INSTITUTE –University School of

Business
DEPARTMENT -Management
M.B.A
Integrated Marketing Communications - 20BAB721
Dr Sajjan Choudhuri
Associate Professor

UNIT-1 Integrated
Marketing DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
Communications

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Course Objectives

• To give an exposure to students about the concepts of integrated marketing

communication and its applications on success of marketing mix.
 
• To develop skills in students to frame and examine the process by which integrated
marketing communications programs are planned, developed, executed and measured.
Course Outcomes

• To comprehend the purpose and significance of a unified and integrated marketing

communication.
• To apply integrated marketing communication concept to create clear, consistent and
unified messages.
• To analyze the nature and functionality of different marketing communication channels to
comprehend as to how they can be integrated as one.
• To evaluate distinct communication strategies for each communication channel from the
perspective of compatibility with other channels to create a unified message.
• To develop effective integrated marketing communication programmed.

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
 Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is an approach

to brand communications where the different modes work together to create a seamless experience for the
customer and are presented with a similar tone and style that reinforces the brand’s core message.

Its goal is to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public
relations, direct marketing, personal selling, online communications and social media work together as a
unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation, which in turn maximizes their cost
effectiveness
 Brand Communications

• is an initiative taken by organizations to make their products and services popular among the end-
users.

• Brand communication goes a long way in promoting products and services among target consumers. The
process involves identifying individuals who are best suited to the purchase of products or services (also called
target consumers) and promoting the brand among them through any one of the following means

Advertising Sales Promotion Public Relation

Direct Marketing Personal Selling Social
media
 various components of Integrated Marketing Communication:

• The Foundation - As the name suggests, foundation stage involves detailed analysis of both the product as well as
target market. It is essential for marketers to understand the brand, its offerings and end-users. You need to know the
needs, attitudes and
expectations of the target customers. Keep a close watch on competitor’s activities.

• The Corporate Culture - The features of products and services ought to be in line with
the work culture of the organization. Every organization has a vision and it’s important for the marketers to keep in mind
the same before designing products and services. Let us understand it with the help of an example.
• Organization A‘s vision is to promote green and clean world. Naturally its products need to be eco friendly and
biodegradable, in lines with the vision of the organization .

• Brand Focus - Brand Focus represents the corporate identity of the brand.

• Consumer Experience - Marketers need to focus on consumer experience which refers to what the customers feel
about the product. A consumer is likely to pick up a product which has good packaging and looks attractive. Products
need to meet and exceed customer expectations.
 • Communication Tools - Communication tools include various modes of promoting a particular
brand such as advertising, direct selling, promoting through social media such as Facebook, twitter,
orkut and so on.

• Promotional Tools - Brands are promoted through various promotional tools such as trade promotions,
personal selling and so on. Organizations need to strengthen their relationship with customers and
external clients.

• Integration Tools - Organizations need to keep a regular track on customer feedbacks and reviews. You
need to have specific software like customer relationship management (CRM) which helps in measuring
the effectiveness of various integrated marketing communications tools.

Integra.ted marketing communication enables all aspects of marketing mix to work together in harmony to promote a
particular product or service effectively among end-users
Overview of Eight Steps to Effective Communication
 Identify target audience
 Determine objectives
 Design the message
 Select communication channels
 Establish communications budget
 Develop communications mix
 Measure results
 Effectively manage the process
 Consumer Response Models

Models of consumer-response are

– AIDA model
– Hierarchy-of-effects model
– Innovation-adoption model
– Communications model
The models assume that buyers pass through these stages:
– Cognitive stage
– Affective stage
– Behavior stage
Designing the Message (AIDA)
Hierarchy-of-effects model
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Communication Model
Models of the Response Process
Awareness to Purchase
Deciding on Communications Mix

Advertising
Public, pervasive, expressive, impersonal

Sales promotion
Communication, incentive, invitation

Public relations and publicity

Credibility, surprise, dramatization
Deciding on Communications Mix

Personal Selling Personal

confrontation, cultivation, response

Direct Marketing Nonpublic,

customized, up-to-date, interactive
 Promotional Mix
• Personal Selling

• Telemarketing

• Advertising

• Publicity

• Sales Promotions
 Evaluating Promotional Activities

• Reach (Coverage)
– How much of the intended audience do you reach?

• Effectiveness
– How effectively do you communicate with the audience that you reach?
– Frequency: How often do you reach audience members?
– Impact: How effective is each message?

• Cost: What is the cost per message?

 Appropriate Use of Each Type

• Personal Selling

– Most effective form of communication

– Relatively very expensive
– To be used as a primary means of promotion for customers who
spend enough to justify the cost
– Used extensively in industrial marketing situations
 Telemarketing
• Telemarketing
– Less effective than PS -- less personal
– More effective than advertising -- interactive
– Can be used to “qualify” prospects for personal sales calls
– Can be used to handle in-bound, self-service orders for the
delivery of goods
– Cost falls in between PS and Advertising
 Advertising

