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Unit 13: Promotions and Servicescapes in Services
The geographic spread is large or small. Notes
The custom within a specific service sector dictates promotional practice.
Managers are sophisticated or not.
Self Assessment
Fill in the blanks:
1. The first step in designing an IMC programme is to
.
2. The service marketer has three promotional goals: to inform, to persuade and
.
3. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and
.
4.
is a kind of pre-test undertaken before the message has been broadcast to
ensure that the message will be received.
13.2 Guidelines for Services Communication
There are six guidelines for services advertising which apply to a wide range of services:
Provide tangible clues: To overcome the intangibility of services, which is more performance
and experience than goods, tangible elements within the product surround (total product concept)
can be used to provide tangible clues.
Make the service comprehensible: Again due to their intangibility, services resemble concept
products and it becomes difficult for the customer to understand the offer and its benefits. Thus,
tangible attributes of the service can be made use of to help in understanding the offer.
Example: ICICI Bank (briefly) used the umbrella symbol as part of its Safety Bonds
offer, to communicate the offer effectively.
Communications continuity: The service marketer uses logos, signage, symbolisms, packaging
and advertising to present a unifying and consistent theme over time. This greatly helps in the
continuity of the message and in differentiation.
Promising what is possible: Due to the intangibility of services, the customer has difficulty
believing in the promise. What can reinforce his faith is consistent service delivery as promised
by the service marketer.
Example: Speed Post, the Indian Postal services courier division, could not keep its
promise of reliable delivery and suffered greatly in its positioning. Mahanagar Telephone
Nigam Limited (MTNL) calls itself the lifeline of Mumbai, but suffers greatly due to its
inconsistent and unreliable service. This is especially in comparison to private Wireless in Local
Loop and cellular service operators. Service firms should deliver what they promise.
Capitalising on word of mouth: The intangibility and variability of services make it vulnerable
to word of mouth communications and their impacts. Recommendations are an example of how
word of mouth communications influence buying decisions. People seek personal
recommendations for plays, lawyers, doctors, hair stylists, etc.
Direct communications to employees: The importance of internal marketing highlights how a
highly motivated provider can make a difference to service quality. The enthusiasm of internal
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