. It will be useful as the advertising team to monitor the market changes so as to communicate to consumers the most memorable ads in the magazines or newspapers (Williams and Page, 2014). The specialization and quality of contents in the printed media makes them ideal for brand advertising (Soloaga and Guerrero, 2016). The newspapers and magazines are focused directly to readers. This is after clarification with what the reader requires in the printed media versions which will eventually enhance consumer satisfaction thereby maintaining a high readership level. For example, including fashion ads with their proposals and images on fashion magazines may show how the target group should look when they will have purchased the product. Despite their expensive advertising rates, they are popularly accessed more than audiovisual media. By issuing of brochures, leaflets or business cards to the citizens of Germany will be a great way for them to interact with the industry’s brand as they don’t have to go online. By doing so, the fashion industry in addition be taking care of those consumers who are not in a position to access internet services. The use of print media will also enables the advertising team to track the results to determine whether such campaigns are working so that the company can take risks and spend more money on it. You can decide to issue the consumers with a feedback form so that they can indicate how they have seen your products and from this you can gauge the correct advertisement return. It will also aim at generating an identifiable and positive return on investment. Print media therefore will be vital medium the fashion’s industry marketing strategy because of its shorter turn- around time, unlimited ads exposure and loyal readership (Suggett, 2016). Recommendations I would recommend the use digital medium as the most effective marketing communication strategy. This will work best when the industry is consistent and active online in order to get brand of reliable consumers who are able to utilize and collaborate with the fashion industry or the professionals. Effective communication will be enhanced as the consumers stay in –tune the internet latest internet trends. The fact that society is changing at fast pace and at odds requires that the fashion industry must also cope with the timely active changes customers’ experience. It is also essential to stay active with the newly incoming online technological outlets of digital media. The fashion industry will therefore gain a new platform of stylists, emerging designers and fashionistas when everyone is able to access the digital media and will be able to self-style their own career. It will also be vital for brands and designers to frequently connect with their customers after they have used online platforms in branding the customers as Industry’s extended family. The rapid emergence of digital online platforms implies that marketing strategies should post comments and use their opinions and voices on fashion so that people with limited knowledge on fashion be informed through collaborations between them, fashion bloggers and designers. Conclusion Critical analysis of the target customers after the identification of new market forms the basis of entrance into the new market. This greatly promotes international marketing as it enables the assessment of competitive rivalry of the new marketplace which is dependent on the mode of entry selected. This eventually gives the company a framework to select the right distribution strategy. Export entry approach (indirect exporting) involving the use of intermediaries’ aids in the entrance. An effective communication strategy also is vital is ensuring the success of the various marketing mediums. However, digital media especially blogging and use of digital social outlets such as Pinterest, Facebook is the most effective medium to communicate the fashion industry brands as the current world is more focused along digital platforms. Film and print media are however to some extent regarded as outdated though when critical used are able to bring positive returns on investment. Reference List Abnett, K. 2014. Why Isn’t Germany a Bigger Fashion Player? .Wikimedia Commons, December 16, 2014. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/global-currents/isnt-germany-bigger-fashion-player Ahmad, N. and Salman, A. 2015. The Impact of Social Media on Fashion Industry: Empirical Investigation from Karachiites, April, 2015. Bremner, S. 2014. Communication Theory- Attribution Theory. CBI Market Information Database. (2017). Retrieved from www.cbi.eu/disclaimer Delaney, L. 2016. Advantages and Disadvantages of Indirect Exporting, May, 01 2017 Durmaz, L. 2014. The Role of Social Media in the Fashion Industry: How Fashion Blogging Encourages Two-Way Symmetrical Communication, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, June 2014. Chris Fill, C. and Jamieson, B. 2014. Marketing Communications. Edinburhg Business School, Great Britain. Hauser, J. 2010. Export Marketing Survey: German Market for Textile and Clothing Support to Export Promotion and Investment Attraction in the Republic of Moldova. Matthews, K. (2014, Jan 24). Creative Ways that Fashion Brands Are Working with Influencers. Social Media Today. Retrieved from http://socialmediatoday.com/kristenmatthews/ 2097651/creative-ways-fashion-brands-are-working-influencers Soloaga, P.D and Guerrero, L.G. 2016 Fashion films as a new communication format to build fashion brands. Communication & Society 29(2), 45-61. Suggett, P. Media. Print Advertising Explained, September 20, 2016 William, K.C. and Page, R.A. 2014. Marketing to the Generations. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business. California State University, Stanislaus Read More