A uses and gratifications approach to marketing communications: How to serve the interests of all stakeholder groups

摘要

This study explores the uses and gratifications of different stakeholders regarding marketing communication messaging and how these uses and gratifications vary according to stakeholder loyalty. Marketing is increasingly recognising that in order to be effective, firms need to consider a broader range of stakeholders other than just consumers. However, current literature fails to identify how firms should interact with their various stakeholder groups and only identifies that such interactions should take place. In developing an understanding of how to interact with various stakeholder groups, the uses and gratifications approach was adopted and stakeholders were positioned on the extended ladder of stakeholder loyalty. The analysis of data emerging from a qualitative survey among 28 stakeholders of Philips Design demonstrates that the revealed uses and gratifications of various stakeholder groups regarding marketing communication messaging have much in common with classifications derived from studies of other mass media uses and gratifications. A wide range of uses and gratifications with regard to marketing communication messaging was revealed varying according to stakeholder loyalty. Based on their specific uses and gratifications the various stakeholder groups have different content preferences regarding marketing communication messaging. Based on these findings, companies can decide on how they should communicate with various stakeholder groups.