INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated marketing communication(IMC)isanapproach

tobrandcommunicationswherethedifferentmodesworktogethertocreatea
seamlessexperienceforthecustomerandarepresentedwithasimilartoneand
stylethatreinforcesthebrandscoremessage.
Itsgoalistomakeallaspectsofmarketingcommunicationsuchasadvertising,
salespromotion,publicrelations,directmarketing,personalselling,online
communicationsandsocialmediaworktogetherasaunifiedforce,ratherthan
permittingeachtoworkinisolation,whichinturnmaximizestheircost
effectiveness

Brand Communications

is an initiative taken by organizations to make their

products and services popular among the end-users.

Brand communication goes a long way in promoting products and

services among target consumers. The process involves
identifying individuals who are best suited to the purchase of
products or services (also called target consumers) and promoting
the brand among them through any one of the following means
Advertising
Sales Promotion
Public Relation
Direct Marketing
Personal Selling
Social media

ious components of Integrated Marketing Communica

The Foundation -Asthenamesuggests,foundationstageinvolvesdetailedanalysisof

boththeproductaswellastargetmarket.Itisessentialformarketerstounderstandthe
brand,itsofferingsandend-users.Youneedtoknowtheneeds,attitudesand
expectationsofthetargetcustomers.Keepaclosewatchoncompetitorsactivities.

The Corporate Culture -Thefeaturesofproductsandservicesoughttobeinlinewith

theworkcultureoftheorganization.Everyorganizationhasavisionanditsimportantfor
themarketerstokeepinmindthesamebeforedesigningproductsandservices.Letus
understanditwiththehelpofanexample.
OrganizationAsvisionistopromotegreenandcleanworld.Naturallyitsproductsneedto
beecofriendlyandbiodegradable,inlineswiththevisionoftheorganization
.

Brand Focus -BrandFocusrepresentsthecorporateidentityofthebrand.

Consumer Experience -Marketersneedtofocusonconsumerexperiencewhichrefers

towhatthecustomersfeelabouttheproduct.Aconsumerislikelytopickupaproduct
whichhasgoodpackagingandlooksattractive.Productsneedtomeetandexceed
customerexpectations.

Communication Tools -Communicationtoolsincludevariousmodesof

promotingaparticularbrandsuchasadvertising,directselling,promoting
throughsocialmediasuchasFacebook,twitter,orkutandsoon.

Promotional Tools -Brandsarepromotedthroughvariouspromotionaltools

suchastradepromotions,personalsellingandsoon.Organizationsneedto
strengthentheirrelationshipwithcustomersandexternalclients.

Integration Tools -Organizationsneedtokeeparegulartrackoncustomer

feedbacksandreviews.Youneedtohavespecificsoftwarelikecustomer
relationshipmanagement(CRM)whichhelpsinmeasuringtheeffectivenessof
variousintegratedmarketingcommunicationstools.

Integrated marketing communication enables all aspects of marketing mix to work together in
harmony to promote a particular product or service effectively among end-users

Overview of Eight Steps to Effective

Communication
Identify target audience

Determine objectives
Design the message
Select communication channels
Establish communications budget
Develop communications mix
Measure results
Effectively manage the process

Determining Communication Objectives

Models of consumer-response stages are

AIDA model
Hierarchy-of-effects model
Innovation-adoption model
Communications model

The models assume that buyers pass through

these stages:
Cognitive stage
Affective stage
Behavior stage

Designing the Message

(AIDA)

Hierarchy-of-effects model

Communication Model

Awareness to Purchase

Public relations and publicity

Credibility, surprise, dramatization

Sales promotion

Communication, incentive, invitation

Advertising

Public, pervasive, expressive, impersonal

Deciding on Communications
Mix

Direct
Direct Marketing
Marketing

Nonpublic,
Nonpublic, customized,
customized,
up-to-date,
up-to-date, interactive
interactive

Personal
Personal Selling
Selling

Personal
Personal confrontation,
confrontation,
cultivation,
cultivation, response
response

Deciding on Communications
Mix

Promotional Mix
Personal Selling
Telemarketing
Advertising
Publicity
Sales Promotions

Evaluating Promotional
Activities
Reach (Coverage)
How much of the intended audience do you reach?

Effectiveness
How effectively do you communicate with the audience
that you reach?
Frequency: How often do you reach audience members?
Impact: How effective is each message?

Cost:

What is the cost per message?

