Sonic Questions Essay Example

person’s word of mouth can affect the buying attitude of two people and increases to eight through online communication. The key is to get the word out about the new product. Since Sonic is a startup company, one of the most cost effective ways of carrying the message will be Sonics own employees and their social channels. Personal influence will be very pivotal to Sonic 1000’s initial success therefore creating positive consumer feedback and brand ambassadors will help Sonic gain positive market share of an already saturated PDA market.

• Which communication tools would you recommend using after Sonic’s initial product has been in the market for six months? Why?

Answer: Since after 6 months we hope to have Sonic 1000 is in the hands of a few key consumers this is an opportunity to increase or communication with our current consumers. Sonic should have established its distribution points in key distributors and resellers. Now Sonic needs to focus its marketing on driving consumers to the point of purchase. This fits perfectly into our communication channels that we discussed in our previous question. Sonic can use all the communication channels in order to drive consumers to the point of purchase and get feedback from our current consumers in order to correct any issues that have arrived in our initial launch. By creating positive consumer feedback too it will help Sonic gain consumer ambassadors which will help drive other consumers in their demographic and inner circle towards our brand.

With Chapter 18: Mass communications will play a key role in Sonic’s product introduction. After reviewing your earlier decisions and thinking about the current

situation (especially your competitive circumstances), respond to the following questions to continue planning Sonic’s marketing communications strategy.

• Once Sonic begins to use consumer advertising, what goals would be appropriate?

Answer: Sonic should focus on objectives that can be supported by promotion activities in order to generate brand awareness within the consumer target market and brand awareness within the business target market by the end of their fiscal year. In order to achieve this Sonic should create a multimedia advertising campaign in order to build brand awareness on the Sonic 1000 and help differentiate the Sonic 1000 from competitors. Sonic needs to then make sure that we measure any and all results. Sonic needs to compare its prior sales vs. actual lift during the promotion months in order to consumer awareness and the marketing campaigns success. Did the campaign meet projections that were set and what was the Return On Investment for our campaign? Sonic needs to make sure we measure all results and attitudes or key likes of the target audience.

• Should Sonic continue consumer and trade sales promotion after the new product has been in the market for six months? Explain your reasoning.

Answer: Sonic should not continue consumer and trade sales promotion after the Sonic 1000 has been in the market for six plus months. The logic is that after six months, Sonic should become key brand in the PDA market and consumer and trade sales promotions could devalue the Sonic 1000 in buyer’s minds.

Sonic does need to continue to offer things such as warranties and trade sales promotions in order to keep driving consumer

confidence and interest. All future promotions should be to drive consumer interest in to the point of purchase in order to keep a positive perceived value in our consumers mind.

• Jane Melody wants you to recommend an event sponsorship possibility that would be appropriate for the new product campaign. What type of event would you suggest and what objectives would you set for the sponsorship?

Answer: Sonic needs to look at exhibits and shows could be used in the new product campaign. Sonics should look at major consumer electronic shows in which it can showcase the Sonic 1000 head to head with rival PDA’s. Sonic should focus on their key advantages over rival PDA’s such as their speed and convenience of their voice recognition capabilities.

They should also provide Sonic PDAs to selected product reviewers, opinion leaders, and celebrities as part of their public relations strategy in order to generate prelaunch buzz (which we discussed in prior questions). Sonic needs to make sure it trains their staff so they can in turn train sales personnel at major retail chains to explain Sonic's features, benefits, and competitive advantages. This will create in store ambassadors that can reach consumers at the point of purchase. A way to create interest is to create a promotion bonus for in store personal on overall sales in order to gain their attention and drive Sonic 1000 sales at the point of purchase. Sonic needs to develop the over campaign to build brand awareness and drive customers interest to the Sonics 1000.

Chapter 19: Sonic needs a strategy for managing personal communications during its new product launch.

This is the time to look at interactive marketing, word-of-mouth, and personal selling. Answer these three questions as you consider Sonic’s personal communications strategy.

• Which forms of interactive marketing are appropriate for Sonic, given its objectives, mass communications arrangements, and channel decisions?

Answer: Sonic needs to take advantage of the being able to sell directly to customers electronically. Online communication can bridge the gap of communication and find out exactly what the customer wants. To take advantage of cost effective interactive marketing options, Sonic will focus on web sites and search ads. Web sites can relay a company’s vision as well as sell products directly to the customer. Sales and information can only be relayed if Sonics’ web site is easy to use. Search ads can help Sonics advertise on a cost effective manner. With Sonic only having to pay when a customer actually clicks on a link.

• How should Sonic use word-of-mouth to generate brand awareness and encourage potential buyers to visit retailers to see the new PDA in person?

Answer: Word-of-mouth can be a very effective way for Sonic and customers to spread awareness about all products and services. Positive word-of-mouth is a key for success. Sonic needs to focus on some type of Viral Marketing to generate excitement. An example that could be used would be a Google video that has a couple of ads while a famous celebrity uses the Sonic 1000 in an interesting way.

• Does Sonic need a direct sales force or can it sell through agents and other outside representatives?

Answer: Sonic is going to focus on using a

direct sales force. With a direct sales force sonic can hire the employees that will focus on the company’s best interest. With a direct sales force, Sonic can train the employees how they want the Sonic 1000 to be sold. A direct sales force allows Sonic to understand and receive direct knowledge on what motivates customer decisions.