1. What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)?

Integrated Marketing Communication or IMC involve coordinating the various promotional

elements and other marketing activities that communicate with the firm’s customers. The
basic IMC tools used to accomplish an organisation’s communication objectives are referred
to as the promotional mix. Integrated marketing communications uses channels like
advertising, sales promotion, PR, personal selling, events etc.

Importance of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)

Integrated marketing communication is important to have a competitive edge in the market.
With increasing amount of marketing research, the preferences of customers are very well
known to managers. With this expertise at hand, the managers are able to design the
marketing communications that are aligned to the consumer’s preferences and at the same
time it is communicated at the time when the consumer wants to i.e. the right time. This is
critical for brand management and ensure that customers have a strong affinity towards the
product. As John Wanamaker (1838-1922) coined the phrase “Half the money I spend on
advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half”, is no more the case here. With
advanced data analytics, the click through rate of online advertisements and the use of cost
effective approach of online ads have made integrated marketing communications the need of
the hour. If the right message is only shown at the right place at the right time to the right
prospect, the chance s of converting the prospect into potential consumer is very high but at
the cost that is minimal.
Integrated Marketing Communication Tools
1. Advertising: Any paid form of non-personal communication about an organisation or its
merchandise by an identified sponsor is known as advertising.
2. Sales Promotion: Those marketing activities that provide extra value or incentives to sales
force, distributors or end consumers to generate immediate sales is known as sales
promotions.
3. Public Relations: Public relations refers to non-personal communications regarding a
product or service that is not paid for or run under a sponsor. Hence the main advantage of
public relations is its credibility and helps in building a strong brand equity.
4. Personal Selling: In personal selling, the seller attempts to persuade prospective buyers to
buy the company’s merchandise or service. Unlike advertising, personal selling involves
direct contact between the buyer and seller.

Examples of Integrated Marketing Communications

1. Uber India launched an integrated marketing campaign which uses integrated marketing
communications that is solely based on the theme of Apnapan (Hindi for the feeling of
togetherness) by partnering with Madison to execute the strategy. A multi-platform campaign
was rolled out with Facebook and YouTube as primary channels and television for broader
air coverage and radio for the audience while commuting.
2. Coca Cola launched Open Happiness campaign through a very catchy TV commercial.
Apart from the TVC, the company ensured that other communication channels like social
media, print, online ads, OOH etc were also used effectively. This shows the overall use of
IMC channels to capture people across media channels.
 2. Integrated Marketing Communication Planning Process

the six main steps of integrated marketing communication planning process. The steps are: 1.
Review of Marketing Plan 2. Promotional Programme Situational Analysis 3. Analysis of
Communication Process 4. Budget Determination 5. Developing the Integrated Marketing
Communication Programme 6. Mentoring, Evaluation and Control.

Step # 1. Review of Marketing Plan:

Before developing a promotional programme, it is important to understand where the

company’s (or the brand) current position is in the market, where it intends to go and how it
plan to get there. A marketing plan is a written document describing the overall marketing
strategy and programme developed for the organization, a particular product line or a brand.

Marketing plan included the following basic elements:

1. A detailed situation analysis that consists of an internal marketing audit and an external
analysis of the market competition and environmental factors.

2. Specific marketing objectives that provide direction, a time frame for marketing activities,
and a mechanism for measuring performance.

3. A marketing strategy and programme that include selection of target market(s) decisions
and plans for the four elements of the marketing mix.

4. A programme for implementing the marketing strategy, including determining specific

tasks to be performed and responsibilities.

5. A process for monitoring and evaluating performance and providing feed back so that
proper control can be maintained and any necessary changes made in the marketing strategy
or tactics.

A promotional programme is an integral part of the marketing strategy. It will give an idea of
the role of advertising and other promotional mix element will play in the overall marketing
programme.

Step # 2. Promotional Programme Situational Analysis:

The next step in developing promotional plan is to conduct the situation analysis. A situation
analysis involves the internal analysis and external analysis. Internal analysis assesses
relevant area involving the product/service offering and the firm itself.

The capabilities of the firm and its ability to develop and implement a successful promotional
programme, the organization of promotional department and the success and failures of past
programmes are reviewed.

