Smaller companies do not consider marketing, as some companies
start exporting as a result of unplanned orders. This may lead to ignoring
the importance of marketing communications. Communicating with your target
market is your way of showcasing your product. A strategy that is not effectively
and efficiently communicated cannot succeed. This is often a very expensive
exercise and most companies find that unless they budget for this very carefully
they will not enjoy the market success they hoped for.
Firstly set about establishing what you hoped to achieve through your marketing
endeavours.
How you intend to attract the attention of potential buyers
How you will create an interest in what you are offering
How to build a demand for your product
Communication can be divided into two main functions i.e: Advertising and promotion
Advertising is often mass media advertising, such as placing an advertisement
in the targeted country's daily newspaper.
Promotion, could be an in-store promotion, such as may be required when you
are selling FMCG (Fast Moving Consumable Goods) such as food products, here
tasting would be very important.
When considering advertising and promotion, one should consider the following:
What you want to say (the message)
The media that will carry this message to the potential buyers