DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
SEMESTER 3

DBB2105
ADVERTISING AND SALES

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 1

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

Unit 2
Integrated Marketing Communications
Table of Contents

SL Fig No / Table / SAQ /

Topic Page No
No Graph Activity
1 Introduction - -
3-4
1.1 Objectives - -
2 Integrated Marketing Communication - 1 5-6
Evolution of Integrated Marketing - -
3 7-8
Communication

4 Role of IMC - 2
8 - 11
4.1 Integrated marketing communication - -
in Indian business context
5 Consumer Behavior - 3
12 - 14
5.1 Consumer buying decision process - -
6 Communication Process 1 4 15 - 16
7 Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC - 5 17 - 18
8 The IMC Planning Process - - 19
9 Global IMC - - 20 - 21
10 Summary - - 22 -23
11 Glossary - - 23
12 Terminal Questions - - 23
13 Answers - - 23 - 24

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 2

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

1. INTRODUCTION

In the previous unit, we learnt the definition and role of advertising, its function and types
and key players of advertising. In this unit, we will concentrate on an important aspect
known as ’Integrated Marketing Communications’ (IMC).

In today’s ever changing ’Nanosecond Culture’ of social networks, empowered customers

and hyper-competition, we need to implement holistic thinking for our marketing and
communications strategy. With an increase in global competition, technological advances
and fast informed customers, it is important for businesses to make a powerful impact on
target audiences and markets. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is one of the most
important communication trends adopted globally. The emergence of this concept has
become one of the most significant developments in marketing.

For many years, the promotional function in most companies was dominated by mass media
advertising. Companies relied primarily on their advertising agencies for guidance in nearly
all areas of marketing communications.

Most marketers did use additional promotional and marketing communication tool, but sales
promotion and direct marketing agencies as well as package design firms were generally
viewed as auxiliary services. PR agencies were used to manage the organizations’ publicity,
image and affairs with relevant groups of the public on an ongoing basis but were not viewed
as integral participants in the marketing communication process.

Marketers in many companies built strong barriers around the various marketing and
promotional functions. They managed them as separate practices, with different budgets,
different views of the market and different goals and objectives. These companies failed to
recognize that the wide range of marketing and promotional tools must be coordinated well
to communicate effectively and present a consistent image to target markets. During the
1980s, companies realized the need for integrating their promotional tools. The companies
started moving towards the process of integrated marketing communications, which
involved coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that
communicated with the firm’s customers. Many advertising agencies realized the need of
bringing various promotional tools under their folds to comprehensively offer all types of
specialist service to their clients.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 3

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

The integrated marketing communications approach seeks to organize and project a

company’s entire marketing and promotional activities in such a way that there is a
consistent and unified image to the marketplace. It calls for a centralized messaging function
so that everything a company says and does, it communicates a common theme and
positioning. A large number of companies have adopted this broad perspective of IMC. They
see it as a way to coordinate and manage their marketing communication programs to
ensure that they give customers a consistent message about the company and its brand.

1.1 Objectives:
After learning this unit, you should be able to
❖ Define Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
❖ Discuss the evolution and role of IMC
❖ Describe how consumer behavior helps in making strategies and explain consumer
purchasing process
❖ Discuss the nature and basic model of communication
❖ Describe the tools for IMC
❖ Explain the planning process of IMC

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 4

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

2. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC)

“IMC is a strategic business process used to develop, execute, and evaluate coordinated,
measurable, persuasive brand communication programs over time with customers, prospects,
employees, associates, and other targeted relevant internal and external audiences. The goal is
to generate both short-term financial returns and build long-term brand and share-holder
value.” – Belch and Belch, 2003.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is a process involving coordination of various

promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with a firm’s
customers. It includes managing customer relationships that drive brand value through
communication efforts. Such efforts often include cross-functional processes that create
profitable relationships with customers and other stakeholders by strategically controlling
and influencing all messages sent to these groups.

A task force from the American Association of Advertising Agencies defines IMC as follows:

“IMC is a concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of
a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication
disciplines and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum
communications impact.”

