INTEGRATED

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Basics of Strategy Planning

It started with just a mention of the availability of
goods / services at a certain place…
at most, the price was mentioned.

Sign outside a butcher’s shop in Pompeii

 Thereafter, certain attributes / features
were incorporated…
what we call today “Manufacturer’s claims”
 Development of
Strategic Approach to Advertising
 Focus on USP
Unique Selling Proposition

The first strategic attempt

at setting a branded item
apart from its competitors

It’s not enough to be unique…

The advertisement has to sell.
It must be compelling.
 Unique Selling Proposition

 Each ad must make a proposition to the consumer…

“buy this product and you’ll get this specific benefit”
 This proposition must be something that
competition cannot, or does not, offer
 The proposition must be strong and meaningful enough
to attract millions of prospects
Unique Selling Proposition

 Provides reasons to convince the buyer of

its superiority or suitability over competition
 Very powerful, but it is increasingly difficult
to develop and retain
 Usually dependant on physical features
that cannot be protected from copying
 Relevant even today, if…
 Focus on
Brand Image and
Brand Personality

Going beyond physical features

that give rise to tangible benefits…
Creating perceptual differences
The Positioning Era
Giving a sharper edge to advertising
by recognizing that today’s consumer lives
in an “over communicated” society

 Plethora of media channels & vehicles,

increasingly fragmented and intrusive
 The consumer is bombarded daily with
hundreds of commercial messages
 Each with claims and counter-claims,
impossible to remember or recall
 Hence – Positioning
A strategic approach to occupying
consumer mind space…

The art and science of fitting the product

to one or more segments of the broad market
such as to set it apart meaningfully from competition
 Positioning

 A unique perception of the brand…

 Comprising both tangible and intangible benefits…
 Relative to the perceptions of competitive brands
Positioning Approaches

 Positioning by product category

 Positioning by attributes & benefits
 Positioning by price & quality
 Positioning by use / application
 Positioning by user segment
 Positioning by competitor
 Positioning by cultural symbols
Positioning – 6 basic questions

 What position do we have in prospects’ minds?

 What position do we want to own?
 What companies / brands pose the greatest threats
and must be overcome?
 Do we have enough money / resources to occupy
and hold that position?
 Do we have the tenacity to stick with one consistent
positioning strategy?
 Does our creative match our positioning?
Positioning – another approach

1. Who am I? Corporate parentage of brand

2. What am I? Category / benefit / usage occasion or
time / price-value
3. For whom am I? Demographics / Psychographics /
Behavioural
4. Why me? USP / Difference
 Simple ideas are usually
stunning and convincing…
they often look deceptively easy
to develop or create!