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

16/1/2012

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

Type Social Event I.

II.

Mode Tie-up with the Mosquitoes awareness program launched by ALLOUT; making people aware about the diseases like Dengue, Chikangunia and Malaria. 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 childrens with Reliance fresh.

Public relations and Publicity: A variety of programs designed to promoter protect a companys 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

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. Political/Legal

Socio/Cultural

Affected by celebrity endorsement. Consumer forum restriction. Visible is more admired. Opposition of ads by communitys e.g. fair and lovely commercial. Increase in the number of male shoppers. Touch and feel factor before purchase is important. Economical

Increase in the number of advertisement agencies. Advertisement is considered to be the most important part of business.

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.

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.