Thus, IMC includes the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools,
avenues and sources within a company into a seamless program in order to maximize the
impact on end users at a minimal cost. The starting point of the IMC process is the marketing
mix that includes different types of marketing, advertising and sales efforts. Without a
complete IMC plan, there is no integration or harmony between client and customers. The
goal of an organization is to create and maintain communication throughout its own
employees and throughout its customers.

IMC ensures consistency of message and the complementary use of media. The concept
includes online and offline marketing channels. Online marketing channels include e-
marketing campaigns or programs, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click,
email and banner advertisements. It also includes latest web related channels for webinar,
blog, micro-blogging, RSS, podcast, Internet Radio and Internet TV. On the other hand, offline

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 5

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

marketing channels include traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public
relations, traditional radio and television. A company develops its IMC program using all the
elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). Integrated marketing
communication plans are, thus, vital to achieving success.

Using outside-in thinking, IMC is a data-driven approach that focuses on identifying

customer insights and developing a strategy with the right (online and offline combination)
channels to build a strong customer relationship. This involves knowing the right touch
points to use to reach customers and understanding how and where they consume different
types of media.

Self-Assessment Questions - 1

1. ______________ is a process involving coordination of various promotional elements

and other marketing activities that communicate with a firm’s customers.
2. Integrated marketing communication aims to ensure consistency of message and
the complementary use of media. (True or False)

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 6

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

3. EVOLUTION OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

For many years, the promotional function in most companies was dominated by mass-media
advertising. Companies relied primarily on their advertising for communication and also on
the advertising agencies for guidance in nearly all areas of marketing communication. The
various marketing and promotional functions were planned and managed as separate
practices. This led to different views of the market and different goals and objectives. This in
turn led to ineffective communication. These companies failed to recognize that the wide
range of marketing tools must be coordinated to communicate effectively and to present a
consistent image to target markets.

Also, advertising, as the only way of communication, is losing ground against other forms of
marketing communication such as direct marketing and Internet marketing. The money
spent on network TV advertising and mass media magazines like ‘Life’ and ‘Post’ have
reduced drastically.

Post 1990, there were other developments too, such as:

• Advent of sophisticated database programs and the techniques of data mining

• Increased used of specialized media such as Internet, electronic kiosks, email, lavatory
advertising, digital TV and radio
• Fragmentation of mass media: Cable TV, Satellite TV, Specialty
demographic/psychographic magazines and newspapers
• Mergers and acquisitions (AOL and Time Warner)
• Partnerships (Yahoo and eBay, Yahoo and Geocities, Page Net wireless Disney and
Infoseek and Starwave)
• Increased interaction of agencies, web designers and content providers
• Bottom line costs like the necessity to host a web presence, shareholder demand for
profitability

Due to all these reasons, many companies realized the need for a more strategic integration
of their promotional tools. This gave way for the advent of ’Integrated Marketing
Communication’ and eventually firms began moving towards this process.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 7

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

In addition, consumer perceptions have also impacted the way companies communicate and
started stressing on IMC. Consumer perceptions of a company and its various brands are a
synthesis of the bundle of messages they receive or contacts they have, such as media
advertisements, price, package design, websites etc. The IMC approach seeks to have a
company’s entire marketing and promotional activities project as a consistent, unified image
to the marketplace.

Thus, the individual marketing practices, such as the advertising plan evolved into an IMC
plan and became a multidimensional, sophisticated, measurable plan to maximize brand and
company value. The evolution of IMC also made ’messaging function’ a centralized approach
such that everything a company said and did, it communicated a common theme and
positioning.

4. ROLE OF IMC
The role of IMC can be discussed under the following points:

• Identifying the target audience

• Specifying promotion objectives
• Hierarchy of effects
• Setting the promotion budget
• Selecting the right promotional tools
• Designing the promotion
• Scheduling the promotion

Identifying the target audience:

IMC’s first function is to identify the right audience. It is very important to deliver the
message to the right audience.

