Integrated markerting communication lesson 14/09

Marketing ≠ communication

4Ps – marketing mix – Price, product, place, promotion

Which are the Ps involved in the communication strategy?

Promotion, Product, place + price
Product: packaging, brand
Place: point of sales, sellers
Price: policy regarding to discounts
Promotion: Adv, PR; direct marketing, Online communication

Marketing communication involve all the instruments used by the company to

communicate with its target groups.

 We can sort the communication instruments in different ways: direct/personal

communication ≠ mass communication

Before these direct media were expensive -> mail, phone, in person and social + WOM
Mass media -> billboards, tv, radio, social media

Direct communication before was only physical, more expensive and slow -> with the
digital era everything changed ->> TODAY DIRECT COMMUNCIATION is fast and cheap
thanks to digital

- We can sort media also in: paid, owned and earned

Integrated marketing communication -> IMC is the process of developing and implementing
communication programs by combining communication instruments as to reach a synergy
effect to influence or directly affect customers and prospects’ behaviour

IMC is a strategic marketing process specifically designed to ensure that all messaging and
communications strategies are unified across all channels and are centered around the
customer.

 IMC = WE NEED TO INTEGRATE - Integrated all the instruments of the

communication mix -> are so many

2 principals when designing and implementing an IMC mix:

Consistency and synergy -> consisted and coherent communication plan
Consistency: all the communication and marketing instruments must work in the same
directions
Synergy: the effects of the tools are mutually reinforcing

All the elements of the communications mix have to be carefully planned in such a way that
they form a consistent and coherent integrated communication plan.
BARRIERS to integrated communications
IMC it is not easy
- One of the main reasons is organizational: the various instruments of the
communication mix are managed by separate individuals or departments. There
could be turf wars or ego problems, or lack of internal communication.
- There could be also functional specialization among different agencies (packaging,
ecc)
 Coordinator is essential
 Solution: organizational communication – internal communication is crucial -> all the
people must know everything about the communication strategy, so everyone is
coordinated. -> integration is a must.

Steps of planning:
1) Situation analysis: where are we and why to communicate?
2) Strategy: define target, objectives, and budget what to say to whom to achieve what
and at what cost?
3) Tactics: define contents and media: how to do it?
4) Control and evaluation: how well have we done and what should we change in
case?

Situation analysis: it will partially overlap with strategic marketing research ad it is an

assessment of:

- Company: identity (vision, mission, values, personality) & image (awareness and
reputation)
- Its products and brands: their value proposition, brand and communication
assessment
- The competitors – who are direct and indirect competitors, POPs and PODs,
communication strategy
- The macro-environment: political and legal restriction or regulation, economic
situation, sociological concerns, technological evolution

COMPANY
Identity – how the brand wants to be perceived
Vision – the big dream, the vision of the future of the business
Mission – what we do (social mission ≠ business mission and this last one it’s a must,
meanwhile social mission is optional) , what the company does
Social mission – it is optional -> social usually do not make money
Image – awareness of the company and how it is perceived (image and reputation)

Corporate PURPOSE – mix between mission and vision

VALUES – guide behavior within the organization
- Problem with values is that companies use the same values

Importance of values for apple: core values are the same -> build the same product for the
people
Market share
Market value
Market size evolution -> important

27.09

Buyer personas – one - you consider everything you try to get inside their mind, so you
consider also the CX and mindset
≠
Target – group – you just consider differences in categories

You can also create 5 different buyer personas – so personalized and customized
communications – even if they are part of the same group

To understand buyer personas – need to understand human brain and you need the use of
data

2 Brains: rational and primal brain -> ≠ role in decision making process

Primal – system 1 – fast (only lives in the presence – immediate experience) – always on,
never go to sleep – seek familiarity – automatic – minimal control (pain and fear belong to
the primal brain)

Rational – system 2 - slow (past, present, future) – seek novelty – deliberate – moderate
control (LIKE, WANT, NEED belong to rational)

Pain  want/needs
Primal  rational

You do buyer persona – to look for the insight

Insight: capacity to gain accurate understanding of someone or something
 A discovery about the underlying motivations that drive people’s actions
Why they do something? – to understand why, you have to understand insight, so the pain
points -> in this way you will have a successful campaign

Info, how to get them?

Research
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Manage paid, owned, and earned media

You must be consistent with your brand identification, in particular w/ your owned media