Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning pdf ebook

What message to convey: First and foremost, the message to be conveyed needs to be clearly 
understood and accepted by those responsible for sending it. Confused messages create con-
fusing signals in the minds of customers. The most effective communications have a single 
but clear message they are trying to get across. This has been referred to as the USP (unique 
selling proposition) of the market offer. Communications centering on conveying the key 
benefits of the product in a novel and attractive way (see later in the text) help not only to 
raise awareness, but also to create a powerful position for the product in the mind of the 
customer.
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What communications tools to use: There are many different communications tools 
available. These include advertising, public relations, sales promotions, personal selling 
(see Chapter 14), direct marketing and sponsorship. Each has advantages and disadvan-
tages. Some are better at creating awareness (such as advertising), while others focus 
more on creating desired actions (personal selling, for example). The various tools are 
used in combination at different stages in the communications process.
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How to translate the message in copy: Not only is it important for the communicator to 
know what message they are trying to convey, they must also translate it into effective 
words and symbols that the recipient of the message can understand and decode. Too 
subtle, or complicated, translations can result in a confused message being received, or 
even the wrong message being received. Early anti-drug use advertisements in the UK 

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were criticised for actually making drug taking look glamorous, rather than getting 
across the message that drugs can seriously damage your health.
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