Specifying promotion objectives: It should

• Be designed for a well-defined target audience
• Be measurable
• Cover a specified time period

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 8

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

Hierarchy of effects
➢ Sequence of stages a prospective buyer goes through
➢ Use as a tool to develop objectives
• Awareness–Ability to recognize and remember the product or brand
• Interest–Increase in desire to learn about the product features
• Evaluation–Consumer’s appraisal of the product on important attributes
• Trial–Consumer’s actual first purchase and use
• Adoption–Repeated purchase and use of the product or brand

Setting the promotion budget

• Percentage of sales: Funds are allocated as a percentage of past or anticipated sales
• Competitive parity: Matching the competitor’s absolute level of spending

Selecting the right promotional tools

• Specify the combination of the five basic IMC tools–advertising, personal selling, sales
promotion, public relations and direct marketing
• Promotion mix can vary
➢ Simple program using a single tool
➢ Comprehensive program using all forms
➢ Assess the comparative importance of the various tools

Designing the promotion

• Design of the promotion plays a primary role in determining the message that is
communicated to the audience
• Design activity is viewed as the step requiring the most creativity
• Design each promotional activity to communicate the same message

Scheduling the promotion

• Determine the most effective timing
• Promotion schedule describes
➢ The order in which each promotional tool is introduced
➢ The frequency of its use during the campaign
• Factors such as seasonality and competitive promotion activity can influence the
schedule

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 9

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

4.1 Integrated Marketing Communication in Indian Business Context

India is one of the most preferred markets in the globe due to her resource and potential.
The growing purchasing power of India’s huge middle class makes it attractive. However, the
customer base in India is extremely fragmented, with an inconsistent distribution system.
Also, the cultural diversity of consumer, differences in their tastes, habits and requirements
make it more complex to market their goods in a streamlined and consistent manner. The
concept of IMC with focused and massive marketing is fairly new to Indian companies who
have traditionally experienced a mixed economy and trade restrictions. In a protected
economy, the companies had faced restricted competition and consequently did not realize
the importance of targeted marketing. It is now necessary to examine the cultural and social
factors with demographic influences, keeping in perspective a pertinent analogy of ‘GO
GLOCAL’ with the concept of IMC.

IMC is a major strategic concept that is evolutionary in Indian context and therefore there is
a need to explore this concept directly in the real world. The purpose of integrated marketing
communications strategy is to work toward the common goal of customer focused
marketing.

When a variety of media is bombarding potential customers with messages, it is vital to have
clear and consistent communication. This has led many Indian organizations to integrate
their communications efforts under the umbrella of this strategic marketing
communications function. Effective marketing departments and advertising agencies are
developing pipelines of new, talented innovations, media buyers, promotions managers,
database web masters and others in order to succeed in the long term. The effect of IMC plans
is building bridges with other internal departments and making everyone aware of the thrust
and theme of the program.

The Indian companies are identifying the target niches on social and attitudinal behavior and
offering common products across different demographics and also formulating the message
accordingly. Internet marketing is picking up pace in India with fast technological
advancement. Consumption and shopping patterns are changing. Online shopping, credit
card usages are being accepted. Professionalism is increasing. Recent liberalization policies

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 10

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

have increased competition and enforced new marketing practices in India. The local
environment and local markets dictate the need for specialized and integrated approaches.

Thus, the idea of IMC manifests itself in a variety of local and situational ways for Indian
marketers.

Major reasons for the growing importance of IMC in India are:

1. Rural-urban market mix

2. Occupational diversity (agriculture to other skills)
3. Product and market awareness
4. Smarter Indian consumer
5. Heterogeneous demographic traits
6. Diversity in economic conditions
7. Shift in Media advertising to multiple forms of communication
8. Shift from a manufacturer-dominated market to a retailer-dominated, consumer-
controlled market.
9. Rapidly changing technology.

Self-Assessment Questions – 2

3. The Integrated marketing communication approach seeks to have a company’s

entire marketing and promotional activities project as a consistent, unified image
to the marketplace. (True or False)
4. The evolution of IMC has made ’messaging function’ a centralized approach. (True
or False)

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 11

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

5. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
A challenge faced by all marketers is how to influence the purchase behavior of consumers
in favor of the product or service they offer. For companies like BMW, it means getting
consumers to purchase or lease a car while for B2B marketers like Canon, it means getting
organizational buyers to purchase more of their photocopiers and fax machines. While their
ultimate goal is to influence consumers’ purchase behavior, most marketers understand that
the actual purchase is only part of an overall process of consumer behavior.

