In 2006, Zune has created effective marketing communication campaign aimed to attract wide target audience and gain market share. Gratification is the primary motive for Zune’s communicating. Microsoft looks at the market rather than the individual customer.
It concentrates on getting a greater number of transactions during a particular time period and in a given geographic area. The strategic objective of Microsoft is to replace iPod and increase its market share in digital music market.Target Audience Target audience of Zune is female and male consumers from 18-45 years old. Consumer' behavior occurs where people act as purchasing agents guided by corporate procedures to acquire products and services for use by themselves and others in their won value-creating processes.
In spite of great opportunities and growth potential, “analysts fear that some of the target audience, middle-class, white, unmusical individuals with a body-mass index of 25 and higher - may be uncomfortable purchasing their products in cash on unlit streets littered with broken bottles” (Microsoft Launches the Zune 2007).The target audience consists of A, B, and C1 social-economic groups. Zune oriented on teenage audience and young people who are brand loyal and value good music. Positioning of Zune can be characterized by establishing trustworthiness, confidence, and competence for customers.
The core of the target audience is “generation Y”. Microsoft uses psychographics segmentation defining people by their personality. The main issue is that these are psychographic segments related to the buyer's perception of, and behavior towards, risk.Zune is not an innovator on this market, but it provides aggressive advertising and promotions campaigns aimed to gain market share and create a unique image of Zune and its benefits.
Zune appeals to its target audience to explore new technologies. The innovating product needs to obtain strong references amongst the early majority or they will have absolutely no chance of success in the future. The customer of Zune is well-educated person or a student who favors unique image and technological innovations in all spheres of life.Communication Message Zune uses unique advertising messages appealing to emotions of consumers. It keeps a person on target as to who he/she is and what he/she stands for. Even in cognitive activity where orientation may be temporarily lost, the motives remain intact.
The current message, “Free Your Inner DJ”, appeals to emotions of consumers and feelings of freedom, independence and liberty. In its initial campaign, Zune used the following slogan: "music the way it wants to be". On the cognitive level, these messages have an impact on the intuitive side of perception and motivate consumers to buy the product.These motives operate unconsciously and outside the realm of the consumer's awareness.
Also, they become visible and obvious only when they are threatened from some outside source. Personal uniqueness and self-identity is one of the most powerful and motivating of all the motives, and for the purposes of advertising, probably the most persuasive (Crawford 2003). Emotional appeal (a slogan “Discover soothing new”) affects buying decisions through a unique product image and benefits proposed by Zune.Zune brand appeals to teenage audience and middle age consumers proposing a unique life style and personal mobility, excellent music and easy downloads. For some consumers, Zune means realization of dreams and desires while for others it symbolizes trendy life style and fashion. “Zune's global marketing general manager Chris Stephenson said: "On November 14 we're delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers.
(Microsoft Zune Is out to Rival iPod 2006, 3).Media Communication Mix a) The aim of advertising strategy is to persuade and motivate potential customers to buy a new product. Zune uses different advertising channels and promotion strategies to reach its target market and create a core of loyal consumers. The main channels include national and local press (popular magazines and professional journals), TV advertising, radio, billboards and the Internet.
The ads are socially responsible based on deductive approach.Also, Zune advertisers take into account measures of the qualitative characteristics, for example the credibility and reputation of the medium, and general impact of messages that are carried by the medium. This helps them to create effective motivational strategies and persuade potential buyers to replace iPod with Zune (Kotler, Keller, 2006). b) Zune uses a wide variety of insensitive tools including discounts (usually a $10% discount) and coupons. Coupons and rebates are the main techniques which attract target audience and motivate them to try a new product.
Cross promotion allows Zune to demonstrate product advantages and benefits. Some media are better suited to demonstration of a product in use while others are better suited to portray the color or other physical characteristics of a product. Thus, different media assist Zune advertising with different communication objectives. Printed materials influence rational of consumers informing them about advantages and technological innovations used in Zune while TV, radio and the Internet advertising is based on bright video images and sound effects appealing to emotions of consumers.The main tools of integrated marketing communication will takes forms of advertising: a non-personal presentation of messages through various 'mass' media, paid for by the advertiser, and publicity: any kind of news about the event that is reported by some media, and is not paid for by the organizers (Zune Firmware Update 1.
3, 2007). c) Public relations (five types of PR are press releases, conferences, corporate newsletters, audio-video presentations and the website) help Zune advertisers to inform general public about the product and its benefits.In general, public relations are the marketing communications function that carries out programs designed to earn public understanding and acceptance (Kotler, Keller 2006). The marketing purpose of public relations activities is to achieve objectives that cannot be achieved by other means or as cheaply by other means. For example, Zune gains recognition as one of the most important events in 2006. In 2006, it provided conferences and audio-video presentations informing IT professionals, distributors and potential buyers about Zune, its future and advantages.
The context and source of the message play an important role in how it is perceived and interpreted and whether or not it has the desired impact on attitudes of potential audience (Zune vs. iPod 2007). A lot of IT and economic journals include economic forecasts and technological specifications of Zune. Press releases, corporate newsletters and audio-video presentations are the most popular and effective tools which help to inform target audience and press about changes and technological innovations. Zune is not involved in sponsorship activity but it negotiated this matter with Diggnation podcast and Rocketboom.
For instance, Rocketboom (video blogger) refuses to place the Zune logo on their page explaining that it would prevent them to make comments and criticize Microsoft. “Given that the Windows Media Player doesn't automatically transfer podcasts to the Zune, as iTunes does to the iPods, whatever Baron wants no part of could be a sign Microsoft is edging toward being podcast friendly” (Zune snuggling up to podcasts 2006). d)/e) The role of e-marketing is to inform the market clearly and persuasively about the company, its products and services.As Zune competes in a progressively fiercer market place for a larger wallet share of an increasingly discerning and diverse customer base, it becomes ever more communication-dependent. The website includes all necessary information about the product and its specifications, music downloads and news.
The theme of “iPod killer” is skillfully used by website designers: black background, dark colors and white printed text. Zune aggressively uses the Internet marketing for promotional activities but its strategy is not unique. Web Banner ads and press releases about the product are the main tools used by Zune in this medium.A major advantage of publicity is its credibility. People who do not believe advertising claims about a product or company often believe the same claims when they are exposed to them as a news item.
E-mails are used by Zune to inform Microsoft buyers about discounts and the product benefits; provide them with technological specifications and product range (Zune Net, 2007). This approach helps Zune to reach wide target audience and make message personalized appealing to emotions of potential buyers. It offers the opportunity of informing visitors in details about the complete range offered.
