IMC NOTES

ROLE OF IMC / WHY IMC? = Maximize Communication ROI In The Marketing Revolution

IMC = 5C, Consolidated, Coordinated, Consistent, Clear Communication

Bringing Together Communication Functions: IMC helps organizations align and coordinate
their various communication functions, such as advertising, public relations, social media, and
direct marketing. This integration ensures that all communication efforts work together
harmoniously to convey a consistent message.

Developing Synergy: IMC creates synergy by combining the strengths of different

communication channels. When these channels work together seamlessly, they amplify the
impact of the message and enhance the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Changing Customers: Customer behavior and preferences are constantly evolving, especially in
the digital age. IMC allows companies to adapt and respond to these changes more effectively
by analyzing customer data and adjusting communication strategies accordingly.

Changing Technology: Technology is advancing rapidly, and new communication tools and
platforms are constantly emerging. IMC enables organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest
technology trends and incorporate them into their marketing strategies.

Changing Media: The media landscape is continually evolving, with shifts in consumer attention
from traditional media to digital and social platforms. IMC helps organizations navigate this
changing media landscape by identifying the most relevant channels for their target audience.

Role of IMC in marketing process

1. Consistent Messaging: IMC ensures that all communication and promotional messages
are consistent across different channels. Whether it's advertising, PR, sales promotions,
or direct marketing, IMC aligns these messages to convey a unified brand image and
reinforce key brand values and propositions.

2. Customer-Centric Approach: IMC focuses on understanding the target audience and

their preferences. By integrating various communication channels, it creates a seamless
and engaging customer experience, meeting the audience where they are and providing
relevant and personalized messages.

3. Synergy and Reinforcement: Instead of standalone efforts, IMC synergizes different

marketing tools to reinforce each other's impact. For instance, an advertising campaign
 might support a PR event, and direct marketing efforts can complement social media
engagement, enhancing overall effectiveness.

4. Optimizing Resources: IMC helps in optimizing resources by strategically allocating

budgets across various communication channels. By analyzing the effectiveness of each
channel and its contribution to overall goals, it allows marketers to allocate resources
more efficiently.

5. Building Brand Equity: Through consistent and coordinated communication, IMC

contributes to building brand equity. It establishes and maintains a positive brand
image, strengthens brand recall, and fosters long-term relationships with customers.

6. Measurable Results: IMC allows for better measurement and evaluation of marketing
efforts. By tracking and analyzing responses across multiple channels, marketers can
assess the success of campaigns, understand customer behavior, and make data-driven
decisions for future strategies.

7. Adaptation and Flexibility: In a rapidly changing landscape, IMC facilitates adaptability.

It allows marketers to adjust strategies and messages across channels swiftly in
response to market trends, consumer feedback, or changes in the competitive
landscape.

IMC planning model / how to make IMC effective

1.Identify Target Audience:

 This step involves understanding who your customers are—their demographics,

behaviors, preferences, and needs. It's crucial to pinpoint the specific groups you want
to reach with your marketing efforts.

 E.g. Nike's target audience for its running shoes might include fitness enthusiasts,
athletes, and everyday runners. They may focus on demographics like age, gender,
income level, and psychographics like fitness interests, lifestyle choices, and sports
preferences.

2. Determine Objectives:

 Setting clear and achievable objectives is vital. These objectives should align with
broader business goals. Whether it's increasing sales, raising brand awareness, or
entering a new market, objectives should be specific and measurable.
  E.g. Nike's objective could be to increase sales of its new running shoe line by 20%
within six months. This objective is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-
bound (SMART).

3. Design Message:

 Craft a compelling and consistent message that resonates with your target audience.
Your message should reflect your brand identity, values, and the benefits your product
or service offers to your audience.

 E.g. Nike's message emphasizes the shoe's advanced technology, comfort, and
performance benefits. Their tagline might be "Experience the Next Level of Running" to
convey innovation and superiority.

4. Select Channels:

 Choose the communication channels that best reach your target audience. These could
include social media, print media, TV, radio, email marketing, content marketing,
events, or a combination of various channels.

 E.g. Nike might use a mix of channels such as TV commercials during sports events,
sponsored social media posts featuring athletes, content marketing through a dedicated
running blog, and partnerships with fitness influencers.

5. Establish Budget:

 Allocate a budget for your IMC campaign. This budget should consider expenses for
creative development, media placement, marketing tools, personnel, and any other
costs associated with executing the campaign.