Consumer behavior is the study of when, why, how and where people do or do not buy a
product or service. It is defined as ’the process and activities people engage in when
searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services
so as to satisfy their needs and desires’. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social
anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision making process,
both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as
demographics and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand people's wants. It also
tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference
groups and society in general.

Customer behavior study is based on consumer buying behavior, with the customer playing
the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Relationship marketing is an influential
asset for customer behavior analysis as it has a keen interest in the re-discovery of the true
meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the importance of the customer or buyer.
A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer relationship
management, personalization, customization and one-to-one marketing. Social functions can
be categorized into social choice and welfare functions.

5.1 Consumer buying decision process

Behind the visible act of making a purchase, there lies a decision process that must be
investigated.

The purchase decision process is the stages that a buyer passes through in making choices
about which products and services to buy. The stages are:

• Problem recognition

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 12

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

• Information search
• Evaluation of Alternatives
• Purchase decision
• Post-purchase behavior

Problem recognition: Perceiving a need

• Perceiving a difference between a person's ideal and actual situations is big enough to
trigger a decision.
• Can be as simple as noticing an empty milk carton or it can be activated by marketing
efforts.

Information search: Seeking value

• The information search stage clarifies the options open to the consumer.
• There are two steps of information search
➢ Internal search: Scanning one’s memory to recall previous experiences with
products or brands. Often sufficient for frequently purchased products.
➢ External search: When past experience or knowledge is insufficient, the risk of
making a wrong purchase decision is high. The cost of gathering information is low.
The primary sources of external information are:
➢ Personal sources, such as friends and family
➢ Public sources, including various product-rating organizations such as consumer
reports
➢ Marketer-dominated sources, such as advertising, company websites and
salespeople

Evaluation of Alternatives: Assessing value

The previous step of ’information search’ clarifies the problem for the consumer by:
• Suggesting criteria to use for the purchase
• Yielding brand names that might meet the criteria
• Developing consumer value perception
Once this is done, the next step is alternative evaluation. A consumer's evaluative criteria
represent both:
• The objective attributes of a brand (such as locate speed on a portable CD player)

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 13

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

• The subjective factors (such as prestige)

Purchase: Actual purchase happens based on the evaluation of various parameters of the
product or service.

Post purchase behavior: Value in consumption or use

After buying a product, the consumer compares it with expectations and is either satisfied
or dissatisfied.
Satisfaction or dissatisfaction affects:
• Consumer value perceptions
• Consumer communications
• Repeat-purchase behavior
Many firms work to produce positive post purchase communications among consumers and
contribute to relationship building between sellers and buyers.
Cognitive dissonance: The feelings of post purchase psychological tension or anxiety a
consumer often experiences. Firms often use advertisements or follow-up calls from
salespeople in this post-purchase stage to try to convince buyers that they made the right
decision.

Situational influences in consumer buying decision:

There are mainly five situational influences. They are:
• The purchase task: The reason for engaging in the decision.
• Social surroundings: Including others present when a purchase decision is made.
• Physical surroundings: Such as decor, music and crowding in retail stores.
• Temporal effects: Such as time of day or the amount of time available.
• Antecedent states: Includes the consumer’s mood or amount of cash on hand.

Self-Assessment Questions – 3

5. ___________ is defined as “the process and activities people engage in when searching
for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services
so as to satisfy their needs and desires”.
6. What are the stages of purchase decision process?

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 14

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

6. COMMUNICATION PROCESS
A process, by definition is “a systematic series of actions or operations or a series of changes
directed to some end.” Communication is a two–way process in which there is an exchange
and chain of ideas towards a mutually acceptable direction. The process of communication
involves two or more persons participating through a medium that carries the information
or message for a particular purpose which is mutually understood by both the sender and
the receiver. The communication process is shown in the below (Figure 2.1).