The analysis study the relative advantages and disadvantages of performing the promotional
functions. For example, the internal analysis may indicate the firm is not capable of planning,
implementing and managing certain areas of the promotional programme.
If this is the case, it would be wise to look for assistance from an advertising agency or some
other promotional facilitator. If the organization is already using an advertising agency, the
focus will be on the quality of the agency’s work and the results achieved by past and/current
campaigns.

The other aspect of internal analysis is assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the firm or
the brand from an image perspective. Often, the image of the firm brings to the market will
have a significant impact on its promotional programme.

Another aspect of the internal analysis is the assessment of the relative strengths and
weaknesses of the product or service in comparison to its competitors, unique selling points
or benefits it has, its price, design, packaging to help the creative personnel to develop
advertising message for the brand.

External analysis focuses its attention on the firm’s customers, market segments, positioning
strategies, and competitors (Table 2.3). An important part of the external analysis is a detailed
consideration of customers in terms of their characteristics and buying patterns, their decision
processes, and factors influencing their purchase decisions.

Attention must also be given to consumer’s perceptions and attitudes, lifestyles, and criteria
used in making purchase decisions often. Marketing research studies are necessary to answer
some of these questions.

A key element of the external analysis is an assessment of the market. The attractiveness of
various market segments must be evaluated and the decision made as to which segment (s) to
target. Once the target markets are chosen, the emphasis will be on determining how the
product should be positioned? What image or place should it have in consumers minds?

The external phase of the promotional programme situation analysis also includes an in depth
examination of both direct and indirect competitors. While competitors were analyzed in the
overall marketing situation analysis, even more attention is devoted to promotional aspects at
this phase.

Focus is on the firm’s primary competitors;: their specific strengths and weaknesses; their
segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies; and the promotional strategies they
employ. The size and allocation of their promotional budgets, their media, strategies, and the
messages they are sending to the market place should also be considered.

Step # 3. Analysis of Communication Process:

This stage involves to know how the company can effectively communicate with consumers
in its target market. It involves the communication decision regarding the use of various
sources, messages and channel factors. It involves the analysis of effects of various types of
advertising messages might have on consumers and whether they are appropriate for the
product or brand.
An important part of this stage of the promotional planning process is establishing
communication goals and objectives. Communication objectives refer to what the firm wants
to accomplish with its promotional programmes Russel Colley have identified 52 possible
advertising objectives.

The communication objectives may include creating awareness or knowledge about a product
and its attributes or benefits, creating an image or developing favourable attitudes,
preferences or purchase intentions.

Step # 4. Budget Determination:

In budget determination, the two basic questions that should be asked includes what will the
promotional programme’s cost? How will these funds be allocated. Budget determination
procedure involves selecting the various budgeting approaches and integrating them. At this
stage, the budget is often tentative. It may not be finalized until specific promotional mix
strategies are developed.

Step # 5. Developing the Integrated Marketing Communications Programme:

At this stage, decisions are made regarding the role and importance of each element and their
coordination with one another. Each promotional mix element has its own set of objectives
and a budget and strategy for meeting them.

Decisions must be made and activities performed to implement the promotional programmes.
Procedures are developed for evaluating performance and making any necessary changes.

Two important aspects of advertising programme are the development of the message and
media strategy. Message development, often referred to as creative strategy, involve deter-
mining the basic appeal and message the advertiser wishes to convey to the target audience.

Media strategy involves determining which communications channels will be used to deliver
the advertising message to the target audience. Decisions must be made regarding which
types of media will be used (e.g., Newspapers Magazines, Radio, Television, bill boards etc.)
as well as specific media selections such as a particular magazines or TV programme.

This task requires careful evaluation of the media options’ advantages and limitations, costs,
and ability to deliver the message effectively to the target market.

Once the message and media strategies have been determined, steps must be taken to
implement them. Most large companies hire advertising agencies to plan and produce their
messages and to evaluate and purchase the media that will carry their advertisement.

However, most agencies work very closely with their clients as they develop the advertise-
ments and select media, because it is the advertiser that ultimately approves (and plays for)
the creative work and media plan.

Step # 6. Mentoring, Evaluation and Control:

This stage determine how well the promotional programme is meeting communication
objectives and helping the firm accomplish its overall marketing objectives. This stage is
designed to provide managers with continual feedback concerning the effectiveness of the
promotional programme which is used as input to subsequent promotional planning and
strategy development.

