7 MARKETING COMMUNICATION DECISIONS IN

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
When you sleep, keep your business run

Mai The Cuong, PhD

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Agenda
Discussing the concepts
24. What is integrated marketing communication strategy? List and briefly describe the major
promotion mix tools.
25. Name and briefly describe the nine elements of the communications process. Discuss steps in
developing effective marketing communications.
26. Explain how companies have direct contacts with international customers. Compare and contrast
push and pull promotion strategies. Which promotion tools are most effective in each? Discuss how
companies should do when sending direct mail to international customers. Give examples.
27. Why should Vietnamese companies participate in international trade fairs? Discuss factors that
Vietnamese companies should study when participating trade fairs.
28. Name and describe the common methods for setting promotion budgets. What are the key drivers that
todays marketer has to understand in planning, executing, managing and evaluating integrated
marketing communication plans for the international markets?

Assessing the concepts

22. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Rolex. (G10)
23. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Gucci. (G11)
24. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Garco10 (Garment 10 Company).
(G12)
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2017 Mai The Cuong.
 Topics 22, 23, 24

Assessing the concepts

22. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Rolex. (G10)
23. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Gucci. (G11)
24. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Garco10 (Garment 10
Company). (G12)

Questions to be addressed
1. List and briefly describe the five major promotion mix tools of the company.
2. Briefly describe the nine elements of the communications process applied to the company.
3. Discuss steps in developing effective marketing communications for the company.
4. Describe the methods that company use for setting promotion budgets.
5. Discuss the push and pull promotion strategies of the company.
6. Which promotion tools are most effective in each strategy that the company use?
7. What are the key drivers that the company has to understand in planning for the
international markets?

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2017 Mai The Cuong.
Promotion Mix in International Marketing

How can you promote

Advertising your product best?
The main question in B2B
Sales promotion marketing: How to get direct
contacts?
Personal contacts How to intensify personal
contacts?
Trade Fair participations Sales representatives - versus
advertising?
How to use the internet?
Internet
Market research

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Promotion Mix in International Marketing

Establish
Market Intensify
first Meet Sell After sales
research contact
contact

Trade Press E-Mail Discuss at Invite to visit Submit Offer services

Interviews Letter trade fairs your quotation Build long-term
Sales staff Telephone Participate in company Test order relationship
Vietnamese Public conferences Send sales
Embassies relations Visit company represent.
Develop Send
database samples

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Steps in Developing Effective Marketing
Communication
Identify the target audience

Determine the communication objectives

Design the message

Choose the media

Determine the promotion budget

Select tools to use

Evaluate the result

Manage and coordinate all promotion activities

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 The role of trade fair participations I

In B2B communication % of the German exhibiting companies regard as

very important or important:
Trade fairs and exhibitions 82%
Personal sales/sales force 77%
Direct mailing 55%
Trade journals 54%
Public relations 42%
Events 39%
Internet sales 38%
Congress presentation 34%

2017 Mai The Cuong. Source: AUMA, Successful participation in trade fairs
Example of Trade Fair Participation Costs (2014)

Trade Fair participation costs 16 sqm TENDENCE/Frankfurt:

booth rental: 16 sqm, 239 /sqm: 3,824

Construction: 16 sqm, 88 /sqm: 1,928
booth furniture/decoration: 1,000
Catalogue entry/other booth costs 1,000
Transport of exhibits/Other costs: 1,000
Travel& Accommodation costs 2 persons:2,500
Contingencies: 1,000
----------
Total 12,252

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Why do business people
go to Trade Fairs?

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The role of trade fair participations II: for Sellers

For % companies, trade fairs are suitable for

Acquisition of new customers 92%
Increase awareness 90%
Care of regular customers 88%
Presentation of new products/services 85%
Improve the image of the company/brands 83%
Opening up new markets 70%
Contract and sales 68%
New cooperation partners 56%
Market research 51%
New sales channels 43%
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2017 Mai The Cuong. Source: AUMA, Successful participation in trade fairs
Top Reasons Businesses Visit Trade Fairs

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Top Reasons Buyers Visit Trade Fairs

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 The role of trade fair participations III

Select carefully a world-wide leading trade fair and

participate regularly in the same trade fair (www.auma.de)

Use national trade fairs as a less expensive alternative to meet

buyers, which are already active in your country

Use trade fairs or conferences as a key instrument to develop

personal contacts. Some companies put trade fairs in the
centre of their marketing mix concept

Plan other marketing activities in relation with trade fair

participations 13

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Group Exercise

Select one industry

Assume you want to find new customers/suppliers
Visit http://www.auma.de
Present
Available options (trade fairs)
What do you do if you decide to go the fair?

