MARK301 - Assignment B, Jacob Barber - 300447960 PDF

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MARK301 Assignment Part B – Integration Marketing Communication Plan “DNA Tech” Jacob Barber – 300447960 Word Count: 2,500 Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 2 Market Situation ...................................................................................................................... 3 DNA Tech ................................................................................................................................. 3 Target Market, Target Audience & Prioritization ....................................................................... 4 IMC Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 4 Media Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 5 Channel Choices & Justification ................................................................................................ 5 Creative Strategies, Big Idea and Media Allocation.................................................................... 6 Planned Media Communication................................................................................................ 7 Media Allocation...................................................................................................................... 8 Budget Allocation and Implementation .................................................................................... 8 Gant Chart ............................................................................................................................... 9 Measurement: ....................................................................................................................... 10 References ............................................................................................................................. 11

Executive Summary The report aims to provide a detailed campaign plan for DNA Tech upon their market entry. DNA Tech is a PC retailer is aiming to launch a brand targeted towards consumers who value flexibility, convenience and productivity. These consumers are either currently working from home and are looking to optimize their workspace or are currently working in an office environment and looking to shift towards a homework environment. DNA Tech is designed to meet the need for portable technology in work environments, hence they will be focused on laptops for business end use. DNA Tech’s target audience will be Gen X consumers who work in the Wellington business sector, live in Wellington suburban areas and value useful technology that enhances their work performance, capitalizing on the shift to mobile/home working conditions. They will use a mix of traditional and digital media in order to communicate to this audience, establishing synergy in their communications objectives. A range of IMC objectives have been established in order to successfully penetrate the market. DNA Tech’s “Big idea” for their IMC campaign will be tackling the challenge of shifting to mobile work, which will be heavily linked to consumers insight on portable, efficient technology that doesn’t limit mobility. This key message/theme will be consistent across all of DNA Tech’s adverting. DNA Tech will also be advertising continuously through a 3 year period, adopting a “continuity” approach to media allocation. They will execute this idea through providing educational and insightful content for consumers into how to optimize a mobile work life, and strategically link their products to this in a contextual way. This report also specifies and scheduling strategy and budget to be implemented for DNA Tech in their 3 year campaign plan, as well as metrics to leverage these further leverage their strategy. A Gantt chart is used to outline specific periods and durations for different channels to be used, as well as total advertising costs for each year in the campaign. It is important to note the limitations of our budget, as these figures were estimates based on proxy research. However, these figures provide valuable insight into what costs DNA Tech can expect in formulating an exact budget.

Market Situation

With the existence of COVID-19 throughout the past year, there has been a fundamental shift within the PC market. Consumers increasingly value “portable, efficient technology that meets their needs without limiting their mobility” (Alton, 2019). Business laptops offer this mobility, being the top seller within the global laptop market for end use in 2017 (Grand View Research, 2018). There is a strong need for consumers to work from home due to increased wariness around health, due to the scare that COVID-19 prompted for many businesses. Restricting human to human interaction remains important in the development and use of PC’s (Channel Life, 2021), with these devices providing a means for businesses to adhere to social distancing. Additionally, there is a high demand for cyber security when working from portable devices. Our interconnected world creates threats of cybercrime that pervade our work and private lives (Arlitsch & Edelman, 2014), therefore it is important for consumers to have a sophisticated level of security at a minimal cost.

DNA Tech DNA Tech is a PC retailer designed to meet the need for portable technology. They will provide solutions for consumers who are looking to establish a home office environment by selling PCs that provide flexibility, portability and convenience. The PC’s they sell will be laptops that are enhanced for business use, as there is a strong market need for mobile portable devices due to their flexibility and convenience. Additionally, DNA Tech will provide consumers with a range of additional services. This will include an enhanced security software that comes with a password vault software, allowing users to create unique, encrypted passwords for all platforms that a user interacts with for work purposes. DNA Tech’s will employ differentiation, with their competitive advantage based on their products being specifically designed for business end use. They will also be differentiated on the basis of quality of online service and geographic location. Their retail presence will also provide differentiation being located in Wellington suburbs that consumers live within, due to the increased demand for urban amenities and stores to be available in suburbs to aid convenience. Consumers are increasingly wanting suburbia to become multi-use (Zenkteler, Foth & Hearn, 2021), therefore having a store front away from CBD and close to where consumers live will provide a means of differentiation.

