Marketing Media and Audience Feedback

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Dean J Hill 2007                Manor Foundation College

OCR LEVEL 3 NATIONALS IN MEDIA

UNIT 4: MARKETING MEDIA AND AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Candidate Name:                Dean J Hill

Candidate Number:                9207

Centre Name:                        Manor Foundation College

Centre Number:                 20663

Assignment Tutor:                Mr Derek Coen

Date of Submission:                14th December 2006

Submission Point:                Media Department

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The fundamental aspects of marketing media and audience feedback, in terms of their essential key concepts, promotional content and promotional media, are significant to the large proportion of media industries and organisations engaged in this important resourceful activity. It consists of the social and managerial processes by which products, services and value are exchanged in order to fulfil needs and wants, primarily achieved through a process which includes, but is not limited to, the stimulating and dynamic mediums of advertising and promotion where the feedback of various audiences is crucial to the state of media performance and proficiency.

For this unit of work, an understanding of the different aspects of marketing and how it is completed professionally will be defined, established and consequently developed to increase my level of knowledge regarding the numerous methods of investigating research by media producers and official research bodies. A similar approach to audience feedback will be conducted to progress towards a complete and conversant conclusion. In addition, I will also increase my understanding of the activities involved in creating marketing plans, producing advertisements and promotions to support a campaign, gaining feedback from an audience concerning the advertising campaign and relevant products, and evaluating their feedback.

Marketing is, however, one of the terms in academia that does not have one commonly agreed upon definition. In Peter Drucker’s book, The Practice of Management, he wrote that “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business”. In addition, marketing can be defined as “…an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its stakeholders”.

I appreciate the fact that even after a better part of a century, the debate continues. For the sake of this assignment, I trust that marketing consists of the activities involved in the flow of goods and services from the point of production to the point of discussion. I promise not to ignore the fact that audience feedback is equally important to the organisational function in which a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers, and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its stakeholders, is sufficiently evident in a number of different contexts.

When completing this unit, I will ensure that I am aware of the fact that marketing media and audience feedback involves human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes, and is the management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably. As I progress throughout this assignment, I will familiarise myself with such information and respond to the many definitions in a methodical or disciplined manner.

The challenge of having the opportunity and time to research this area is a major aspect for the work undertaken as part of this unit, studying its definitions and history. The research’s purpose is to develop my overall understanding of marketing media and audience feedback, as well as any surrounding subtopics which will provide a fine insight as to what’s involved with both contributory elements which combine to create the sphere in which this unit is based around. People’s lack of knowledge regarding initial marketing media and consequent audience feedback can cause a reluctance to accept them, something that was apparent to me before undertaking this assignment and which will be greatly reinforced throughout.

It is important to understand that a market-focused, or consumer-focused, organisation first determines what its potential customers desire, and then builds the product or service. Marketing theory and practice is justified in the belief that customers use a product or service because they have a need, or because a product or service has a perceived benefit. Two major factors of marketing are the recruitment of new customers (acquisition) and the retention and expansion of relationships with existing customers (base management). These areas will be explained and discussed in more detail throughout.

However, I will also be aware of the criticism of marketing media and audience feedback as well. A number of aspects of marketing media, especially promotion, are the subject of criticism with relation to audience feedback. Based on the assumption that supply and demand are independent, it is especially problematic in classical economic theory. Critics not only point out that marketing techniques have been used to achieve morally dubious ends by governments, criminals and businesses, but acknowledge that marketing media and audience feedback have legitimate uses in connecting goods and services to the consumers who want them.

In addition, most marketers believe that marketing techniques themselves are amoral. While it is ethically neutral, it can be used for negative purposes, but it can also have a dramatically positive influence on consumer welfare. Furthermore, The Observer’s survey among 1,206 UK adult consumers in 2001 highlighted some of the stark changes our society has gone through in the last two decades, which raises a question on the CIM’s definition of marketing (anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer needs profitably) and its effectiveness in consumer marketing.

I will need to understand that core marketing elements such as segmentation, targeting and positioning are still relevant in the modern (or post-modern) world although they are complex topics that need a high level of effort, intelligent thinking and resources to be implemented successfully. It is also important that I am aware that some scholars such as Stephen Brown challenge the marketing concept in an extreme language. Their statements, though self-contradicting and sometimes unfair, are relevant.

To conclude this introduction, I intend to develop my knowledge, understanding and skills in a number of ways, through analysing the marketing mix for existing media products, producing a marketing plan for a new media product, producing advertising and promotional materials for a new media product, presenting a new media product and adverts/promotions to an audience and gain feedback, and evaluating feedback about the new media product and the advertising campaign. This will build the foundations for future progression into this area of the media in a number of ways.

AIMS AND ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this unit is to understand the different aspects of marketing and how it is done professionally whilst knowing how to investigate research by media producers and official research bodies, examining various surrounding issues. These issues will form the subtopics of the unit and will help focus a clearer picture of what is involved with marketing media and why audience feedback is needed.

The assessment objectives for this unit are:

  1. To analyse the marketing mix for existing media products
  2. To produce a marketing plan for a new media product
  3. To produce advertising and promotional materials for a new media product
  4. To present a new media product and adverts/promotions to an audience and gain feedback
  5. To evaluate feedback about the new media product and the advertising campaign

The assessment objectives will guide the reader to the intended learning outcomes that will intentionally be achieved by reading this assignment. In order to accomplish these assessment objectives, a comprehensive and inclusive approach will be followed, which essentially means:

  • To provide a clear and coherent definition of marketing media and audience feedback with the aid of case studies or examples to further enhance understanding, explaining any problems identified
  • To consider the motivations of the different aspects of marketing media and audience feedback, and the theories for how it is done professionally, reviewing and clarifying these key points
  • To discuss and analyse the structure of research mechanisms and devices, gaining an understanding of the research by media producers and official research bodies
  • To examine current issues surrounding the creation of marketing plans
  • To communicate about the production of advertisements and promotions to support a campaign, providing suggestions as to how it will be completed

STRUCTURE, LAYOUT AND SECTION SUMMARIES

This unit has been divided into several sections, each of them meeting a certain assessment objective and focusing on producing the work required. For each section the knowledge, understanding and skills will be provided in order to meet a particular assessment objective. This strategic approach will ensure that I collate a portfolio of evidence showing that I can meet all the assessment objectives in order to achieve the unit. Learning outcomes will also be met to correspond with the assessment objectives to enable a competent approach, although evidence showing the ability to meet the assessment objectives should be enough to achieve this unit.

