Effective Communication Strategies for Businesses

Setting the Initial Communication Strategy

Before choosing its communication tools, a company must determine its communication budget. This budget may be a flat fee or a percentage of total business, while also providing for the participation fees of different local partners. The company must choose between or combine several solutions, including:

Advertising Media

When opting for this means of communication, companies should pay particular attention to the following points:

• The choice between different media (TV, radio, press) depending on the nature of the product and the customs of the country.
• Compliance with regulatory constraints. There are three levels of constraints:
  • Banned advertising: This applies to products related to public health, such as some drugs.
  • Products or services regulated either in terms of access to the media or the message, which must contain certain information.
  • Free products or services: This applies to the vast majority of products. No regulatory constraint weighs on the product, but there are sometimes agreements between manufacturers and the government.
• Check the message: representation, language (avoid misleading and comparative advertising).
• Meet the expectations of consumers: information, humor, sense of family.
• Gather information about the media: their availability and effectiveness.

Non-Media Communication

Company Documentation

This is a communication tool for the company and its products. Special attention must be paid to the substance (technical and commercial information) and the form (layout, color, paper quality).

Fairs

Participation in fairs and exhibitions allows companies to:

• Gather information on market trends.
• Learn about technological developments.
• Prospect: find distribution partners, production partners, customers, or suppliers.
• Promote the filing of a trademark.

It is particularly important to choose the right event and to communicate effectively during participation.

Promotional Campaigns

These are actions intended to immediately increase business. They can be conducted with consumers or distributors. The main promotional techniques are:

• Price reduction
• More products
• Contests

Companies must select techniques according to the laws of the country and the efficiency of the techniques, integrating constraints on consumption patterns.

Point of Sale Advertising (POS)

Its role is to:

• Highlight the product.
• Attract customer attention.
• Inform and convince the customer.

In general, it recalls an advertisement already issued by another communication tool. To implement POS, companies must take into account regulatory, linguistic, and technical constraints.

Direct Marketing

This allows companies to directly contact the client using adapted media such as mail, telephone, fax, or the internet. It requires the establishment and continuous updating of a complete customer file.

Public Relations

These are deployed for operations to establish and maintain good relationships and a favorable image of the enterprise. Their effects are typically felt in the long term. In scientific fields, companies often require third parties such as journalists, opinion leaders, or prescribers.

Sponsorship and Patronage

This involves material and financial support for an activity or event to improve awareness and image of the company and its products.

• Sponsorship often concerns artistic, cultural, and social activities, often non-profit.
• Patronage is typically for sports, for profit.