Introduction
An integrated communications strategy is a way of aligning the messages that a company communicates across all channels with the strategy of development. Applying this plan will allow Haxon to achieve consistency in the messages that the customers and potential buyers receive through social media, advertisements, Haxon’s Kickstarter page, and other communication channels. This report will present the integrated communications strategy Haxon will apply in 2022.
Target Market
The target market of Haxon’s products can be identified by examining what the company offers to its users. Haxon offers air fans that combine a set of intelligent features, such as light, heating, air purifying, alarm, Alexa, and speaker (“Haxon,” n.d.). The cost of one air fan is $200, which is less expensive than the alternatives from competitors such as Dyson. Considering the price, this product is suitable for working professionals, aged 25 to 40, who are interested in new technologies and actively use them. Moreover, Haxon’s advertisement on Kickstarter shows that this product is suitable for single individuals or couples who can use two Haxon air fans to adjust the temperature for themselves (“Haxon,” n.d.). Considering that this product is sold primarily through Kickstarter, Haxon’s audience should be active on social media and other online platforms to be able to get to know the brand and the product’s features. Therefore, the target market appropriate for this integrated communications strategy are individuals between the ages of 25 to 40, who work in Information Technology and related fields, are interested in new technological developments, and actively use social media platforms.
Databases
Haxon should use at least three databases with target customers’ information to build relationships with these customers and within the identified target market. The first database is the funders who provided payments for Haxon’s products on Kickstarter. These are the initial customers who have already shown their interest in the product and provided their contact details and downpayment for the product. This database can be used to provide updates about new developments; for example, recently, Haxon introduced a new color for its air fan (“Haxon,” n.d.). This database contains contact information, such as shipping address and online contact details, for example, an email, which can be used to send promotional materials.
The second database is Haxon’s Instagram account, which is followed by potential customers who are interested in knowing more about the company’s product. Instagram is an appropriate database for building relationships with Haxon’s potential customers because it is a visual platform, which will allow illustrating real-life examples of how Huxon’s products can be used. Visualization is an essential element of advertisement because it will enable the potential customers to see what Haxon’s Airfan is useful for, what it looks like in pictures and videos, and how to use it. The database contains the names of users. However, Haxon cannot contact each individual directly, which is why the brand should use posts and stories and analyze the ratio of likes and views for this database.
The third database is Haxon’s website, which has a newsletter function that allows visitors to sign up for email notifications, for example, about sales or new product releases. This is an appropriate source of information for building relationships with the target market because the individuals who left their emails are already interested in the product. However, they may want to find out more or are not ready to purchase Haxon’s Smart Airfan yet. This database can be used by posting content on the main page of the website and sending email updates to users who have signed up for the newsletter.
Building Haxon’s Database
Haxon can capture data about its target customers by creating an integrated database with email addresses and names of people across all channels of communication the company uses. The first example is offering a discount on Haxon’s website for users who leave their email addresses. In this example, Hixon will show a message on the website, which provides visitors to leave their email addresses in exchange for a discount code for the air fan. These emails will be accumulated into a database to then send promotions and updates.
The second example is offering a discount code through the Instagram page, for example, “Haxon2022Insta,” to users who sign up for updates from the brand’s Instagram page. The discount code distributed exclusively through Instagram will encourage the followers who are interested in purchasing the air fan to leave their contact details, similar to the example with the discount offered through the website. This will allow Haxon to capture the names of users who are interested in purchasing the product since they requested a discount code. The final example is a database of Kickstarter funders, which can be used to offer them upgrades of their Haxon products or additional items, such as filters or lights. This database is created automatically after a user decides to fund the project through Kickstarter and fills out the details on the website’s page.
Five Touchpoints
Touchpoints are the areas where the company and the potential customer come in direct contact and where the former has an opportunity to communicate the value of its products to the latter. The first touchpoint that Haxon should use is the advertisements on social media as a way to raise awareness about the company’s offer. Next, the potential buyers interested in the airfare may want to seek reviews about the product since Haxon’s brand is still new. Therefore, they will look for reviews on websites dedicated to posting user feedback and may want to watch videos about the product. Hence, the two other touchpoints are the websites with reviews and Haxon’s Youtube channel. The fourth touchpoint is the brand’s Kickstarter page since the company is currently funded through this resource. Kickstarter can show the potential buyers that Haxon is a new brand; however, it has potential and is already supported by many other buyers. The final touchpoint would be Haxon’s website, where the user can see detailed information about the air fan and place an order. Each touchpoint is critical and affects the user’s purchase decision because, through these touchpoints, one collects information about Hixon.
Social Media
The three platforms that Haxon should use are Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok. The three platforms are based on visuals, which will allow Haxon to show how its products are used and how they look in real-life environments, for example, living rooms or bedrooms. Youtube allows publishing long videos, which Haxon will use for showing customer reviews and answering questions. Instagram will be used for posting photos of the air fan. TikTok will be used for short viral videos featuring the air fan. Hence, social media are a critical client touchpoint because they will allow Haxon to communicate the value of the brand’s product.
Conclusion
In summary, this report presents the integrated communications plan for Haxon for the year 2022. Haxon should collect information about potential customers through Instagram, Kickstarter, and its website. The target market for the brand is people between the ages of 25 and 40 who are interested in technology. Social media are a critical communications touchpoint because they allow one to visualize the value of the brand’s offer.
Reference
Hixson – Smart airfan with 20 features for your bed. (n.d.). Web.