Integrated Marketing

Communication
Chapter 01
Dr. Sarfaraz Karim
Integrated Marketing Communication
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is the term used to
describe the entire program by which you communicate with your
customers.

Integrated marketing communication refers to integrating all the

methods of brand promotion to promote a particular product or service
among target customers.

In integrated marketing communication, all aspects of marketing

communication work together for increased sales and maximum cost-
effectiveness.
Objective of IMC
 Traditional Approach to Marketing Communications

Sales
Point of Publicity promotion
purchase

Media Packaging
Special Adver-
events tising Direct
response
Public
relations
Interactive
Direct marketing
marketing

© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

 Contemporary IMC Approach

Sales Direct
Packaging
promotion response

Media
Point of
purchase Adver-
Public
tising relations
Publicity

Interactive
marketing Direct
Special
marketing
events

© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

1. Advertisement
American Marketing Association has defined advertising as “any paid
form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas goods and
services of an identified sponsor”.
It is a paid form of communication
It is the non-personal presentation of the message. There is no face-to-
face direct contact with the customers
Advertisement issued by an identified sponsor
Objectives of Advertising
 To introduce a new product by creating interest for it among the prospective customers.

 To support personal selling programme. Advertising maybe used to open customers’ doors for salesman.

 To reach people inaccessible to salesman.

 To enter a new market or attract a new group of customers.

 To light competition in the market and to increase the sales as seen in the fierce competition between Coke and Pepsi.

 To enhance the goodwill of the enterprise by promising better quality products and services.

 To improve dealer relations. Advertising supports the dealers in selling he product. Dealers are attracted towards a product
which is advertised effectively.

 To warn the public against imitation of an enterprise’s products.

2. Sales promotion
A sales promotion, or promo, is a set of marketing strategies used to
boost the demand for a product or service, raise brand awareness, and
increase revenue.

As a rule, companies use sales promotions within a limited period via
various channels – social media, email campaigns, websites, etc. They are
accompanied by quality visuals, influential text, and a reasonable
objective to reach out to the target audience.
 Advantages of sales promotion

There are numerous benefits of implementing sales promotion in

your business. Here are the basic ones:
 It generates more customers.
 It retains current customers.
 It raises awareness.
 It gives a quick increase in sales.
 Sales Promotion Tools

Coupons
Samples Trade
Allowances
Premiums
POP Displays
Contests/Sweepstakes
Training
Refunds/Rebates Programs
Bonus Packs Trade
Shows
Loyalty Programs
Coop
Events Advertising

• Consumer- • Trade-
oriented oriented
• [For end-users] • [For resellers]
© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Advertising Vs Sales Promotion
3. Publicity
William J. Stanton:

“Publicity is any promotional communication regarding an organisation

and/or its products where the message is not paid for by the
organisation benefiting from it.”
Publicity
Philip Kotler:
“Non-personal stimulation of demand for the product or service, or
business unit by placing commercially significant news about it in public
medium or obtaining favourable presentation of it upon radio,
television, or stage that is not paid for by the sponsor.”
Publicity
Publicity is infotainment, i.e. which tends to inform and entertain the
general public at the same time.

It provides some interesting, juicy, controversial news to the general

public, that has the capability of changing their opinion or outlook, about
the product or company.
Publicity
While the main aim of publicity is to gain the maximum possible media
coverage, public relations is about getting the attention of the target
audience.
Publicity is not under the control of the company and public relation is
controlled by the company
Advertising Vs. Publicity
4. Personal Selling
Personal selling is a personalized sales method that employs person-to-
person interaction between a sales representative and prospective
customers to influence the customer’s purchase decision.
Precisely, it’s a promotional technique where a salesperson:
• Uses person-to-person communication:
• To sell an offering
• Using a personalized sales strategy
Objective Of Personal Selling

 Build brand and product awareness by educating customers on the company’s offerings and their benefits.
 Increase sales by identifying and persuading the prospects to buy a business’s offering.
 Building close long-term relationships with the customers by enforcing person-to-person two-way
communication.
 Supporting the customers of complex, technical, or high-priced items by providing detailed technical
information.
 Stimulating the offering’s demand by helping the customers throughout their decision-making process and
guiding them towards the business’s offering.
 Reinforcing the brand by building long-term relationships with the customers over time by meeting them and
helping them in their decision-making process.
5. Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is a marketing strategy where target customers are
contacted directly by the brand instead of having an indirect medium
between them.

Direct marketing largely relies on the individual distribution of a sales

pitch to their consumers and potential customers, personally. Door-to-
door salesmen, promotional telephone calls, SMS, emails, kiosks, hand-
out brochures and coupons are among the more popular methods used
in direct marketing.
 Direct Marketing is Part of IMC

Direct
Mail
Direct
Internet
Response
Sales Advertising
Direct
Marketing
Shopping
Telemarketing
Channels

Catalogs

© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

6. Public Relation
Definition
Building good relations with the company’s various publics by
obtaining favourable publicity, building up a good corporate image, and
handling or heading off unfavourable rumours, stories, and events.
Public Relation
Public Relations Functions

• Press Relations • Lobbying

• Product Publicity • Investor Relations
• Public Affairs • Development
Public Relations
Role and Impact of Public Relations
• Advantages:
Strong impact on public awareness at
lower cost than advertising
Greater credibility than advertising
• Publicity is often underused
• Good public relations can be a powerful brand-building tool
 Public Relations Tools

Publicity Special
Vehicles Publications

Community Corporate Cause-related

Activities Advertising Marketing

Public Affairs Special Event

Activities Sponsorship

© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

7. Web Marketing
Marketing that is done via the internet (online), is often called web
marketing or online marketing. More people prefer to do web marketing
now because it’s less expensive.
 Using the Internet as an IMC Tool

The
Internet

Educates or A persuasive A sales tool or

informs advertising an actual sales
customers medium vehicle

Obtains Provides Builds and

Communicates
customer customer maintains
and interacts with
database service and customer
buyers
information support relationships
© 2007 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
A detailed summary of your marketing plan as to how it intends to promote products and
services among target customers.
Background, history and vision of your organization.
Know your products well. Include features and essential components of your brand.
Target market needs to be described well. Plan out how your brand can meet and exceed
customer expectations. Have clarity as to how your brand is better than your competitors
and why should consumers only buy your product and not go anywhere else. It is essential
to read customers’ minds and know their perceptions.
Compare your brand with the competitors. Write down how your brand is better than
competitors. You need to keep a close watch on competitors’ activities.
Do a SWOT analysis which highlights the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities
of the marketing plan.
Specify the tools and methods which would help you create awareness of your brand.