Direct Marketing

Coles aggressively marketed the big red hand featured in the commercials using direct marketing and attaching it to prices in the stores and in catalogs. This direct marketing strategy of using a visual cue to highlight marked down prices has been done extremely effectively. Blogger Brent Henebery's (2011) conclusion, "the ‘Big Red Hand’ nmemonic is practically  everywhere" summarises the psychological success direct marketing, in correlation with the big red hand, has had. Even if a customer is not looking for cheaper products the fact is the image will resonate in their brain and communicate the message of a cheaper product. The use of direct marketing is extremely relevant in a supermarket as everyone who shops will pay attention to direct marketing cues such as the marked price, discounts, and promotions. Like television advertising, the direct marketing tool was integrated into the IMC campaign through the tactical coordination phase due to direct marketing being conducted through one way, zero feedback channel.

Freelancer, T.

Coles: an integrated marketing campaign

Freelancer, T. (2011). Coles: an integrated marketing campaign. [online] Marketing and Communications. Available at: http://marketingandcommunications.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/coles-a-corporate-jack-of-all-trades/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2014].