Understanding Duncan’s Customer Initiated
Communication Model
Marketers recognize that in the modern world of marketing there are many different opportunities and methods to contact current and prospective customers to deliver information about a company and / or brands (Belch et al, 2009, p. 14). Marketing communication is about building relationships, providing a brand identity, and forming ways of delivering the brand message of a company. How a customer interacts with this communication will impact on how the messages are received, interpreted, remembered and shared.
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| Figure 1: Customer Initiated Communication Model |
Communication in the
marketing world is shifting from ‘talking at’ to ‘talking to’ customers.
Duncan’s model focuses on customer initiated contact with a company or brand,
and explores how this contact can be utilised by marketers to create more
integrated and meaningful two-way communication. This communication is based
upon a brand’s identity and message as perceived by the customer, who
facilitates communication, pre and post purchase of a good or service. Examples
given by Duncan include complaints, enquiries, suggestions, feedback, requests
and compliments (Duncan, 2005, p.16).
The poster-child for this interactive, two-way dialogue is the internet (Duncan, 2005, p.16), creating more opportunities for faster, easier two-way communication and ultimately allowing customers to actively initiate communication with a company. Unlike traditional forms of marketing such as advertising, the new media allows users to perform a variety of functions, such as, receive and alter information and images, make enquiries, respond to questions, and of course make purchases, all in real time (Belch et al, 2009, p. 20).
The internet and the arrival of social media platforms has provided consumers with the ability to interact with, evaluate, share experiences, and give feedback about products, services and companies. It is easy to use, available 24 hours a day, and globally accessible. It is more powerful and faster than literal word of mouth and the sentiment that a ‘lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes’ is even more valid in the new media ecosystems.
Marketers are challenging the accepted methods of communicating with customers, and building relationships through two-way dialogue in the new media ecosystem; cutting out the ‘noise’ as suggested by figure 1 above, and ensuring that communication is swift, acknowledged, and respected.
The poster-child for this interactive, two-way dialogue is the internet (Duncan, 2005, p.16), creating more opportunities for faster, easier two-way communication and ultimately allowing customers to actively initiate communication with a company. Unlike traditional forms of marketing such as advertising, the new media allows users to perform a variety of functions, such as, receive and alter information and images, make enquiries, respond to questions, and of course make purchases, all in real time (Belch et al, 2009, p. 20).
The internet and the arrival of social media platforms has provided consumers with the ability to interact with, evaluate, share experiences, and give feedback about products, services and companies. It is easy to use, available 24 hours a day, and globally accessible. It is more powerful and faster than literal word of mouth and the sentiment that a ‘lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes’ is even more valid in the new media ecosystems.
Marketers are challenging the accepted methods of communicating with customers, and building relationships through two-way dialogue in the new media ecosystem; cutting out the ‘noise’ as suggested by figure 1 above, and ensuring that communication is swift, acknowledged, and respected.
Social Media and Citizen Journalism: The Social Media Ecosystem
The Australian Bureau of Statistics gathered social media presence data for the first time in 2013 and
concluded that one in five businesses use social media for information
gathering and research (ABS, 2013). Social media includes blogs and micro-blogs
(i.e. Twitter), content communities (i.e. YouTube), and social networking sites
(i.e Facebook). Social networking sites and the internet in general have
created a booming platform for user-generated content that allows anyone to
create and interact with knowledge. In particular, looking at the social media
platform Facebook, there is an average of 665 million daily active users (See
figure 2 below). These active users are engaging, not only locally with friends
and family, but with business pages and are accessing ‘global knowledge’.
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| Figure 2:Facebook's Growth in the Past Year |
An advantage of
connectivity and the freedom of user-generated content is citizen journalism; a
new wave of journalism sprouting from the ease of the internet and social
media, which empowers the everyday citizen as the creator of everyday
information. Gillmor believes the rise of the citizen-journalist will help us
listen (2004, p.63). What citizen journalism creates is a voice for the
voiceless, allowing information to be retrieved from target markets in a
natural way i.e. rather than formal market research. Social media is a large
platform for citizen journalism particularly in the format of blogs and
twitter.
How does this social media ecosystem impact the way they
approach building relationships with customers? The social media ecosystem centers on the consumer experience (Hanna et al, 2011, p.267). As Dury states
‘marketing is no longer one-dimensional; it is now a two-way process engaging a
brand and an audience. It is about receiving and exchanging perceptions and
ideas’ (Dury, 2008, p.275). It is integrated communication that is noExample 1: Vanish Napisan Australia
Vanish Napisan Australia and their ‘Trust Pink. Forget
Stains’ campaign is a great example of the use of IMC. Their current website
hosts a range of interactive components for their consumers, particularly the
‘Stain-solver’, an interactive questionnaire that allows customers to seek
information regarding how to deal with particular stains. They have also utilized
social media incorporating a Facebook page link onto their website, ‘Like us on
Facebook. Hate Stains! Like Vanish!’. Most impressive is their latest series of
T.V advertising featuring YouTube videos featured on their website called the
Tip-exchange. Customers are invited to share their stain removing advice with a
community of fellow Australians. The perfect mix of shared knowledge and
integrated interaction with consumer and company.
The Icelandic tourist board wanted to advertise and promote Iceland in a unique and interesting way, just like the country itself. The media agency Takk Takk personified Iceland and created social media accounts as the country, with followers able to interact directly and promote the country from posting their own experiences online. Iceland wants to be your friend.com has proved a very popular hit, and the attention to detail, the rapid replies to posts, plus the wit, humour and craftmasnship behind the campaign has made this a very successful two way communication campaign.
Check out http://www.takktakk.com/presents/icelandwantstobeyourfriend/
Check out Iceland Vimeo Channel
Created by Bianca Bowers. Edited by Karen Jousiffe and Bradley Supple.
References:
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2013) 8129.0 Business Use of Information Technology 2011-12. Released 22/08/2013.
Belch, G., Belch, M., Kerr, G., and Powell, I.
(2009). Advertising and Promotion: An integrated marketing communication
perspective. Sydney: McGraw Hill.
Drury, G. (2008). Opinion piece: Social media:
Should Marketers engage and how can it be done effectively? Journal of
Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, Vol 9, p. 274-277.
Duncan, T. (2005). Using
advertising and promotion to build brands. In Principles of
advertising & IMC 2nd ed., p.4-24. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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