Appropriate Use of Each Type

Personal Selling
Most effective form of communication
Relatively very expensive
To be used as a primary means of
promotion for customers who spend
enough to justify the cost
Used extensively in industrial marketing
situations

Telemarketing
Telemarketing
Less effective than PS -- less personal
More effective than advertising -interactive
Can be used to qualify prospects for
personal sales calls
Can be used to handle in-bound, selfservice orders for the delivery of goods
Cost falls in between PS and Advertising

Advertising
Advertising
Less effective than PS or TM
But, Cheaper than either
Offers a way to reach a large number of
potential customers in a very short period of
time
Primary means of promoting to customers who
do not spend enough to justify PS or TM
Should be used to create brand awareness and
educate customers of product
features/benefits

Publicity
Publicity
Less effective than advertising because it offers
limited control of the message, timing and the
media
cannot be used to send a repetitive message
But, Cheaper than advertising
Often more credible to buyers
Most useful in establishing credibility for providers
of professional services
Can be used as a low cost alternative to advertising

Sales Promotions
Sales Promotions
Good short term competitive tactic
Help clear slow-moving or seasonal inventory
Help generate quick cash flow, if required
SP such as Sweepstakes or Contests can be
used to add excitement to advertising
Not much value in terms of communication
Do not build a long term image for the brand

Push vs. Pull Strategies

Push Strategy
Spending major part of promotional
expenses on distributors and retailers

Pull Strategy
Spending major part of promotional
expenses on the consumer

of push and pull promotional strategies

A. Push strategy
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
Flow of
promotion;
mainly
personal
selling
directed to
intermediaries

Flow of
demand
stimulation

B. Pull strategy
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
Flow of
demand
stimulation

Wholesaler
Wholesaler

Wholesaler
Wholesaler

Retailer
Retailer

Retailer
Retailer

Consumer
Consumer

Consumer
Consumer

Flow of
promotion;
mainly
advertising
directed to
consumers

Promotion Objectives
Communication Objectives
To inform
To remind
To persuade

Behavior Objectives
To sell
To take some action

Setting Advertising Budgets

Percent of Sales
What is the percent of present or forecasted
sales?

Competitive Parity
Are we in line with our competition?

Affordable Method
What can we afford to spend on advertising
this year?

Objective and Task

Message Decisions
Message Execution
Theme and types of messages

Message Structure
One-sided vs. two-sided, types of
arguments

Message Generation
Creative process of developing different
message ideas

The language of the

media buyer
Term What It Means
Reach

The number of different people or households exposed to an

advertisement.

Rating The percentage of households in a market

TV show or

radio station.

that are tuned to a particular

Frequency The average number of times an individual is

exposed to an advertisement.

Gross rating points Reach (expressed as a percentage of the total

(GRPs)

market) multiplied by frequency.

Cost per thousands The cost of advertising divided by the number

(CPM) of thousands of individuals or households who
are exposed.

Scheduling the Advertising

Steady (drip) Schedule
-- Steady schedule throughout the year.

Flighting (intermittent) Schedule

-- Advertising reflects seasonal demand

Blitzing
Pulse (burst) Schedule
-- Steady and flighting schedules are combined

Benefits of IMC
Although Integrated Marketing Communications requires a lot of effort it
delivers many benefits. It can create competitive advantage, boost sales and
profits, while saving money, time and stress.
IMC wraps communications around customers and helps them move through the
various stages of the buying process. The organisation simultaneously
consolidates its image, develops a dialogue and nurtures its relationship with
customers.
This 'Relationship Marketing' cements a bond of loyalty with customers which can
protect them from the inevitable onslaught of competition. The ability to keep a
customer for life is a powerful competitive advantage.
IMC also increases profits through increased effectiveness. At its most basic
level, a unified message has more impact than a disjointed myriad of messages.
In a busy world, a consistent, consolidated and crystal clear message has a
better chance of cutting through the 'noise' of over five hundred commercial
messages which bombard customers each and every day.

Benefits of IMC
At another level, initial research suggests that images shared in
advertising and direct mail boost both advertising awareness and mail
shot responses. So IMC can boost sales by stretching messages across
several communications tools to create more avenues for customers to
become aware, aroused, and ultimately, to make a purchase
Carefully linked messages also help buyers by giving timely reminders,
updated information and special offers which, when presented in a
planned sequence, help them move comfortably through the stages of
their buying process... and this reduces their 'misery of choice' in a
complex and busy world.
IMC also makes messages more consistent and therefore more credible.
This reduces risk in the mind of the buyer which, in turn, shortens the
search process and helps to dictate the outcome of brand comparisons.

Benefits of IMC
Un-integrated communications send disjointed messages which dilute the
impact of the message. This may also confuse, frustrate and arouse anxiety
in customers. On the other hand, integrated communications present a
reassuring sense of order.
Consistent images and relevant, useful, messages help nurture long term
relationships with customers. Here, customer databases can identify
precisely which customers need what information when... and throughout
their whole buying life.
Finally, IMC saves money as it eliminates duplication in areas such as
graphics and photography since they can be shared and used in say,
advertising, exhibitions and sales literature. Agency fees are reduced by
using a single agency for all communications and even if there are several
agencies, time is saved when meetings bring all the agencies together - for
briefings, creative sessions, tactical or strategic planning. This reduces
workload and subsequent stress levels - one of the many benefits of IMC.

Thank
You