3.MEDIA PLANNING

The word Media came from the Latin word "Middle". Media carry message to or from a
targeted audience and can add meaning to the message.

Media Planning, in advertising, is a series of decisions involving the delivery of message to

the targeted audience. Media Plan, is the plan that details the usage of media in an advertising
campaign including costs, running dates, markets, reach, frequency, rationales, and strategies.

Steps in Development of Media Plan

1. Market Analysis

Every media plan begins with the market analysis or environmental analysis.Complete review
of internal and external factors is required to be done. At this stage media planner try to
identify answers of the following questions:

 Who is the target audience?

 What internal and external factors may influence the media plan?
 Where and when to focus the advertising efforts?

The target audience can be classified in terms of age, sex, income, occupation, and other
variables. The classification of target audience helps media planner  to understand the media
consumption habit, and accordingly choose the most appropriate media or media mix.

2. Establishing Media Objective

Media objectives describes what you want the media plan to accomplish. There are five key
media objectives that a advertiser or media planner has to consider - reach, frequency,
continuity, cost, and weight.

1. Reach - Reach refers to the number of people that will be exposed to to a media
vehicle at least once during a given period of time.
2. Frequency - Frequency refers to the average number of times an individual within
target audience is exposed to a media vehicle during a given period of time.
 3. Continuity - It refers to the pattern of advertisements in a media schedule. Continuity
alternatives are as follows: 
o Continuous: Strategy of running campaign evenly over a period of time.
o Pulsing: Strategy of running campaign steadily over a period of time with
intermittent increase in advertising at certain intervals, as during festivals or
special occasions like Olympics or World-Cup.
o Discontinuous: Strategy of advertising heavily only at certain intervals, and
no advertising in the interim period, as in case of seasonal products. 
4. Cost - It refers to the cost of different media
5. Weight - Weight refers to total advertising required during a particular period.

3. Determining Media Strategies

Media strategy is determined considering the following:

1. Media Mix - From the wide variety of media vehicles, the advertiser can employ one
vehicle or a mix suitable vehicles.
2. Target Market
3. Scheduling - It shows the number of advertisements, size of advertisements, and time
on which advertisements to appear.
o Seasonal Pulse: Seasonal products like cold creams follows this scheduling.
o Steady Pulse: According to this scheduling one ad is shown over a period of
time, say one ad per week or one ad per month.
o Periodic Pulse: A regular pattern is followed in such scheduling, as in case of
consumer durable, and non durable.
o Erratic Pulse: No regular pattern is followed in such scheduling.
o Start-up Pulse: Such scheduling is followed during a new campaign or a
launch of a new product.
o Promotional Pulse: It is for short time, only for a promotional period.
4. Reach and frequency
5. Creative Aspects - Creativity in ad campaigns decides the success of the product, but
to implement this creativity  firm must employ a media that supports such a strategy.
6. Flexibility -  An effective media strategy requires a degree of flexibility.
7. Budget Considerations - In determining media strategy cost must be estimated and
budget must be considered.
8. Media Selection - It covers two broad decisions - selection of media class, and
selection of media vehicle within media class.

4. Implementation of Media Plan

The implementation of media plan requires media buying. Media Buying refers to buying
time and space in the selected media. Following are the steps in media buying:

 Collection of information: Media buying requires sufficient information regarding

nature of target audience, nature of target market, etc.
  Selection of Media/Media Mix: Considering the collected information and ad-budget,
media or media mix is selected which suits the requirements of both - target audience
and advertiser.
 Negotiation: Price of media is negotiated to procure media at the lowest possible
price.
 Issuing Ad - copy to media: Ad-copy is issued to the media for broadcast or telecast 
 Monitoring performance of Media: Advertiser has to monitor whether the telecast or
broadcast of ad is done properly as decided.
 Payment - Finally, it is the responsibility of advertiser to make payment of media bills
on time.

5. Evaluation and Follow-up

Evaluation is essential to assess the performance of any activity. Two factors are important
in evaluation of media plan:

 How successful were the strategies in achieving media objectives?

 Was the media plan successful in accomplishing advertising objective?

