Integrated Marketing Communications
Introduction
COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS MODEL
SENDER
Encoding
MESSAGE
Transmission using media
MESSAGE
Feedback
Decoding
RECEIVER
Stimulus - Response
Marketing Communications
Process by which the marketer develops and presents an appropriate set of communications stimuli to a defined target audience with the intention of eliciting a desired set of responses
Marketing Communications play a key role in positioning an organization and its products / brands in the minds of (potential) customers
Brand Personality is largely a result of marketing communications, with price, distribution and packaging being the other main factors
Integrated Marketing Communications
Designing all communications & promotional activities to provide a synergistic, consistent message across all media and events to the selected target segments
Strategic analysis, choice, implementation and control of communications elements that effectively & efficiently influence transactions between an organization and its clients & customers, both current and potential
Why Integrated Marketing Communications?
Because consumers dont distinguish between messages from different sources in their minds, all messages about an organization or a brand coalesce to form one image, one perception
Integrated Marketing Communications is a way of looking at the whole marketing process from the viewpoint of the receiver
Philip Kotler
Major Modes of Marketing Communications
Communications Mix Elements
Any paid form of non-personal presentation of goods, services or ideas by an identified sponsor
Advertising
1 Incentives (usually short term) to encourage trial or purchase of any product 2 Marketing activities that add to the basic (or perceived) value of a product for a limited time and thus directly stimulate customer purchases
Sales Promotions
Publicity and Public Relations
Variety of programmes designed to promote or protect a companys image or that of its individual products Also termed Marketing Public Relations
Face to face interaction with customer(s) to make presentations, answer questions, procure orders
Personal Selling
1 Using media to communicate directly with, or obtaining response from, specific customers and prospects 2 Interactive system of marketing using one or more advertising media to effect a measurable response or transaction at any location
Direct Marketing Association, UK
Direct Marketing
Event Sponsorships
A promotional occasion designed to attract and involve the brands target segments
Other Techniques
1. 2.
3.
4. 5. 6.
Interactive & Social Marketing Packaging Exhibitions / Trade Fairs Word-of-mouth POP and Merchandising Corporate Identity
Changing Role of Communications Mix Elements at different stages of the PLC
Launch: all feasible elements / activities Early growth: advertising mainly Rapid growth: mainly advertising with sales
promotions as tactical tool Late growth: more emphasis on sales promotions, advertising less important Maturity: similar Decline: ?
Types of Advertising
Informative: launch / pioneering stage,
to create awareness, build generic demand
Persuasive: competitive / growth stage,
to build selective demand for brand
Reminder: at maturity, to maintain
market shares / volumes
Reinforcement: to reduce cognitive dissonance
Marketing Communications
Eight steps towards Developing Effective Communications
1 Identifying Target Segments
Who? Individuals / Groups? Users / Buyers /
Influencers / Deciders?
Target profile: demographic, psychographic,
behavioural etc
Audience analysis & research: to assess
audience knowledge of company / brands and identify relevant dimensions
2 Determining Communications Objectives
Three types
Sales based Behaviour based
Communications effects based
Type of response
Cognitive impart knowledge to prospect Affective change attitude / mind set Behavioural encourage / initiate action
Consumer Response Models
3 Designing the Message
What to say message content
How to say it logically message structure
How to say it symbolically message format Who should say it message source
Simple messages tend to work well
Message Content
Types of appeals
Rational directed at self interest, claim to provide
benefits; features, competitive advantage, price, news, popularity, solutions to problems
Emotional stir up positive / negative feelings or
sentiments; joy, happiness, pride, ambition, love
Moral appeals based on what is right / proper,
useful for social causes
4 Selecting Channels of Communication
Optimizing cost efficiency, while giving the
required level of exposure of the message to selected target segments
Matching media habits of target segments
to channel & vehicle characteristics
Personal vs impersonal channels
5 Establishing the Budget
Difficult process!
From 1% or less of revenue to 30-40%
Affordable method
Percentage of sales method Competitive parity method
Objective & Task method
6 Determining Communications Mix
Consider and analyse
Product and Market factors Push vs Pull strategy State of Buyer readiness Product Life Cycle stage Characteristics of each of the modes
of marketing communications
7 Measuring Results
Evaluation essential to justify activity
Link to cognitive / affective / behavioural stage
as appropriate
8 Managing the Communications Process
Integration of people and other resources Adapting / changing perspectives with sweeping
changes in market characteristics
Using new tools / techniques / approaches
