IMC

INTEGRATED MARKETING
COMMUNICATION
 The Changing role and nature of
communication
• Unprecedented series of changes
• Increased Competition both domestically
and internationally
• Technological Change
SourceThe media explosion. Adapted and updated from D. O’Donoghue in Cooper, A. (ed.) ,How to
Plan Advertising 1997. Statistics from AA Statistics Yearbook, Advertising Association/NTCPublications, 1997
 Marketing Communication
“The role of marketing communication is to support the
marketing plan and help key audiences understand and
believe in the marketer’s advantage over the
competition.” Burnett
“Marketing communications is the collection of all
elements in an organisation’s marketing mix that
facilitate exchanges by establishing shared meaning with
the organisation’s customers or clients.” Shimp
“The concept under which a company carefully
integrates and coordinates its many communications
channels to deliver a clear, consistent message". Philip
Kotler
 Integrated Marketing
Communication
• A concept of marketing communication planning that
recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan
that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety
communication discipline eg. Advertising, direct
response, Sales Promotion & public relations and
combines these disciplines to provide and consistency
and maximum impact.
By American Association of Advertising
Agencies

The process of developing and implementing various

forms of persuasive communication programs with
customers and prospects over Time.
 Integrated Marketing
Communication
Integrated marketing communications is the process of developing
and implementing various forms of persuasive communication
programs with customers and prospects over time. The goal of
IMC is to influence or directly affect the behaviour of the selected
communications audience.

IMC considers all sources of brand or company contacts that a

customer or prospect has with the product or service as potential
delivery channels for future messages.

Further, IMC makes use of all forms of communication which are

relevant to the customers and prospects, and to which they might be
receptive
 Integrated Marketing
Communication
“IMC is the planning and execution of all the types of advertising and
promotion selected for a brand, service, or company, in order to meet a
common set of communication objectives, or more particularly, to support a
single ‘positioning’.” (Percy 1997, 2)

"The process of managing all sources of information about product / service

to which a customer or prospect is exposed which behaviourally moves the
consumer toward a sale and maintains customer loyalty." (Schultz in Sirgy
1998, 4; Belch & Belch 1998, 10)

“IMC is the strategic coordination of all messages and media used by an

organisation to influence its perceived brand value.” (Duncan & Everett in
Percy 1997, 4)
“IMC is a cross functional process for creating and nourishing profitable
relationships with customers and other stakeholders by strategically
controlling or influencing all messages sent to these groups and
encouraging purposeful dialogue with them.” (Duncan in Spotts et al. 1998,
211)
• This is the famous Lijjat
Papad Commercial which
features Ramdas Padhye's
Rabbit Puppet. Shri Mahila
Griha Udyog are the
makers of the famous Lijjat
Papad.This commercial was
shot in 1980's and is still
running on many Indian
channels.The laughter of
the puppet is one of the
main aspect due to which
this ad is still remembered.
• Source:
http://www.indiatogether.org
/2003/feb/eco-lijpapad.htm
 Features of IMC
• Affect behavior
• Use all forms of contacts
• Start with the customer or prospect
• Achieve synergy
• Build relationships
Some Major Changes that are
driving companies to adopt IMC
• Decreasing impact of traditional advertising
• Proliferation of new ways to reach consumers
• Demand for greater accountability
• Growth of database marketing
• Growth of International marketing
• Need for a single brand custodian
• Need for creating brand identity
• Emphasis on Relationship Marketing
• Tighter control over communication
• Changing compensation of agencies
 Objective of IMC
• Building Brand equity
• Providing Information
• Manage Demand and build State
• Differentiate products
• Influence perceptions
• Influence attitude and buying behaviour
 HUL’s Kushiyon ki Doli
• There are four set of dolis or
palkis being moved all around
the village. Equipments like
LCD TV, a DVD Player and a
small generator is there in
each of these dolis or palkis.
• The village housewives are the
main target of audience.
• The wide ranges of HUL’s
products commercials are
being shown in these LCD’s.
as a common human habit.
After a two year long push into
the hinterland, P&G has come
up with a new addition to its
marketing strategy in the form of
a character called Sangeeta
Bhabhi, a dedicated housewife.
The personality was conceived
to push P&G's leading brands,
Tide and Head & Shoulders as a
dual proposition called 'kamyab
jodi' in rural areas of the country.
After much deliberation over the
eight to nine categories that
P&G operates in, marketers
picked the detergent brand Tide
and shampoo Head & Shoulders
as the focus in this particular
rural initiative.
Promotional Mix: The Tool for IMC
Tools Strengths Weaknesses
Packaging Makes the final impression, Placed in competitive
consumers in catches the ‘ready environment, reaches
to buy’ stage small audiences