Successful strategies help build confidence and serve as reference for developing
media strategies in future, and failure is thoroughly analyzed to avoid mistakes in future.

decisions—Challenges of Media Planning

• More competitors
• Rising costs
• Media complexity
• Greater audience fragmentation
• More media options

Problems in Media Planning

• Insufficient information
• Inconsistent terminologies
• Times pressures
• Difficulty measuring effectiveness

Summary

• Finding the best way to give the message to the target market. “Best” means largest part of
market at best price and in best media environment for the message

• Involves the process of designing a scheduling plan that shows how advertising time and
space will contribute to the achievement of marketing objectives
• Media Planning = Selection + Scheduling.

4. The Importance of Headlines

Headlines are the single most important factor when creating great content. Why? Because
headlines determine whether or not your target audience is going to read your article.

A headline is the only impression you can make on an Internet surfer that can turn them into a
potential reader. This is why it is so critical to create headlines that will grab the attention of
the audience you are trying to reach.

With the amount of content being pumped out onto the web, the average Internet surfer will
read 80% of headlines, but only 20% of those surfers will actually read the article. Therefore,
you should spend just as much time crafting a solid, strategic headline as you do on the
content within the piece.

Create Powerful Headlines

Every great content marketer knows that a headline is supposed to do more than just grab the
attention of the audience. True, attention grabbing is a crucial piece, but truly great headlines
do far more than that. A really powerful headline should have the following 4 effects on your
readers:

1. Build a Relationship
2. Create a Sense of Urgency
3. Generate a Need for Knowledge
4. Begin the Message

All of these effects collectively seek the attention of the reader. If these characteristics are
considered when drafting your headline, then the natural result will be an increase in
readership, searchability, and virality.

Chances are you will not create the best possible headline on the first draft. David Ogilvy,
known as “The Father of Advertising”, once revised a headline 104 times before deciding on
the final draft. He believed that a rock solid headline was equally as important as the ad copy
itself. As a general rule, spend the same amount of time drafting a headline as you do on
creating the content.

As with everything else, creating great headlines get easier with practice. Although it may
seem tedious and unnecessary at first, a powerful headline is the difference between reaching
your audience, or having your content lost in the chaos of the web.

How To Quit Smoking in 30 Days Or Your Money Back. How to Write a Novel in 30
Days. How to Lose Weight Fast.

5. What is Body Copy?

Body copy is known as the main text in an advertisement, print matter, company literature or
any website which is distinct from logo, headline, sub-headline and graphics. This provides
two most important purposes. This portion will help readers develop interest and secondly it
will help them remember the product name and the reasons why they liked the particular
product or the news item. The first sentence of the body copy should flow the headline and is
the main text of any marketing communications vehicle.

There are few important guidelines while writing a powerful body copy. They are-

Body copy is one of the main reasons why a product sells. It motivates the reader to act, gives
importance on how the product will provide benefits to the customer and also contains the
product details within it. Emotional and logical appeal is used in the text to develop a desire
for the products or services. Sometimes, the marketer purposefully uses imperfect grammar in
a body copy, but can still be easily understood; it commonly imitates spoken word in order to
make an intimate feeling for the reader. Like the headline, sentences in a body copy usually
contains the word ‘you’, uses active voice, exciting verbs based content which are more
action oriented, and colloquial vocabulary. This simulates personal communication between a
company and its customer.

The different types of body copy

1. Factual

Factual body copy gives the reader just enough information about a product or service to
persuade them into buying it.

2. Narrative

Narrative body copy draws people in by telling a story before offering a product or service
that can help solve their problem. Only a handful of us react well to being told to buy a
product, so the power of narrative advertising is that it’s a soft sell, enabling the reader to
relate to the story and generate positive feelings towards the brand.

3. Human interest

The purpose of human interest copy is to appeal to the reader’s emotions, so rather than
talking directly about the features and benefits of a product, it capitalises on an individual’s
senses to sell to them indirectly.

4. Testimonial

Usually, testimonial copy comes from customers, experts, celebrities or the spokesperson of a
brand or product. Although it’s there to persuade, it must be truthful.

5. Humour
Getting this right requires a copywriter to really understand their target audience. It’s a tried
and tested strategy and can ensure a campaign remains memorable and impactful for a really
long time.