The following is the structure, layout and section summaries for the assignment:

Section 1: Meet Assessment Objective 1

Analyse the marketing mix for existing media products

The first section will meet Assessment Objective 1 to analyse the marketing mix for existing media products. The knowledge, understanding and skills required to achieve this are shown below, and will act as evidence to meet the assessment objective.

  • Marketing mix:
  • Product – design/content
  • Price – retail, ticket, subscriptions, special offers
  • Place – distribution through retail outlets, television networks, cinemas, radio stations, Internet, locally, regionally, nationally, internationally
  • Promotion – personal selling, advertising, publicity and PR, merchandising

The above will act as evidence to meet the first assessment objective. However, to furthermore achieve this, the following will need to be completed as evidence:

  • Carry out a market analysis of the marketing campaign for one media product
  • Give a detailed description of the product, which cites an extensive range of examples of pricing and outlets
  • Describe a range of ways in which the product has been marketed and comment on how successful the marketing campaign has been

To conclude, for Assessment Objective 1, I will analyse the marketing campaign for one professional media product.

Section 2: Meet Assessment Objective 2

Produce a marketing plan for a new media product

The second section will meet Assessment Objective 2 to produce a marketing plan for a new media product. The knowledge, understanding and skills required to achieve this are shown below, and will act as evidence to meet the assessment objective.

  • One marketing plan to be produced
  • Marketing plan:
  • Identify product
  • Describes aims of a new campaign
  • Reviews current situation
  • Identifies target audience
  • Identifies the potential market (niche, local and national or global)
  • Describes advertisements and promotions
  • Gives schedule
  • Identifies ways to sample audience or consumer feedback
  • Identify official research bodies that provide information for advertisers: about user group profiles, about popularity of products
  • Major official bodies include:
  • BARB
  • RAJAR
  • Audit Bureau of Circulation
  • CAVIAR
  • Legal and ethical constraints identified: including the role of the ASA and other official bodies controlling advertising

The above will act as evidence to meet the second assessment objective. However, to furthermore achieve this, the following will need to be completed as evidence:

  • Produce a marketing plan that includes a review showing an understanding of how the marketplace and target audience are segmented
  • Describe in detail the aims of the plan and how it is related to the marketplace and the target audience
  • Clearly relate the plans for the advertisements and storyboards to the product and target audience
  • Clearly show the release dates for the advertisements/promotions and the new product in the schedule, and how the key events in the year of the target audience will impact on the campaign
  • Explain the methods used to gain feedback and justify why these methods were chosen
  • Thoroughly explain the role of official bodies in connection with market research and provide the content of their adverts
  • Ask a range of open and closed questions from the interviewee and prompt extended answers from the interviewee

To conclude, for Assessment Objective 2, I will produce a marketing plan for one new media product. The marketing plan will include a review of the market for this type of product, description of the target audience/consumer and the potential market, aims of an advertising campaign, draft/storyboard/script for two possible adverts, draft/storyboard/script for two possible promotions, schedule for the release of the adverts/promotions, description of how feedback on the campaign will be gained, explanation of the potential use of two official research bodies in gaining feedback, and explanation of the role of the ASA and other official bodies in influencing the content of adverts.

Section 3: Meet Assessment Objective 3

Produce advertising and promotional materials for a new media product

The third section will meet Assessment Objective 3 to produce advertising and promotional materials for a new media product. The knowledge, understanding and skills required to achieve this are shown below, and will act as evidence to meet the assessment objective.

  • Produce one example of direct advertising, one example of indirect advertising, one example of a promotion
  • Produce: e.g.
  • Generate ideas
  • Design
  • Prepare story/concept boards
  • Production
  • Post-production
  • Direct advertising such as:
  • Trailers/posters
  • Television/radio commercials
  • Sponsorship
  • Indirect advertising such as:
  • Feature articles
  • Guest appearances on chat shows
  • Promotions:
  • Competitions/sponsorships
  • Merchandising
  • Road shows
  • Advertising criteria:
  • Legal
  • Ethical
  • Meet the standards of the ASA and other official bodies controlling advertising

The above will act as evidence to meet the third assessment objective. However, to furthermore achieve this, the following will need to be completed as evidence:

  • Provide evidence showing that I have worked in a team or individually to produce examples of direct advertising, indirect advertising and a promotion,
  • Show originality in at least one of the adverts/promotions
  • Detail the meetings I attend and my roles in the production diaries, and also the decisions made on the type of adverts/promotions produced
  • Provide an extensive list of the contributions to content and editing
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To conclude, for Assessment Objective 3, I will work in a marketing team or individually to produce one example of direct advertising, indirect advertising and a promotion. As a member of the group I will produce a production diary showing that I took part in a meeting to choose the type of advertisement/promotion, produced ideas/material for content and edited material.

Section 4: Meet Assessment Objective 4

Present a new media product and adverts/promotions to an audience and gain feedback

The fourth section will meet Assessment Objective 4 to present a new media product and adverts/promotions ...

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