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
Integrated Marketing 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
Brand Communications
Advertising
Sales Promotion
Public Relation
Direct Marketing
Personal Selling
Social media

• 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.
various components of Integrated Marketing Communication:

• 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.
.Integrated 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
 Select communication channels
 Design the message
 Effectively manage the process
 Develop communications mix
 Establish communications budget
 Measure results

Determining Communication Objectives
Models of consumer-response stages 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

Communication Model

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
– SP such as “Sweepstakes” or “Contests” can be
used to add excitement to advertising
– 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
Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Retailer
Consumer
Flow of
promotion;
mainly
personal
selling
directed to
intermediaries
Flow of
demand
stimulation
Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Retailer
Consumer
Flow of
promotion;
mainly
advertising
directed to
consumers
Flow of
demand
stimulation
A. Push strategy B. Pull strategy

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
Term What It Means
Reach The number of different people or
households exposed to an advertisement.
Rating The percentage of households in a market
that are tuned to a particular TV show or
radio station.
Frequency The average number of times an individual is
exposed to an advertisement.
Gross rating points Reach (expressed as a percentage of the total
(GRPs) market) multiplied by frequency.
Cost per thousands The cost of advertising divided by the number
(CPM) of thousands of 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.

• 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.
Benefits of IMC

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