imc business plan video

Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy Plan: 5 Examples

Table of Contents

What is a marketing communications strategy, what is a marketing communication channel, 5 steps to create an integrated marketing communication strategy from idea to implementation.

• Defining Objectives and Target Audience
• Selecting Communication Channels
• Crafting Consistent Messaging
• Implementation and Evaluation
• Refinement and Adaptation

Marketing Communication Strategies Examples

Advertising in integrated marketing communication strategy, direct marketing communication strategy in imc, importance of marketing communication strategy, conclusions.

In today’s hyper-connected world, a robust marketing communication strategy is paramount for any brand aiming to cut through the noise and reach its audience effectively. One of the most powerful approaches in this realm is Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). Let’s delve into this strategy and explore its importance, examples, and the steps to create a winning IMC plan.

At its core, a marketing communications strategy is the blueprint that defines how a company will effectively communicate its messages to its target audience. It integrates various marketing channels to convey a cohesive brand message.

“A marketing communication strategy defines how a company communicates its messages. Channels, like TV or social media, deliver these messages.”

A marketing communication channel refers to the specific mediums or avenues through which a company delivers its messages to its audience. These channels can be diverse, encompassing both traditional and digital platforms. Traditional channels include print media, television, radio, and direct mail, while digital channels comprise websites, social media platforms, email, mobile apps, and search engines.

Crafting a robust channel of communication within a marketing strategy involves a meticulous selection process. It’s imperative to identify the most effective channels that resonate with the target demographic. A channel that works wonders for one brand might not yield the same results for another. Hence, understanding audience preferences, behaviors, and consumption patterns is crucial in channel selection.

A well-thought-out communication marketing strategy carefully selects and optimizes these channels to ensure the message reaches the right audience at the right time. The strategy might involve a blend of various channels, creating an omnichannel experience for the audience, thereby enhancing brand visibility and engagement.

Moreover, an effective communication marketing strategy doesn’t merely focus on the selection of channels but also emphasizes the synchronization and consistency of messaging across these channels. Consistency in brand voice, tone, and message across various communication channels reinforces brand identity and fosters trust among consumers.

By leveraging an appropriate mix of communication channels and aligning them within a cohesive strategy, businesses can effectively engage with their audience, amplify brand messages, and drive desired actions, ultimately contributing to their overall marketing objectives.

• Defining Objectives and Target Audience : Understand the marketing communication strategy goals and the audience to tailor messages effectively.
• Selecting Communication Channels : Choose the mix of channels that align with the audience’s preferences.
• Crafting Consistent Messaging : Ensure the message remains cohesive across all selected channels.
• Implementation and Evaluation : Execute the plan and continuously assess its effectiveness to make necessary adjustments.
• Refinement and Adaptation: Stay agile and adapt the strategy based on insights gained through evaluation.

Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy combines various strategies for all marketing communication channels with IMC tactics into an omnichannel comprehensive marketing plan.</з>

The five main components of Marketing Communication include: advertising to deliver mass media communication ad messages, direct marketing for individual personalized communications, public relations (PR) for brand communications and relationships with community, online digital marketing, and offline traditional media marketing communications. Each of these components is an independent marketing strategy and a part of the overall marketing strategy. Here are these top 5 marketing communication strategy examples.</з>

Traditional and digital yet impactful, advertising remains a cornerstone of IMC. It involves strategically placing messages through various mediums to reach the intended audience. Advertising campaigns are paid media buying. Ad is a message or message sequence shown to many peaple many times at a specific time and place. Advertising strategy includes defining target audience, choosing media placement, calculating budgets and media reach, creating ad copy, launching ad campaigns, and analyzing results, and adjusting strategy. </з>

• Advertising Communication Strategy Examples
• Goal: Increase sales of retail products, new cellphone models.
• Online Advertising Strategy Plan Example
• Target Audience: people who are interested in buying a new smartphone online.
• Digital Channel: Online ads on Instagram and Facebook 
• Placement: NewsFeed Post and Stories
• Budget: $1000
• Potential Reach: 100,000 
• Interaction Clicks: 1000
• Message: Text + Image + Link 
• Traditional Advertising Strategy Plan Example
• Target Audience: people who are interested in tech and smartphones.
• Traditional Channel: Print ad in Tech Magazine
• Placement: Half Page
• Potential Reach: 50,000 
• Customer Interactions: undefined
• Message: Text + Image 

Direct marketing involves personalized communication with potential customers, utilizing channels like personal conversations, direct sales, phone calls, emails, text messages, or targeted QR codes. Direct marketing is also known as

One-to-One Marketing or Real-Time Marketing

communications. Utilizing tools like ClearLine apps can streamline and enhance this process, ensuring seamless communication with the audience, delivering instant measurable results for any direct to consumer business.

• Direct Marketing Strategy Example
• Target Audience: store visitors who are interested in buying a new smartphone.
• Channel: ClearLine marketing apps
• Placement: text messages, SMS, email, QR codes. 
• Budget: $79
• Customer Interactions: 1000

Public Relations Content Marketing and Global PR Campaigns

Public relations focus on managing the brand’s image and reputation. Content marketing and global PR campaigns play a crucial role in shaping consumer perception.

• Public Relations Strategy Example
• Blog posts and social media marketing
• Press Release for news media
• Media production and video content
• Brand marketing campaigns
• Social listening
• Influencer Marketing
• User Generated Content 
• Events and Sponsorships
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Community Outreach and Supporting Programs
• Investors relations
• Government relations

Digital Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy

In the digital age, this strategy leverages online platforms and technologies to connect with audiences, utilizing social media, websites, and targeted digital ads. Digital marketing communication strategy includes Advertising, Direct marketing, and Public relations campaigns using digital media.

Digital Marketing Communication Strategy Example

• Online Advertising, pay per click (PPC)
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Paid Social Media
• Social Media Marketing (SMM)
• Affiliate Marketing
• Email Marketing
• SMS Marketing
• QR Code Marketing

Traditional Marketing Communication Channel

Despite the digital surge, traditional methods like TV, radio, and print ads still hold sway in reaching specific demographics effectively. Traditional marketing communication strategy includes Advertising, Direct marketing, and Public relations campaigns using traditional media.

• Out of Home Advertising (OOH). Billboards, transport ads, and signage in high-traffic areas. 
• Digital Out-of-Home Advertising (DOOH). Digital Signature, digital billboards, transport screen ads, kiosk ads.
• Print ads: magazines, journals, fliers.
• Broadcast marketing: TV ads, Radio ads.

A robust marketing communication strategy is vital for businesses to convey their message clearly, consistently, and effectively. Understanding the marketing communication mix is crucial. A balanced combination of advertising, direct marketing, PR, digital marketing, and traditional media ensures a comprehensive approach.

In a dynamic marketing landscape, an Integrated Marketing Communication strategy is the linchpin for brands aiming to resonate with their audience. By embracing diverse channels, crafting compelling messages, and adapting to changing trends, businesses can carve a path towards sustained success.

13.4 Steps in the IMC Planning Process

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• 1 List the steps in the IMC planning process.
• 2 Summarize the details of each step in IMC planning.

Identify the Target Audience

All successful IMC campaigns start with a good foundation and a carefully written and executed plan. Every step in the marketing process should be driven by research; the same is true for the IMC planning process (see Figure 13.9 ).

Understanding the audience is integral to creating an effective IMC campaign. Using a variety of tools, marketers are able to identify the target audience. The more that is known about the target audience, the higher the likelihood is of making sure the message is coded correctly and the right medium for effective encoding and reduced noise is chosen.

Marketers employ many tools to understand the target audience. Both primary and secondary marketing research can provide significant insights. A clear understanding of the consumer allows the marketer to create messages that resonate with the needs and wants of the target audience.

Determine the Marketing Communications Objectives

Marketing campaigns must start with clear objectives. Objectives define what needs to be done, and they help to keep the strategy and tactics clearly aligned. Good objectives will help marketers create cohesive messaging across all the promotional mix methods. Objectives need to be simple, and they should be written in such a way that they provide opportunity for analysis. If done correctly, marketers should be able to analyze if the messaging and the medium are working. When creating objectives, follow the SMART guidelines: simple, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound.

The 5A Framework

The 5A framework is the map of the customer’s needs. Through the 5A framework (see Figure 13.10 ), marketers create messaging that moves the customer through the funnel, or customer journey with the brand. The 5As provide the marketer with clear steps on the role of the messaging at each step of the framework.

Let’s look at the five steps of the 5A framework in more detail:

When Angel Johnson launched her activewear company ICONI , she needed to stand out from more popular and well-funded activewear brands. As a Black woman–owned business, Angel wanted to appeal to other women, many of whom needed different types of activewear. Angel found success in creating awareness through running ads on Amazon , where customers could easily find and purchase her products. 17

• Appeal: After becoming aware that a product exists, the consumer must gain some understanding of what the product can do for them. If the benefits are favorable for the consumer, they may put it in their consideration set of things that appeal to them.
• Ask: After the appeal stage, the consumer may become motivated to actively seek out information about the product. When the consumer asks the company about the product, they have opened the channels of communication. This is part of the feedback loop. Methods of asking include the consumer engaging online through a chatbot or a contact form or by calling a listed phone number.
• Act: Further down the customer journey funnel, if the customer has received information and they feel it is favorable, then they will act. The action can be to either purchase the product or not purchase the product. Either form of action must be evaluated by the marketing team. The marketer can determine if the messaging created a favorable or unfavorable reaction and then modify the messaging for the segment that acted not to buy the product.
• Advocacy: At the bottom of the funnel is the marketer’s holy grail—the consumer becomes a loyal customer. The marketer can begin to calculate lifetime value, but most importantly the consumer becomes an advocate for the product. Through their advocacy, the consumer provides positive word of mouth and encourages purchase by other consumers.

Design the Message

A key element of integrated marketing communications is creating the message. Messages are designed to fulfill the established objectives. Depending upon the objective and the desired action of the consumer, the marketer may create the message to meet the various stages in the customer journey and have a call to action.

The biggest part of the message design is the content of the message. To move the consumer to the point where they act, marketers have at their disposal various forms of appeal. The appeal is the approach used to attract the attention of the target audience or to persuade it to take action.

Create the Message Content

When creating the message, the marketer has to consider not only the stage of the customer journey, but the product’s features and benefits as well. Other factors to consider in the message content include the media and the traits and characteristics of the target market. All of the segmentation bases should be considered when creating the appeal.

Rational Appeals

When Toyota advertises the features of alternative-fuel vehicles and tells the consumer how those features benefit them, it is creating a rational appeal (see Figure 13.11 ). Rational appeals prompt the consumer to make the choice for the product because of all the ways they will benefit from using it.