6. Institutional

The aim of institutional copy isn’t to sell products or services, but to promote a brand’s
trustworthiness or reputation instead. Essentially, it should showcase the philosophies,
objectives or policies of a company in the hope that this will resonate with readers and
encourage them to get in touch.
We are one of the world’s fastest growing exotic car specialists, what’s special about us
is our passion!

What Is A Tagline?

A tagline is a short memorable description that succinctly and clearly communicates the
brand message.

This short description acts as the catchphrase of the brand and builds brand personality
which, in turn, helps in setting the positioning of the brand in the market.

6. Why Is Tagline Important?

There’s no denying that taglines are a very important part of a brand; such important that
some brands are even recognized by their taglines and their positioning in the market is
influenced by their tagline.

The tagline is a powerful communication message which becomes a public earworm and gets
stuck in their brain. It is crafted to have a long-lasting effect in just one encounter. It
communicates the brand personality to the consumer in easy words and, if crafted correctly,
communicates the overall benefit of what is offered to them.

Mcdonald’s brand positioning would have been totally different if its tagline were ‘It’s Tasty
AF’ rather than ‘I’m Lovin’ it’.

Types Of Taglines

Imperative Taglines

Imperative taglines usually begin with a verb and command the customers to perform a
particular action relevant to the brand vision, mission, or personality.

 Nike – Just Do It.

 Youtube – Broadcast Yourself.
 Coca-Cola – Open Happiness.
Descriptive Taglines
As the name suggests, descriptive taglines are the most straightforward taglines which
describe the brand offering, the benefits, and/or brand promise in simple words.

A perfect example of a descriptive tagline is Walmart’s tagline – Save money. Live better.

Provocative Taglines
Provocative Taglines are thought-provoking and stimulating. They are crafted to stir up
emotions and make you stop and think.

Examples of provocative taglines are:

Adidas – Impossible is nothing.

Under Armour – I will.
Dove – You are more beautiful than you think.

Superlative Taglines
Superlatives are the highest degree of comparison. ‘The best in class’, ‘Excellence is our
blood’, etc. are some examples of taglines which use superlatives to position itself as the best
in industry.

Examples of superlative taglines are:

Budweiser – The king of beers

BMW – The ultimate driving machine.

Interrogative Taglines
Some brands use questions to direct you to perform an action, think in a specific manner, or
communicate any other message.

The California Milk Processor Board’s Got Milk? is a good example of an interrogative
tagline.

Specific Taglines
These taglines use words cleverly to reveal the brand’s product or business category and
make it memorable.

Volkswagen’s Drivers wanted. explains this category of taglines fully. Another example of
specific taglines is Olay’s Love the skin you’re in.

Visionary Taglines
Visionary taglines communicate the brand vision to the target audience.
Examples of visionary taglines are:

GE – Imagination at work.
Avis – We try harder.
7. Some of the more obvious elements are identified here.
● Headlines. Headlines are the most striking element of the copy (the words). They
may not be used at all in highly visual treatments. They may form the major feature
where there is only typography. With the graphics, the headline works to gain
attention and communicate the creative concept (the creative concept is also called
the copy platform or creative theme). They are words in the leading position. In
radio, they appear as the main element in the creative treatment. In packaging, the
product name and company name will be the equivalent concept.
● Display copy. This is copy that appears in larger or bolder type than the main text
(body copy) to attract attention and allow it to flow from the headline to the body copy.
● Body copy. Body copy is the term given for the main text. Usually, body copy is brief
but some creative treatments require a lot of information to be disseminated. Body
copy is always concise. It should be written in a style appropriate to the treatment
and for the target audience.
● Sub-heads. Sub-heads are sectional headlines that break up the text and provide
focus of attention on key points.
● Captions. Captions are short descriptions of text or visuals and further help to
break up the body copy in layout terms.
● Repetition. One of the ironies in copywriting is that copy should be kept brief and to
the point but repetition is widely used. Repetition is a vital element to many marketing
communications but it should only be used to focus on the necessary points such as the
core concept, the brand name or a telephone number in a radio commercial.
● Slogans/strap lines/tag lines. These terms essentially mean the same thing. Examples
include ‘BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine’, ‘Mars: Helps You Work Rest and
Play’, or ‘British Airways: The World’s Favourite Airline’.
● Calls to action. Many promotions require that the target is encouraged to take some
form of action, ring a free phone number, fill in a coupon, request more information,
collect tokens, try a sample, buy a product, request a sales visit, etc. These are calls to
action that should be facilitated within the promotion where they are applicable.
● Pack shot. The pack shot is a visual of the product being promoted.
● Use of imagery and typography – words and pictures, layout. The design of the pro
motion is, clearly, exceptionally important. The creative treatment will dictate the
form the promotion will take and the balance between words and pictures. The
typography selected has important visual impact, it is not only used to convey the
words. Layout design affects the attractiveness of the promotion and should be pro
duced recognising a variety of visual effects. Graphic designers are trained to
produce designs that work. These issues are beyond the scope of this book but their
importance and relevance should be recognised.
● Use of signs. In Chapter 3, Creating shared meaning in marketing communications,
Exhibit 3.2 categorised the types of signs used in marketing communications. These
signs and other symbols are ‘shorthand’ tools which can communicate very com
plex messages simply. Exhibit 3.3 identified other ‘silent’ communication methods
that have similar implications. Creatives frequently adopt the use of such elements
9 Events can be great opportunities to strengthen your client or organization’s
brand, but they can also cause harm if enough attention isn’t given to the details.

