Awarding Body: Arden University, Berlin campus Germany

Programme Name: Bachelor of Business Marketing BA (Hons)

Module Name (and Part if applicable): Marketing Communications

Assessment Title: Deacon Blue Brew’s Marketing Communication & Strategies

Student Number: STU72620
Tutor Name: lan Mcphee
Word Count: 2708

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 Table of Contents

1. Marketing Communication..................................................................................................4
2. Deacon Blue Brew’s Stakeholders.....................................................................................4
2.1. Digital Marketing Channels .............................................................................................5
2.1.1. Example ….................................... ..............................................................................6
3. Deacon Blue Brew’s Marketing Strategies…………………………………………………….6
3.1. Good Strategies……………………………………………………………….…………….….6
Brand Alignment…………………………………………………………….……………….…6
Customer Alignment……………………………………………………………………………6
Budget Alignment……………………………………………………………………………….7
3.1.1. Example……………………………………………………………………….………………7
3.2. Bad Strategies……………………………………………………………………….………….7
3.2.1 Example……………………………………………………………………………….…….…8
4. Market Research for Deacon Blue Brew……………………………………………….………8
4.1. Example……………………………………………………………………………………….…9
4.2. SOSTAC Analysis………………………………………………………………………………9
4.2.1. SOSTAC Analysis for Deacon Blue Brew………………………………………………….9
Situation…………………………………………………………………………………………9
Objectives……………………………………………………………………………………….9
Strategy………………………………………………………………………………………….9
Tactics……………………………………………………………………….…………………10
Action…………………………………………………………………………….………….…10
Control…………………………………………………………………………….……………10
4.3. Implementation Timetable ………………………………………………………………..….10
4.3.1. Sources……………………………………………………………………………………….11

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Marketing Communications

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 1. Marketing Communication

A marketing communications strategy is designed to help you and your company communicate
effectively and meet core organizational objectives. As we know, communication is a vital role in
every human being life. Here we discuss how we improve organizational communication in market
and also look at the key elements of a marketing communications strategy as well as PR plans,
marketing plan and web strategies fit into organization overall marketing communication strategy.

Many organizations are using integrated marketing communication because they need a more
effective and efficient way of marketing communication with their customers and overall market.

2. DEACON BLUE BREW’S STAKEHOLDERS

As we know, stakeholders are a person or a party that has an interest in a company and can
either affect or be affected by the business. Stakeholders can be individuals working on a project,
groups of people or organization, or even segment of a population.

“We need to do right by all our stakeholders, and that’s how you create value for shareholders.
And one thing is for sure – no organization can succeed in a world that is failing.”

Deacon Blue Brew have two types of stakeholders.

i) Internal Stakeholders
ii) External Stakeholders

The following are the stakeholders for Deacon Blue Brew Company are:

i) Employees
ii) Suppliers
iii) Distributors
iv) Investors
v) Customers

Deacon Blue Brew product and bar owners who sell product because this is a new organization,
the product, price, place, and promotions. 4ps marketing mix should be considered to get and
communicate with stakeholders. Deacon Blue Brew company should come up with a penetration
pricing strategy with the aim of building a large-scale customers base. If the price is too high or
too low than its perceived value or price, then it will be hard o sell the products. Likewise, if the
product has less value in the eyes of the stakeholders the it will affect the distributors plans and
investments. Therefore, this should be put in a right place. To get good distributors, the product
should be of good quality, and the company should pay attention to what the consumers want
prior to producing their product. Tapping into the skills and knowledge of engaged stakeholders
can give project managers access to a host of additional resources, at no extra cost (Newton
2013).

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Good management of stakeholders throughout a project should ensure they view it in a positive
light, regardless of the outcome. Newton explains if you effectively manage stakeholder
expectations over the duration, they’re “far likelier to perceive a project as a success than those
who have been ignored.”

It is much easier to deliver the final results to someone who has been fully aware of the
development of the project. Stakeholders who have been managed effectively will be better
prepared to take the reins when the project reaches its conclusion. If they have seen the project
from start to finish and have been notified of ongoing updates, they will have a better
understanding of the most effective way to assume deliverables upon completion. It is clear that
stakeholder management supports the implementation of successful projects in many ways.

However, it is not always easy for project managers to keep every stakeholder informed and
engaged, particularly in a scenario where stakeholders span multiple organizations and multiple
locations. In these cases, many project managers choose to carry out stakeholder management
online, using the latest tools to keep the wider business community engaged in their progress.
Collaboration software is an effective tool to support stakeholder management on all types of
projects, particularly when there are difficulties in bringing all participants together for meetings
or conference calls.

Using these online collaboration tools allows for easy remote access to files, communications,
and the ability to share updates in real time. In this way, all stakeholders are in control of whether
or not they want to make the decision to be involved in the project. The important factor is that
they've had the ability to view updates and have a platform they can use to easily communicate
with project managers if they want to get involved.

2.1. DIGITAL MARKETING CHANNELS

To reach potential suppliers and employees, Deacon Blue Brew must use digital marketing
channels. This includes using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, websites and other
HR agencies to find the right talent and suppliers. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why
you do it.”

