Integrated marketing communication: Promotional report for Kindle

Thèmes abordés

plan, promotional, kindle, ereader, marketing, advertising, media planning, strategy, campaign, target, audience, communication

Résumé du document

This promotional plan is designed for Kindle, an eBook reader produced by Amazon. Three objectives have been set out for the year 2011. Making an impressive introduction of Kindle in the Australian market which establishes and increases brand awareness of Kindle is the first objective. Secondly, it is necessary to create a brand characteristic of eco-friendliness. Obtaining minimum sales of 50,000 of Kindles during the year 2011 is the last objective of this promotional plan.

The primary target market are people aged from 35 to over 54. Secondary target market is high school, university and college students with ages from 15 to 25. The message will be: Kindle is the name of Amazon ebook and it combines educational and ecological features at a competitive price for students and active people.

With a percentage of sales allocation, the budget will be one million dollars. The media vehicles used in the campaign are television, radio, on campus promotion, newspapers and sponsorship of tree planting activity on Arbor Day.

If this plan will be implemented effectively in 2011, the objectives will be achieved. However, the internal and external factors need to be analyzed on monthly basis to ensure the efficiency of this promotional plan and make appropriate adjustments if needed.

Ebook or Electronic Book is the digital publication of a text, an article, or even of a traditional paper printed book on a computer screen or, in our case, on a hand held device. This technology first appeared around the 1970s, but reached popularity only around the 1990s when the internet became easily accessible to the vast majority of people, meaning that more files could be downloaded, increasing the potential of this new device.

Over the years, numerous companies have tried to benefit from this new technology and have each launched their own version of the eBook. Among these organizations we can find names such as ‘Sony', ‘Barnes & Noble Nook', ‘Apple' and ‘Amazon.com'.

This last company is the one we have decided to focus on in this promotional plan, since it is the one that in 2010 announced that Kindle, its version of eBooks, reported sales that outnumbered thoseof traditional hardcover books, demonstrating its enormous success.

Amazon.com is the largest online retailer for a wide range of products including books, VHS tape, DVDs, music CDs, software, video games, electronics, MP3s, clothing, furniture, toys, diamond jewelry and even food items (bookseller, 2009). In 2007, Amazon decided to enter the flourishing market of E-devices by launching on the market Kindle, a hand held eBook that recorded oustanding sales performance during its first year. Because of this huge success two other devices where released in the same category. These differ from one another by size and price.

This promotion plan has the aim of establishing a new strategy for Amazon Kindle as it will be released in a new market, with a new strategy and with a series of new product feautures.

The plan will cover the calendar year from November 2011 to November 2012.

Tags: e-books, Kindle, Amazon, online retailing

Extraits

[...] Thus, there is no need to seek a WIFI or sign a contract plan for the user to use the internet. Once the Kindle is on, the internet will go on automatically. A practical devise: As the Kindle is very slim and light, it is easy to store it and to carry it everywhere and to hold it when reading. The Kindle now has a Read to Me feature. This feature will read any text to you. Thus, user can now enjoy a walk, drive and do anything that require empty hand and listen to their favourite book using this feature. [...]

[...] With its new launch in Australia Amazon has decided to go even greener in its strategy by applying some modifications to the existing device. First of all the new Kindle's will be made entirely from recycled material, nevertheless still keeping their unique and modern look that has characterized them so far, and second of all a new technology has been studied in order to make the battery last even longer than it already did. These modifications we are sure will be welcomed by our more environmentally oriented customers as well as our already existing clients. [...]

[...] The same thing will be done here through Harvey Norman, a well known Australian retail chain specialized in electronics. Promotion During the first year of distribution for Kindle in Australia, the only promotion implemented by Amazon has been the use of banners announcing the opening of pre-orders for Kindle through the main website. The launch has also recieved various follow up articles throughout different websites from journalists interested in the arrival of Kindle to Australia (Amazon 2010). Internal factors The internal analysis consists in understand strengths and weaknesses of Amazon company in order to find competitive advantages (Belch 2009) Assessment of a firm's promotional organization There is no office of Amazon in Australia. [...]

[...] Cultural factors Reading is considered a leisure activity for 61% of the population. This percentage includes more women than men, and also the number of readers seems to grow the more qualified and well-educated one person is. This factor is very important for our campaign as in the last ten years the number of people that have taken on Higher Education has gone from 49% to increasing therefore the segment that is more likely to be interested in our product market (National Bureau of Statistic, 2010). [...]

[...] Retailers and distributors are encouraged to provide extra information regarding to Kindle to customers if it is needed. Advertising execution Amazon Kindle is new brand for market in Australia. In order to occupy a large market share in Ebook reader market, increase and maintain brand awareness and creating positive brand attitude for Kindle is necessary. The execution technique used in the first printed ad is demonstration of fact that global warming and deforestation with the background of dark sky, dusty air and the only one tree left in the earth. [...]