Fig. 2.1: Communication process

Elements of communication process

• Sender / Encoder / Speaker: The person who starts the communication process is
normally referred to as the sender. It is the person who transmits, spreads or
communicates a message with the purpose of
informing/persuading/influencing/changing the attitude, opinion or behavior of the
receiver.
• Receiver/Decoder/Listener: A receiver is the targeted audience of the message who
receives the message and translates (decodes) it to understand the real meaning and
sends back the feedback (response) to the sender.
• Message: Message is the encoded idea transmitted by the sender making the
formulation of the message extremely important. Accuracy of message is of utmost
importance, in order to communicate the right meaning to the receiver.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 15

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

• Medium/Channel: Another important element of communication is the medium or

channel, which is nothing but the medium which helps the sender to convey the
message to the receiver.
• Feedback: This is the top circle that connects the receiver in the communication
process with the sender, who in turn, acts as a feedback receiver and thus gets to know
that communication has been accomplished.
• Noise: Anything that interferes with, distorts or slows the transmission of information.
Due to this, message may not be received by the desired target audience.

Self-Assessment Questions – 4

7. _______________ is a two–way process in which there is an exchange and chain of

ideas towards a mutually acceptable direction.
8. In a communication process, ___________ is the encoded idea transmitted by the
sender through a medium.
9. In a communication process, anything that interferes with, distorts or slows the
transmission of information is called____________ .

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 16

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

7. PROMOTIONAL MIX: TOOLS FOR IMC

The various tools for IMC are:

• Advertising: Advertising is defined as any paid form of non-personal communication

about an organization, product, service or idea by an identified sponsor. The paid
aspect in this definition reflects the fact that the space or time for an advertising
message must be bought. The non-personal component means advertising involves
mass media that can transmit a message to large groups and an individual, often at the
same time.

• Direct marketing: Direct marketing is the use of consumer-direct channels to reach

and deliver goods and services to customers without using marketing middlemen. It is
a fast-growing method in modern economy in which marketers communicate directly
with target customers to generate a response and/or transaction. It not only includes
direct mail and mail order catalogues, but includes a number of activities like database
management, direct selling, telemarketing, websites, kiosks interactive TV and radio,
mobile phone devices, etc.

• Sales promotion: Sales promotion is one of the four aspects of promotional mix (The
other three parts of the promotional mix are advertising, personal selling and
publicity/public relations.). Media and non-media marketing communications are
employed for a pre- determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate
market demand or improve product availability. The examples include contests,
coupons, freebies, point-of-purchase displays, premiums, prizes, product samples and
rebates.

• Public Relations: Public Relations (PR) refers to actions of a corporation, store,

government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the
community, employees, customers, etc. However, it may not have any specific
objectives of product and service promotion. These activities are designed more to
change attitude towards an organization or any issues than to promote specific
products or influence buyers’ behavior directly.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 17

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

• Publicity: Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a

subject. The subjects of publicity include people (for example, politicians and
performing artists), goods and services, organizations of all kinds and works of art or
entertainment. From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion
which is one component of marketing. The other elements of the promotional mix are
advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling.

• Personal selling: Personal selling is face-to-face selling, and it involves direct person-
to-person communication. Here, the manufacturers directly sell their products to the
customers. It establishes direct contact between the seller and the buyer, thereby
reducing the need for middlemen such as distributors, dealers and retailers.

• Internet marketing: Online marketing is a form of promotion that uses the Internet
and World Wide Web to deliver marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of
online advertising include contextual advertisements on search engine results pages,
banner advertisements, rich media advertisements, social network advertising,
interstitial advertisements, online classified advertising, advertising networks and e-
mail marketing, including e-mail spam.

Self-Assessment Questions – 5

10. _________ is defined as any paid form of non-personal communication about an

organization, product, service or idea by an identified sponsor.
11. Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject.
(True or False)

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 18

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

8. THE IMC PLANNING PROCESS

The first step in the IMC planning process is to review the marketing plan and objectives.
Before developing a promotional plan, marketers must understand where the company (or
the brand) has been-its current position in the market, where it intends to go and how it
plans to get there.

