Marketing communications (marcom) include customer-facing materials such as brochures, press releases, Web sites, and trade show presentations. The proximity of marcom planning to the customer makes it one of the most important activities that a company undertakes. Thoughtfully written marcom plans:

    * Keep your company speaking with one voice across a vast number of products, regions, and customer interactions.
    * Enable diverse teams of people to create integrated communications vehicles.
    * Help your messages rise above the din of the marketplace and consistently resonate with their target audiences.
    * Give you better results for your expenditures of time and money.

First you study, then you decide

Marcom plans are the confluence of substantial research and shrewd decision-making. Build effectiveness by thoroughly understanding your:

    * Target audience profiles   Who are your existing and potential customers? What is the best way to communicate with them?
    * Buying, selling, and communications processes   How do your customers prefer to buy? How are you set up to sell? What communications best facilitate buying and selling?

Armed with a solid understanding of the terrain, you then need to make a number of decisions:

    * Objectives   What do you want to happen as a result of your marcom activities? What customer behaviors do you hope to inspire?
    * Messages   What do you want customers to know?
    * Vehicles   Which ...