Emotional Appeals

Consumers have a wide variety of emotions. Advertising messages can play to all those emotions. A few of the typical emotional appeals include happiness, fear, trust, sadness, anger, and guilt. It can be quite effective to create fear if the customer doesn’t purchase the product. Some examples of common fear appeals include skin care products and the fear of the effects of aging on skin. Vitamins and supplements use the fear of being unhealthy. And automobiles promote the fear of not being safe in a crash unless you drive a certain brand with a good crash-test rating.

Link to Learning

Happiness campaign.

Coca-Cola (see Figure 13.12 ) wanted to associate drinking a Coke with being happy and created a whole campaign on the emotion of happiness. Everything in the campaign was focused on drinking Coke and choosing to be happy. They created the #choosehappiness hashtag to be used in their social and digital promotions. Consumers would include their pictures drinking a Coke with friends and add #choosehappiness. Check out this commercial from the campaign.

Public health campaigns often rely on fear appeals (see Figure 13.13 ). If you continue a behavior there may well be negative consequences, which can arouse fear in the consumer. These campaigns seek to change behavior through fear. Fear appeals can be very effective in some circumstances.

Moral Appeals

A moral appeal pushes the consumer to want the product because of a sense of morality or social good (see Figure 13.14 ). The messaging may encourage the consumer to do the “right thing.” If they don’t do what is being asked of them, the situation will get worse.

Message Structure

Promotional messages generally have common elements, which include a slogan, the text or content, and the graphics. The graphics can include photos and brand identification. Messages can tell stories with words or lead the audience to their own conclusion based on the graphics.

When Apple first promoted its iPod, the company used the imagery of a very colorful background, a completely black silhouette, and the stark contrast of the all-white iPod with white headphones. The graphic alone conveyed the message that the iPod would allow consumers to “jam” to their own tunes through this new device.

Message Format

The format of the message depends largely on the media being used to send the message. For example, a television ad combines sight and sound, while radio is reliant only on sound. The same is true for print, billboards, and various digital campaigns. Formatting the message needs to take into consideration the target market as well as the medium of the message.

Determine the Budget

Promotional budgets are determined based on many variables. In developing the promotional budget, it is important to consider where the consumer is in their journey. Additional considerations include the current level of brand awareness for the product, accessibility of the target market, creation of the promotion, and specific media under consideration. There are several commonly used methods of creating promotional budgets.

• Objective and Task: This is perhaps the best method but is often used the least. With objective and task, the marketer determines the objectives of the IMC campaign and what tasks need to be done in order to complete the objectives. The tasks are priced, and the level of reach (number of consumers who will see the message) and the frequency (the number of times the consumer will see the message) are estimated. Based on the tasks necessary to achieve the campaign objectives, the budget is established.
• Top Down: With a top-down budgeting approach, the IMC campaign budget is issued from the operating budget based on input from the executives responsible for setting the budgets. While this method takes into consideration the overall organization, it pays little heed to the needs of the specific campaign.
• Percent of Sales: While personal selling is one of the methods included in the promotional mix, it is not the only method. A percent-of-sales approach attributes sales to all the functions of marketing. Generally, an organization may provide an arbitrary percent of overall sales as the total budget for the marketing promotions. Because many issues affect the sale of a product, it is difficult to make sales the only determinant of the marketing activities and the promotional methods.
• Affordable: The affordable method allocates only the amount of money the company can provide to a marketing budget. This method does not create a mindset of growth within the organization. A robust marketing strategy is focused on the growth of the organization. Affordable only provides for what is left over after all the other expenses have been allocated.
• Competitive Parity: If you were to look at the advertising budgets of competitors in the same industry, you might very likely see that they are spending similar amounts on a very similar promotional mix. Companies of every size closely monitor the promotional activities of their competitors. With the competitive parity method of budgeting, the allocations essentially mirror whatever the closest competitor is spending on promotions. This method of budgeting doesn’t allow for increased market share.

Develop Strategies and Tactics

The promotional strategies include the promotional methods the marketer chooses in order to achieve the objectives. Within the promotional methods, the tactics are the specifics the marketer must use to achieve the objectives. For example, if Panera Bread wants a 10 percent increase in brand awareness for its decorated Christmas sugar cookies from November 26 to December 30, it may choose to use the following strategy and corresponding tactics:

A strategy might be to create an Internet/digital messaging campaign focused on creating awareness with a message to try the Panera Christmas sugar cookies for a limited time. The tactics might then be developed as follows:

• Develop push ads through the Panera Bread mobile app
• Publish pop-up banner ads through Google
• Post campaign messages in Instagram
• Post campaign messages in Facebook

Select the Promotional Tools

The marketer must decide on the mix of promotional tools based on the established marketing objectives. Choosing the mix of promotional methods is also primarily dependent on the consumer and how best to reach them.

When Timmy Global Health , a not-for-profit organization, wanted to do an end-of-year fundraising ask, it chose to reach its donor base through direct mail. The organization chose an email campaign for the segment of its market that is responsive to email and has an email address in the CRM system. For a small segment of its market, those who are older and not responsive to digital marketing, it chose to do a direct mail campaign with a postcard mailed through the US Postal Service . 18

Direct Mail Examples

There are hundreds of examples where companies have used direct mail campaigns in their promotional mix. Check out some of the best as referenced in this article .

Designing the Promotion

In considering the target market and the message to send, the marketer must think of the desired response. Three important issues arise in the design of the promotion: what to say (message), how to say it (creative), and who should say it (source). This leads the marketer to the overall message strategy, which will look at the appeal as it relates to the brand positioning. A marketer will consider the following in designing a promotion:

• Message Strategy: A good message strategy must tie the brand to the target audience. What will appeal to them? What action do you want them to take? How does the brand positioning need to be portrayed? The marketer may choose to highlight how the product compares to the competition (points of parity), or the marketer may choose to focus on how the product is different (points of difference). In doing so, it is important to showcase the product or service through the value it will bring to the target market. Ultimately, the customer wants to know “What’s in it for me?”
• Creative Strategy: Through a creative strategy , the marketer is able to translate their message into words, images, and sounds. If the message and the creative do not match up, the communication objectives may miss their mark. The creative strategy helps the marketer cut through the clutter and get the attention of the target audience. A properly done creative strategy serves as the guiding principles to develop good content.

Personal communication channels can include social networks like friends, family, and neighbors. They can also include paid or unpaid experts and even the company’s own sales force. Nonpersonal communication channels include everything from television and radio to billboards and direct mail.

In designing the promotion, the marketer can mix and match the message, creative, and communication strategies until they have the right combination to execute on their objectives and connect with the target market.

For example, when World Food Championships wanted to reach home cooks, professional chefs, and aspiring chefs to participate in its Food Sport events, it enticed them with the opportunity for a big payout in winnings. And it created a connection with them through smaller local qualifying events. When the winners of smaller events received a Golden Ticket to compete, they were instantly excited. Then they realized the competition would allow them to meet with even bigger food celebrities and increase their chances of television fame (see Figure 13.15 ).

Scheduling the Promotion

Knowing when to promote and how often to promote is a critical juncture in the promotional process. For scheduling purposes, it is important to understand the complexity of the message and the medium or channel for delivery. If the average of 5,000 promotional messages a day is correct, the consumer will need to see a message many times in order to become aware and act. To move them down through the customer journey, the message has to cut through the clutter and stick.

Reach is the number of consumers who will be exposed to the promotional message at any given time. Frequency is the number of times the consumer will be exposed to the message. Using the combination of reach times frequency, the marketer is able to determine the promotional schedule. Marketers typically work to create promotional schedules that optimize the exposure to the target market. Once again, we see that having extensive knowledge of the target market is critical to creating effective campaigns. There are three promotional schedules a marketer may consider:

• Continuous: With a continuous promotional schedule , the marketer will conduct the promotion year-round on a very regular schedule. Consumers will continuously see the ads.
• Flighting : Through a flighting promotional schedule , the marketer will run a period of heavy promotions and then go for a period of time without any promotional messaging. The idea is to give the target market a break and avoid potential wear-out of the message.
• Pulsing: If you see promotions on a regular basis and then suddenly you see them a lot during certain seasons, the sender is using a pulsing schedule .

For example, let’s consider the television commercial for MyPillow . Throughout a broadcast, the MyPillow commercial plays two or three times. The commercial plays every night on one broadcast station. However, during holiday seasons, the commercial plays more often. The commercial is often accompanied by a special code. With the code, viewers can receive a discount on the pillows. The viewer gets a discount, and MyPillow receives analytics to determine if its budget for this commercial television time is effective. In this example, MyPillow is utilizing a pulsing schedule for its promotional efforts.

Evaluate and Measure the Objectives

Before starting a promotional campaign, marketers must establish objectives. Including measurable and time-bound objectives is important. The marketer must evaluate the campaign on a continual basis to ensure that every element in the campaign is working to achieve the objective. Measuring and evaluating the campaign on a continual basis allows the marketer to evaluate the elements and make changes. Typically, objectives also have financial accountability. Changing elements of a campaign avoids overspending on components that are not working to meet the objectives.

Some common key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating promotional campaigns include the following:

• return on investment
• cost per lead
• cost per sale

Digital promotional campaigns allow marketers to track many analytics in real time and have the ability to make changes to the campaign in real time. The advantages of digital media include a host of valuable analytics, such as the following:

• website traffic
• bounce rate
• conversion rate
• impressions
• cost per click

Marketing Dashboard

IMC is centered on data-driven decision-making to drive organizational value. So it’s no surprise that the founder of IMC, Don Schultz , determined a way to measure IMC campaigns. Schultz calls this metric return on customer investment (ROCI) . ROCI is a marginal analysis that shows the efficiency of marketing communications spending. We often think of effectiveness as the key measure of a campaign’s success. But equally important is the efficiency of how we spend resources. We should consider how hard our resource works for us.

We should also be concerned about how well our investment does in the short term and the long term. After all, we are trying to build financial returns for our organizations. ROCI looks at short- and long-term value by considering the change in profitability and value during the period and overall.

IMC considers all aspects of the marketing communications relationship, not just a single campaign. The ROCI metric looks at how revenue grows over time and not just in response to one action.

The formula for ROCI is as follows:

Let’s say we own an ice cream shop and we are interested in the efficiency of our recent IMC campaign. So, we decide to conduct an ROCI calculation for an average customer using the following data. What is the ROCI?

Last period, the ROCI was $37.50. What factors might impact the change from the previous period to this period?

ROCI considers all aspects of the IMC relationship, so as the relationship grows, the ROCI does as well.

What is the value of the ROCI calculation?

