Communication Program of Reliance Fresh, Kalamassery

GYANENDRA KUMAR F0-79

ALVIN T VINCENT FK-2195

FEBIN T. SHAJAN FK-2206

AMIT KUMAR F0-68

JOHN THOMAS PATHISSERIL FK-2182

1 6 / 1 / 2 0 1 2

MARKET COMMUNICATION

Definition:

Market communications are means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and

remind consumers -directly or indirectly- about the products and brands that they sell.

Marketing communications represent the “voice” of the brand and are a means by which

it can establish a dialogue and build relationships with consumers.

Marketing communication performs many functions for consumers. Consumers can be

told or shown how and why a product is used, by what kind of person, and where and

when; consumers can learn about who makes the product and what the company and

brand stand for; and consumers can be given an incentive or reward for trial or usage.

Marketing communications allow companies to link their brands to other people, place,

events, brand, experiences, feeling & things. Marketing communications can contribute

to brand equity by establishing the brand in memory and crafting a brand image.

Advertising so often a central element of a marketing communications program.

Communication process at Reliance Fresh:

First discuss the whole communication process models with reference to reliance fresh.

The communication process (Macro model of communication) involves two elements

represents the major parties in a communication- Sender and Receiver while the other

two represents the communication tools- Message and Media.

Sender:

Here sender is Reliance fresh; it encodes the information regarding the promotions and

offers for its potential customers. . The tools of communication are discussed further.

Message:

The six major communication tools (Message) used in the „Reliance fresh‟ are as follows:

Advertising:

Any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services

by an identified sponsor. The advertising part at Reliance fresh is done with the help of

print and broadcast ads, packaging outer, catalogue, directories, billboards, symbols and

logos and audio materials.

Sales promotion:

A variety of short term incentives to encourage trial or purchase of a product or service.

The sales promotion at Reliance fresh includes premiums and gifts, Sampling, rebates,

Offers like BOGO and BXGY etc.

Events & Expenses:

company sponsored activities and programs designed to create daily or special brand-

related interactions. The event at LM365 includes festivals, store tour.

Type Mode

Social Event I. Tie-up with the „Mosquitoes

awareness program” launched by

„ALLOUT‟; making people aware

about the diseases like Dengue,

Chikangunia and Malaria.

II. Tie-Up with „Colgate‟ for their

“Oral Health Month, October 2008”

having mission- zero tooth decay.

Store tour Reliance fresh facilitate a store tour

to the students of Play school in

nearby society which makes easier

the Learning process of students

with a fun and a practical exposure

and on the other hand associating

children‟s with Reliance fresh.

Public relations and Publicity:

A variety of programs designed to promoter protect a company‟s image or its individual

product. The public relations at LM365 include charitable donations, Seminars and camp.

Direct marketing:

Use of mails, telephone, fax, e-mail, or internet to communicate directly with or solicit

response or dialogue from specific customers and prospects. This platform is used to

inform the “Reliance one” members (a loyalty programme) through e-mails, Telephones

and SMS. Through this the information regarding the latest offers, events are t being

communicated to the customers.

Personal selling:

Face-to-face interaction with one or more perspective purchasers for the purpose of

making presentations, answering questions and procuring orders. There are no such

practices done at Reliance Fresh.

Media Selection:

The media vehicles used by reliance fresh are as follows:

The media vehicles used by reliance fresh for promotion is only „Newspaper‟. The PAN

India promotions are communicated through the newspapers (corporate level) and the

regional level is communicated with the brochures inserted in the news papers. During

the Onam period the PAN India promotion are encoded through the newspapers.

Newspaper:

Reliance fresh uses Newspaper as an effective media vehicle. It uses newspaper

for national and regional advertisement. The details regarding the use of

newspaper as a media vehicle is as follows:

Size used:

For Corporate level communication the full both side page of some newspapers

like “Dainik Bhaskar” (in Rajasthan) are used and for Regional level

communication insertion are used with the help of tie-ups with the local

newspaper hawker. The copy of Newspaper advertisement and insertion is

attached with the report.

Media Scheduling:

The insertions of weekly promotions are distributed on Friday along with the

newspapers. The reason behind selecting Friday as a day for reaching the

customers is that maximum customers do their bulk purchases during

weekends and making them aware regarding the promotions before the

weekend i.e. Friday is used.

In-Store:

Reliance fresh uses media for in-store communication. The in-store level of

communication is done through following modes:

Point-of-Purchase:

The point of purchase is used to communicate the promotions with the help of

„Shelf-Talkers‟. Shelf-Talker is a mode of communication at the shelf where

the product is displayed.

