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Services Marketing
Notes customers, especially if they are in a high contact service industry, will infectiously transfer
itself to their customers.
Self Assessment
State whether the following statements are true or false:
5. The total product concept can be used to provide tangible cues in a service product.
6. The logo of the service brand helps in differentiation.
7. Due to the intangibility of services, the customer has no difficulty believing in the promise.
8. Internal customers also help in communicating the brand value of a service firm.
13.3 The Elements of Communication Mix
As said earlier, the communication mix consists of advertising, public relations, sales promotion,
personal selling, word-of-mouth and direct marketing.
13.3.1 Advertising
The word advertising is derived from the Latin word advertere, meaning to change the mood
of the people. Indeed, advertising does resemble a mood elevator. It is one of the most important
communication techniques of mass or impersonal communication. But it has very specific goals,
too.
Advertising goals are necessary not only to justify the advertising expenditure, but also to
vindicate the art and science bases of advertising. Achievement of the goals would confirm the
effectiveness of advertising as a communication tool.
Goals of Advertising
Awareness Goals
Advertising seeks to make consumers aware of the service offer, its benefits and the experience.
The awareness could also be quantified and tangibly achieved by measuring it before and after
the campaign. The advertiser seeks to increase the customers knowledge about the service offer
and the messages are directed at the cognitive (having the ability to recognize) part of his brain.
Advertising is used for positioning of the service offer in the minds of the consumers by
effectively differentiating it from competition.
Behavioural Goals
Consumers have attitudes of favourable and unfavourable disposition towards brands and
services. Advertising seeks to change the attitude of the consumers towards a favourable
disposition.
Example: A Korean food retailer or restaurateur may come across negative feelings
amongst people who have come to know that one of the delicacies of the Koreans is cat and dog
meat. The Korean restaurateur might approach an advertising agency to try and change the
attitude of the people towards him.
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