Impact of image personalization on response rate of direct mail advertising

With widespread adoption of full-color digital presses in the commercial printing industry, personalization has been enabled to create one-to-one marketing communication to enhance the effectiveness of print media advertising. Prior researches showed an increase in response rates with data-driven personalized direct mailings. However, the impact of image personalization on response rate of direct mail advertising is still unknown. This research used an experimental design to test the impact of image personalization on response rate of direct mail advertising. A direct mail postcard campaign was created with three levels of personalization (black-and-white name-only personalization, full-color name-only personalization, full-color name and image personalization) to test the hypothesis that there are no statistically significant differences between the response rates of direct mail advertising with name-only personalization and with image personalization. The Cost Per Response (CPR) for three levels personalization was also observed. The experimental results showed that the response rates for postcard with full-color name and image personalization was 2.6%, and 3.0% for full-color name-only personalization. There were no statistically significant differences between the two levels personalization. Black-and-white name-only personalization postcard turned out to be the most cost effective direct mail advertising with a CPR of $20.50 USD, lower than both full-color name-only personalization ($26.33 USD), and full-color name and image personalization ($30.07 USD) postcard in this case. The reasons for observing these results include consumer behavior towards personalized direct mail, advertising objective, postcard design, product category, timing, and limitations of the experiment. Based on the results, commercial printing companies, especially those provide marketing services need to make a Return-On-Investment (ROI) analysis before recommending the direct mail advertising campaign involving image personalization

ICT for external use in Croatian four- and five-star hotels

The Purpose – The objective of the paper is to examine the implementation of advanced technology and promotional supports in hotel companies and to compare their performance in four- and five-star hotels. More specifically, ICT for external use are analysed, i.e. customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions. Design/Methodology/Approach – The empirical research took place in 38 upscale (26 four and 12 five-star) hotels located in Croatia, in the regions of Dalmatia, Istria, and Kvarner, and in the city of Zagreb. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered mainly during personal interviews with hotel and marketing managers. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. Findings – Findings reveal a relatively high implementation of technology solutions, reaching promotional supports the highest scores. Four-star hotels perform significantly better than fivestar hotels in most of the ICT items. Originality – The study provides insights into the external role of ICT for upscale hotels from the standpoint of customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions as tools for enhancing hotel promotion. These can be used as a valuable source of information between academics and can be additionally useful to marketing managers in hotels that intend to find as more as innovative ways for hotel promotion

Developling a communication strategy to enter the mariculture market

The purpose of this master project is to develop a communication plan for a new Portuguese off-shore mariculture company called AtlanticPrime. The ever-rising demand for good quality protein requires finding new sustainable alternatives to meat production and intensive fishing. Overfishing is one of the greatest challenges of our times. It threatens the survival of various marine species, the balance of the ecosystems and the living conditions of entire communities who depend on fishing to make a living. Aquaculture is an industry that has been significantly growing in the last years. It has become a very competitive market that counts with multiple players from all parts of the world. The species produced and the methods used are extremely diverse. Being so recent, AtlanticPrime does not have a communication strategy yet. Moreover, considering that mariculture is not a commonly known subject, it is extremely important to invest in effective and innovative communication ideas that generate brand awareness and differentiate the company right from the beginning of its activity. AtlanticPrime’s proposed communication strategy integrates both traditional and digital tools and is meant to be implemented during the period of one year. Prior to the creation of this plan, it was made an extensive research of external and internal factors related to the company, using different sources of information. The recommended ideas are directed to other businesses (buyers), as well as to end-consumers, and follow the latest communication trendsO objectivo deste projecto é desenvolver um plano de comunicação para uma nova empresa portuguesa de Maricultura off-shore. A crescente procura de proteína de qualidade requer que encontremos alternativas sustentáveis à produção de gado e à pesca intensiva. A sobrepesca é um dos maiores desafios que enfrentamos na actualidade, uma vez que ameaça a sobrevivência de inúmeras espécies marinhas, o equilíbrio dos ecossistemas e a subsistência de várias comunidades que dependem da pesca tradicional como forma de sustento. A indústria da Aquacultura tem tido um crescimento significativo nos últimos anos. Tornou-se num mercado bastante competitivo que conta já com múltiplos concorrentes de diferentes partes do mundo. As espécies produzidas, bem como métodos de produção praticados são já bastante diversificados. Sendo uma empresa recente, a AtlanticPrime ainda não desenvolveu a sua estratégia de comunicação. Tendo em conta que o tema da maricultura é ainda desconhecido para grande parte dos consumidores, é extremamente importante investir em ideias de comunicação eficientes e inovadoras que criem brand awareness e ajudem a empresa a diferenciar-se desde a sua entrada no mercado. A estratégia de comunicação proposta para a AtlanticPrime integra ferramentas tradicionais e digitais e foi pensada para ter a duração de um ano. Antes da elaboração deste plano, foi feita uma extensa pesquisa de factores externos e internos da empresa, recorrendo a variadas fontes de informação. As ideias recomendadas estão direcionadas a outras empresas (compradoras), bem como a consumidores finais, seguindo as últimas tendências de comunicação