Deacon Blue Brew company can target the audience through digital marketing channels
effectively and through these channels, the company can target a large number of audience:

i) Email Marketing
ii) Pay Per Click Advertising
iii) Video Marketing
iv) Search Engine Optimization
v) Display Advertising
vi) Social Marketing
vii) Blogging

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2.1.1. For example:

According to research conducted by CMA, a digital marketing campaign was executed for
Amerlux, an independent LED lighting manufacturer, to launch one of its new products. It’s
designed to be used for commercial spaces, offices or anywhere low ceiling applications are
needed. The lighting solution delivers the ultimate in comfort and aesthetic design, by providing
low-glare lighting that offers even distribution with the fewest number of fixtures.

The firm marketed this product utilizing:

i) SEO
ii) Amerlux website
iii) Blog content with links to the resources
iv) Promotional blogs on social media
v) A custom landing page on a paid media campaign

After a week of the campaign running, the firm analyzed the data to determine how each digital
marketing solution was performing. CMA noticed that there was a need to rearrange elements of
the landing page, to deliver optimal views and conversions. Through continuous analysis, CMA
was able to immediately recognize what wasn’t working, then quickly made changes to get a
positive outcome. The result was a more than 30 percent increase in traffic. This is just one
example of how digital marketing works and why it’s so effective.

3. DEACON BLUE BREW’S MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Marketing communication strategy is a way or strategy used by an organization or company or

individual to reach or accomplish their target market through different types of communication. It
includes your message, the medium, and the target. Deacon Blue Brew should follow those
strategy which are benefit for the organization or company and customers.

Just as it’s important for a business to adapt its “product to the market,” adapting to a “reporter
message” is essential to successful marketing. The angle or “rotation” you use in a message will
decide the audience. Finding the right journalists or agents should therefore be an essential part
of your marketing communication strategy.

3.1. GOOD STRATEGIES

i) Brand Alignment: Whatever marketing channel you choose, should have the same
brand perception as yours. For example, if you sell luxury and branded watches, build
better relationships with journalist from TIME Magazine. Not those writing in your local
newspaper or magazines
ii) Customer Alignment: Second strategy for marketing communication is customer
alignment. Follow the oldest rule in marketing,” Be where your customers already are”.
Pick channels where your consumers are already active or present. If you are targeting
younger millennials, advertise on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook etc.

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 iii) Budget Alignment: Choose a marketing channel that fits your budget. If you don’t
have a budget, getting a print ad in WSJ will be out of your budget. But perhaps, you
can get a free press mention on WSJ’s website by reaching out to the journalists.

3.1.1 For Example

Coors Light is a brewery that has changed its strategy for the better. The new campaign focused
on the truth of the Millennium and Generation Z who are tired of the usual marketing monotony.
The campaign is called "Made to chill". The campaign took advantage of online platforms such as
streaming YouTube, Hulu and TV channels. Likewise, there are other campaign initiatives that
use podcasts and public relations programs as well as social media partnerships. This has made
the brand very popular among sports fans thanks to the use of strategic alliances with NASCAR
and NFL.

Prior to the new strategy, Coors Brewing used the 4Ps marketing mix. Their prices have been
valued to provide the best customer experience. The company is committed to offering good
prices to customers and so they have grown very quickly. Due to the different customers and their
purchasing power, the brand has come up with different products with different prices. This
ensured that consumers could afford their products despite their price range. The pricing strategy
has usually been lower prices for their products like Coors Light.

Location is always crucial for a given business. To cover a broad market base, Coors Light has
both local and international market. Consumer tastes and preferences are always taken into
consideration, meeting the needs of local users.

Product promotion is a good marketing strategy whereby a product becomes known to the
consumer. The brand that uses its promotions directs its consumers to consume it meaningfully
and in moderation. In addition, the brand encourages greener breweries where it advocates for
environmental conservation.
Using the above marketing mix, Coors Light was at the top of the market, hence a
recommendation for Deacon Blue Brew to use the same strategy, especially in their positioning
strategy.

3.2. BAD STRATEGIES

The following points are the reason for bad marketing communication strategies for Deacon Blue
Brew company:

i) Failing to understand your audience.

ii) Using Hashtags unwisely.
iii) Choosing wrong social platforms.
iv) Steering away from your values or motive.
v) Sending image-based emails.
vi) Using a donotreply@domain.com address

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3.2.1. For Example

As the pandemic began, a phrase we were not yet very familiar with became one of the two most
popular words of 2020: social distancing. If you remember in March 2020, we still didn't know if
the masks helped. We weren't sure if we should spray our groceries with disinfectant. But we
knew that staying apart helped curb the spread of the Coronavirus. McDonald's and their hired
Brazilian agency, DPZ & T, have decided to shed light on the social distance by separating the
two Golden Arches notoriously associated with their fast food. The decision to change the
company logo was not taken lightly. The impact of his message was intended to highlight what
we could all do to have a positive impact on public health. The public, on the other hand, hated
the move as it was all show and without substance.