Authors Belch G. and M. Belch presented that IMC planning model consists of:

1. Review of marketing plan (examine overall marketing plan and objectives, competitor
analysis, role of advertising and promotion)
2. Analysis of promotional program situation (external and internal analysis)
3. Analysis of communication process (Analysis of receiver’s response process, source,
message, channel factors, establish communication goals and objectives)
4. Budget determination (set tentative marketing communication budget, allocate
budget)
5. Develop integrated marketing communication process (advertising, direct marketing,
Internet marketing, sales promotion, public relations/ publicity, personal selling)
6. Integrate and implement marketing communication strategy (create and produce
advertisements, purchase media time, space, design and implement promotional mix
programs)
7. Monitor, evaluate and control integrated marketing communication programs (take
measures to control and adjust promotional strategies)

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 19

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

9. GLOBAL IMC
Global marketing communications is a relatively new concept but is here to stay for long. It
is a way to send a consistent marketing message all across the globe. It takes careful planning
and a thorough execution to pull it off successfully. Global brand building through
advertising is a challenge. First, the company and its marketing head should be able to think
and act globally. Secondly, the brand message must be well matched with the company's
offering. Thirdly, it takes serious commitment and budgets to build a strong brand.

Below case shows how an IT giant used global integrated marketing communication to build
brand awareness.

Major IT & ITES giant ‘Accenture’ initiated an advertisement using Tiger Woods, a golf
legend. The key message in the advertisement was "Go on! Be a Tiger". Accenture was
advertising in the local TV to recruit people in India.

What was the rationale behind this golf-based advertisement in India, which is a non-golfing
country?

In 2000, Anderson Consulting changed its name to Accenture after an arbitrator's decision.
This was done to rebrand the company. Marketing department then took on this challenge
by developing an integrated communication program which was launched in January 2001.
The brand ’Accenture’, which is an amalgamation of ’Accent to the Future’, was advertised in
48 countries on television, print, radio, airports, taxis, billboards and posters. By March
2001, the company had placed 6000 advertisements on television.

The advertising campaign to build brand awareness was unprecedented in the IT services
industry. The company had executed a global advertising campaign. In London, taxis were
coated with Accenture signage. In Milan, the company placed large advertisements in
Oberdan square. In San Francisco, the company placed advertisement all over the airport. In
Sydney, Accenture placed advertisements on park benches and bus stands. All these were
done simultaneously over a period of three months.

Global advertising campaign

Company had several objectives: To build a new brand name, to get brand recognition
worldwide from the people who mattered, and to portray a very positive image of the
company. Accenture wanted to associate itself with strong performance, and hence chose

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 20

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

Tiger Woods playing golf. Golf as a game has been associated with the top management in
the corporate world, of it being a rich man's game. Golf personifies power, execution and
planning.

People who play golf know the ability of Tiger Woods as a golfer and generally associate it
with high performance. Therefore, Accenture capitalized on that association. In addition, the
message in the advertisement was worded such that it reflected a business philosophy. For
example, ’To accomplish more, sometimes you need to see less’, ’High performers create
their own opportunities’, etc. These sent the message of ’expect high performance’ from
Accenture. Secondly, the advertisement itself targeted powerful people in the corporate
world–the top managers. Since most of the top managers play golf, the advertisement
captured their attention. This is a classic example of targeted advertisement–senior
management saw and remembered the advertisement while teenagers, housewives, etc.,
ignored it.

Having a single advertising plan for all the countries has several advantages. It is cheaper, a
single unified message is communicated, and the efforts can be centrally coordinated. The
company also runs a risk of alienating some customers who do not play or understand golf
but that is a calculated risk, since most (>80%) business executives play golf.