Danglers:

Danglers are the sinages which are hanged through the ceiling of the store

communicating regarding the promotions and offers. A copy of danglers used

in Reliance fresh during the period of study is attached with the report.

Audio Material:

All the promotions are communicated to all the visiting customers through

audio system installed in the store. Every store receives a audio file which

contains all the details regarding the latest promotions and offers.

Leaflets:

Leaflets are distributed to every customer entering the store for the current

promotions and for the forthcoming promotions as well.

C.C.A (Customer Care Associates):

Customer Care Associate the sales force inside the store is also a vehicle for

communication.

Decoding:

Decoding is a process in which the targeted customer converts the encoded

message by the sender as per it need. Here the encoder is Reliance fresh and the

decoder is a customer. The customer decodes the message as per its need and

wants. The customer analyzes and decodes the message as per his/her need or

demand and goes for the next step of Response. The response can be negative and

positive. If the response is positive than the customer goes for a purchase from

Reliance fresh and if the response is negative than the customer will not go for

purchase.

Response:

The response shown by the customer is fully dependent on the meeting of

customers need and demand with the communication. If the message is compatible

with the need of the customer than the customer will show a positive response in

the form of purchase and if it is not compatible than no response from customer.

Feedback:

Feedback is the end of every communication and can be the beginning of other

communication. A feedback is taken from the customers visiting the store. There

is a feedback form which is provided to every store of Reliance fresh from the

management which is helpful in developing the next promotional programme.

This feedback form is not taken in consideration by the store staff. The feedback

form used in Reliance fresh is attached with this report.

BRAND IDENTIFY AT RELIANCE FRESH

In this part of brand identity the outer core level is taken in consideration. The major

levels are as follows:

Brand Identify

Design:

The design of the brand reflects which it wants to communicate to its customers. In s

Reliance fresh being a store its design of reflects that it is a low cost because the fixtures

and the cost of the store looks very low and gives a feel of budget shopping and use of

graphics throughout the store and outside the store attracts the customers and

communicate the deliverables of the store.

Logo/Symbol:

The logo of Reliance fresh includes a leaf structure which represents freshness.

Brand name:

The brand name consists of two parts one is „Reliance‟ which means the name of parent

company „Reliance Industries Limited and secondly the “Fresh” means „provides fresh

merchandise‟.

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC)

It is a concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of a

comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication

discipline and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum

communication impact. In short combine the disciplines to provide clarity, consistency

and maximum communication impact. The main reasons behind the growth in

importance of IMC tools are shift from media advertising to other forms of marketing

communication, rapid growth of database marketing, and increasing importance of

branding.

IMC program situation analysis:

The situation analysis of IMC program includes the external factors which includes the

environment analysis and competitive analysis.

The study of environmental analysis is done by endeavoring on the technological,

demographic, Socio/Cultural and economic aspects and they are as follows:

Environment Analysis

Competitors IMC situation analysis includes the areas like direct or indirect competition,

position relatives to competitors, and size of competitors advertising, promotional budget

and IMC strategies used by competitors.

Technological

Increase in the number of media vehicles.

Rapid growth of internet.

Technology became a part of life e.g.

women. Increase in the no. of television

users, user of internet.

Demographic

Growth in the per capita income

and spending power of Indian

consumers.

Increase in the number of working

women.

Increase in the number of nuclear

families.

Socio/Cultural

Affected by celebrity endorsement.

Visible is more admired.

Increase in the number of male shoppers.

Touch and feel factor before purchase is

important.

Political/Legal

Consumer forum restriction.

Opposition of ads by community‟s

e.g. fair and lovely commercial.

Economical

Increase in the number of advertisement agencies.

Advertisement is considered to be the most important part of business.

Push V/s Pull Strategies:

Push strategies which are provided by the retailers to the customers and whereas the pull

strategies are the demand of customers. Talking about the push and pull strategies of LM

365 are as follows in the matrix:

PUSH

Point of sale displays.

Special Displays.

Dealers Premium, Gifts

Advertising materials.

Catalogs and brochure.

Events.

Sampling.

PULL

Coupons

Samples

Premium and gifts

Refunds/Rebates

POP advertisement.

COMMUNICATION GAP

Every communication programmer has a level of gap in it. The same was observed in

case of Reliance fresh. The gap is found in many areas, they are:

The Customer Care Associates were unaware about the promotions.

The whole duty of promotions is performed by only one person known as „Promo

Champ in the store‟. Hence, reduces awareness among the whole staff.

Displayed promotions are not accepted by the EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale). .

These above listed gaps somehow making the promotional communication of Reliance

fresh a failure to some extent. So, Reliance fresh needs to overcome above listed gap to

have a effective promotional communication.