 E.g. Nike allocates a budget of $10 million for the running shoe campaign, considering
expenses for creative development, media buying, influencer partnerships, and other
associated costs.

6. Decide on Media Mix:

 Determine the specific allocation of your budget across different media channels.
Decide what percentage of your budget goes into each channel based on their
effectiveness, reach, and alignment with your objectives.

 E.g. Nike's media mix might include 40% on TV ads during major marathons, 30% on
social media influencer collaborations, 20% on content marketing for their running blog,
and 10% on print ads in sports magazines
7. Measure Results:

 Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of your IMC campaign.
Track metrics like sales growth, website traffic, conversions, social media engagement,
and brand perception to evaluate success.

 E.g. Nike tracks KPIs like sales growth, website traffic, social media engagement, and
brand sentiment during the campaign. They analyze data regularly to evaluate the
campaign's effectiveness.

8. Manage IMC:

 Continuously monitor and manage the IMC efforts throughout the campaign. Ensure
consistency in messaging across all channels, analyze data regularly, and make
adjustments to optimize performance and achieve desired results.

 E.g. Throughout the campaign, Nike ensures consistent messaging across all channels.
They manage brand communication, monitor customer feedback, and make
adjustments to optimize the campaign's performance.

Audience Communication Option Overlap

In Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), audience communication option overlap refers
to the strategic alignment or integration of various communication channels to reach the target
audience. It involves the deliberate use of multiple channels to reinforce messages and engage
with the audience across different touchpoints.

The concept of overlap signifies the intentional intersection or synergy among communication
options.

1. Here's how different communication options can overlap:

Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing:

 Social media platforms serve as a hub for content distribution. Content

marketing efforts, such as blog posts, videos, or infographics, can be shared
across multiple social media channels, reaching the same audience segments
through different mediums.

2. Advertising and Public Relations (PR):

 Sometimes, advertising and PR efforts overlap when a company runs an ad

campaign centred around a PR event or publicized achievement. For example, an
 ad campaign may highlight an award received, aligning with ongoing PR efforts
to enhance brand reputation.

3. Email Marketing and Direct Mail:

 While email marketing primarily operates in the digital space, the concept of
direct communication can overlap with traditional direct mail campaigns. Both
aim to reach the audience directly but through different mediums (digital vs.
physical).

4. Events and Sponsorships:

 Companies often sponsor events related to their industry or target audience.

These events serve as both a promotional and networking opportunity,
combining elements of event marketing and sponsorship to reach a specific
audience.

5. Influencer Marketing and Word-of-Mouth (WOM):

 Influencer marketing relies on personalities or content creators to endorse

products/services. When these influencers share their experiences with their
audience, it often generates word-of-mouth promotion among their followers.

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Content Marketing:

 SEO efforts to improve a website's visibility often complement content

marketing. Well-optimized content helps improve search rankings, leading to
increased visibility and traffic.

7. Public Relations and Content Marketing:

 Content created for PR purposes, such as press releases or thought leadership

articles, can also serve as content for the company's website or social media
platforms, aligning PR efforts with content marketing.

Here’s how this overlap occurs within IMC:

