Setting Objectives for IMC

Main Goals of IMC

• Make aware Awareness A
• Trigger recall (of the need / product / brand)

• Inform, educate or familiarize Consideration I

• Engage, Influence
Preference
• Persuade (on benefits of the brand) D
• Incentivize, Sell (convert intent into purchase) Purchase A
• Repeated sales Loyalty
A goal without a measurable outcome is like a

sports competition without a scoreboard

 Setting Goals – DAGMAR Approach
Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results - by Russel Colley, 1961

• An advertising goal is
– a specific communication task (and not a sales task)

– to be accomplished among a defined audience

– in a given period of time

• Example
– to persuade 500 housewives to visit dealer’s showroom to see a
demonstration in the month of November
 Setting Goals – DAGMAR Approach
Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results - by Russel Colley, 1961

• Communication tasks based on the hierarchical model of

communication with 4 stages:

– Awareness: of the existence of the brand

– Comprehension: understanding the product and its benefits

– Conviction: inclination to the buy the product / brand

– Action: purchasing of the product / brand

 Criticism of DAGMAR Approach

• Does not have ‘sales’ as a direct criteria (advertising may not be the only variable affecting these
goals)

• There is no definitive sequence of communication response levels that occur,

consumers can skip levels

• Difficult to identify stages of communication hierarchy in real life

• Difficult to measure concepts like attitude, image, desire, comprehension, etc.

• Feedback loop not incorporated (focus is on whats? but not on the whys?)

• Inhibits creativity (imposes too much structure, measurability and rationality)

 S.M.A.R.T Goals
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely)

• Specific – what needs to be accomplished. Giving the task a clear direction and dimension.
Often requires finding answers to 5 W’s – who, what, where, when, why?

• Measurable – criteria for tracking and evaluating performance / progress

• Attainable – what is possible within available (arrange-able) resources and time -

ambitious yet realistically achievable. Often requires answering the H – how?

• Relevant – what bigger / eventual objective will the goal help achieve. Must connect / lead
to achievement of the larger vision

• Timely – must have a specific timeframe, a deadline

 S.M.A.R.T Goals – Example 1

Become fitter Reduce weight Healthy Diet, I hr. Live a healthy, In 6 months
from 70 to 60 workout at Gym 4 long life
Kg, 2 Kg p.m. days a week
 S.M.A.R.T Goals – Example 2

Achieve 10% Sell 10 million more Launch new models in 3 Become the no. 1 March 2020 (12
market share by end mobile handsets in price segments, be lowest selling mobile handset months)
price in each segment,… brand in India in 5
of FY 2019-20 2019 than in 2018
years