It determines the marketing communication campaigns that yield the most profitable customers.

Don Schultz

Hear from Dr. Schultz directly about IMC trends in this video.

Knowledge Check

It’s time to check your knowledge on the concepts presented in this section. Refer to the Answer Key at the end of the book for feedback.

• determine the objectives
• determine the budget
• identify the target audience
• select the promotional tools
• Objective and task
• Competitive parity
• Percent of sales

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/1-unit-introduction

• Authors: Dr. Maria Gomez Albrecht, Dr. Mark Green, Linda Hoffman
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Principles of Marketing
• Publication date: Jan 25, 2023
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/1-unit-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/13-4-steps-in-the-imc-planning-process

© Jan 9, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

IMC Plan Template

What is an IMC Plan?

An Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan is a strategy used to ensure that all forms of communications and messages are unified across all channels and are consistent in terms of messaging. It is a holistic approach that combines all aspects of marketing communications such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and online marketing, to create a single, unified brand image for a product or service.

What's included in this IMC Plan template?

• 3 focus areas
• 6 objectives

Each focus area has its own objectives, projects, and KPIs to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive and effective.

Who is the IMC Plan template for?

This IMC Plan template is designed for marketing and communication teams in all industries. It provides a comprehensive framework to create an integrated marketing communication plan that is tailored to the specific goals and objectives of the organization.

1. Define clear examples of your focus areas

The first step in creating an effective IMC plan is to define clear focus areas. A focus area is a broad area of focus that is related to your overall marketing objectives. Examples of strategic focus areas that could fall under a IMC Plan could be: Increase Digital Presence, Enhance Brand Image, and Increase Revenue .

2. Think about the objectives that could fall under that focus area

Once you have identified your focus areas, you should think about the objectives that could fall under each focus area. An objective is a measurable goal that you are trying to achieve. For example, if your focus area is increasing digital presence, your objectives may include growing social media followers and increasing website traffic.

3. Set measurable targets (KPIs) to tackle the objective

Once you have identified your objectives, you should set measurable targets or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track your progress. A KPI is a metric that you can use to measure your progress towards achieving your objectives. For example, if your objective is to increase website visits, you could set a KPI of increasing website visits by 20%.

4. Implement related projects to achieve the KPIs

Once you have set your KPIs, you should implement related projects or actions to achieve them. An action is an activity that you can take to achieve your objectives. For example, if your objective is to increase website visits, you could launch an SEO and Adwords campaign.

5. Utilize Cascade Strategy Execution Platform to see faster results from your strategy

Cascade Strategy Execution Platform is a powerful tool for implementing your strategic plans. It provides an easy-to-use interface for setting objectives and tracking the progress of your plan. With Cascade, you can track your progress in real-time and make adjustments quickly to ensure you are meeting your objectives.

Chapter 14: Marketing Mix

Promotion: integrated marketing communication (imc).

Learning Outcomes

• Explain integrated marketing communication (IMC)
• Explain the promotion mix
• Describe common marketing communication methods, including their advantages and disadvantages
• Explain how organizations use IMC to support their marketing strategies

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Definition

Imc: making an impact with marketing communication.

Having a great product available to your customers at a great price does absolutely nothing for you if your customers don’t know about it. That’s where promotion enters the picture: it does the job of connecting with your target audiences and communicating what you can offer them.

In today’s marketing environment, promotion involves  integrated marketing communication  (IMC).  In a nutshell, IMC involves bringing together a variety of different communication tools to deliver a common message and make a desired impact on customers’ perceptions and behavior. As an experienced consumer in the English-speaking world, you have almost certainly been the target of IMC a ctivities. (Practically every time you “like” a TV show, article, or a meme on Facebook, you are participating in an IMC effort!) 

What Is Marketing Communication?

Defining marketing communication is tricky because, in a real sense, everything an organization does has communication potential. The price placed on a product communicates something very specific about the product. A company that chooses to distribute its products strictly through discount stores sends a distinct message to the market. Marketing communication refers to activities deliberately focused on promoting an offering among target audiences. The following definition helps to clarify this term:

Marketing communication includes all the messages, media, and activities used by an organization to communicate with the market and help persuade target audiences to accept its messages and take action accordingly.

Integrated marketing communication is the the process of coordinating all this activity across different communication methods. Note that a central theme of this definition is persuasion : persuading people to believe something, to desire something, and/or to do something. Effective marketing communication is goal directed, and it is aligned with an organization’s marketing strategy. It aims to deliver a particular message to a specific audience with a targeted purpose of altering perceptions and/or behavior. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) makes this marketing activity more efficient and effective because it relies on multiple communication methods and customer touch points to deliver a consistent message in more ways and in more compelling ways.

The Promotion Mix: Marketing Communication Methods

The promotion mix refers to how marketers combine a range of marketing communication methods to execute their marketing activities. Different methods of marketing communication have distinct advantages and complexities, and it requires skill and experience to deploy them effectively. Not surprisingly, marketing communication methods evolve over time as new communication tools and capabilities become available to marketers and the people they target.

Seven common methods of marketing communication are described below:

• Advertising: Any paid form of presenting ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. Historically, advertising messages have been tailored to a group and employ mass media such as radio, television, newspaper, and magazines. Advertising may also target individuals according to their profile characteristics or behavior; examples are the weekly ads mailed by supermarkets to local residents or online banner ads targeted to individuals based on the sites they visit or their Internet search terms.
• Public relations (PR): The purpose of public relations is to create goodwill between an organization (or the things it promotes) and the “public” or target segments it is trying to reach. This happens through unpaid or earned promotional opportunities: articles, press and media coverage, winning awards, giving presentations at conferences and events, and otherwise getting favorable attention through vehicles not paid for by the sponsor. Although organizations earn rather than pay for the PR attention they receive, they may spend significant resources on the activities, events, and people who generate this attention.
• Personal selling: Personal selling uses people to develop relationships with target audiences for the purpose of selling products and services. Personal selling puts an emphasis on face-to-face interaction, understanding the customer’s needs, and demonstrating how the product or service provides value.
• Sales promotion: Sales promotions are marketing activities that aim to temporarily boost sales of a product or service by adding to the basic value offered, such as “buy one get one free” offers to consumers or “buy twelve cases and get a 10 percent discount” to wholesalers, retailers, or distributors.
• Direct marketing: This method aims to sell products or services directly to consumers rather than going through retailer. Catalogs, telemarketing, mailed brochures, or promotional materials and television home shopping channels are all common traditional direct marketing tools. Email and mobile marketing are two next-generation direct marketing channels.
• Digital marketing: Digital marketing covers a lot of ground, from Web sites to search-engine, content, and social media marketing. Digital marketing tools and techniques evolve rapidly with technological advances, but this umbrella term covers all of the ways in which digital technologies are used to market and sell organizations, products, services, ideas, and experiences.
• Guerrilla marketing: This newer category of marketing communication involves unconventional, innovative, and usually low-cost marketing tactics to engage consumers in the marketing activity, generate attention and achieve maximum exposure for an organization, its products, and/or services. Generally guerrilla marketing is experiential: it creates a novel situation or memorable experience consumers connect to a product or brand.

Guerrilla marketing: a lamppost transformed into a McDonald’s coffeepot. Source: http://janjan-design.blogspot.com/2012/06/im-loving-it.html

Most marketing initiatives today incorporate multiple methods: hence the need for IMC. Each of these marketing communication methods will be discussed in further detail later in this chapter.

The Objectives of Marketing Communication

The basic objectives of all marketing communication methods are (1) to communicate, (2) to compete, and (3) to convince. In order to be effective, organizations should ensure that whatever information they communicate is clear, accurate, truthful, and useful to the stakeholders involved. In fact, being truthful and accurate in marketing communications is more than a matter of integrity; it’s also a matter of legality, since fraudulent marketing communications can end in lawsuits and even the criminal justice system.

Marketing communication is key to competing effectively, particularly in markets where competitors sell essentially the same product at the same price in the same outlets. Only through marketing communications may an organization find ways to appeal to certain segments, differentiate its product, and create enduring brand loyalty. Remaining more appealing or convincing than competitors’ messages is an ongoing challenge.

Ideally, marketing communication is convincing: it should present ideas, products, or services in such a compelling way that target segments are led to take a desired action. The ability to persuade and convince is essential to winning new business, but it may also be necessary to reconvince and retain many consumers and customers. Just because a customer buys a particular brand once or a dozen times, or even for a dozen years, there is no guarantee that the person will stick with the original product. That is why marketers want to make sure he or she is constantly reminded of the product’s unique benefits.

Marketing Campaigns and IMC

The marketing campaign.

Determining which marketing communication methods and tools to use and how best to combine them is a challenge for any marketer planning a promotional strategy. To aid the planning process, marketing managers often use a campaign approach.  A campaign is a planned, coordinated series of marketing communication efforts built around a single theme or idea and designed to reach a particular goal. For years, the term “campaign” has been used in connection with advertising, and this term applies equally well to the entire IMC program.

Organizations may conduct many types of IMC campaigns, and several may be run concurrently. Geographically, a firm may have a local, regional, or national campaign, depending upon the available funds, objectives, and market scope. One campaign may be aimed at consumers and another at wholesalers and retailers. Different marketing campaigns might target different segments simultaneously, delivering messages and using communication tools tailored to each segment. Marketers use a marketing plan (sometimes called an IMC plan) to track and execute a set of campaigns over a given period of time.

A campaign revolves around a theme, a central idea, focal point, or purpose. This theme permeates all IMC efforts and works to unify the campaign. The theme may refer to the campaign’s goals—for example, KCRW “Capital Campaign” launched by the popular Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW to raise $48 million to build a new state-of-the-art media facility for its operations. The theme may also refer to the shift in customer attitudes or behavior that a campaign focuses on—such as new-member campaigns launched by numerous member organizations, from professional associations to school parent-teacher organizations. A theme might take the form of a slogan, such as Coca-Cola’s “Taste the Feeling” campaign or DeBeers’ “A diamond is forever.”

Marketing campaigns may also adopt themes that refer to a stage in the product life cycle, such as McDonald’s 2015 “All-Day Breakfast” rollout campaign. Some organizations use the same theme for several campaigns; others develop a different theme for each new campaign.

