Comparative Analysis between Skoda and Volvo Essay
Comparative Analysis between Skoda and Volvo Essay Abstract: In this paper there is a comparative analysis made over the marketing communications followed by Skoda and Volvo in UK. The persuasions are all related to the various strategic plans followed both the companies.
Comparative analysis between Skoda and Volvo
Introduction
The basic idea of marketing communication is to reach people through some medium. This medium can be either of print or screen, or can be both.
The procedure is to elaborate and to explain a product as per the preferences made by the customer. This undergoes a system of analysing the mental status and demands of the consumers. It is through marketing communication that the vendor can reach the buyer. From a very low level to the sophisticated level of automobiles; it all about how the vendor displays his product.
More impressive is the communication the better will be the sell. This is the basic bottom line for the selling of a product or service through marketing communication. Keeping this motivational attitude as the core matter of concern, this paper is making a comparative analysis of marketing communication followed by Skoda and Volvo. The analysis has been planned as per their approaches in making the consumer feel to buy the product. The mode of marketing communications considered in this report revolve around use of billboards, magazines, newspapers, YouTube, T.V., movies, websites, and many more of these kinds.
The Aim
The aim of this report is to discover the means through which Skoda and Volvo introduces their products and the way they the responses from the consumers.
Literature Review: Secondary Sources
To understand the marketing approaches of Skoda and Volvo, it is important to go through some of the basic points and literatures. According to the Lees (1998) the proceeding the approach of marketing communication should be under the influence of urban renaissance. It needs to concentrate the demands forwarded by people from diversified section of society. Both these companies followed the demands of the consumer before communicating with them. In this approach, Holt, (2002) on the other hand clarifies the modes of branding that brings in consumer loyalty to the company. This is a category that is very vital to maintain and the maintenance of the company is the basis for this speculation. The process of branding is to establish the scope of establishing the consumer preferences. The branding is the means that establishes a company in a society after making a profitable mark in the market. The research led by Leiss, (1990) focus over the social mode of communication that can create the baseline for the management of marketing communication. In this field the investigations made by Lemke (1995) is of great value. It is he who dealt with the textual representation of a product or a service. He emphasized over the issues of textual politics that actually manipulates the buyer in making a choice. Skoda and Volvo try to manipulate their customers, yet they perform and gain on different platforms. To this, Livingston and Lunt (1994) forward the roles played by media. For them whether it is the print media or the screen media the purpose s to get into the heart of the consumer. Their research shows that when the heart rules, brain does not work. This is something that marketing communication can come up with.
Fraser (2000) identifies this proceeding of marketing communication and rethinks the manipulating structure in favour of public. He is more about the politics that remains static under commercial propaganda. Use of various aspects related to the environment and the people in context of displaying an advertisement appeals the consumer more. In this case of the competitions led by Skoda and Volvo, these proceedings are very much a part of the marketing communication process. Both the companies collected information about their consumers and as per their research and surveys they displayed their products on various mode of communications.
The consumer side has been well explored by Goldman (1999) when he deals with consumer republic. It is all about dealing with the mental and psychological thinking process of the consumer. It is in this reference that the companies create the format of their communication (Habermas, 1989). Petley (2002) further added the context of advertising with practical persuasion. It is the mode that needs to be managed and structure as per the demand of the consumer and the reports collected for various marketing surveys.
Research Method
The report follows the method of collecting data from both primary and the secondary sources. As per the secondary sources, the report looks into various books and journals to find out the right kind of means to communicate with the consumer about the product. On the other hand the data collected from the primary sources are all based on qualitative research structure. Under this proceeding some questionnaires are distributed among the people who are willing to own a car planning to get the one that suits them best.
Primary Sources
The primary sources that helped in realising the preferences of the consumers are for either of Skoda or Volvo has been measured through qualitative research analysis. In this format few people were selected. All these participants were people who are planning to get a car either for the first time or just for a change. Questionnaires were distributed among them and they were asked to answer the questions. The participants have to answer the questions as per the information that they have collected about either of Skoda or Volvo through varied mode of marketing communication. In this respect advertisements declared on billboards, magazines, newspapers, YouTube, T.V., movies, websites, and similar modes are kept under consideration. All the points of views are collected from the display of these cars in the society.
As per the results declared by the questionnaires most of the people preferred to get hold of a Skoda. There are many reasons that supported these preferences. Most of them were the marketing communication that has already motivated the buyers about Skoda being a luxurious car with enough space and within reasonable price. The advertisements are all so well structured that people fall for them instantly. As the context of buying a family car is all about for the loved ones, the buyer always prefer to get that the family prefers, especially the spouse. Most of the people declared that they want to own a Skoda since their wife liked it. This might sound illogical, yet that is the reason most of the people try to prefer a car than another one. The marketing communication of Skoda is much stronger than that of Volvo. To make the point clear these are two advertisements added in the Appendix. These are YouTube advertisements followed by Skoda and Volvo. After looking at them one can well identify the appeal of Skoda over Volvo.
