Marketing Channels, Platforms & Emerging Tech: BBA/MBA Lecture Notes

Essential notes for BBA/MBA students on marketing channels & tech. Learn about TV/Radio/Print, Google/FB/LinkedIn, AI/Chatbots/AR, PR, and influencer strategies.

Course: BBA/MBA Program

Module: Marketing Management / Digital Marketing / Marketing Communications

Topics: Role of Traditional Marketing in 360 Strategy, Overview of Traditional Channels (TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor), Public Relations, Key Digital Platforms (Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), Emerging Technologies (AI, Chatbots, AR/VR), Influencer & Affiliate Marketing.

Introduction:

A truly comprehensive 360-degree marketing strategy leverages a synergistic mix of both traditional and digital channels. Understanding the unique strengths of each channel, how they integrate, and the role of emerging technologies allows marketers to create more effective and engaging campaigns that reach customers wherever they are. This module explores these different components and their place in a modern marketing plan.

1. Role of Traditional Marketing in 360 Strategy

While digital marketing dominates many conversations, traditional marketing channels still play a vital role in a well-rounded 360-degree strategy. They often excel in areas where digital might be less effective.

Key Roles:

1. Building Mass Awareness & Reach: Channels like television and radio can reach large, broad audiences quickly, building brand awareness and recognition on a scale that can be challenging for digital alone.
2. Establishing Credibility & Trust: Traditional media outlets (established newspapers, magazines, TV networks) can sometimes lend credibility to a brand, particularly for certain demographics. Well-placed PR also builds trust.
3. Reaching Specific Demographics: Certain demographics may still consume traditional media more heavily than digital channels. Print can be effective for older audiences, while radio is key during commutes.
4. Tangibility & Sensory Experience: Print materials (brochures, direct mail) offer a tangible element that digital cannot replicate. Events and physical outdoor ads create real-world experiences.
5. Driving Digital Action: Traditional advertising often acts as a catalyst, driving consumers to search online, visit websites, or engage on social media (e.g., a TV ad featuring a website URL or hashtag).
6. Local Targeting: Outdoor advertising (billboards, transit ads) and local print/radio can be highly effective for geographically focused campaigns.

Integration is Key: The goal isn’t “traditional vs. digital” but rather how they can complement each other. A 360 strategy uses traditional channels to build broad awareness and drive interest, while digital channels can then be used for deeper engagement, targeted messaging, lead nurturing, and conversion tracking.

(Potential Exam Question: Discuss the continuing relevance of traditional marketing channels in a modern 360-degree marketing strategy. How can they be integrated effectively with digital channels?)

2. Television, Radio, Print & Outdoor Advertising

Brief overview of their roles in an integrated mix:

• Television (TV) Advertising:

• Strengths: Massive reach, combines sight, sound, and motion for high impact storytelling, good for brand building and demonstrating products.
• Weaknesses: High cost (production and airtime), declining viewership among younger demographics, difficult to measure direct response precisely.
• Integration: Drive viewers to websites/social media, use consistent messaging with digital campaigns, target specific demographics via cable/programmatic TV.
• Radio Advertising:

• Strengths: Good local reach, relatively low cost, high frequency possible (captive audience during commutes), good for timely announcements.
• Weaknesses: Audio only (no visuals), background medium (listeners may be distracted), audience fragmentation.
• Integration: Drive listeners to websites or specific landing pages (easy-to-remember URLs), promote local events, use jingles/audio cues consistent with other branding.
• Print Advertising (Newspapers, Magazines):

• Strengths: Can target specific interests/demographics (magazines), high credibility (newspapers), longer shelf life (magazines), allows for detailed information.
• Weaknesses: Declining readership, static medium, lead times for placement can be long, measuring direct ROI can be hard.
• Integration: Include QR codes or specific URLs to track response, align visual style with digital assets, use for couponing/offers driving online or in-store traffic.
• Outdoor Advertising (OOH – Billboards, Transit Ads, Street Furniture):

• Strengths: High visibility in specific geographic areas, good for local targeting, high frequency of exposure, good for simple awareness messages.
• Weaknesses: Limited message complexity (short viewing time), can be difficult to target specific demographics precisely (beyond location), measurement challenges.
• Integration: Use simple visuals and strong calls to action (website URL, hashtag), reinforce campaigns running on other channels, use digital billboards for dynamic content.

(Potential Exam Question: Compare the primary strengths and weaknesses of Television advertising versus Outdoor advertising within an integrated marketing campaign.)

3. Public Relations (PR) and Media Strategy

What is Public Relations?

PR is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics (customers, employees, investors, media, government, community). It focuses on managing the organization’s reputation and influencing perceptions through earned and owned media, rather than paid advertising.

Role in IMC / 360 Strategy:

• Building Credibility & Trust: Earned media coverage (news articles, positive reviews) is often perceived as more credible than paid advertising.
• Managing Reputation: Proactively shaping public perception and responding effectively during crises.
• Thought Leadership: Positioning key executives or the brand as experts in their field through articles, interviews, and speaking engagements.
• Content Amplification: Using PR tactics to gain wider reach for content marketing efforts.
• Stakeholder Relations: Communicating with investors, employees, and the community.
• Event Management & Sponsorships: Creating positive brand associations and generating media interest.

Media Strategy (within PR): Involves identifying target media outlets (online and offline), building relationships with journalists/influencers, crafting compelling story angles (press releases, pitches), and securing positive media coverage.