Target Market, Target Audience & Prioritization DNA Tech targets male and female Gen X consumers aged between 37 and 56. These consumers have a relatively high income between $60,000 and $100,000, with 679,430 people in NZ earning within this bracket (Figure NZ, 2020). These consumers are either still working from home since COVID -19 lockdown, or currently work in a business office environment and are looking to transition to a home office. People who work within the business sector are much more likely to work from home compared to other professions, due to the mobile ability of work (Stats NZ, 2020). DNA Tech’s target audience will be males and females aged between 37 and 56, are living in Wellington suburban areas, work within the business sector and are looking to work from home at least some of the time. They strongly value convenience and optimizing their productivity through technology use. Living in suburban neighborhoods poses a viable opportunity for DNA Tech, as commuting activity from suburbs into CBD is expected to decline by an average of 25-30%, as both employers and employees see value in a work from home plan (Hensher, 2021). Individuals within this bracket are not very proficient with technology and IT, with older workers being less able to process complex information processing tasks (Morris & Venkatesh, 2006). DNA Tech will prioritize the older end of this Gen X bracket (45-56), as they strongly value useful technology that enhances their job performance, requiring specialized and concise technological advice. They will align their service provision with the values and searches of this target audience and establish a sense of superiority within the business end use market.

IMC Objectives DNA Tech’s campaign seeks to achieve the following IMC objectives: •

Reach 15,000 website visitors within the first 10 months of our campaign launch and achieve 8,000 conversions through our website. Specifically, reach at least 5,000 email sign ups within this initial period.

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Increase brand awareness of our target market by 50% over 3 years upon the launch of our campaign.

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Establish our differentiation points in order to establish ‘liking’ and ‘preference’ by 10% each over 2 years, with consumers regularly engaging with our content and becoming repeat purchasers.

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Switch business end consumers from competing brands such as Noel Leeming and Harvey Norman over 3 year, and enter the front of mind awareness of 40% of the target audience within this period.

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Build customer loyalty by 40% within the first year of our campaigns launch by making all advertising business sector related.

Media Objectives DNA Techs main media objectives include: •

Achieve 4,000 QR Code scans from transit advertising with the first 6 months of the campaign.

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Reach 60% of our target audience through educational content on LinkedIn and YouTube in the first year. Establish 50% engagement on all platforms through subscriptions, follows, and active commenting/sharing of content.

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Drive 45% of the target market to our website through other links over the first 2 years.

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Maximize SEO for relevant keywords on our website through educational content, with 80% of our target market clicking on DNA Tech when using Google Search.

Channel Choices & Justification LinkedIn: Educational content and ads based around work productivity and working from home will be posted to LinkedIn, including blog posts and short videos. LinkedIn has been chosen as a channel for this because the platform is dominant in demonstrating through leadership and gaining authority in a niche (O’Connor, 2018). LinkedIn is also most popular among Gen X users (Hootsuite, 2020). YouTube: Educational content will also be provided in video format through YouTube ads and the DNA Tech YouTube channel. Gen X consumers account for over 1.5B views every day on YouTube (Gross & Reeber, 2017), with 52% of this generation finding video most helpful when making a purchase decision online (PR Newswire, 2020). Using video is also most likely to attract the attention of a potential consumers (Quick Sprout, 2015). The site offers a variety of functionalities besides uploading and video viewing, encouraging both active and passive user engagement (Khan, 2017). Through both YouTube and LinkedIn campaigns, DNA Tech will provide links to products on their website and incorporate the products they sell into usage situations that are outlined in these posts. Outdoor advertising: A digital billboard will be placed on Lambton Quay in the heart of Wellington’s premier retail and business zones. This will offer high frequency exposure to their target market, as many will already be working within the business sector of the CBD. The billboard is designed to catch the eye of consumers and shed light on the daunting process of shifting to mobile work, as well as how DNA tech is designed to facilitate this process. With this, it will depict images of people using their products in a business context from home to provide relevance

to our target market and increase brand awareness. Utilizing a digital format will also allow DNA Tech to adjust the billboard frequently over time. Transit advertising will also be used by placing flyers on the back of buses commuting between suburban areas and the CBD. The flyer will have a QR code on it, which consumers can scan and be redirected to the DNA Tech website. As these consumers regularly commute to and from the CBD and live-in suburban areas, the advertisements maximize reach. The advertisement is also contextually relevant, drawing a link between commute frustrations and alternatively working from home. Owned Media DNA Tech’s website will be a hub on comprehensive information related to their products and service. Gen X prefer browsing website features and purchasing options that are clear and concise (Bluestone, 2014). DNA Tech will thus make the general design simple and readable, as well as organize products concisely. A well-designed website will help DNA tech differentiate themselves, as a website with high usability has been found to positively influence visitor retention and purchasing behavior (Garret, Chiu, Zhang & Young, 2016). A series of blog posts will be funneled through the website as part of the campaign to entice people to adopt their products. This will enhance SEO, as improving the quality and relevancy of their content will ensure that the brand is rich in relevant keywords, ultimately ensuring DNA Tech ranks highly in organic search traffic.