In a successfully operated campaign, all activities will be well coordinated to build on one another and increase the overall impact. For example, a single campaign might include:

• Advertising: A series of related, well-timed, carefully placed television ads coupled with print advertising in selected magazines and newspapers
• Direct marketing:  Direct-to-consumer mail pieces sent to target segments in selected geographic areas, reinforcing the messages from the ads
• Personal selling:  Preparation for customer sales representatives about the campaign to equip them to explain and demonstrate the product benefits stressed in advertising
• Sales promotions: In-store display materials reflecting the same messages and design as the ads, emphasizing point-of-sale impact
• Digital marketing: Promotional information on the organization’s Web site that reflects the same messages, design, and offers reflected in the ads; ads themselves may be posted on the Website, YouTube, Facebook, and shared in other social media
• Public relations: A press release announcing something newsworthy in connection to the campaign focus, objectives, and target segment(s)

For each IMC campaign, new display materials must be prepared, all reflecting common objectives, messages, design, and other elements to maximize the campaign’s impact.

People responsible for the physical delivery of the products or services must ensure that the distribution points are well stocked and equipped to deliver in all outlets prior to the start of the campaign. People managing public and media relations should be constantly kept aware of marketing planning, allowing them to identify and coordinate opportunities for earned media attention. Because public relations deals with media, conference/event organizers, and other stakeholders outside the organization, it is extremely important to give enough lead time for the public relations effort to take advantage of optimal timing in support of the overall campaign.

Advertising

Pay to play.

A 1900 advertisement for Pears soap.

Advertising is any paid form of communication from an identified sponsor or source that draws attention to ideas, goods, services or the sponsor itself. Most advertising is directed toward groups rather than individuals, and advertising is usually delivered through media such as television, radio, newspapers and, increasingly, the Internet. Ads are often measured in impressions (the number of times a consumer is exposed to an advertisement).

Advertising is a very old form of promotion with roots that go back even to ancient times. In recent decades, the practices of advertising have changed enormously as new technology and media have allowed consumers to bypass traditional advertising venues. From the invention of the remote control, which allows people to ignore advertising on TV without leaving the couch, to recording devices that let people watch TV programs but skip the ads, conventional advertising is on the wane. Across the board, television viewership has fragmented, and ratings have fallen.

Print media are also in decline, with fewer people subscribing to newspapers and other print media and more people favoring digital sources for news and entertainment. Newspaper advertising revenue has declined steadily since 2000. [2]  Advertising revenue in television is also soft, and it is split across a growing number of broadcast and cable networks. Clearly companies need to move beyond traditional advertising channels to reach consumers. Digital media outlets have happily stepped in to fill this gap. Despite this changing landscape, for many companies advertising remains at the forefront of how they deliver the proper message to customers and prospective customers.

The Purpose of Advertising

Advertising has three primary objectives: to inform, to persuade, and to remind.

• Informative Advertising  creates awareness of brands, products, services, and ideas. It announces new products and programs and can educate people about the attributes and benefits of new or established products.
• Persuasive Advertising tries to convince customers that a company’s services or products are the best, and it works to alter perceptions and enhance the image of a company or product. Its goal is to influence consumers to take action and switch brands, try a new product, or remain loyal to a current brand.
• Reminder Advertising  reminds people about the need for a product or service, or the features and benefits it will provide when they purchase promptly.

Left: Informative Advertising Right: Persuasive Advertising

Reminder Advertising

When people think of advertising, often product-focused advertisements are top of mind—i.e., ads that promote an organization’s goods or services. Institutional advertising  goes beyond products to promote organizations, issues, places, events, and political figures.  Public service announcements (PSAs) are a category of institutional advertising focused on social-welfare issues such as drunk driving, drug use, and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Usually PSAs are sponsored by nonprofit organizations and government agencies with a vested interest in the causes they promote.

Public Service Announcement (PSA)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising

As a method of marketing communication, advertising has both advantages and disadvantages. In terms of advantages, advertising creates a sense of credibility or legitimacy when an organization invests in presenting itself and its products in a public forum. Ads can convey a sense of quality and permanence, the idea that a company isn’t some fly-by-night venture. Advertising allows marketers to repeat a message at intervals selected strategically. Repetition makes it more likely that the target audience will see and recall a message, which improves awareness-building results. Advertising can generate drama and human interest by featuring people and situations that are exciting or engaging. It can introduce emotions, images, and symbols that stimulate desire, and it can show how a product or brand compares favorably to competitors. Finally, advertising is an excellent vehicle for brand building, as it can create rational and emotional connections with a company or offering that translate into goodwill. As advertising becomes more sophisticated with digital media, it is a powerful tool for tracking consumer behaviors, interests, and preferences, allowing advertisers to better tailor content and offers to individual consumers. Through the power of digital media, memorable or entertaining advertising can be shared between friends and go viral—and viewer impressions skyrocket.

The primary disadvantage of advertising is cost. Marketers question whether this communication method is really cost-effective at reaching large groups. Of course, costs vary depending on the medium, with television ads being very expensive to produce and place. In contrast, print and digital ads tend to be much less expensive. Along with cost is the question of how many people an advertisement actually reaches. Ads are easily tuned out in today’s crowded media marketplace. Even ads that initially grab attention can grow stale over time. While digital ads are clickable and interactive, traditional advertising media are not. In the bricks-and-mortar world, it is difficult for marketers to measure the success of advertising and link it directly to changes in consumer perceptions or behavior. Because advertising is a one-way medium, there is usually little direct opportunity for consumer feedback and interaction, particularly from consumers who often feel overwhelmed by competing market messages.

Developing Effective Ads: The Creative Strategy

Effective advertising starts with the same foundational components as any other IMC campaign: identifying the target audience and the objectives for the campaign. When advertising is part of a broader IMC effort, it is important to consider the strategic role advertising will play relative to other marketing communication tools. With clarity around the target audience, campaign strategy, and budget, the next step is to develop the creative strategy  for developing compelling advertising. The creative strategy has two primary components: the message and the appeal .

The message comes from the messaging framework: What message elements should the advertising convey to consumers? What should the key message be? What is the call to action? How should the brand promise be manifested in the ad? How will it position and differentiate the offering? With advertising, it’s important to remember that the ad can communicate the message not only with words but also potentially with images, sound, tone, and style.

Effective wordless advertisement

Marketers also need to consider existing public perceptions and other advertising and messages the company has placed in the market. Has the prior marketing activity resonated well with target audiences? Should the next round of advertising reinforce what went before, or is it time for a fresh new message, look, or tone?

Along with message, the creative strategy also identifies the appeal , or how the advertising will attract attention and influence a person’s perceptions or behavior. Advertising appeals can take many forms, but they tend to fall into one of two categories: informational appeal and emotional appeal.

The informational appeal offers facts and information to help the target audience make a purchasing decision. It tries to generate attention using rational arguments and evidence to convince consumers to select a product, service, or brand. For example:

• More or better product or service features: Ajax “Stronger Than Dirt”
• Cost savings:  Wal-Mart “Always Low Prices”
• Quality: John Deere “Nothing runs like a Deere”
• Customer service: Holiday Inn “Pleasing people the world over”
• New, improved: Verizon “Can you hear me now? Good.”

The following Black+Decker commercial relies on an informational appeal to promote its product:

The emotional appeal targets consumers’ emotional wants and needs rather than rational logic and facts. It plays on conscious or subconscious desires, beliefs, fears, and insecurities to persuade consumers and influence their behavior. The emotional appeal is linked to the features and benefits provided by the product, but it creates a connection with consumers at an emotional level rather than a rational level. Most marketers agree that emotional appeals are more powerful and differentiating than informational appeals. However, they must be executed well to seem authentic and credible to the the target audience. A poorly executed emotional appeal can come across as trite or manipulative. Examples of emotional appeals include:

• Self-esteem: L’Oreal “Because I’m worth it”
• Happiness: Coca-Cola “Open happiness”
• Anxiety and fear: World Health Organization “Smoking Kills”
• Achievement: Nike “Just Do It”
• Attitude: Apple “Think Different”
• Freedom: Southwest “You are now free to move about the country”
• Peace of Mind: Allstate “Are you in good hands?”
• Popularity: NBC “Must-see TV”
• Germophobia: Chlorox “For life’s bleachable moments, there’s Chlorox”

The following Heinz Ketchup commercial offers a humorous example of an ad based entirely on an emotional appeal:

Public Relations

Public Relations: Getting Attention to Polish Your Image

Public relations (PR) is the process of maintaining a favorable image and building beneficial relationships between an organization and the public communities, groups, and people it serves. Unlike advertising, which tries to create favorable impressions through paid messages, public relations does not pay for attention and publicity. Instead, PR strives to earn a favorable image by drawing attention to newsworthy and attention-worthy activities of the organization and its customers. For this reason, PR is often referred to as “free advertising.”

In fact, PR is not a costless form of promotion. It requires salaries to be paid to people who oversee and execute PR strategy. It also involves expenses associated with events, sponsorships and other PR-related activities.

The Purpose of Public Relations

Like advertising, public relations seeks to promote organizations, products, services, and brands. But PR activities also play an important role in identifying and building relationships with influential individuals and groups responsible for shaping market perceptions in the industry or product category where an organization operates. Public relations efforts strive to do the following:

• Build and maintain a positive image
• Inform target audiences about positive associations with a product, service, brand, or organization
• Maintain good relationships with influencers— the people who strongly influence the opinions of target audiences
• Generate goodwill among consumers, the media, and other target audiences by raising the organization’s profile
• Stimulate demand for a product, service, idea, or organization
• Head off critical or unfavorable media coverage

When to Use Public Relations

Public relations offers an excellent toolset for generating attention whenever there is something newsworthy that marketers would like to share with customers, prospective customers, the local community, or other audiences. PR professionals maintain relationships with reporters and writers who routinely cover news about the company, product category, and industry, so they can alert media organizations when news happens. At times, PR actually creates activities that are newsworthy, such as establishing a scholarship program or hosting a science fair for local schools. PR is involved in publishing general information about an organization, such as an annual report, a newsletter, an article, a white paper providing deeper information about a topic of interest, or an informational press kit for the media. PR is also responsible for identifying and building relationships with influencers who help shape opinions in the marketplace about a company and its products. When an organization finds itself facing a public emergency or crisis of some sort, PR professionals play an important role strategizing and managing communications with various stakeholder groups, to help the organization respond in effective, appropriate ways and to minimize damage to its public image.

To illustrate, PR techniques can help marketers turn the following types of events into opportunities for media attention, community relationship building, and improving the organization’s public image:

• Your organization develops an innovative technology or approach that is different and better than anything else available.
• One of your products wins a “best in category” prize awarded by a trade group.
• You enter into a partnership with another organization to collaborate on providing broader and more complete services to a target market segment.
• You sponsor and help organize a 10K race to benefit a local charity.
• You merge with another company.
• You conduct research to better understand attitudes and behaviors among a target segment, and it yields insights your customers would find interesting and beneficial.
• A customer shares impressive and well-documented results about the cost savings they have realized from using your products or services.
• Your organization is hiring a new CEO or other significant executive appointment.
• A quality-assurance problem leads your company to issue a recall for one of your products.