Analysis and Discussion
The analysis and discussion realises that thehe issues related to culture and mindset of the people are very important to consider while placing marketing communications. In this reference reading of Young (2005) bring in the promotional strategic plans as per the demands of the culture that needs to be investigates for a better marketing communication. In reference to the selected comparative study, Skoda seems to understand the social set up of UK more than Volvo. It could well depict the society of UK in its advertisements. Approaches forwarded by Wernick (1991) about the combination of culture and marketing promotion tactics. This is a discussion that supported the basic motive of this report. The proceedings led by Skoda and Volvo in making a choice for marketing communication is based on the cultural study of UK to a great extend. Johnson (1978) made some specific approaches about meeting and understanding the consumer demands and the principles are still of great relevance in making a marketing communication work as per the demand of the company. Klein (2000) came up with the concept of dealing with logo promotion structure. He insisted that once the company gets the loyalty of the consumer the logo structure works a lot for further business. This is a statement that has been well discovered in case of Skoda in UK, where every new idea and concept has been well accepted by the people of UK. This is the reason that every issue of Skoda is successful among UK consumers.
There is a kind of understanding about the ideas, sense of romance and good music for Skoda, whereas the same lack when it comes to Volvo. The questionnaires were distributed among 25 people and 20 of them, preferred for a Skoda. They also said that a Skoda is about gaining social status quo and thus is the ultimate choice for them. The marketing communications led by Volvo are more abrupt and straight. Almost all the advertisements are direct and are not as per the demands of the consumers. The approaches of Volvo are more about the car then about the people that are into it or are going to buy it. Skoda on the other hand picked up the idea of introducing people from every walk of society to appeal its consumers. All these people are very gorgeous and make the consumer feel as if he too is one of them. There are celebrities also, yet the emphasis still on every single person who might be living next door. By keeping every person as a part of the whole advertisement, the car represents a social circle. As the car passes everyone is like Wow!!! to it. This is an expression that makes the consumer feel special. This Wow!! is missing when it comes to a marketing communication led by Volvo. The approach of Volvo is blunt in comparison to Skoda. For many people Volvo has got an authentic approach, but it cannot get into the family context as it has not adopted the basic factors related to social context.
The music of Skoda is very soothing. It is very sweet with melodious declaration of notes. The singers and the music and working for this can really appeal well. This is a selection that Volvo lacks. Its music has been appreciated by many. But these are the people who are not planning for a car. The music for marketing communication should be just complement the consumer’s temperament. It is the means to make the consumer aware of the product and Skoda could meet this need. Its music is all about getting a car for the family and for their comfort. It is spacious and very much luxury concerned. The interiors are well displayed in the advertisements.
However, for Volvo, the displays of the interiors are not much emphasised.
It remains under cover. By declaring every facility to the consumer Skoda has created its own preferences among the people. It is very specific about its family oriented cars and thus applies the same to its marketing communication format.
The success of Skoda can also be marked through its understanding of the culture and the lifestyle of people f UK. Since it is in the market for so long it can well asses the mental status of the people it is dealing with. Volvo on the other hand seems to ignore the cultural and lifestyle context. They are presenting their family car in a very blunt way. There is no appeal made towards the people who are going to own it. It is more like displaying a machine for day to day life. In case of Skoda it is just like a friend and a family member to the owner. It has been communicated t the user in that way by the company. Skoda is more like a part of the society we live in. It does not present itself as something that has come from outside. Volvo on the other hand presents itself as a machine that can be an asset to the buyer. The approach forwarded by Skoda appeals people more and as every individual want to get something that everyone admires, Skoda is a common choice for the people of UK. Preferring for a Volvo can make the buyer feel as someone just as ordinary as he always is, but a Skoda can bring in much attention for him in the society.
The selection of colour and environment chosen by Skoda is more lifelike and are as per the choices made by the sophisticated and the modern class of UK. The models and the girls are all selected as per the preference of the elite class. It has been formulised as to make the consumer feel as if he is a part of the sophisticated group and this is very motivating. Volvo ignores all these preferences. It rather brings in more corporate kind of image for the car. The people and the environment that are being represented in the advertisements are all a part of the official domains. Rest of the people who are trying to come up with more family oriented context are not much focussed. To move a car among friends and that to in a cheerful environment release lots of positive aspirations. These aspirations are used to a great limit by Skoda, but for Volvo they are not much concentrated upon.
Conclusion
The comparative study to rule over the market has been realised strong in the part of Skoda. Skoda has been preferred more by people than that of Volvo. The reason is a clear marketing approach adopted by both the companies. Volvo can be far better selection for a consumer, but the performance of Skoda cannot be ignored. The services and the facilities provide by both the companies are almost similar, yet the consumer prefers Skoda more than anything else. It is all due to the motivational task that has been well established by Skoda than by Volvo. Skoda made a speculative research over the culture and the lifestyle of people of UK. It has utilised all these information in presenting the advertisement contents. Approach of Volvo is though very personal kind yet it is not much into the understanding of the culture and the ethical points preferred by the people of UK.
Recommendations
It is therefore very necessary to note that to meet the necessary requirements of marketing communication; the companies need t work on their homework well. They should understand every inch of the preference and the demands of the consumer. The approach of marketing communication should be very much appealing to the psychology of the consumer. It needs to appeal not only the buyer but by all those people who live around him. Selection of colour combinations, music and environment where the product gets displayed should be as per the desired atmosphere of the buyer.