Communication plan for Samsung Galaxy A 2017 edition: how to communicate for millennials

The smartphone's market has been growing every year with increased innovations. This is a technological push driven market where products are created ahead the recognition of consumer needs. Smartphone development is based on consumers' possible future needs and so those companies with the best hunch in technologies and services of future will be the leaders in this industry. As the market has become more saturated, the consumer faces himself with a wide variety of offers, and so brands are struggling to differentiate among the others. Hereupon, the focus will be in developing an innovative Communication Plan for the new "Samsung Galaxy A 2017 edition". The main goal of this project is to increase product knowledge by creating an emotional link between the consumers and the brand and ultimately to drive sales. The literature review is based on academic articles concerning were the main subjects are: millennial generation and consumer buying behavior. It was conducted an external and internal analysis, to better understand the smartphone industry and "Samsung" brand as a company. Furthermore, the target was defined and studied to understand more deeply their connection, affinity and interaction with the smartphone brands. Finally, after defining the communications goals, a plan with specification, a budgeting and results was developed, by for each action.O mercado dos "smartphones" tem aumentado todos os anos com crescentes inovações. Este mercado é impulsionado por tecnologia, em que os produtos são criados antes que os consumidores os considerem uma necessidade. O desenvolvimento de smartphones baseia-se nas possíveis futuras necessidades dos consumidores e, portanto, as empresas que melhor projectam estas necessidades nas tecnologias e nos serviços do futuro serão os líderes da indústria. À medida que o mercado fica cada vez mais saturado, o consumidor depara-se com uma grande variedade de oferta e as marcas lutam para se diferenciar entre elas. Posto isto, o foco será o desenvolvimento de um Plano de Comunicação inovador para a nova edição de 2017 do "Samsung Galaxy A". O objetivo principal deste projeto é aumentar o conhecimento do produto criando um vínculo emocional entre os consumidores e a marca e, por fim, impulsionar as vendas. A revisão de literatura baseia-se em artigos académicos onde os temas principais são: geração "Millennials" e comportamento de compra do consumidor. Foi realizada uma análise externa e interna, para compreender melhor a indústria de "smartphones" e a "Samsung" como empresa. Além disso, foi definido e estudado o target de forma a compreender mais aprofundadamente a sua relação e interação com as marcas de "smartphones". Finalmente, depois de definir os objetivos de comunicação, foi desenvolvido um plano específico, orçamento e resultados para cada ação

Sources of advertisement messages and their impacts on purchasing behaviour: a case study of Walter Sisulu University students

The purpose of this research was to investigate the sources of advertisement messages and the impacts they have on the buying behaviour of students of Walter Sisulu University (WSU), and examine whether traditional mass media advertising still influences the students’ decision to buy and whether advancement in communication technology affects how the students receive information. This study also investigated the impact of traditional mass media advertising in comparison to new media advertising. Questionnaires were administered to students of WSU, Mthatha campus. The survey was conducted within the period of February 2013 – March 2013. The desired sample size was 270 students. A final sample of 220 valid responses was analysed, representing 81% of the desired sample. The study revealed that majority are aware of television while billboards and direct mails have the least awareness. The results also revealed that 78% of the respondents felt that traditional mass media still influences their buying behaviour, (90%) of the respondents prefer the traditional mass media advertising. This study demonstrated that the students of WSU are aware and exposed to the various sources of advertisement messages. In addition, existing literature and this research report have shown that the various mediums have distinctive characteristics which make them unique. In spite of the advent of modern technology, the traditional mass media still influences buying behaviour with television being the most influential media

Culture and persuasion online: Predicting attitudes, cognitions, and behavioral intentions in a culturally diverse online marketplace