Whether you’re focused on a grand opening extravaganza or a celebratory party to

mark a major milestone, the below essential elements of event planning will lead
you on your path to success.
1) Establish goals.
Every event is rooted in a basic purpose, and that purpose should directly correlate
to your overarching goals. So, while a store grand opening might center on event
attendance, sales and local media coverage, a fundraiser for a nonprofit
organization will likely focus on securing valuable donations and recruiting
volunteers and patrons. Before you begin planning your event, ask the question, “is
a special event the only way to achieve our goal?” Events are expensive and time
intensive, so you’ll want to ensure the benefit outweighs the investment.

2) Define your audience.

You know your goals. Now it’s time to know your audience. Attendance is a key
performance indicator of event planning, so determining your primary target is vital
to your success. Who knows about your brand? Who needs to know about your
brand? Are there geographical parameters or demographics that should be
considered? Should media be invited? Who are the VIPs? All of these questions
will come into play when determining who makes it on the guest list.

3) Create a budget.
Eventually, you’ll need to get down to brass tacks and decide how much of your
budget you’re willing to allocate to your event. Grandiose visions and extravagant
themes add up quickly, so be realistic and define “needs” versus “wants.” Yes, the
board WANTS a fancy printed invitation with hand lettering, but the reality is that
the target audience will be more receptive to a modern, interactive e-mail invitation
(which also boasts a smaller price tag). Once you’ve established the must-haves,
do some research, secure preliminary cost estimates, and allow yourself some
wiggle room for last-minute, unplanned expenses. It’s also not a bad idea to
consider event insurance.

4) Identify a location, and set a date.

In fact, identify a few locations. Unless you’re hosting an event at your own
business venue, then you’re going to need somewhere to hold your soiree. Be
mindful – venues, whether they’re restaurants, bars, event halls or historic homes –
all come with a unique set of attributes and detractors. Make sure you read the fine
print when evaluating contracts. Also, stay flexible on dates – you’ll need to
collaborate with your venue partner to identify viable options that work well for all
parties involved. It’s also important to ensure you’re giving yourself enough time to
plan the event.

5) Create a timeline, and identify roles and

responsibilities.
Events are multi-faceted, which means they take time to plan and execute
successfully. Once you’ve confirmed your location and date, map out the key
deliverables and deadlines so you stay on track. Important items to remember
include: event checklist; agenda/run of show; guest list; invitation design and
distribution; signage; catering orders; event rentals; guest speaker booking; and
press release development and dissemination. Don’t forget to assign deliverables
and tasks to members of your team. Surround yourself with the smartest people
you can, identify a planning committee and some trustworthy volunteers. You
cannot (and should not) do it all yourself. Designating roles and responsibilities will
ensure group ownership of the event while also maximizing your time and
resources. Also, play devil’s advocate. Think about what could go wrong at the
event, and plan accordingly.

6) Evaluate
The most successful event is the one that achieves your goals and exceeds your
(and your client’s) expectations. Evaluating an event is just as important as
planning and implementing. Many people say they are going to evaluate and then
get away from the event and it never happens. So, include a recap in your checklist
to ensure you stick to the plan.