It is wise to develop a PR strategy around strengthening relationships with any group that is important in shaping or maintaining a positive public image for your organization: reporters and media organizations; industry and professional associations; bloggers; market or industry analysts; governmental regulatory bodies; customers and especially leaders of customer groups, and so forth. It is also wise to maintain regular, periodic communications with these groups to keep them informed about your organization and its activities. This helps build a foundation of familiarity and trust, so these relationships are established and resilient through the ups and downs of day-to-day business.

The following video, about Tyson Foods’ “Meals That Matter” program, shows how one company cooked up an idea that is equal parts public relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The video covers the Tyson disaster-relief team delivering food to the residents of Moore, Oklahoma, shortly after tornados struck the area on May 20, 2013. The company received favorable publicity following the inauguration of the program in 2012. (You can read one of the articles here: “ Tyson Foods Unveils Disaster Relief Mobile Feeding Unit .”)

Standard Public Relations Techniques

Public relations encompasses a variety of marketing tactics that all share a common focus: managing public perceptions. The most common PR tools are listed in the following table and discussed below.

Media relations is the first thing that comes to mind when many people think of PR: public announcements about company news, talking to reporters, and articles about new developments at a company. But media relations is the tip of the iceberg. For many industries and product categories, there are influential bloggers and analysts writing about products and the industry. PR plays an important role in identifying and building relationships with these individuals. Offering periodic “company update” briefings, newsletters, or email updates helps keep these individuals informed about your organization, so you are top of mind.

The people responsible for PR are also involved in developing and distributing general information about an organization. This information may be in the form of an annual report, a “state of the company” briefing call, video pieces about the company or its customers, and other publications that convey the company’s identity, vision, and goals. “Thought leadership” publications assert the company’s expertise and position of leading thought, practice, or innovation in the field. These publications should always be mindful of the same messaging employed for other marketing activities to ensure that everything seems consistent and well aligned.

While some consider event marketing a marketing communication method of its own, others categorize it with public relations as we have done here. Events , such as industry conferences or user group meetings, offer opportunities to present the company’s value proposition, products, and services to current and prospective customers. Themed events, such as a community service day or a healthy lifestyle day, raise awareness about causes or issues with with the organization wants to be affiliated in the minds of its employees, customers, and other stakeholder groups. A well-designed and well-produced event also offers opportunities for an organization to provide memorable interaction and experiences with target audiences. An executive leader can offer a visionary speech to generate excitement about a company and the value it provides—now or in the future. Events can help cement brand loyalty by not only informing customers but also forging emotional connections and goodwill.

Sponsorships go hand-in-hand with events, as organizations affiliate themselves with events and organizations by signing on to co-sponsor something available to the community. Sponsorships cover the gamut: charitable events, athletes, sports teams, stadiums, trade shows and conferences, contests, scholarships, lectures, concerts, and so forth. Marketers should select sponsorships carefully to make sure that they are affiliating with activities and causes that are well managed and strategically aligned with the public image they are trying to cultivate.

Innovation Award, sponsored by IBM and the United Nations Development Program, being given to given to Kenya’s Information and Communication Technology Authority

Award programs are another common PR tool. Organizations can participate in established award programs managed by trade groups and media, or they can create award programs that target their customer community. Awards provide opportunities for public recognition of great work by employees and customers. They can also help organizations identify great targets for case studies and public announcements to draw attention to how customers are benefitting from an organization’s products and services.

Crisis management is an important PR toolset to have on hand whenever it may be needed. Few companies choose this as a promotional technique if other options are available. But when crises emerge, as inevitably they do, PR provides structure and discipline to help company leaders navigate the crisis with communications and actions that address the needs of all stakeholders. Messaging, communication, listening, and relationship building all come to the fore. When handled effectively, these incidents may help an organization emerge from the crisis stronger and more resilient than it was before. This is the power of good PR.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Public Relations

Because PR activity is earned rather than paid, it tends to carry more credibility and weight. For example, when a news story profiles a customer’s successful experience with a company and its products, people tend to view this type of article as less biased (and therefore more credible) than a paid advertisement. The news story comes from an objective reporter who feels the story is worth telling. Meanwhile an advertisement on a similar topic would be viewed with skepticism because it is a paid placement from a biased source: the ad sponsor.

Advantages of Public Relations [3]

• The opportunity to amplify key messages and milestones.  When PR activities are well-aligned with other marketing activities, organizations can use PR to amplify the things they are trying to communicate via other channels. A press release about a new product, for example, can be timed to support a marketing launch of the product and conference where the product is unveiled for the first time.
• Believable. Because publicity is seen to be more objective, people tend to give it more weight and find it more credible. Paid advertisements, on the other hand, are seen with a certain amount of skepticism, since people that companies can make almost any kind of product claim they want.
• Employee pride.  Organizing and/or sponsoring charitable activities or community events can help with employee morale and pride (both of which get a boost from any related publicity, too). It can also be an opportunity for teamwork and collaboration.
• Engaging people who visit your Web site.  PR activities can generate interesting content that can be featured on your organization’s Web site. Such information can be a means of engaging visitors to the site, and it can generate interest and traffic long after the PR event or moment has passed. Industry influencers may visit the site, too, to get updates on product developments, growth plans, or personnel news, etc.

Disadvantages of Public Relations [4]

• Cost.  Although publicity is usually less expensive to organize than advertising, it isn’t “free.” A public relations firm may need to be hired to develop campaigns, write press releases, and speak to journalists. Even if you have in-house expertise for this work, developing publicity materials can take employees away from their primary responsibilities and drain off needed resources.
• Lack of control.  There’s no guarantee that a reporter or industry influencer will give your company or product a favorable review—it’s the price you pay for “unbiased” coverage. You also don’t have any control over the accuracy or thoroughness of the coverage.  There’s always a risk that the journalist will get some facts wrong or fail to include important details.
• Missing the mark.  Even if you do everything right—you pull off a worthy event and it gets written up by a local newspaper, say—your public relations effort can fall short and fail to reach enough or the right part of your target audience. It doesn’t do any good if the reporter’s write-up is very short or it appears in a section of the paper that no one reads. This is another consequence of not being able to fully control the authorship, content, and placement of PR.

Sales Promotions

Getting action now.

Sales promotions are a marketing communication tool for stimulating revenue or providing incentives or extra value to distributers, sales staff, or customers over a short time period. Sales promotion activities include special offers, displays, demonstrations, and other nonrecurring selling efforts that aren’t part of the ordinary routine. As an additional incentive to buy, these tools can be directed at consumers, retailers and other distribution partners, or the manufacturer’s own sales force.

Companies use many different forms of media to communicate about sales promotions, such as printed materials like posters, coupons, direct mail pieces and billboards; radio and television ads; digital media like text messages, email, websites and social media, and so forth.

Companies use sales promotions to increase demand for their products and services, improve product availability among distribution channel partners, and to coordinate selling, advertising, and public relations. A successful sales promotion tries to prompt a target segment to show interest in the product or service, try it, and ideally buy it and become loyal customers.

There are two types of sales promotions: consumer and trade. A consumer sales promotion targets the consumer or end-user buying the product, while a trade promotion focuses on organizational customers that can stimulate immediate sales.

Consumer Sales Promotion Techniques

Free samples of Starbucks Mocha Toffee Latte

Most consumers are familiar with common sales promotion techniques including samples, coupons, point-of-purchase displays, premiums, contents, loyalty programs and rebates.

Do you like free samples? Most people do. A   sample   is a sales promotion in which a small amount of a product that is for sale is given to consumers to try. Samples encourage trial and an increased awareness of the product. You have probably purchased a product that included a small free sample with it—for example, a small amount of conditioner packaged with your shampoo. Have you ever gone to a store that provided free samples of different food items? The motivation behind giving away samples is to get people to buy a product. Although sampling is an expensive strategy, it is usually very effective for food products. People try the product, the person providing the sample tells consumers about it, and mentions any special pricing or offers for the product.

Often paired with samples are coupons. Coupons   provide an immediate price reduction off an item. The amount of the coupon is later reimbursed to the retailer by the manufacturer. The retailer also gets a handling fee for accepting coupons. When the economy is weak, more consumers collect coupons and look for special bargains such as double coupons and buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) coupons. While many consumers cut coupons from the inserts in Sunday newspapers, other consumers find coupons for products and stores online. Stores may also provide coupons for customers with a loyalty card.

Consumers can download coupons on many mobile phones. Mobile marketing and the Internet give consumers in international markets access to coupons and other promotions. In India, the majority of coupons used are digital, while paper coupons still have the largest share in the United States. More than 80 percent of diapers are purchased with coupons; imagine how much easier and less wasteful digital coupons scanned from a mobile phone are for both organizations and consumers.

Point-of-purchase displays  encourage consumers to buy a product immediately. These displays draw attention to a product by giving it special placement and signage. Coupon machines placed in stores are a type of point-of-purchase display. When a consumer sees a special display or can get a coupon instantly, manufacturers hope the easy availability or the discount will convince them to buy, increasing overall sales in the process.

A variety of different sales promotions are conducted online. Common online consumer sales promotions include incentives such as free items, special pricing for product bundles (buying multiple products together), free shipping, coupons, and sweepstakes. For example, many online merchants such as Bluefly and Zappos offer free shipping and free return shipping to encourage consumers to shop online. Some companies have found that response rates for online sales promotions are better than response rates for traditional sales promotions.

Another very popular sales promotion for consumers is a premium. A premium   is a product or offer a consumer receives when they buy another product. Premiums may be offered free or for a small shipping and handling charge with proof of purchase (sales receipt or part of package). Remember wanting your favorite cereal because there was a toy in the box? The toy is an example of a premium. Some premiums are designed to motivate consumers to a buy product multiple times. What many people don’t realize is that when they pay the shipping and handling charges, they may also be paying for the premium.

Contests and sweepstakes are also popular consumer sales promotions.   Contests   are games of skill offered by a company, that offer consumers the chance to win a prize. Cheerios’ Spoonfuls of Stories contest, for example, invited people to submit an original children’s story and the chance to win money and the opportunity to have their story published.   Sweepstakes  are games of chance people enter for the opportunity to win money or prizes. Sweepstakes are often structured as some variation on a random drawing.  The companies and organizations that conduct these activities hope consumers will not only enter their games, but also buy more of their products and ideally share their information for future marketing purposes. As the following video shows, marketers have become increasingly sophisticated in the way they approach this “gaming” aspect of sales promotions.

