MARK333: Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy
MARK333: Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy Table of Contents What is IMC ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Marketing Communications Mix & Supporting Elements ...................................................................... 5 Planning for Successful Marketing Communications & Strategic Planning Process and Marketing Communications ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Setting Objectives + Developing Brand Positioning .............................................................................. 10
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What is IMC What is IMC? • marketing communications should build profitable relationships between a company and its customers • definition: “The coordination of forms of the traditional marcomms mix with online marketing and social media combines with the other aspects of a brand’s marketing mix (product, price, place) so that ALL elements speak with ONE VOICE” (Chitty et al. 2015 p. 6) • IMC consists of 3 components: o the concept ▪ relies on delivering the marketing message to all stakeholders that have some form of contact with the company ▪ responsibility usually rests with the different functional departments of a company • marketers create advertisements to communicate with potential customers • sales team communicates with buyers • PR personnel communicate with the general public o synergy ▪ when marcomms are coordinated and consistent they have a greater impact on enhancing customers brand knowledge than individual marketing messages o process ▪ requires the marketing department to profile the customer or prospect segment and determine what types of messages and media channels will best achieve the communications objectives of informing, persuading, reminding and encouraging action from the market segment • overall, IMC is about delivering consistent brand messages that are relevant to the target market o aiming to directly influence their buying behaviour and build profitable relationships by planning, creating, integrating and implementing the various forms of marcomm, eg. marketing PR, sales, promotion, personal selling, sponsorships, advertising Key Features of IMC • profile the target market o key questions - how much of the product does the target market buy? how often do they buy? where do they purchase the product? • use relevant media channels o any message medium capable of reaching the target customer and presenting the brand in a favourable light • achieve communication synergy to speak with one voice o inherent component of IMC, involves diff. types of marcomms - PR, advertising, sales, promotion, etc 2
must convey the same brand message consistently across diverse media channels/points of contact o must speak with one voice to achieve a strong, unified brand image and move customer to action o involves selecting a specific positioning for a brand - a positioning statement is the key idea when compared to its competition that defines what the brand represents in the minds of the target market influence target markets behaviour o goal of IMC is to positively influence the behaviour of the target audience rather than just create brand awareness or enhance consumer attitudes towards the brand o IMC requires that a company's communication efforts encourage some form of behavioural response → an IMC program is ultimately evaluated in terms of whether it influences a consumer's purchase behaviour build customer relationships o successful marcomm requires a company to build a relationship between brand and its customers o customer relationship leads to repeat purchase and generates stronger customer loyalty o these relationships are created by positive brand experiences ▪ loyalty programs ▪ collecting customer data to satisfy customer needs/wants ▪ sell more to existing customers instead of seeking new business o
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Nature of Marcom • marketing o marketing mix o company's strategies to transfer value through exchange to their customers • communication o process that conveys shared meaning between individuals or between companies and individuals • together, marcom represents all elements of the marketing mix that facilitate exchanges by targeting the brand to a group of customers, positioning the brand as being distinct from competitive brands, and sharing a brand's meaning and unique differences with the product's target audience • overtime, by maintaining a consistent message across various channels of communications media a brand can achieve a competitive market share IMC Plan • the organisation's strategic marketing plan forms the basis for IMC • the plan coordinates every component of the marketing mix in order to achieve harmony in the messages and promotions relayed to customers/others
Emerging Trends in Marcom • competition (domestic and global) forces company leaders to examine their communications plan to ensure maximum effectiveness 3
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What is IMC What is IMC? • marketing communications should build profitable relationships between a company and its customers • definition: “The coordination of forms of the traditional marcomms mix with online marketing and social media combines with the other aspects of a brand’s marketing mix (product, price, place) so that ALL elements speak with ONE VOICE” (Chitty et al. 2015 p. 6) • IMC consists of 3 components: o the concept ▪ relies on delivering the marketing message to all stakeholders that have some form of contact with the company ▪ responsibility usually rests with the different functional departments of a company • marketers create advertisements to communicate with potential customers • sales team communicates with buyers • PR personnel communicate with the general public o synergy ▪ when marcomms are coordinated and consistent they have a greater impact on enhancing customers brand knowledge than individual marketing messages o process ▪ requires the marketing department to profile the customer or prospect segment and determine what types of messages and media channels will best achieve the communications objectives of informing, persuading, reminding and encouraging action from the market segment • overall, IMC is about delivering consistent brand messages that are relevant to the target market o aiming to directly influence their buying behaviour and build profitable relationships by planning, creating, integrating and implementing the various forms of marcomm, eg. marketing PR, sales, promotion, personal selling, sponsorships, advertising Key Features of IMC • profile the target market o key questions - how much of the product does the target market buy? how often do they buy? where do they purchase the product? • use relevant media channels o any message medium capable of reaching the target customer and presenting the brand in a favourable light • achieve communication synergy to speak with one voice o inherent component of IMC, involves diff. types of marcomms - PR, advertising, sales, promotion, etc 2
must convey the same brand message consistently across diverse media channels/points of contact o must speak with one voice to achieve a strong, unified brand image and move customer to action o involves selecting a specific positioning for a brand - a positioning statement is the key idea when compared to its competition that defines what the brand represents in the minds of the target market influence target markets behaviour o goal of IMC is to positively influence the behaviour of the target audience rather than just create brand awareness or enhance consumer attitudes towards the brand o IMC requires that a company's communication efforts encourage some form of behavioural response → an IMC program is ultimately evaluated in terms of whether it influences a consumer's purchase behaviour build customer relationships o successful marcomm requires a company to build a relationship between brand and its customers o customer relationship leads to repeat purchase and generates stronger customer loyalty o these relationships are created by positive brand experiences ▪ loyalty programs ▪ collecting customer data to satisfy customer needs/wants ▪ sell more to existing customers instead of seeking new business o
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Nature of Marcom • marketing o marketing mix o company's strategies to transfer value through exchange to their customers • communication o process that conveys shared meaning between individuals or between companies and individuals • together, marcom represents all elements of the marketing mix that facilitate exchanges by targeting the brand to a group of customers, positioning the brand as being distinct from competitive brands, and sharing a brand's meaning and unique differences with the product's target audience • overtime, by maintaining a consistent message across various channels of communications media a brand can achieve a competitive market share IMC Plan • the organisation's strategic marketing plan forms the basis for IMC • the plan coordinates every component of the marketing mix in order to achieve harmony in the messages and promotions relayed to customers/others
Emerging Trends in Marcom • competition (domestic and global) forces company leaders to examine their communications plan to ensure maximum effectiveness 3