10.benefits of unconventional advertising

i) Unexpectedness - The chosen location to run the advertisement need to be totally
unexpected and has a surprise element in it. Being unexpected is the main core of guerrilla
advertising, it tackles the emotional reactions of the off-guard consumers, creating a
memorable experience for the consumers and it is the best way to grab their attentions.
ii) Creativity - Marketers or advertisers have to be creative and innovative when it comes to
guerrilla marketing or advertising. A guerrilla strategy could only be successful when it is
able to draw consumers’ attentions effectively.
iii) Cost effective - Guerrilla campaign usually involves low cost advertising tactics as
compared to the traditional marketing campaigns. It creates an immediate impact on the
customers and converts it into sales.
iv) Interactivity - Relationships are an important factor with companies adopting guerrilla
marketing techniques. The relationships are sustained through interactions. Most campaign
involve some sort of interactions with their customers on a personal level.
v) Simplicity- Guerrilla marketing or advertising should be as simple as possible. It avoids
excessive usage of jargons that might confuse the consumers. The guerrilla technique would
fail if consumers do not understand the messages being delivered.

11.
Internet Challenges(unconventional advertising campaign)

Internet Challenges are the new sensation and a powerful way of marketing. It is a concept
of west and a big hit also. Now a days the whole world is using this marketing strategy.
There is no time limit or content limit. Hashtags are the new thing on the internet which
assures a global reach. It was sensationalized by the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014 for the
cause of spreading awareness for the disease named amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to raise
money.
The concept of creating challenges proved to be extremely fruitful when promoting movies,
songs or even brands. The trending #KikiChallenge promotes an international hit and has
successfully become the talk of the town. In India, the #PadChallenge did extremely well for
promoting the film ‘Pad Man’ and simultaneously spreading awareness on female
sanitation. Another trendy hashtag was the #BeatPeBootyChallenge which promoted the
film ‘A Flying Jatt’, which had the majority of Bollywood fanatics recording themselves on the
song and posting it on social media.

Strong ideas, mixed with an easy task and a hint of relatability, is what makes internet
‘challenges’ a hit. Social media and World Wide Web has given an independent platform to
the people expressing themselves in the craziest and the unique possible ways.

Stealth Marketing
Stealth marketing is also known as undercover marketing. It simply engages top cohorts,
celebrities, and product placement. Hiring top actors and musicians to manipulate the features
of your product is a strategy that is used to get to the targeted audience. Hyundai and NFL are
good examples of these stealth marketing. The official sponsor of the NFL hired top actors
and came up with a top super bowl commercial which relates directly and shows the features
of their cars.
Product placement is another undercover marketing tactic which uses movies and TV in
marketing a particular brand. Apple is a good example of product placement. On the movies
Apple products are featured in movies, the logo is displayed and the products used all the
same. Product placement markets the product and the viewers have no clue that is a
marketing strategy. The company simply pays to have their product displayed in a movie or
TV. Many designers and devices marketers put product placement to use as is a creative way
to penetrate a new market.

12.Accordingly, there can be three sets of methods to meet his needs namely, pre-
testing, concurrent testing and post-testing methods.

I. Pre-testing methods:
1. Check-list test:
A check-list is a list of good qualities to be possessed by an effective advertisement. A
typical check- list provides rating scale or basis for ranking the ads in terms of the
characteristics.

These characteristics may be honesty, attention getting, readability, reliability,

convincing ability, selling ability and the like. The ad that gets highest score is
considered as the best.

2. Opinion test:
Opinion test or consumer jury test is one that obtains the preference of a sample group
of typical prospective consumers of the product or the service for an ad or part of it.
The members of the jury rate the ads as to their head-lines, themes, illustrations,
slogans, by direct comparison.

Getting preference from a juror is better than getting it from a member of general
public or an ad expert.

Jury’s preference is arrived at by seeking answers to the questions as to which ad was

seen first?

Which was most convincing?

Which was most interesting? And so on.

Accordingly, the top ranking ad gets selected.