You can read a transcript of the video here .

Loyalty programs   are sales promotions designed to get repeat business. Loyalty programs include things such as frequent flier programs, hotel programs, and shopping cards for grocery stores, drugstores, and restaurants. Sometimes point systems are used in conjunction with loyalty programs. After you accumulate so many miles or points, an organization might provide you with a special incentive such as a free flight, free hotel room, or free sandwich. Many loyalty programs, especially hotel and airline programs, have partners to give consumers more ways to accumulate and use miles and points.

Rebates   are popular with both consumers and the manufacturers that provide them. When you get a rebate, you are refunded part (or all) of the purchase price of a product after completing a form and sending it to the manufacturer with your proof of purchase. The trick is completing the paperwork on time. Many consumers forget or wait too long to do so and, as a result, don’t get any money back. This is why rebates are also popular with manufacturers. Rebates sound great to consumers until they forget to mail them in.

Which Sales Promotions Work Best, and When?

The table, below, summarizes the different types of sales promotions designed for both consumers and businesses. Although different types of sales promotions work best for different organizations, rebates are very profitable for companies because, as you have learned, many consumers forget to send in their rebate forms. In a weak economy, consumers tend to use more coupons, but they also buy more store brands. Coupons available online or at the point of purchase are being used more often by consumers. Trade shows can be very successful, although the companies that participate in them need to follow-up on the leads generated at the shows.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sales Promotions [5]

In addition to their primary purpose of boosting sales in the near term, companies can use consumer sales promotions to help them understand price sensitivity. Coupons and rebates provide useful information about how pricing influences consumers’ buying behavior. Sales promotions can also be a valuable–and sometimes sneaky–way to acquire contact information for current and prospective customers. Many of these offers require consumers to provide their names and other information in order to participate. Electronically-scanned coupons can be linked to other purchasing data, to inform organizations about buying habits. All this information can be used for future marketing research, campaigns and outreach.

Consumer sales promotions can generate loyalty and enthusiasm for a brand, product, or service. Frequent flyer programs, for example, motivate travelers to fly on a preferred airline even if the ticket prices are somewhat higher. If sales have slowed, a promotion such as a sweepstakes or contest can spur customer excitement and (re)new interest in the company’s offering. Sales promotions are a good way of energizing and inspiring customer action.

Trade promotions offer distribution channel partners financial incentives that encourage them to support and promote a company’s products. Offering incentives like prime shelf space at a retailer’s store in exchange for discounts on products has the potential to build and enhance business relationships with important distributors or businesses. Improving these relationships can lead to higher sales, stocking of other product lines, preferred business terms and other benefits.

Sales promotions can be a two-edged sword: if a company is continually handing out product samples and coupons, it can risk tarnishing the company’s brand. Offering too many freebies can signal to customers that they are not purchasing a prestigious or “limited” product. Another risk with too-frequent promotions is that savvy customers will hold off purchasing until the next promotion, thus depressing sales.

Often businesses rush to grow quickly by offering sales promotions, only to see these promotions fail to reach their sales goals and target customers. The temporary boost in short term sales may be attributed to highly price-sensitive consumers looking for a deal, rather than the long-term loyal customers a company wants to cultivate. Sales promotions need to be thought through, designed and promoted carefully. They also need to align well with the company’s larger business strategy. Failure to do so can be costly in terms of dollars, profitability and reputation.

If businesses become overly reliant on sales growth through promotions, they can get trapped in short-term marketing thinking and forget to focus on long-term goals. If, after each sales dip, a business offers another sales promotion, it can be damaging to the long-term value of its brand.

Personal Selling

Personal Selling: People Power

Personal selling uses in-person interaction to sell products and services. This type of communication is carried out by sales representatives, who are the personal connection between a buyer and a company or a company’s products or services. Salespeople not only inform potential customers about a company’s product or services, they also use their power of persuasion and remind customers of product characteristics, service agreements, prices, deals, and much more. In addition to enhancing customer relationships, this type of marketing communications tool can be a powerful source of customer feedback, as well. Later we’ll cover marketing alignment with the sales process in greater detail. This section focuses on personal selling as one possible tool in the promotional mix.

Effective personal selling addresses the buyer’s needs and preferences without making him or her feel pressured. Good salespeople offer advice, information, and recommendations, and they can help buyers save money and time during the decision process. The seller should give honest responses to any questions or objections the buyer has and show that he cares more about meeting the buyer’s needs than making the sale. Attending to these aspects of personal selling contributes to a strong, trusting relationship between buyer and seller. [6]

Common Personal Selling Techniques

Common personal selling tools and techniques include the following:

• Sales presentations : in-person or virtual presentations to inform prospective customers about a product, service, or organization
• Conversations : relationship-building dialogue with prospective buyers for the purposes of influencing or making sales
• Demonstrations : demonstrating how a product or service works and the benefits it offers, highlighting advantageous features and how the offering solves problems the customer encounters
• Addressing objections : identifying and addressing the concerns of prospective customers, to remove any perceived obstacles to making a purchase
• Field selling : sales calls by a sales representative to connect with target customers in person or via phone
• Retail selling : in-store assistance from a sales clerk to help customers find, select, and purchase products that meet their needs
• Door-to-door selling : offering products for sale by going door-to-door in a neighborhood
• Consultative selling : consultation with a prospective customer, where a sales representative (or consultant) learns about the problems the customer wants to solve and recommends solutions to the customer’s particular problem
• Reference selling : using satisfied customers and their positive experiences to convince target customers to purchase a product or service

Personal selling minimizes wasted effort, promotes sales, and boosts word-of-mouth marketing. Also, personal selling measures marketing return on investment (ROI) better than most tools, and it can give insight into customers’ habits and their responses to a particular marketing campaign or product offer.

When to Use Personal Selling

Not every product or service is a good fit for personal selling. It’s an expensive technique because the proceeds of the person-to-person sales must cover the salary of the sales representative—on top of all the other costs of doing business. Whether or not a company uses personal selling as part of its marketing mix depends on its business model. Most often companies use personal selling when their products or services are highly technical, specialized, or costly—such as complex software systems, business consulting services, homes, and automobiles.

In addition, there are certain conditions that favor personal selling: [7]

• Product situation : Personal selling is relatively more effective and economical when a product is of a high unit value, when it is in the introductory stage of its life cycle, when it requires personal attention to match consumer needs, or when it requires product demonstration or after-sales services.
• Market situation : Personal selling is effective when a firm serves a small number of large-size buyers or a small/local market. Also, it can be used effectively when an indirect channel of distribution is used for selling to agents or middlemen.
• Company situation : Personal selling is best utilized when a firm is not in a good position to use impersonal communication media, or it cannot afford to have a large and regular advertising outlay.
• Consumer behavior situation : Personal selling should be adopted by a company when purchases are valuable but infrequent, or when competition is at such a level that consumers require persuasion and follow-up.

It’s important to keep in mind that personal selling is most effective when a company has established an effective sales-force management system together with a sales force of the right design, size, and structure. Recruitment, selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of the sales force also obviously play an important role in the effectiveness of this marketing communication method. [8]

Advantages and Disadvantages of Personal Selling

The most significant strength of personal selling is its flexibility. Salespeople can tailor their presentations to fit the needs, motives, and behavior of individual customers. A salesperson can gauge the customer’s reaction to a sales approach and immediately adjust the message to facilitate better understanding.

Personal selling also minimizes wasted effort. Advertisers can spend a lot of time and money on a mass-marketing message that reaches many people outside the target market (but doesn’t result in additional sales). In personal selling, the sales force pinpoints the target market, makes a contact, and focuses effort that has a strong probability of leading to a sale.

As mentioned above, an additional strength of personal selling is that measuring marketing effectiveness and determining ROI are far more straightforward for personal selling than for other marketing communication tools—where recall or attitude change is often the only measurable effect.

Another advantage of personal selling is that a salesperson is in an excellent position to encourage the customer to act. The one-on-one interaction of personal selling means that a salesperson can effectively respond to and overcome objections—e.g., concerns or reservations about the product—so that the customer is more likely to buy. Salespeople can also offer many customized reasons that might spur a customer to buy, whereas an advertisement offers a limited set of reasons that may not persuade everyone in the target audience.

A final strength of personal selling is the multiple tasks that the sales force can perform. For example, in addition to selling, a salesperson can collect payments, service or repair products, return products, and collect product and marketing information. In fact, salespeople are often the best resources when it comes to disseminating positive word-of-mouth product information.

High cost is the primary disadvantage of personal selling. With increased competition, higher travel and lodging costs, and higher salaries, the cost per sales contract continues to rise. Many companies try to control sales costs by compensating sales representatives through commissions alone, thereby guaranteeing that salespeople are paid only if they generate sales. However, commission-only salespeople may become risk averse and only call on clients who have the highest potential return. These salespeople, then, may miss opportunities to develop a broad base of potential customers that could generate higher sales revenues in the long run.

Companies can also reduce sales costs by using complementary techniques, such as telemarketing, direct mail, toll-free numbers for interested customers, and online communication with qualified prospects. Telemarketing and online communication can further reduce costs by serving as an actual selling vehicle. Both technologies can deliver sales messages, respond to questions, take payment, and follow up.

A second disadvantage of personal selling is the problem of finding and retaining high-quality people. Experienced salespeople sometimes realize that the only way their income can outpace their cost-of-living increase is to change jobs. Also, because of the push for profitability, businesses try to hire experienced salespeople away from competitors rather than hiring college graduates, who take three to five years to reach the level of productivity of more experienced salespeople. These two staffing issues have caused high turnover in many sales forces.

Another weakness of personal selling is message inconsistency. Many salespeople view themselves as independent from the organization, so they design their own sales techniques, use their own message strategies, and engage in questionable ploys to generate sales. (You’ll recall our discussion in the ethics chapter about the unique challenges that B2B salespeople face.) As a result, it can be difficult to find a unified company or product message within a sales force or between the sales force and the rest of the marketing mix.

A final disadvantage of personal selling is that sales-force members have different levels of motivation. Salespeople may vary in their willingness to make the desired number of sales calls each day; to make service calls that do not lead directly to sales; or to take full advantage of the technologies available to them.

Direct Marketing

Going straight to the customer.

Direct marketing activities bypass any intermediaries and communicate directly with the individual consumer. Direct mail is personalized to the individual consumer, based on whatever a company knows about that person’s needs, interests, behaviors, and preferences. Traditional direct marketing activities include mail, catalogs, and telemarketing. The thousands of “junk mail” offers from credit card companies, bankers, and charitable organizations that flood mailboxes every year are artifacts of direct marketing. Telemarketing contacts prospective customers via the telephone to pitch offers and collect information. Today, direct marketing overlaps heavily with digital marketing, as marketers rely on email and, increasingly, mobile communications to reach and interact with consumers.