With an online experiment and a focus group, I examined the role of cultural appeals in online persuasive communication. The results of the study revealed that culturally oriented Web sites and online advertisements influence individual attitudes and behavioral intentions. These effects were particularly strong when cultural appeals were consistent across advertisements and their hosting Web sites. I observed the main effect of culture on persuasiveness of Web sites and advertisements both the American and the Chinese samples of participants. The results of the study did not, however, support the expectation that ethnic identity and need for cognition would interact with the effects of cultural appeals. Participants had uniform reactions across various levels of ethnic identity and need for cognition. The findings of my study suggest that online marketers and advertisers should focus not only on the message, but also on the media when targeting ethnic consumers. In fact, the cultural relevance between an advertisement and its hosting Web site is a prerequisite for a successful advertising campaign

Sources of advertisement messages and their impacts on purchasing behaviour:A case study of Walter Sisulu University students

The purpose of this research was to investigate the sources of advertisement messages and the impacts they have on the buying behaviour of students of Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and examine whether traditional mass media advertising still influences the students’ decision to buy and whether advancement in communication technology affects how the students receive information. This study also investigated the impact of traditional mass media advertising in comparison to new media advertising. Questionnaires were administered to students of WSU, Mthatha campus. The survey was conducted within the period of February 2013 – March 2013. The desired sample size was 270 students. A final sample of 220 valid responses was analysed, representing 81 percent of the desired sample. The study revealed that majority are aware of television while billboards and direct mails have the least awareness. The results also revealed that 78 percent of the respondents felt that traditional mass media still influences their buying behaviour, (90 percent) of the respondents prefer the traditional mass media advertising. This study demonstrated that the students of WSU are aware and exposed to the various sources of advertisement messages. In addition, existing literature and this research report have shown that the various mediums have distinctive characteristics which make them unique. In spite of the advent of modern technology, the traditional mass media still influences buying behaviour with television being the most influential media.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 201

The impact of online news’ context on the effects of display advertising : comparing the effects of positive and negative online news

The investment on digital media is a growing trend in today’s marketing environment, being display advertising a format usually adopted by marketers. Online news consumption is accompanying this growth and it is extremely hard to find online news articles without multiple elements that can influence readers' attention to other third-party content, such as display ads. While it is evident that advertisements exposed next to related articles is relevant and effective for advertisers. The real effect of the valence of the online news context - positive or negative - on consumers' attitudes and purchase intention towards the brand advertised is poorly known. An online survey was conducted in which two different versions of online news - positive and negative - about the CO2 emission in the automobile industry were created. One group of participants was exposed to the positive news and the other group to negative news. The groups were further analysed and compared for their differences on the dependent variables. The result indicates that the valence of the news context – positive or negative - has no significant impact on the attitude towards the ad, the attitude towards the brand and purchase intention. However, the attitude towards the ad positively affects the purchase intention. This research is relevant for advertisers, so they can redefine ad placement strategies, allocating display ads on relevant webpages and thus ensuring positive attitudes towards the website content. Finally, limitations and future research are presented.O investimento em media digital é uma tendência crescente no contexto de marketing atual, sendo o display advertising um formato geralmente adotado pelos marketers. O consumo de notícias online acompanha este crescimento e é cada vez mais difícil encontrar artigos de notícias online sem vários elementos periféricos que podem distrair a atenção dos leitores para outros conteúdos de terceiros, como os display ads. Embora seja evidente que a exposição de anúncios ao lado de artigos relacionados seja relevante e eficaz para os anunciantes, pouco se sabe sobre os efeitos da valência do contexto das notícias online nas atitudes dos consumidores e na intenção de compra em relação à marca anunciada. Foi realizado um questionário online, na qual foram criadas duas notícias online - positiva e negativa - sobre a emissão de CO2 na indústria automóvel. Um grupo foi exposto à notícia positiva e outro à notícia negativa, sendo posteriormente analisados e comparados para testar diferenças nas variáveis dependentes estudadas. O resultado indica que a valência do contexto das notícias - positiva ou negativa - não tem impacto significativo na atitude em relação ao anúncio, na atitude em relação à marca e na intenção de compra. Contudo, a atitude em relação ao anúncio afeta positivamente a intenção de compra. Esta pesquisa é relevante para anunciantes, para que possam redefinir as suas estratégias de posicionamento de anúncios em websites relevantes, a fim de garantir atitudes positivas em relação ao conteúdo do website. Finalmente, as limitações e pesquisas futuras são apresentadas