Integration: PR messages must be aligned with advertising and other marketing communications. PR efforts can generate buzz that amplifies paid campaigns. Content generated for PR (e.g., press releases) can be repurposed for owned channels (website blog, social media). Social media is now a key channel for direct PR communication and monitoring public sentiment.

(Potential Exam Question: Define Public Relations and explain its strategic role in building brand reputation and supporting an overall IMC/360-degree marketing strategy.)

4. Digital Platforms for 360 Marketing

Specific digital platforms offer unique capabilities within an integrated strategy:

• Google (Search Engine + Ad Network):

• Role: Capturing user intent (via organic SEO and paid PPC search ads), display advertising across websites (Google Display Network), video advertising (YouTube).
• Integration: Essential for users actively seeking information prompted by other channels (TV, print). Provides detailed analytics (Google Analytics) to measure traffic and conversions from all sources. Remarketing can target website visitors across the web.
• Facebook (Meta):

• Role: Massive user base for broad reach, sophisticated demographic and interest-based ad targeting, community building (Groups), direct customer interaction (Messenger), visual content sharing.
• Integration: Building brand awareness, targeted advertising, driving website traffic, customer service channel, promoting content, running contests/promotions, retargeting website visitors.
• Instagram (Meta):

• Role: Highly visual platform, strong among younger demographics, influencer marketing hub, Stories & Reels for engaging short-form video, e-commerce features (Shopping).
• Integration: Showcasing products visually, brand building through aesthetics, influencer collaborations, driving traffic via links in bio/stories, targeted advertising (shared platform with Facebook).
• LinkedIn:

• Role: Professional networking platform, ideal for B2B marketing, recruitment, thought leadership, targeting based on job title/industry/company size.
• Integration: B2B lead generation, content marketing distribution for professional audiences, building corporate brand reputation, employee advocacy, targeted advertising to decision-makers.
• YouTube (Google):

• Role: Second largest search engine, primary platform for video content (demonstrations, tutorials, entertainment, reviews), wide demographic reach, various ad formats (in-stream, discovery).
• Integration: Hosting brand video content, running video ad campaigns, influencer collaborations, driving traffic to website, SEO benefits (videos can rank in Google search).

(Potential Exam Question: Compare the primary roles of LinkedIn and Instagram within a 360-degree marketing strategy. For what types of objectives might each platform be best suited?)

5. Emerging Technologies in Marketing (AI, Chatbots, AR/VR)

These technologies are increasingly being integrated into marketing strategies:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML):

• Applications: Predictive analytics for customer behaviour, hyper-personalization of content and offers, programmatic advertising optimization, content generation assistance, sentiment analysis, dynamic pricing, sophisticated chatbots.
• Impact: Enables more efficient, targeted, and personalized marketing at scale. Improves decision-making through data analysis.
• Chatbots:

• Applications: Automated customer service (answering FAQs 24/7), lead qualification, simple transaction processing, personalized recommendations on websites/messaging apps.
• Impact: Improves customer service efficiency and availability, provides instant responses, frees up human agents for complex issues. Needs careful implementation to avoid frustrating users.
• Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR):
• Applications:

• AR: Virtual try-ons (e.g., glasses, makeup, furniture in your room via phone camera), interactive print ads, enhanced in-store experiences.
• VR: Immersive brand experiences (virtual tours, product simulations, branded games), virtual events/showrooms.
• Impact: Creates highly engaging and memorable brand experiences, bridges the gap between digital and physical worlds (AR), offers immersive storytelling (VR). Still evolving in terms of widespread adoption and cost.

(Potential Exam Question: Briefly describe one application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and one application of Augmented Reality (AR) in marketing. How might these technologies enhance a 360-degree marketing campaign?)

6. Influencer & Affiliate Marketing

These leverage third-party voices to promote products or services:

• Influencer Marketing:

• Definition: Collaborating with individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts or trendsetters within a specific niche (e.g., Instagrammers, YouTubers, bloggers, TikTok creators). Brands pay them to feature products or endorse the brand.
• Role: Builds trust and credibility through authentic recommendations, reaches targeted niche audiences, generates engaging content, drives awareness and sales. Requires careful selection of relevant influencers whose audience matches the target market and ensuring disclosure of paid partnerships.
• Integration: Can amplify product launches, promote specific campaigns, create user-generated style content, drive traffic to specific landing pages. Needs alignment with overall brand messaging.
• Affiliate Marketing:

• Definition: A performance-based marketing strategy where a business rewards affiliates (individuals or companies) for each customer brought in through the affiliate’s own marketing efforts (typically via a unique tracking link). Affiliates earn a commission on sales or leads generated.
• Role: Extends sales reach through a network of partners, performance-based (pay only for results), cost-effective customer acquisition, can drive significant traffic and sales. Requires managing relationships and tracking systems.
• Integration: Complements other channels by driving qualified traffic/sales. Often used in e-commerce. Affiliates might use content marketing, SEO, or PPC to promote their links, integrating with the brand’s broader digital footprint.

(Potential Exam Question: Define Influencer Marketing and Affiliate Marketing. How do they differ in their approach and compensation model?)

Conclusion for MBA Students:

An effective 360-degree marketing strategy requires a sophisticated understanding of how various channels – traditional and digital – work together. Leveraging established platforms like Google and Facebook, while exploring the potential of emerging technologies like AI and AR/VR, allows businesses to create comprehensive and impactful campaigns. Furthermore, incorporating strategies like PR, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing can significantly amplify reach and credibility. The key lies in strategic integration, consistent messaging, and a relentless focus on the customer journey across all touchpoints.