The Purpose and Uses of Direct Marketing

The purpose of direct marketing is to reach and appeal directly to individual consumers and to use information about them to offer products, services and offers that are most relevant to them and their needs. Direct marketing can be designed to support any stage of the AIDA model, from building awareness to generating interest, desire, and action. Direct marketing, particularly email, also plays a strong role in post-purchase interaction. Email is commonly used to confirm orders, send receipts or warrantees, solicit feedback through surveys, ask customers to post a social media recommendation, and propose new offers.

Direct marketing is an optimal method for marketing communication in the following situations:

• A company’s primary distribution channel is to sell products or services directly to customers
• A company’s primary distribution method is through the mail or other shipping services to send directly to the customer
• A company relies heavily on sales promotions or discounts, and it is important to spread the word about these offers to consumers
• An advertisement cannot sufficiently convey the many benefits of a company’s product or service, and so a longer marketing piece is required to express the value proposition effectively
• A company finds that standard advertising is not reaching its target segments, and so better-targeted marketing communications are required to reach the right individuals; for example, using direct mail to reach wealthier people according to their affluent zip code
• A company sells expensive products that require more information and interaction to make the sale
• A company has a known “universe” of potential customers and access to contact information and other data about these customers
• A company is heavily dependent on customer retention, reorders and/or repurchasing, making it worthwhile to maintain “permissioned” marketing interaction with known customers

Data: The Key to Effective Direct Marketing

The effectiveness of direct marketing activity depends on marketers using databases to capture the information of target customers and the use of this information to extend ever-more-personalized offers and information to consumers. Databases record an individual’s residence, geography, family status, and credit history. When a person moves or makes a significant purchase like a car or a home, these details become part of the criteria marketers use to identify who will be a good target for their products or services. With electronic media, the information flow about consumers opens the floodgates: marketing databases capture when a consumer opens an email message and clicks on a link. They track which links piqued consumers’ interests, what they view and visit, so that the next email offer is informed by what a person found interesting the last time around. These databases also collect credit card information, so marketers can link a person’s purchasing history to shopping patterns to further tailor communications and offers.

Mobile marketing adds another dimension of personalization in direct-to-consumer communications. It allows marketers to incorporate location-sensitive and even activity-specific information into marketing communications and offers. When marketers know you are playing a video game at a mall, thanks to your helpful smart phone, they can send you timing-, location- and activity-specific offers and messages.

Direct Marketing in Action

How does this work in practice? If you’ve ever paid off an auto loan, you may have noticed a torrent of mail offers from car dealerships right around the five-year mark. They know, from your credit history, that you’re nearly done paying off your car and you’ve had the vehicle for several years, so you might be interested in trading up for a newer model. Based on your geography and any voter registration information, you may be targeted during election season to participate via telephone in political polls and to receive “robocalls” from candidates and parties stomping for your vote.

Moving into the digital world, virtually any time you share an email address with an organization, it becomes part of a database to be used for future marketing. Although most organizations that engage in email marketing give the option of opting out, once you become a customer, it is easy for companies to justify continuing to contact you via email or text as part of the customer relationship you’ve established. As you continue to engage with the company, your behavior and any other information you share becomes part of the database record the company uses to segment and target you with offers it thinks will interest you.

Similarly, marketers use SMS (text) for marketing purposes, and direct marketing activity takes place in mobile apps, games, and Web sites. All of these tools use the data-rich mobile environment to capture information about consumers and turn it into productive marketing opportunities. QR codes, another direct-to-consumer mobile marketing tool, enable consumers to scan an image with a mobile phone that takes them to a Web site where they receive special information or offers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Marketing

All this data-driven direct marketing might seem a little creepy or even nefarious, and certainly it can be when marketers are insensitive or unethical in their use of consumer data. However, direct marketing also offers significant value to consumers by tailoring their experience in the market to things that most align with their needs and interests. If you’re going to have a baby (and you don’t mind people knowing about it), wouldn’t you rather have Target send you special offers on baby products than on men’s shoes or home improvement goods?

Direct marketing can be a powerful tool for anticipating and predicting customer needs and behaviors. Over time, as companies use consumer data to understand their target audiences and market dynamics, they can develop more effective campaigns and offers. Organizations can create offers that are more personalized to consumer needs and preferences, and they can reach these consumers more efficiently through direct contact. Because it is so data intensive, it is relatively easy to measure the effectiveness of direct marketing by linking it to outcomes: did a customer request additional information or use the coupons sent? Did he open the email message containing the discount offer? How many items were purchased and when? And so forth. Although the cost of database and information infrastructure is not insignificant, mobile and email marketing tend to be inexpensive to produce once the underlying infrastructure is in place. As a rule, direct marketing tactics can be designed to fit marketing budgets.

Among the leading disadvantages of direct marketing are, not surprisingly, concerns about privacy and information security. Target’s massive data breach in 2013 took a hefty toll on customer confidence, company revenue, and profitability at the time. Direct marketing also takes place in a crowded, saturated market in which people are only too willing to toss junk mail and unsolicited email into trash bins without a second glance. Electronic spam filters screen out many email messages, so people may never even see email messages from many of the organizations that send them. Heavy reliance on data also leads to the challenge of keeping databases and contact information up to date and complete, a perennial problem for many organizations. Finally, direct marketing implies a direct-to-customer business model that inevitably requires companies to provide an acceptable level of customer service and interaction to win new customers and retain their business.

Digital Marketing: Web Sites

Inform, entice, engage.

Digital marketing is an umbrella term for using a digital tools to promote and market products, services, organizations and brands. As consumers and businesses become more reliant on digital communications, the power and importance of digital marketing have increased. The direct marketing section of this chapter already discussed two digital tools: email and mobile marketing, which fit into both categories. This section will discuss other essential tools in the digital marketing tool kit: Web sites, content marketing and search-engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing.

What Makes Digital Marketing Tools Unique

In part, digital marketing is critically important because people use digital technologies frequently, and marketing needs to happen where people are. But digital marketing tools also have other unique capabilities that set them apart from traditional (predigital) marketing communication tools. These capabilities make them uniquely suited to the goals of marketing. Digital marketing tools are:

• Interactive:  A primary focus of many digital marketing tools and efforts is to interact with target audiences, so they become actively engaged in the process, ideally at multiple points along the way. This may happen by navigating a Web site, playing a game, responding to a survey, sharing a link, submitting an email address, publishing a review, or even “liking” a post. Asking consumers to passively view an advertisement is no longer enough: now marketers look for ways to interact.
• Mobile and portable:  Today’s digital technologies are more mobile and portable than ever before. This means digital marketing tools are also mobile and portable: consumers can access them–and they can access consumers–virtually anytime and anywhere through digital devices. Digital marketing can reach people in places and ways that simply were not possible in the past. A tired mother stuck in traffic might encourage her child to play a game on her smart phone, exposing both child and mother to marketing messages in the process. A text message sent to a remote location can remind an adventurer to renew a subscription or confirm an order. Many physical limitations fall away in the digital world.
• Highly measurable and data driven.  Digital technologies produce mountains of data about who is doing what, when, how, and with whom. Likewise, digital marketing tools enable marketers to determine very precisely whom they want to reach, how to reach them, and what happens when people begin the process of becoming a customer. By tracking and analyzing these data, marketers can also identify which channels are most productive for bringing people into the site and what types of interactions are most efficient at turning them to customers.
• Shareable: Because digital marketing tools are digital, it is easy to share them at low or no cost–a benefit for marketers and for consumers who find content they want to share virally. People routinely share videos, games, Web sites, articles, images, and brands—any number of overt or covert marketing artifacts. In fact, the degree to which something is shared has become a key metric to confirm how successful it is as a marketing vehicle. Sharing has always been a primary means of spreading ideas. Digital marketing tools now facilitate extremely rapid, efficient, global sharing.
• Synergistic with other marketing activities:  Digital marketing tools offer quick, easy, and inexpensive ways to repurpose marketing messages and content from other marketing communication methods. They help amplify and reinforce the messages targeting consumers through other media. For example, uploading a TV ad to YouTube creates a piece of digital marketing content that can be posted to Facebook, tweeted on Twitter, embedded in a Web-site page, and shared via an email from a sales representative engaged in personal selling to a target customer.

As an example of the incredibly potency of sharable digital marketing media, at the time the following Android video was embedded in this course (education benefits from sharing, too!), it was one of the most viral videos of 2015, with 22,494,575 views:

Web-Site Marketing

Web sites represent an all-in-one storefront, a display counter, and a megaphone for organizations to communicate in the digital world. For digital and bricks-and-mortar businesses, Web sites are a primary channel for communicating with current and prospective customers as well as other audiences. A good Web site provides evidence that an organization is real, credible, and legitimate.

Capital One Web Site

The variety of online Web-site-building services now available make setting up a basic Web site relatively simple and inexpensive. Once the Web site is established, it can continue to be fairly easy and inexpensive to maintain if the organization uses cost-effective and user-friendly tools. On the other hand, sophisticated Web sites can be massively expensive to build and maintain, and populating them with fresh, compelling content can devour time and money. But organizations can adjust the scope, scale, and resources required for their Web sites in proportion to their business objectives and the value they want their Web sites to deliver.

Web Sites As Marketing Tools

Web sites are very flexible, allowing organizations to build the kinds of features and capabilities they need to conduct business effectively. Common marketing objectives and Web-site functions include the following:

• Providing general information about an organization such as the value proposition, products and services, and contact information
• Expressing the brand of an organization through design, look and feel, personality, and voice
• Demonstrating products, services, and expertise , including the customer experience, features, benefits, and value they provide
• Proof points  about the value a company offers, using evidence in the form of case studies, product reviews, testimonials, return on investment data, etc.
• Lead generation, capturing information about Web-site visitors to use in ongoing sales and marketing activity
• Communities and forums for target audiences to share information and ask/answer questions
• Publishing value-adding content  and tools for informational or entertainment purposes to bring people in and draw them back to the Web site
• Communication about company news, views, culture, developments, and vision through an electronic newsroom or a company blog, for example
• Shopping,  providing tools for customers to research, find, and select products or services in the digital environment
• Recommendations that direct customers to information, products, services, and companies that meet their interests and needs
• Sales , the ability to conduct sales and transact business online
• Capturing customer feedback  about the organization, its products, services, content, and the Web-site experience itself

Before starting to build a Web site, the marketing manager should meet with other company leaders to lay out a common vision for what the Web site should accomplish and the business functions it should provide. For example, if a business does not plan to handle sales online, there is no need to build a “shopping cart” function or an e-commerce engine. If cultivating lively dialogue with an active customer community is an important business objective, this capability should be incorporated into the Web-site strategy and design decisions from the outset. The Web-site strategy must be effective at achieving the organization’s goals to inform, engage, entertain, explore, support, etc.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Web-Site Marketing

Web sites have so many advantages that there is almost no excuse for a business not to have one. Effective Web-site marketing declares to the world that an organization exists, what value it offers, and how to do business. Web sites can be an engine for generating customer data and new business leads. An electronic storefront is often dramatically less expensive than a physical storefront, and it can serve customers virtually anywhere in the world with internet access. Web sites are very flexible and easy to alter. Organizations can try out new strategies, content and tactics at relatively low cost to see what works and where the changes pay off.