1. Consistent Messaging:
 Different communication options (e.g., advertising, public relations, digital
marketing, etc.) might convey the same message. When these messages align and
reinforce each other, they create a cohesive and consistent brand image in the
minds of the audience.
 2. Multiple Touchpoints:
 Audience overlap occurs when the same audience is reached through various
channels simultaneously or sequentially. For instance, a customer might encounter
a brand's message on social media, then see an advertisement on TV, and later
receive an email—all conveying a consistent theme.
3. Reinforcement and Engagement:
 Overlapping communication options aim to reinforce the message and increase
audience engagement. When a customer sees consistent messaging across
different platforms, it reinforces brand recall and strengthens their connection
with the brand.
4. Complementary Channels:
 Each communication option has its strengths. Overlapping these options allows
marketers to leverage the strengths of each channel to compensate for the
weaknesses of others. For example, a TV commercial might create initial
awareness, while social media maintains ongoing engagement.
5. Cross-Promotion:
 Overlapping communication options can involve cross-promotion, where one
channel promotes another. For instance, a company’s website might promote its
social media channels, encouraging visitors to follow for exclusive content or
updates.
6. Seamless Customer Experience:
 Audience communication option overlap aims to provide a seamless experience
for customers. When the messaging, branding, and tone remain consistent across
various channels, it creates a unified experience, enhancing customer satisfaction.
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Sender: The initiator or source of the message. This could be an individual, a company, an
organization, etc., that intends to convey information.
Message: The content or information being transmitted. It can be verbal, written, visual, or non-
verbal, and it contains the intended meaning or idea to be communicated.
Encoding: The process of converting the message into a format suitable for transmission. It
involves selecting words, symbols, or gestures that convey the intended meaning effectively.
Channel: The medium through which the message is transmitted. It could be face-to-face
conversation, written communication (letters, emails), phone calls, social media, advertisements,
etc.
Decoding: The process by which the recipient interprets and understands the message. It
involves extracting the meaning from the encoded message, which can be influenced by the
receiver's perceptions, knowledge, and context.
Receiver: The individual or group for whom the message is intended. They receive and interpret
the message, and their understanding may differ based on their background, experiences, and
perspectives.
Feedback: The response or reaction from the receiver back to the sender. It completes the
communication loop, providing information on whether the message was understood as
intended.
Noise: Any interference or barriers that may distort or disrupt the communication process.
This could include physical noise, distractions, language barriers, or differences in
perception.
SIMPLE TEST FOR MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Transforming current brand knowledge into desired brand knowledge often involves
strategic marketing communication
Assessment of Current Brand Knowledge:
1. Brand Perception Survey: Conduct a survey to understand how your audience perceives
your brand. What are the associations, values, and attributes they associate with it?
2. Competitive Analysis: Analyze how your brand stands against competitors. What are
your strengths and weaknesses compared to others in the market?
3. Brand Audit: Review all existing marketing materials, campaigns, and messaging to
evaluate consistency and alignment with your brand values.
Defining Desired Brand Knowledge:
1. Set Clear Brand Objectives: Define what you want your brand to be known for. Identify
key attributes, values, and messaging that you want to resonate with your audience.
2. Audience Analysis: Understand your target audience deeply. What are their needs,
preferences, and pain points? How can your brand address these effectively?
3. Brand Positioning: Determine how you want your brand to be positioned in the market.
What unique value proposition or story sets you apart?
Bridging the Gap:
1. Messaging Strategy: Develop a clear, concise, and consistent brand message that aligns
with the desired brand knowledge. This message should resonate with your target
audience and reflect your brand's values.
2. Communication Channels: Identify the most effective channels to reach your audience.
Is it through social media, traditional advertising, influencer partnerships, etc.?
3. Creative Campaigns: Create compelling campaigns that communicate the desired brand
knowledge. These campaigns should be engaging, memorable, and align with your
brand's identity.
4. Feedback Loop: Continuously gather feedback from your audience to assess if the
desired brand knowledge is being effectively communicated. Adjust strategies as needed
based on this feedback.
5. Measuring Success: Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of
your marketing communication efforts. This could include metrics like brand awareness,
engagement, conversion rates, etc.
 Familiarity Scale (Awareness Problem):
Familiarity refers to how well the target audience knows or recognizes a brand, product, or
concept. It's essentially a measure of awareness. When there's an awareness problem, it
means that the audience lacks knowledge or recognition of the object. This could be a new
product, service, or brand that hasn't gained enough visibility or recognition among its target
audience.
Measuring the knowledge of the object (familiarity scale) involves assessing:
 Recognition: Do people recognize or recall the object when they see or hear its name?
 Recall: Can people remember details or specific attributes about the object when
prompted?
 Understanding: Do people comprehend what the object is, its purpose, and how it
differs from other similar objects?
Favourability Scale (Negative Image Problem):
Favourability refers to the audience's feelings or attitudes towards the object. When there's a
negative image problem, it means that the object is perceived unfavourably by the target
audience. This could be due to various reasons like poor experiences, negative publicity,
misconceptions, or lack of alignment with audience values.
Feeling towards the object (favourability scale) involves assessing:
 Attitudes: What emotions or opinions do people associate with the object? Positive,
negative, or neutral?
 Perceptions: How do people perceive the object in terms of quality, reliability,
trustworthiness, etc.?
 Associations: Are there specific attributes or characteristics linked to the object that
influence audience feelings and opinions?
Addressing Awareness and Negative Image Problems:
 Awareness Problem Solutions: Increase visibility through targeted marketing
campaigns, improve brand visibility in relevant channels, utilize advertising, PR, and
educational content to introduce the object to the target audience.
 Negative Image Problem Solutions: Engage in reputation management, address
negative perceptions by highlighting positive attributes, provide better customer
experiences, and communicate brand values effectively to align with audience
expectations.