MARKETING

Volvo Cars: Integrated Communications Plan



Volvo Cars: Integrated Communications Plan

Introduction

Any integrated communication plan that any organization develops should help to meet at least one of the objectives: capture, loyalty and position. Capture: The key here is to get the attention of customers. Most of the advertising in the media responds to this objective. The problem is that it is becoming less profitable to attract customers in this way, mainly due to media fragmentation and saturation advertising (Hellensen, 2007, pp.72-89).

Loyalty: The key here is to satisfy the customers. It is generally accepted that it costs five times less loyalty to a client get a new one. The truth is that loyalty activities are financial justification clear. The problem lies in defining what kind of actions serve to build loyalty. In recent years there have been multiple points programs, promotions, and clubs. The best tool retention is to consistently exceed the expectations of our customers.

Position: The previous two objectives are closely related to the sale of our product or service. However, sometimes we must communicate without the direct intention of selling, but to position our brand in the minds of our target audience, linking them to shared values and establishing an emotional bond.

As the target audience, Volvo Car Corporation must not think only of the final customer; rather the employees, channel of distribution, suppliers, shareholders and opinion leaders are groups of people who have a vested interest in the brand, with which it is to connect more often. Thus, it must consider actions that, for example, will help us attract new employees, loyalty to the distribution channel or our brand to society. The document Brand Health check of Volvo was also highlighting the above phenomena and its practical implications.

Background of Volvo Car Corporation

The Volvo Car Corporation is one of the car industry's strongest brands, with a long and proud history of world-leading innovations. AB Volvo (or the group or Volvo) was established by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson to manufacture passenger cars in 1927. During the same year, the first Volvo (the V4) rolled out of the factory in Lundby, Gothenburg. A total of 297 cars were produced in the following year. By the mid 1950s, the group began shipping Volvo cars to the US and acquired Bolinder Munktell, a construction equipment manufacturer (now Volvo Construction Equipment). In 1963, the group started a car assembly business in Halifax, Canada. Volvo Belgium established a car plant in Torslanda and a truck plant in Alsemberg, near Brussels. Volvo Cars is the one of the leading car innovators of the world. Its four main core values are safety, quality, design and environment. Volvo is the automobile that provides peace-of-mind to drivers concerned about the safety of themselves and their passengers. The word safety defines the core - concept of Volvo Cars (Volvo Cars Official Website, 2011).

Communications Objectives

The basic objective of the marketing communication is to create a favourable attitude about the product and act on consumer behaviour to encourage them to buy the ...