The logic behind using Tiger Woods and Golf was well explained in their web site:

"It takes a strong message to be relevant in all media. But that's what Accenture has achieved
in a campaign that builds dramatically on our previous insights into the nature of high
performance. Whereas the original campaign touched on what it takes to be a high
performer, these ads demonstrate specific characteristics of high performance. And once
again, the campaign utilizes the modern day personification of high performance: Tiger
Woods. Tiger Woods' consistent performance lends itself perfectly to Accenture's
capabilities that lead to success through high performance. And they illustrate how
Accenture can offer clients advantages that lead to this caliber of high performance.”
Accenture had used Tiger Woods advertisements for many years. This showed the
consistency and serious commitment.

The example of Accenture can be a guide for everyone, especially for those in IT/consulting
services, marketing. Accenture has pulled off a perfect execution of globally integrated
marketing.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 21

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

10. SUMMARY
Let us now summarize the key learnings of this unit:

• The integrated marketing communications approach seeks to have a company’s entire

marketing and promotional activities project a consistent and unified image to the
marketplace.
• The Internet has changed the way business is done in the current world. The variables
of segmentation, targeting and positioning are addressed differently.
• The starting point of the IMC process is the marketing mix that includes different types
of marketing, advertising and sales efforts.
• IMC is a major strategic concept that is as evolutionary and discursive in Indian context.
A strong need is compulsory here to explore the concept and phenomena of IMC
directly in the real world of communication.
• Consumer behavior is the study of when, why, how and where people do or do not buy
a product. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and
economics.
• The purchase decision process is a series of stages a buyer passes through in making
choices about which products and services to buy. After buying a product, the consumer
compares it with expectations and is either satisfied or dissatisfied.
• Direct marketing is the use of consumer direct channels to reach and deliver goods and
services to customers without using marketing middlemen.
• The first step in the IMC planning process is to review the marketing plan and
objectives.
• IMC planning model consists of review of marketing plan, analysis of promotional
program situation, analysis of communication process, budget determination,
developing integrated marketing communication process, integrate and implement
marketing communication strategy and monitor, evaluate and control integrated
marketing communication programs.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 22

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

11. GLOSSARY
Empowered: Provide authority (for decision making)
Search engine optimization: Process of increasing the number of visitors to a website by
obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results
Blog: Personal online diary where one can publish personal thoughts
Fragmentation: Separating something into finer units

12. TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What do you understand by the term Integrated Marketing

Communication (IMC)?
2. What are the various roles of IMC?
3. What is meant by consumer behavior?
4. Explain the consumer buying decision process.

13. ANSWERS

Self-Assessment Questions

1. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

2. True
3. True
4. True
5. Consumer behavior
6. Problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase
decision, and post-purchase behavior
7. Communication
8. Message
9. Noise
10. Advertising
11. True

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 23

DBB2105: Advertising and Sales Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

Terminal Questions

1. IMC involves coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing
activities. Refer 2 for more information.
2. The various roles of IMC are: identifying the target audience, specifying promotion
objectives, setting the promotion budget, selecting the right promotional tools,
designing the promotion, scheduling the promotion. Refer 4 for more information.
3. Consumer behavior is the study of when, why, how and where people do or do not buy
a product or service. It is defined as “the process and activities people engage in when
searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and
services so as to satisfy their needs and desires.” Refer 5 for more details.
4. The consumer buying decision process involves problem recognition, information
search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision and post- purchase behavior. Refer to
5.1

Reference:

• Wells Moriarty and Burnett, “Advertising: Principles and Practice” (Prentice-Hall).

• Sangeeta Sharma & Raghuvir Singh, “Advertising: Planning and Implementation”
(Prentice-Hall).
• Caywood D., Schultz, D. E., Wang, p. (1991), "Integrated marketing communications: a
survey of national goods advertisers", unpublished report, Medill School of Journalism,
Northwestern University.
• Coulson–Thomas, CJ. (1983), Marketing Communications, Butterworth-Heineman,
Oxford.
• Dyer, G. (1982), Advertising as Communication, Rutledge, London.
• Belch, George, and Belch, Michael (2009) Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated
Marketing Communications Perspective, McGraw- Hill/Irwin, New York, NY.
• Belch G. Ph.D & M. Belch Ph.D, Advertising and Promotion, Sixth Edition, McGraw Hill,
2003, p.24-29.

Unit 2: Integrated Marketing Communications 24