The study of marketing communication in management studies is gaining a lot of attention these days because it prepares marketing practitioners for more complete engagement with the technological changes taking place in the new global markets.
Marketing Communication is a multidisciplinary field of study having a wide scope for the graduates from the fields of Communication, Economics, Commerce, Social Sciences, and Management. Successful marketing communication relies on a combination of options called the promotional mix. These options include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing and personal selling. The internet has also become a powerful tool for reaching to certain important audiences. The role each element takes place in a marketing communication program relies in part on whether a company employs a push strategy or a pull strategy.
A pull strategy relies more on consumer demand than personal selling for the product to travel from the manufacturer to the end user. The demand generated by advertising, public relations, and sales promotion "pulls " the good or service through the channels of distribution. A push strategy, on the other hand, emphasizes personal selling to push the product through these channels.
The scope of marketing communication is tremendous. It offers an excellent opportunity to communication scholars having a good understanding of management and marketing mix. One should know the main areas of the marketing mix "the product, service or idea itself; the price at which the brand will be offered; and the places at or through which customers may purchase the brand. The best promotion cannot overcome poor product quality, inordinately high prices, or insufficient retail distribution. There is a peculiarly intimate relationship between the management practices and communication process. Successful marketing communication relies on sound management decisions regarding the coordination of the various elements of the promotional mix.