Integrated Marketing Communication

(IMC)

An Introduction
Integrated Marketing
Communications (IMC)
a concept of marketing communications planning
that recognizes the added value of a
comprehensive plan evaluates the strategic roles of
a variety of communication disciplines – for
example, general advertising, direct response, sales
promotion, and public relations – and combines
these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and
maximum communications impact.

involves coordinating the various promotional

elements and other marketing activities that
communicate with a firm’s customers.
Integrated Marketing
Communications (IMC)
is a strategic business process used to plan,
develop, execute and evaluate coordinated,
measurable, persuasive brand communications
program over time with consumers, customers,
prospects, employees, associates and other
targeted relevant external and internal audiences.
The goal is generate both short-term financial
returns and build long-term brand and shareholder
value.
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Promotion: defined as the coordination
of all seller-initiated efforts to set up
channels of information and persuasion
in order to sell goods and services or
promote an idea.
The Promotional Mix

Direct Interactive/ Sales Publicity/ Personal

Advertising Internet Public
Marketing Promotion Selling
Marketing Relations
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Advertising: any paid form of non-
personal communication about an
organization, product, service, or
idea by an identified sponsor.

Importance of Advertising:
1. Cost-effective way to reach large
audience
30 sec + 4 major network + primetime = 6
million households
$/thousand HH/primetime = $22.87 (2007)
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Advertising:

Importance of Advertising:
1.Cost-effective way to reach large
audience

2. valuable tool for building company or

brand equity as it is a powerful way to
provide consumers with information as
well as to influence their perception
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Direct Marketing:

Direct Marketing: communicating directly

to target customers to generate a
response and/or a transaction involving a
variety of activities such as database
management, direct selling,
telemarketing, direct-response ads
through direct mail, internet and various
broadcast and print media.
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Interactive/Internet Marketing:

Communication driven by application of

technology and interactive media
allowing back and forth information
whereby users can participate in and
modify the form and content of the
information they receive in real time.
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Sales Promotion:

Marketing activities that provide extra

value or incentives to the sales force, the
distributors, or the ultimate consumer and
can stimulate immediate sales.

 Consumer-oriented Sales Promotion

 Trade-oriented Sales PRomotion
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Publicity/Public Relations:

Publicity: refers to nonpersonal

communications regarding an organization,
product, service, or idea not directly paid for
or run under identified sponsorship.

Public Relations or PR: management

functions which evaluates public attitudes,
identifies the policies and procedures of an
individual or organization with the public
interest, and executes a program of action
to earn public understanding and
acceptance.
Promotional Mix: Tools for IMC
Personal Selling:

A form of person to person

communication in which a seller attempts
to assist and/or persuade prospective
buyers to purchase the company’s
product or service or to act on an idea.

It also involves more immediate and

precise feedback because the impact of
the sales presentation can generally be
assessed from the customer’s reactions.
IMC Audience Contact Tools
Broadcast Media Print Media PR/Publicity Internet/Interactive
(TV/Radio) (newspapers,
magazines)

Direct Marketing
Out-of-Home
Media
Target Audience
Sales Promotion
Personal Selling

Point-of-Purchase
(displays, Word of Mouth Events and Product
packaging) sponsorships Placements
(TV and Movies)
IMC Planning Process

IMC Management involves the process of

planning, executing, evaluating and
controlling the use of the various
promotional mix elements to effectively
communicate with target audiences.
Guided by a IMC Plan.
IMC Plan
IMC Plan provides the framework for
developing, implementing, and controlling the
organization’s IMC program.
Those involved with the IMC program must
decide on the role and function of the specific
elements of the promotional mix, develop
strategies for each element, determine how
they will be integrated, plan for their
implementation, and consider how to evaluate
the results achieved and make any necessary
adjustments.
IMC Planning Process Model
Review of Marketing Plan

Examine overall marketing plan and objectives

Role of Advertising and
Promotion Competitive
Analysis
Assess environmental
Analysis of Promotional influences
Program Situation
Internal Analysis External Analysis
– Promotional Department Organization - Consumer behavior analysis
–
Firm’s ability to implement promotional program - Market segmentation and target
– Agency evaluation and selection
marketing – Review of previous program results
- Market positioning
Analysis of Communications Process

Analyze receiver’s response to processes

Analyze source,
message, channel factors
Establish communications
IMC Planning Process
Budget Determination

Set tentative marketing communications budget

Develop Integrated Marketing CommunicationsAllocate
Program tentative
budget

Advertising Sales Promotion

– Set advertising objectives - Set sales promotion objectives
- Determine advertising budget -
Determine sales promotion budget
– Develop advertising message - Determine sales
promotion tools and - Develop
advertising media strategy develop messages
– Develop sales promotion media strategy
Direct Marketing PR/Publicity
– Set direct-marketing objectives - Set PR/Publicity
objectives – Determine direct-
marketing budget - Determine PR/Publicity budget
– Develop direct-marketing message - Develop
PR/Publicity messages –
Develop direct-marketing media strategy - Develop PR/Publicity media strategy
IMC Planning Process
Integrate and Implement Marketing Communications Strategies

Integrate promotional mix strategies

Create and produce ads
Purchase media time and space
Design and implement direct-marketing programs
Design and distribute sales promotion materials
Design and implement public relations/publicity program
Design and implement interactive/internet
marketing program
Monitor, Evaluate, and Control IMC Programs

Evaluate promotional program results/effectiveness

Take measures to control and adjust promotional
strategies