• Advertising
– Less effective than PS or TM
– But, Cheaper than either
– Offers a way to reach a large number of potential customers in a
very short period of time
– Primary means of promoting to customers who do not spend
enough to justify PS or TM
– Should be used to create brand awareness and educate customers
of product features/benefits
 Publicity
• Publicity
– Less effective than advertising because it offers limited control of the
message, timing and the media
– cannot be used to send a repetitive message
– But, Cheaper than advertising
– Often more credible to buyers
– Most useful in establishing credibility for providers of professional
services
– Can be used as a low cost alternative to advertising
 Sales Promotions
• Sales Promotions
– Good short term competitive tactic
– Help clear slow-moving or seasonal inventory
– Help generate quick cash flow, if required
– Not much value in terms of communication
– Do not build a long term image for the brand
 Push vs. Pull Strategies
• Push Strategy
– Spending major part of promotional expenses on distributors and
retailers

• Pull Strategy
– Spending major part of promotional expenses on the consumer
 A comparison of push and pull promotional strategies
A. Push strategy B. Pull strategy

Manufacturer Manufacturer
Flow of promotion;
mainly personal
Flow of selling directed to Flow of
demand intermediaries demand
stimulation stimulation Flow of
promotion;
mainly
Wholesaler Wholesaler advertising
directed to
consumers

Retailer Retailer

Consumer Consumer
 Promotion Objectives
• Communication Objectives
– To inform
– To remind
– To persuade

• Behavior Objectives
– To sell
– To take some action
 Setting Advertising Budgets
• Percent of Sales
What is the percent of present or forecasted sales?
• Competitive Parity
Are we in line with our competition?
• Affordable Method
What can we afford to spend on advertising this year?
• Objective and Task
 Message Decisions
• Message Execution
Theme and types of messages
• Message Structure
One-sided vs. two-sided, types of arguments
• Message Generation
Creative process of developing different message ideas
 The language of the media buyer

• What It Means
Term • The number of different people or households exposed to an advertisement.
Reach • The percentage of households in a market that are tuned to a particular TV show or radio station.
• The average number of times an individual is
Rating • exposed to an advertisement.

Frequency

Gross rating points Reach (expressed as a percentage of the total market)

(GRPs) multiplied by frequency.
Cost per thousands The cost of advertising divided by the number of thousands of
(CPM) individuals or households who are exposed.
 Scheduling the Advertising
Steady (“drip”) Schedule
-- Steady schedule throughout the year.

Flighting (“intermittent”) Schedule

-- Advertising reflects seasonal demand

Blitzing
Pulse (“burst”) Schedule
-- Steady and flighting schedules are combined
 Benefits of IMC
Although Integrated Marketing Communications requires a lot of effort it delivers many benefits. It can create
competitive advantage, boost sales and profits, while saving money, time and stress.

• IMC wraps communications around customers and helps them move through the various stages of the buying
process. The organisation simultaneously consolidates its image, develops a dialogue and nurtures its
relationship with customers.

• This 'Relationship Marketing' cements a bond of loyalty with customers which can protect them from the
inevitable onslaught of competition. The ability to keep a customer for life is a powerful competitive advantage.

• IMC also increases profits through increased effectiveness. At its most basic level, a unified message has more
impact than a disjointed myriad of messages. In a busy world, a consistent, consolidated and crystal clear
message has a better chance of cutting through the 'noise' of over five hundred commercial messages which
bombard customers each and every day.
 Benefits of IMC
• At another level, initial research suggests that images shared in advertising and direct mail boost
both advertising awareness and mail shot responses. So IMC can boost sales by stretching messages
across several communications tools to create more avenues for customers to become aware,
aroused, and ultimately, to make a purchase

• Carefully linked messages also help buyers by giving timely reminders, updated information and
special offers which, when presented in a planned sequence, help them move comfortably
through the stages of their buying process... and this reduces their 'misery of choice' in a
complex and busy world.

• IMC also makes messages more consistent and therefore more credible. This reduces risk in the
mind of the buyer which, in turn, shortens the search process and helps to dictate the outcome of
brand comparisons.
 Benefits of IMC

• Un-integrated communications send disjointed messages which dilute the impact of the message.
This may also confuse, frustrate and arouse anxiety in customers. On the other hand, integrated
communications present a reassuring sense of order.

• Consistent images and relevant, useful, messages help nurture long term relationships with
customers. Here, customer databases can identify precisely which customers need what information
when... and throughout their whole buying life.

• Finally, IMC saves money as it eliminates duplication in areas such as graphics and photography since
they can be shared and used in say, advertising, exhibitions and sales literature. Agency fees are
reduced by using a single agency for all communications and even if there are several agencies,
time is saved when meetings bring all the agencies together - for briefings, creative sessions, tactical
or strategic planning. This reduces workload and subsequent stress levels - one of the many benefits
of IMC.
 References

1. T1 Belch and Belch. 2017. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated

Marketing Communications Perspective, Ninth edition, McGraw Hill
Education. ISBN: 978-1259026850.

2. T2 Moriarty, L. 2016. Advertising & IMC: Principles & Practice, Tenth edition,
Pearson Education India, ISBN: 978-9332574144.

3. Batra, S.K. 2002. Advertising Management, 5th Edition, Pearson Education

India. ISBN: 978-8177588507

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 Blackboard
Assessment Pattern

Components HT-1 HT-2 Assignment Surprise Business GD Forum Attendance Scaled

Test Quiz Marks

Max. Marks 10 10 6 4 4 4 2 40

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THANK YOU

For queries
Email:
sajjan.usb@cumail.in

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