Communications objectives

Communications objectives are goals of the act of transferring the information from sender to receiver; from developing the message by one party till accurate interpretation by the other one. In marketing communications objectives are intended targets of a promotional or advertising program. If the communications objectives are set before starting the program, it can be evaluated whether these targets were reached or not (Rossiter 2018)

Goals of communication

Communications objectives can be generally speaking divided into three main categories (De Pelsmacker 2005 p. 73):

1. Reach goal, which aims to reach a target group as efficiently and effectively as possible. This requires an accurate audience definition and media planning
2. Process goals, which ensures, that the message was processed exhaustively, so that it is properly understood by the audience
3. Effectiveness goals are the most crucial objectives and they are a result of correctly defined (and achieved) reach and process goals. Effectiveness in communication means, that when the message is developed (coded) and transmitted by the sender, it is received by another party (receiver), that can interpret (decode) the message.

Communication objectives in DAGMAR model

Russell Colley has come up with a list of the communications objectives, that are applicable to the purchase process (De Pelsmacker 2005 p. 74-76):

1. Category need means creating a category awareness, so that the brand can easily fit within the customer's desires and needs
2. Brand awareness is about building brand aimed recognition based on its' physical characteristics
3. Brand knowledge comprehension, which means that the customer is aware of the brand's strengths in comparison to similar brands
4. Brand attitude means customer's overall opinion on the product shaped by emotions and knowledge
5. Brand purchase intention refers to will to purchase brand's product at some point
6. Brand facilitation means convincing the customers to the best decisions from the brand's perspective even though the client may already have his own opinion on facilitation subject
7. Purchase is an act of buying a product
8. Satisfaction is achieved when the product meets buyer's desired expectations
9. Brand loyalty means a mental commitment of the client, who tends to buy products of the same brand instead of evaluating possible alternatives

Examples of Communications objectives

• Increase brand awareness: This could be done by creating an advertising campaign that emphasizes the unique qualities of the brand and its products.
• Increase customer loyalty: This could be done by offering loyalty programs and incentives to customers who purchase frequently from the company.
• Increase sales: This could be done by creating promotional offers that drive customers to purchase products, such as discounts or free shipping.
• Increase customer engagement: This could be done by creating content that encourages customers to interact with the company, such as webinars, social media posts, blog posts, and videos.
• Increase website traffic: This could be done by optimizing search engine rankings with SEO tactics, and by creating online ads to direct people to the website.

Advantages of Communications objectives

Communications objectives provide a clear measure of success when it comes to marketing campaigns. They provide a yardstick to measure the effectiveness of various campaigns. Following are the advantages of communications objectives:

• Create a shared vision: Communications objectives help to create a shared understanding of the goals and objectives of the campaign among stakeholders, marketers, and the target audience. This common understanding helps to ensure that the message is accurately conveyed.
• Improved targeting: Having communication objectives helps to ensure that the target audience is accurately selected. This helps to ensure that the right people are exposed to the message and that the message is tailored to the intended audience.
• Increased efficiency: Having communication objectives helps to ensure that resources are used in an effective and efficient manner. The objectives help to define the target audience and the needed resources, allowing for greater efficiency in the use of resources.
• Measurable results: Having communication objectives helps to ensure that the results of the campaign can be accurately measured. This helps to assess the effectiveness of the campaign and identify areas for improvement.

Limitations of Communications objectives

• One limitation of communications objectives is difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of the message. It is difficult to measure the success rate of a message, and the effectiveness of the message can be difficult to quantify.
• Another limitation of communications objectives is the potential for misinterpretation. When the message is sent from sender to receiver, there is potential for the message to be misinterpreted, leading to confusion.
• The third limitation of communications objectives is the potential for a lack of clarity. Without clarity, the message can be difficult to understand and can lead to misunderstandings.
• Another limitation of communications objectives is the inability to reach the right audience. If the message is not targeted to the right audience, then it may not be effective and can be wasted.

Other approaches related to Communications objectives

One approach related to communications objectives is message development. Message development involves crafting a message that is tailored to the target audience, taking into consideration their beliefs, attitudes, needs and values. This helps to ensure that the message is received, understood and acted upon by the target audience. Other approaches related to communications objectives include:

• Media selection: Choosing the appropriate media to reach the target audience. This includes identifying the right mix of traditional and digital media, such as television, radio, print, online and mobile, that will reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
• Creative development: Creating the actual ad or promotional material that will be used to communicate the message. This includes design, copywriting, art direction and video/audio production.
• Distribution: Reaching the target audience by choosing the platforms and networks where the materials will be placed. This could include social media, email and search engine marketing.
• Measurement: Measuring the impact of the campaign. This includes tracking the performance of the campaign over time to see if the objectives were met or exceeded.

In summary, communications objectives involve message development, media selection, creative development, distribution and measurement. When used together, these approaches can help ensure that the message is crafted appropriately, reaches the right audience and is successful in achieving the desired results.

Communications objectives — recommended articles

Areas of marketing — Social media optimization — Marketing — Influencer marketing strategy — Social network marketing strategy — Types of marketing — Digital marketing strategy — Market reach — Selling process

References

• Beck A., (2004), Communication Studies: The Essential Resource, Psychology Press
• De Pelsmacker P., (2005), Foundations of Marketing Communications: A European Perspective, Pearson Education
• Lalama M., (2015), Setting clear communication objectives: a proposed frame of reference to measure the effectiveness of advertising and integrated communications campaigns
• Rossiter J., (2018), Marketing Communications: Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, SAGE
• Smith P., (2004), Marketing Communications: An Integrated Approach, Kogan Page Publishers

Author: Izabela Stań