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Checklist for Exhibition Preparation

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 Checklist for Exhibition Preparation

Activity Deadline
Appointment of booth staff 03 months
Travel arrangements 03 months
Mailing lists for publicity 03 months
First visitor mailing 06 weeks
Deliver exhibition materials to 04-08 weeks
forwarding agent
Payment checks before departure 04 weeks
Second visitor mailing 03 weeks
Arrival of exhibits at the fair 10 days
Arrival of staff at the fair 02 days

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The Importance of a Promotional Campaign: Do these
Statistics Make any Sense to You?

During a walk-through, the average person spends 3-to-

5 seconds glancing at a booth (Total length of aisles at
Ambiente is 45km!...)
The average trade show has about 400-500 exhibiting
companies.
The average visitor spend about 7 hours meeting
approximately 25 exhibitors.
The average attendee has about 15 exhibitors on his/her
agenda before he/she arrives at the show.
The average attendee receives about 30-50 pre-fair
communications before attending the show.
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 Direct Mail in B2B Communication
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Example Trade Fair Invitation:

What
By far the most effective way to reach potential attendees is
experience
through personal invitations...... I led a panel discussion with
do you have several major buyers ... They agreed that the best way to attract
with direct them to your booth was by sending a personal letter along with:
mailings? A strong motivating reason

Specifically addressing their area of responsibility

Suggesting why they would want to visit you

Source: Miller, Steve, Stop wasting your time at trade shows and start making money

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Setting up personalized direct mails
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Part A: Individual introduction

How to write
.. Dear Ms.... we met last year.. .. I understood
personalized
from your website..
direct mails in
.. You told me earlier ..
an efficient
way? Part B: Standard text
Always the same product information,
trade fair visit invitation, etc.
Part C: Individual closing sentence
Best with a question to provoke some
reaction: Will you be able to pass by?.. Can we
schedule an appointment?

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Email Follow-up

Key and known buyers should be called: Can we

schedule a meeting? Texting might be an alternative
depending on how well buyer is known by you
Send a second email. Have you received the first one? I
would highly appreciate it if we could meet
Following up lets them know you are serious about doing
business.
Save the most important argument for the second mailing.

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 Criteria for a Good Invitation

Strong motivation
Specifically addresses your potential
customer/visitors area of responsibility
Suggests why your potential customer/visitor
would want to meet with you
Location of your booth at the fair
Schedule of special events

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 Advertising and PR
22

Select the most suitable publication read by

What is the your target group
difference Combine article and advertisement - Invite
between PR and journalists
advertising? Link the advertising campaign to real
product innovation
Link advertisements to trade fair
participations or direct promotion

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Internet
23

What Paid search engine listings (e.g. Google)

experience do Online marketplaces (e.g. Alibaba)
you have Online communities
using the Website links
internet ?
E-Mail newsletters
Market research

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Promotion material
24

Price list
What
Website
promotion
Flyer/brochure
material do
Catalogue
you need?

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 Customer Relationship Management
25

Do you have a customer or target customer database?

How should
Do you update the database with all new information
we manage you learn about the expectations/needs of your
our customer customer?
contacts? Different categories are useful, such as
a) existing clients
b) highly promising contacts
c) general contacts
d) specific market segment

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Joint promotion activities
26

How about the Potential joint promotion activities:

potential for Trade fair participations
joint promotion Buyers missions
activities of Advertisements
companies in
one sector? Internet
Market research

2017 Mai The Cuong.

 Topics 22, 23, 24

Assessing the concepts

22. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Rolex. (G10)
23. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Gucci. (G11)
24. Discuss the communication decisions in the international markets of Garco10 (Garment 10
Company). (G12)

Questions to be addressed
1. List and briefly describe the five major promotion mix tools of the company.
2. Briefly describe the nine elements of the communications process applied to the company.
3. Discuss steps in developing effective marketing communications for the company.
4. Describe the methods that company use for setting promotion budgets.
5. Discuss the push and pull promotion strategies of the company.
6. Which promotion tools are most effective in each strategy that the company use?
7. What are the key drivers that the company has to understand in planning for the
international markets?

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2017 Mai The Cuong.