Specialties Personalized and Highly Reach a small audience,

Targeted relatively expensive

Internet / Is direct, low in cost, interactive and Smaller audiences,

Interactive two- directional, personalized, up to
Marketing date, targeted, less intrusive and less
commercial
Point-of- High impact as it is one of the
purchase last reminder messages, makes
a powerful visual statement,
catches the impulse buyer
unsuitable for non-savvy
audiences, Some forms like
spam emails or pop- ups
can be quite intrusive
Reaches a small
audience, low life cycle
as no guarantees of
continuous retail
display/support
Tools Strengths Weaknesses

Event Creates excitement, builds brand May be expensive, reaches

Marketing association with a particular event/cause, a small audience, may not
brings dedicated audience in a clutter-free be measurable, has no
environment, helps gets publicity, direct impact on sales
possibility for more interaction with
consumers

Sponsorship Earns goodwill, builds brand association May be expensive, reaches

with a particular cause, brings dedicated a small audience, may not
audience in a clutter free environment, be measureable has no
helps get publicity direct impact on sales.
Trade show Dissipates information to targeted Reaches Small audiences,
audiences, gets visibility and media relatively expensive
coverage, can promote interactivity exposes exhibits to
provides an opportunity for competitive competition
survey

Customer Delights customers, creates differentiation Directly adds to the cost of

services at the time of purchase the product, has to be
monitored quality
 Factors Affecting on IMC
Minor Factors

Nature of products
State of product life cycle
Major Factors i) introduction stage
ii) growth stage
iii) maturity stage
• Fragmentation of Media iv) decline stage
• Better Audience Assessment v) obsolesce stage
Nature of Target Market
• Consumer Empowerment
i) size of market
• Increasing Advertising clutter ii) concentrated customers
• Database technology iii) socio- economic characteristics of
• Channel Power customers
• Accountability iv) intensity of market coverage

• Size of promotion budget

• Push and pull strategy
• Promotional objective
• Promotional Methods
• Price policy Distribution policy
• Level of completion
• Degree of brand familiarity
• Brand/unbrand products
• Seasonal products
Marketing communication planning
framework should help in deciding
• Who should receive the messages
• What the messages should say
• What image of organization/brand receivers are
expected to retain
• How much is to be spent establishing this new
image
• How the messages are to be delivered
• What actions the receiver should take how to
control the whole process once implemented
• What was achieved
Integrated marketing communications
planning is needed which should involve
consideration of:
● situation analysis
● objective setting
● targeting
● positioning and message strategies
● method and media strategies
● communications budget
● implementation
● measurement, evaluation and control.
An integrated planning model for
marketing communications.
 Situational Analysis
• Customer context
• Business context
• Internal Context
– People resources
– Financial resources
– Technological resources
External Context
 Marketing communication
Objectives
• Corporate objectives
• Marketing objectives
• communication objectives
 Control of Marketing
communication
• Analyze trends (Internal and External)
• Audit communication spending
• Identify all point of contact
• Team up in communication planning
• Make all communication elements
compatible
• Create performance measures
• Appoint an IMC manger
 Steps in Developing Effective
Communications
Identify target audience
Determine objectives
Design communications
Select channels
Establish budget
Decide on media mix
Measure results
Manage IMC
 The integrated marketing communications programme is

developed by reference to a number of factors, i.e.

• The overall marketing plan, including marketing

objectives and competitor analysis.
• The promotional programme situation, e.g.
internally – previous experience and ability with
respect to promotions – and externally –
consumer behaviour analysis, segmentation,
targeting and positioning decisions.
• Communications process analysis – e.g.
communication goals, receiver's response
processes, source, message and channel
factors.
 The above classification raises a
few points which it may be useful to
bear in mind:
• Communication tools change over time and particularly
as a result of technological developments.
• Related to the above point is a blurring of distinction
between ‘promotion’ and ‘place’ (method of distribution).
This is particularly true as direct marketing and
subsequently internet/interactive marketing have been
included as separate communications tools. It is also
relevant to the personal selling element.
• It is also notable that, in addition to target markets of
final consumers, communications (in addition to other
marketing mix elements) must be developed for
distributors (e.g. health professionals). This is often
referred to as ‘push’ promotion as opposed to the ‘pull’
promotion to the final customer
The Six Success Mantras