Unpaid impersonal communications
Publicity is communication through significant, unpaid presentation about retailer, usually a news story, in impersonal media. The Example is newspaper and TV coverage of linen-n-things pink gift card
Unpaid Personal communication
Retailer communicates with their customers through Word of mouth (WOM). A relatively new partway for WOM communication is through social shopping. Social shopping is a communication channel in which consumers use the internet to engage in the shopping process by exchanging preferences, thought, and opinion among friend, family, and others. Customer or user review, communicate about, and aggregates information about product, prices, and deals.
Strengths and weaknesses of communication methods.
Control
More control when using versus unpaid methods. When using advertising, sales promotion, e-mail, direct mail, and m-commerce, retailer determine the message content.
Flexibility
Personal selling is the most flexible communication method, because salespeople can talk with each customer, discover his or her specific needs, and develop unique presentation.
Email, direct mail, and m-commerce are also more flexible because they can personalize. Retailer can use Mass media ads deliver the same message to all customers.
Credibility
Publicity and word of mouth are typically communicated by independent sources,their information is usually more credible than the information in paid communication sources. Customers tend to doubt claims made by salespeople and in because they know retailers are trying to promote their merchandise. In Malaysia they have a lot of advertising or promotion during the festival. For example is during hari Raya and Deepavali day.
Cost
Publicity and word of mouth are classified as unpaid communication methods, but retailer does incur cost to stimulate them.