3. Dummy magazine and port-folio test:

Dummy magazines are used to pre-test the ads under conditions of approximation
resembling normal exposure. A dummy magazine contains standard editorial material,
control ads that have been already tested and the ads to be tested. The sample
households receive these magazines and the interviews are conducted to determine
recall scores.

Port-folio test is like that of dummy magazine test except that the test ads are placed
in a folder that contains control ads. The respondents are given these folders for their
reading and reactions. The test scores are determined in the interview. The ad with
highest score is taken as the best.

4. Inquiry test:
It involves running two or more ads on a limited scale to determine which is most
effective in terms of maximum inquiries for the offers made. These inquiry tests are
used exclusively to test copy appeals, copies, illustrations, and other components.

Any of these elements may be checked. The point that is to be checked is changed and
all other components are unaltered, to get the score.

5. Mechanical tests:
These mechanical tests are objective in nature unlike the one already explained. These
help in provide good measures as to how respondent are eyes and emotions reaching a
given advertisement.

The most widely used mechanical devices are:

1. Eye Movement Camera

2. Perceptoscope

3. Psycho-galvanometer and

4. Tachistoscope.

II. Concurrent Testing Methods:

1. Co-incidental surveys:
This is called as coincidental telephone method also whereby a sample of households
is selected, calls are made during the time programme broadcast, the respondents are
asked whether their radio or television is on, and if so, to what station or programme it
is tuned? The results of the survey are used to determine the share of response for the
advertisement or the programme.

2. Consumer diaries:
This method involves giving the families selected in advance of diary or individual
diaries to the members of the family. The selected families and individual respondents
are asked to record the details about the programme they listen or view. The diaries
are collected periodically to determine the scores.
3. Mechanical devices:
The mechanical devices used to measure the ad differences concurrently are more
common to broadcast media.

These are:

1. Audio meters

2. Psychogalvanometer

3. Tachistoscope and

4. Truck Electronic Unit.

4. Traffic counts:
Traffic counts are of special applicability to outdoor advertising. One can get good
deal of information through traffic counts. This counting is done by independent
organisations may be private or public. This work is also undertaken by advertising
agencies. For instance, how many automobiles and other vehicles were exposed to a
bulletin board or a poster or a wall painting and how many times? Can be determined.

III. Post-testing methods:

1. Inquiry tests:
It is controlled experiment conducted in the field. In inquiry test, the number of
consumer inquiries produced by an advertising copy or the medium is considered as
to the measure of its communication effectiveness.

Therefore, the number of inquiries is the test of effectiveness which can be produced
only when the ad copy or the medium succeeds in attracting and retaining reader or
viewer attention. To encourage inquiries, the advertiser offers to send something
complimentary to the reader or the viewer, if he replies.

2. Split-run test:
A split-run test is a technique that makes possible testing of two or more ads in the
same position, publication, issued with a guarantee of each ad reaching a comparable
group of readers. It is an improvement over the inquiry test in that the ad copy is split
into elements like appeal layout headline and so on. Here also, the readers are
encouraged to reply the inquiries to the keyed or the given address.

3. Recognition tests:
Recognition is a matter of identifying something as having seen or heard before. It is
based on the memory of the respondent. It attempts to measure the ad effectiveness by
 determining the number of respondents who have read or seen the ads before. To
arrive at the results, readership or listenership surveys are conducted.

4. Recall tests:
Recalling is more demanding than recognizing as a test of memory. It involves
respondents to answer as to what they have read, seen or heard without allowing them
to look at or listen to the ad while they are answering.

There are several variations of this test. One such test is Triple Association Test
which is designed to test copy themes or the slogans and reveals the extent to which
they have remembered.

5. Sales tests:
Sales tests represent controlled experiment under which actual field conditions than
the simulated are faced. It attempts to establish a direct relationship between one or
more variables and sales of a product or service. It facilitates testing of one ad against
another and one medium against another.

To sum-up, ad effectiveness testing is a must to avoid costly mistakes, to select the

best alternative from the apparently equal alternatives, to resolve the differences of
opinion and to add to the store of knowledge having deep bearing on advertising
effectiveness and efficiency. Ad effectiveness testing can be at three levels namely,
prior to, during and after the release of an ad.

There are many methods to choose. The final results depend on the validity, reliability and
the relevance of each method employed. Testing, if done in good faith, can payout its costs
and rich dividends too.