1. MANAGING SERVICE PROMISES
14-1

2. Provider Gap 4 CUSTOMER Gap 4: The Communication Gap
External communications to customers
COMPANY
Service delivery
14-2

3. Key Factors Leading to Provider Gap 4
14-3

4. Integrated Service Marketing Communications
The Need for Coordination in Marketing Communication
Key Service Communication Challenges
Five Categories of Strategies to Match Service Promises with Delivery
14-4

5. Communications and the Services Marketing Triangle
Company
Internal Marketing Vertical Communications Horizontal Communications
External Marketing Communication Advertising Sales Promotion Public Relations Direct Marketing
Employees
Interactive Marketing Personal Selling Customer Service Center Service Encounters Servicescapes
Customers
Source: Parts of model adapted from work by Christian Gronroos and Phillip Kotler

6. Integrated Service Marketing Communications
Integrated Service Communications
a strategy that carefully integrates all external and internal communication channels to present a consistent message to customers
This means coordination across:
sales and service people
print
Internet
other forms of tangible communication including the servicescape
How is this done in services?
advertising
sales presentations
service encounters with employees
servicescape and other tangibles
Internet and web presence
public relations
pricing
service guarantees
customer education
14-6

7. Approaches for Integrating Services Marketing Communication
Manage
Customer
Expectations
Goal:
Delivery
greater than
or equal to
promises
Manage
Service
Promises
Improve
Customer
Education
Manage
Internal
Marketing
Communication

8. (1) Approaches for Addressing Service Intangibility
Use narrative to demonstrate the service experience
Present vivid information
Use interactive imagery
Focus on the tangibles
Use brand icons to make the service tangible
Use association, physical representation, documentation, and visualization
Feature service employees in communication
Use buzz or viral marketing
Leverage social media
Aim messages to influencers
Create advertising that generates talk because it is humorous, compelling, or unique
Feature satisfied customers in the communication
Generate word-of-mouth through employee relationships
14-8

9. Services Advertising Strategies Matched with Properties of Intangibility
14-9

10. (2) Approaches for Managing Service Promises
Create a strong service brand
Coordinate external communication
14-10

11. Service Branding Model
14-11

12. Approaches for Managing Customer Expectations
Offer Choices
Create Tiered-Value
Offerings
Communicate Criteria for
Service Effectiveness
Negotiate
Unrealistic
Expectations
Goal:
Delivery
greater than
or equal to
promises

13. Approaches for Improving Customer Education
Teach Customers to Avoid
Peak Demand Periods and
Seek Slow Periods
Confirm Performance
to Standards
Clarify
Expectations
after the Sale
Goal:
Delivery
greater than
or equal to
promises
Prepare Customers
for the Service Process

14. Approaches for Managing Internal Marketing Communications
Goal:
Delivery
greater than
or equal to
promises
Create Effective
Vertical
Communications
Create Effective
Horizontal
Communications
Align Back
Office Personnel
w/ External Customers
Create
Cross-Functional
Teams

15. Best Practices for Closing the Communication Gap (Gap 4)
Employing integrated service marketing communication strategies around everything and everyone that sends a message or signal.
Manage customer expectations effectively throughout the experience.
Develop mechanisms for internal communication to avoid over-promising and ensure successful delivery.
14-15

16. DHL’s Outdoor Advertising

17. DHL’s Print Advertising

18. DHL’s Print Advertising Links to Employees

19. “Relax, It’s FedEx” Campaign
Campaign objective:
demonstrate that FedEx’s portfolio of services will help businesses meet their needs more effectively
Aimed at all businesses:
from small businesses to corporate customers
Integrated marketing communications campaign involves TV, print, and radio ads
the message: the reliability that customers have come to expect is now more certain than ever, so they can “relax”

20. FedEx Print Advertisements
Ad copy:
Keeping costs down is the most important thing. Right after the 107 other things.
Give your customers what they want, when they want it with FedEx Ground and the vast FedEx® transportation portfolio. It's a variety of services that is sure to meet your variety of transportation needs. Like giving you product visibility throughout the delivery process via FedEx InSight® so you can increase customer expectations and customer service all while keeping costs down. To find out everything we can do for you call Go.FedEx ( ).
distribution.fedex.com/01
Relax, it's FedEx.

21. FedEx Print Advertisements
Ad copy:
Make your customers happy, even when they're not.
Turn dissatisfied customers into customers who come back. FedEx Ground and the FedEx® transportation portfolio can give you a returns process that's easy for your customers and cost effective for you. Giving the customer what they want, when they want is a must. No matter how many tries it takes. To find out what we can do for you call Go.FedEx ( ).
retail.fedex.com/03
Relax, it's FedEx.

22. FedEx Website www.fedex.com
easy to use
ties in with whole value proposition of campaign
Print ads drive customers to websites with information on how FedEx provides solutions for specific industries:
retail, wholesale, apparel

23. Sports Sponsorship
Does not tie in directly with the “Relax, It’s FedEx” campaign, but increases brand awareness

24. FedEx: Metrics for IMC Campaign
FedEx must be able to evaluate the effectiveness of integrated marketing communication campaign
customer surveys and focus groups about brand awareness
number of telephone inquiries
number of website hits and click-throughs
number of shipments by customer segment
growth in sales since campaign inception

25. FedEx: IMC Campaign Effectiveness
Consistency of message
Use narratives to demonstrate service experience
Presents vivid information
Promises what is possible
Encourages word-of-mouth communication
Indirectly features service customers

26. FedEx: Internal Communications
Service employees must be well versed in what ads are promising
Knowledge of services offered across the organization
call centers
web design
response mechanisms
InSight (new service offered)
Cross-functional communication
operations
public relations/marketing