4. MARKET RESEARCH FOR DEACON BLUE BREW

Market research is defined as the investigation of factors related to a company's marketing

activities. Market research aims to reduce risks by providing information on the factors involved
and the potential consequences of certain actions. Market research involves gathering information
about the market.

Before starting the business, Deacon Blue Breweries must conduct the following research: First,
market demand. You need to understand the size of the market as accurately as possible. In
addition, the growth potential of the market. This will help you understand whether the business
is likely to grow or contract. The shopping behavior of consumers is also important and how they
can take advantage of this.

Second, the competition, it is important that Deacon Blue Brews knows its competitors and their
source of competitive advantage. Knowing them and how they positioned themselves, and
identifying their strengths and weaknesses, will be an excellent way to come up with a penetration
strategy. Finally, the company must conduct an on-site investigation. Location is important to
understand where it is well populated, easily accessible and with good infrastructure.

“Research is to see what everyone has seen and to think what no one has thought.”

Deacon Blue Brew company should do deeply research about beer and brewing in order to
achieve its goals or target. As we know, Beer is the oldest and one of the most popular alcoholic
drinks in the world. Beer is produced by fermentation and preparation of barley malt, wheat and
rice. The bitter taste of beer comes from the plant and flower called hops. Today the beer industry
is a global business with many multinationals and thousands of small breweries.

Brewing or brewing is called beer. The building where the beer is processed is called the brewery.
Home-brewed beer is home-made. Its preparation is done to convert starch into a liquid called
wort and then to convert wort into beer.

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The basic ingredients of beer are water and barley malt (that is starch plus corn, rice or sugar).
The amount of starch used in a beer recipe is called the grain bill. Water is the main ingredient in
beer. Different regions have different minerals in their water, making some regions better suited
to brew a particular type of beer.

4.1. For example

The Burton Waters in England have chalk that is good for making lager. Hard water in Dublin,
Ireland, is perfect for making Guinness or dark beer.

4.2. SOSTAC ANALYSIS

SOSTAC analysis is defined as an analysis of the internal and external factors of a company or
an organization. It clearly identifies a company’s capabilities, customers, potential employees,
and company environment and their impact on the company. SOSTAC is six facts of market which
are situation, objectives, strategy, tactics, action and control. Analysis of the situation, objectives,
strategy, tactics, actions (SOSTAC): the model is used to draw up different plans for companies.
In the first phase, Deacon Blue Brew will have to project on the future of the company. To make
a clear analysis, the company will need to use Porter's five strengths to gain a broader view from
all corners of the company.

4.2.1. SOSTAC Analysis for Deacon Blue Brew

For the goals, they must be clearly stated. This will include the company's long - term goals, their
values, their mission and vision, and when to achieve the goals and standards set. The third
phase will include segmentation, targeting, positioning and differentiation strategy. Here is the
overview of the process:

i) SITUATION

Expected Situation: Using SWOT Analysis, Five Vector Forces, and Current Market Analysis.
Using the SWOT analysis, the company will gather a comprehensive overview of the industry it
is entering. He will understand the strengths, weaknesses, available opportunities and threats. In
the market analysis, micro and macro factors are considered. Micro-factors are those that are
found within a company and can be avoided, for example, by selected suppliers and distributors.
On the other hand, the macro is external and cannot be controlled internally.

For example

Government policies, climate change.

ii) OBJECTIVES

What will be mission, vision, marketing mix, long and short goals for Deacon Blue Brew company?
All these factors are the main objective of the organization or company. For this company to
remain relevant and productive, it must have goals for its existence. The various departments are
established. These include human resources, finance, sales and marketing, operations.

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 iii) STRATEGY

Deacon Blue Brew company should have customer segments, position strategies, differentiation,
value propositions. Strategies are needed to create a credible brand. The brand will select the
operating customer segment. Research should be done to determine the target audience and
buying action. companies also need a good position to start with a good brand, as it plays an
important role in the competition.

iv) TACTICS

Mixed marketing: use 4P analysis as a communication strategy. In addition to the marketing mix,
companies need to create other methods such as weekly blog posts. This provides customers
with news about the company, its products, and whether they have new expectations. It is also
added to search engine optimization, making it easier to search the Internet.

v) ACTIONS

The action includes different social platforms or digital channels such as Instagram, Facebook,
TV for implementation of overall strategy for the company.

vi) CONTROL

Invent a monitoring system. To remain relevant, the company should develop control measures
such as key performance indicators.

4.3. IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE

The Gantt chart to show the timeline for the company’ launch:

Activity WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Market 1
Research
Specifications 2
State Tools 2 2
Launch A 1 1
TASK 1 1
TASK 2 1
TASK 3 1

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4.3.1 Sources

Elina. K. (2015). Digital marketing: Channel integration plan. Lahti University of Applied sciences.
Pages 1-85.

Vaishnani. K. (2018). Indispensable factors to consider before starting a business. Litmus.

Retrieved from: https://www.litmusbranding.com/blog/indispensable-factors-to-consider-before-
starting-a-business/

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