Creative Strategies, Big Idea and Media Allocation DNA Techs creative strategy can be understood using Stuhlfaut and Windels Step and Structural Model. This model involves three important steps which are developing the message strategy, turning the selling proposition into a big idea and then executing it. 1. Message Strategy: DNA Tech will employ a pre-emptive message strategy, making claims no other technology retailers make. Their main selling proposition is their ability to offer specialized products and services to business end users in order to enhance their work productivity from home, helping them to establish a homogenous home & work life. They will link their products and brand image directly to the benefits of working from home, capitalizing on the shift to mobile work and establishing top of mind awareness for home office technology. 2. Big Idea: DNA Tech’s big idea is centered around tackling the challenge of shifting to mobile work. Their campaign is designed to capture the essence of their main message strategy and align the brand with the theme of working from home. This idea is heavily linked to insight into how consumers value portable, efficient technology that doesn’t limit their mobility. This is important for DNA Tech’s primary rationale to satisfy the demand for transitioning from a traditional business dynamic to a mobile one.

Advertising appeal: DNA Tech will use a combination of informational and emotional advertising appeals. These appeals are informed by the ELM model, which shows consumers motivation and ability to process the message. Within DNA Techs target market, both consumer motivation and ability are high, with these receivers being well educated and professional, falling under the “central route to persuasion”. Through this, consumers exhibit a high level of cognitive response to advertising that enhances their work life, resulting in positive attitude change towards the possibility of working from home. As their target market values high work performance in the technology they use, they will find advertising that draws links between the technical aspects of DNA Tech products and a highly productive work performance attractive. They will execute the campaign through a ‘demonstration’ technique, whereby they demonstrate how products are utilized through contextual content. The brand personality/tone of voice they establish with their advertising will be one of security, trust and education. This is reinforced through the strong presence of blue in DNA Tech’s logo and ads, with these traits being closely associated with this color (Ahmad, 2017).

Planned Media Communication An example of DNA Tech’s billboard is provided below:

This billboard is contextually relevant for consumers as it demonstrates a person using a DNA Tech laptop whilst working from home, appearing to be content and relaxed. This sheds light on the need for a homogenous home and work life. The headline addresses the issue at hand, instantly grabbing the attention of consumers working in CBD who may be considering transitioning to homework. The body copy flows directly from the headline, addressing the apprehension consumers may feel and acknowledges that DNA tech provides a solution to this.

Media Allocation DNA Tech will employ a ‘continuity’ strategy in advertising media, referring to a continuous pattern of marketing communication where a regular pattern is developed without gaps. Maintaining a continuous presence on digital platforms, in Wellington CBD and through relevant SEO keywords will service as a regular reminder to consumers. This strategy supports the objective of brand switching, as it constantly reminds consumers that the brand is available and possesses favorable benefits.

Budget Allocation and Implementation

LinkedIn: The average cost for a graphic designer to create blog post graphics for DNA Tech’s LinkedIn/Website posts will be $1000 (Siege Media, 2020). The best model for advertisements on this platform for high frequency ads is $10 per day (Web FX). This will be a relatively high cost for DNA Tech as their target audience is most active on LinkedIn. YouTube: YouTube advertising cost per click (CPC) is $0.30 (Web FX). Because DNA Tech aims to maximize reach through YouTube, we will aim for 1000 views per day each year. Investing heavily into this content will provide DNA Tech with the largest return on investment, as their target audience makes the majority of purchasing decisions through YouTube. SEO: Whilst SEO will also be organic through content keywords, DNA Tech should spend an average of $500 per month on specialized SEO services (SEJ, 2021) in order to maximize reach for certain keywords. Billboard: The average cost of 1 billboard design is $1500, plus an additional $350 for installation. The billboard will cost an average of $3750 per month to run.

Transit: The same graphic design cost for transit applies for transit advertising ($1000) in order to present the design to a transit advertising company. The average cost of transit advertising is $2,500 for specialty ad sizes (Blue Line Media, 2021). Website maintenance: Average monthly price of website maintenance for a custom business website is $350-$4500 (Web FX, 2021), hence we have chosen the median amount which is $2,425. This figure multiplied over a 36-month campaign period (3 years) is $93,600.

Gantt Chart

This Gantt chart provides an overview of DNA Techs scheduling strategy over a 3-year period. This schedule is consistent with their “continuity strategy” allocation strategy, as most advertising mediums are consistent in timing and are designed to constantly remind consumers.

Measurement: LinkedIn: Number of LinkedIn visitors, post impressions and clicks. DNA Tech will aim to have a high click rate of 50% of our overall views in order to redirect users to our website, with the website link attached in all posts. YouTube: Useful metrics for YouTube will include watch time, audience retention and YouTube demographics report. With these, DNA Tech can compare figures against the size of their target audience, as well as ensure their most engaged audience is the target audience they should be reaching. Billboard: DNA Tech will measure certain keywords that are searched in areas where the billboard campaign is being placed using Google Analytics. This will provide insight into how many people are searching for DNA Tech directly upon viewing the billboard in Lambton Quay. Transit: DNA Tech will conduct an online survey on frustrations of commuting to work, and whether they would consider working from home because of this. They will also measure the amount of people...