At the same time, Web sites carry costs and risks. They do require some investment of time and money to set up and maintain. For many organizations, especially small organizations without a dedicated Web-site team, keeping Web-site content fresh and up-to-date is a continual challenge. Organizations should make wise, well-researched decisions about information infrastructure and Web-site hosting, to ensure their sites remain operational with good performance and uptime. Companies that capture and maintain customer data through their Web sites must be vigilant about information security to prevent hackers from stealing sensitive customer data. Some company Web sites suffer from other types of information security challenges, such as electronic vandalism, trolling (offensive or provocative online posts), and denial-of-service attacks mounted by hackers to take Web sites out of commission.

Search-Engine Optimization and Content Marketing

Search-engine optimization (SEO) is the process of using Internet search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to gain notice, visibility, and traffic from people conducting searches using these tools. SEO works in lockstep with content marketing, which takes a strategic approach to developing and distributing valuable content targeted to the interests of a defined audience, with the goal of driving sales or another profitable customer action. In other words, content marketers create worthwhile Internet content aimed at their target audiences. Then organizations use SEO tactics to get this content noticed and to generate new traffic and sales leads.

Together, SEO and content marketing can help boost awareness and brand perceptions about the value a company provides. Content marketing can help an organization gain visibility as an expert or leader in its competitive set. Together these marketing communications tools help organizations get noticed and stay top of mind among individuals seeking the types of products or services they offer.

How SEO Works

The basic premise behind search-engine optimization is this: People conduct Internet searches. The search terms they use bring up a given set of results. When someone is searching for the types of things your organization offers, as a marketer you want your results to be at the top. You can boost your search rankings by identifying and applying SEO and content marketing strategies to the search terms people use when they are looking for products or services like yours. It may even be worth paying to get their attention, because people searching for the things you offer are likely to be better-qualified prospective customers.

Because the supply of Internet content on any given topic is continually expanding, and because search-engine companies regularly fine-tune their search algorithms to deliver ever more helpful results, SEO is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process that companies should incorporate into their entire approach to digital marketing.

How Content Marketing Works

There is a popular saying among digital marketers: “Content is king.” Good content attracts eyeballs, while poor content does not. Content marketing is based on the premise that marketers can use Web content as a strategic asset to attract attention and drive traffic of target audiences. As a marketer, part of your job is to help the organization publish substantive Web content–articles, videos, e-books, podcasts, images, infographics, case studies, games, calculators, etc.–that will be interesting for your target segments. When you do this, you should incorporate your optimal search terms into the content, so that it’s more likely to show up in organic search results. You should also look for ways to link to that content from other Web pages, so that search-engine “bots” (or computer programs) responsible for cataloguing Web sites will think your content is popular and well regarded by the Internet-user community. As your content appears in search results, it will rank higher as more and more people click through to your content and link to it from other locations on the Internet.

Downloadable PDFs from Airbnb, listing things to do and see in cities around the world.

Articles and tips on Farmers Insurance Web site.

Blog post on Hipmunk’s Web site. Visually simple, clean graphics.

Advantages and Disadvantages of SEO and Content Marketing

Internet search is a fact of life in the modern world. It is a critical tool for customer decision making in B2B and B2C markets. Practicing the basic tenets of SEO helps an organization get into the search-engine fray. When marketers do it skillfully, they can easily track the results, see what works, and adjust course to improve outcomes. When organizations generate high-quality content, it can be relatively inexpensive to achieve great SEO results, particularly as search engines themselves increasingly reward the “real deal”: good information and true substance targeted to a specific audience.

While SEO and content marketing are powerful tools, they are also rather like puppies that need ongoing feeding and care. Both require regular monitoring to check whether they are effective and need refreshing. The Internet is a crowded and competitive place, where organizations from around the globe can compete with one another for attention and customer loyalty. It takes persistence and hard work to get on top of the Internet content world and stay there.

Digital Marketing: Social Media

Social media marketing.

Social media marketing is the use of online applications, networks, blogs, wikis, and other collaborative media for communicating brand messaging, conducting marketing, public relations, and lead generation. Social media are distinctive for their networking capabilities: they allow people to reach and interact with one another through interconnected networks. This “social” phenomenon changes the power dynamic in marketing: no longer is the marketer the central gatekeeper for all communication about a product, service, brand, or organization. Social media allows for organic dialogue and activity to happen directly between individuals, unmediated by a company. Companies can (and should) listen, learn, and find ways to participate authentically.

Social media marketing focuses on three primary objectives:

• Creating buzz:  Developing and publishing messages (in a variety of formats–e.g., text, video, and images) that is disseminated via user-to-user contact
• Fostering community:  Building ways for fans to engage with one another about a shared interest in a brand, product, or service
• Facilitating two-way communication:  Online conversations are not controlled by the organizations. Instead, social media promotes and encourages user participation, feedback, and dialogue

How Social Media Marketing Works

Organizations have opportunities to engage in social media for marketing purposes in several ways: paid, earned, and owned social media activity.

• Paid:  Paid social media activity includes advertisements on social media (placed in various locations), sponsored posts or content, and retargeting advertisements that target ads based on a consumer’s previous actions. This type of social media activity is best suited for sales, lead generation, event participation, and incorporation into IMC campaigns.
• Earned:  Earned social media activity involves news organizations, thought leaders, or other individuals who create content about an organization. It is particularly suited to supporting public relations efforts.
• Owned:  Owned social media activity happens through social media accounts that an organization owns (e.g., Facebook page, Twitter handle, Instagram name, etc.). This activity is ideal for brand awareness, lead generation, and goals around engaging target audiences.

Effective use of social media to reach your target audience requires more effort by an organization than the traditional marketing methods. Not only must an organization create unique content and messaging, but it must be prepared to engage in two-way communication regarding the content that it produces and shares on social media. To be effective at using social media to reach target audiences, an organization must:

• Create unique content, often.  Social media, unlike traditional methods, cannot rely on static content. An organization must regularly publish new, unique content to stay relevant on any social media platform.
• Ask questions.  To foster engagement, an organization must solicit feedback from users, customers, and prospects. This is critical to creating conversation, insight, and discussion on social media platforms.
• Create short-form media.  Most social media platforms have character limits per post. Users on social media expect to be able to scan their feed. Long posts (even within character limits) tend to underperform. The more succinct an organization can be, the better.
• Try different formats.  Most social media platforms provide users with the option to add images and video to text. Social media is becoming an increasingly visual medium, where content that performs the best usually includes an image or video. Try to convert messages into images and video when possible for maximum reach.
• Use a clear, immediate call to action. Social media works best for achieving marketing goals with a clear call to action that a user can do immediately from their computer or mobile device. Examples include 1) Web traffic (click-through), 2) downloads of content (e.g., white papers, articles, etc.), 3) online purchases, and 4) engagement (comment, like, share, view, read).

Common Social Media Marketing Tools

What’s hot in social media is a moving target, but the following table provides a listing and description of primary social media platforms.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing

The advantages and benefits of social media marketing focus heavily on the two-way and even multidirectional communication between customers, prospects, and advocates for your company or brand. By listening and engaging in social media, organizations are better equipped to understand and respond to market sentiment. Social media helps organizations identify and cultivate advocates for its products, services, and brand, including the emergence of customers who can become highly credible, trusted voices to help you sell. Unlike many other forms of marketing, social media are very measurable, allowing marketers to track online customer behavior and how target audiences respond to content created by the organization. Social media offers a virtually unlimited audience for communicating and sharing key messages in the market. It also offers marketers the ability to relatively easily target and test the effectiveness of content using the various targeting capabilities of social media for location, interests, income, title, industry, and other sociographic differentiators.

Social media also carry a number of inherent challenges. Social media are dynamic environments that requires significant effort to monitor and stay current on. It is also difficult to continually create “share-worthy” content. The variety of social media tools makes it a challenge to understand which platforms to use for which target audiences and calls to action. Crisis communications can be difficult, too, particularly in the public environment of social media, in which it is difficult to contain or control communication. This means it can be difficult to mitigate the impact of a crisis on the brand.

One of the biggest challenges facing organizations is determining who in the organization should “own” the social media platforms for the organization. Too few hands to help means the burden of content creation is high on a single individual. However, too many people often results in duplication of efforts or conflicting content.

Expert Insight on Using Social Media: JetBlue

Airline carrier JetBlue has received attention and accolades for its effective use of social media to foster two-way communication with customers. In this video, JetBlue’s head of social media strategy, Morgan Johnston, explains the company’s approach to social media and how it complements other corporate and marketing communication activity. He also shares insights about how the company used social media to manage crisis communications and respond to customers during Hurricane Sandy, when extreme weather conditions hit the company’s northeastern U.S. travel routes hard.

Guerrilla Marketing

Thinking outside the box.

Guerrilla marketing is a relatively new marketing strategy that relies on unconventional, often low-cost tactics to create awareness of and goodwill toward a brand, product, service, or even a company. The term “guerrilla marketing” itself comes from Jay Conrad Levinson, who coined the term in his 1984 book Guerrilla Advertising . Though “guerrilla” has military connotations (the word means “little war), guerrilla promotion strategies often combine elements of wit, humor, and spectacle to capture people’s attention and engage them in the marketing act. Guerrilla marketing is memorable. And, like the renegade militias it was presumably named for, unexpected.

Practitioners of guerrilla marketing today have used other words to describe it: disruptive, antiestablishment, newsworthy , and a state of mind.  By its nature, guerrilla marketing defies precise description, so it may be worthwhile to view an example before going further.

Classic Guerrilla: Nike Livestrong at the Tour de France

Although this campaign was a full-blown IMC effort, at its core it was really a memorable guerrilla marketing stunt: the spectacle of painting the streets of France during the world-famous Tour de France bicycle race in 2008. Designed to generate awareness for Nike, the nonprofit Livestrong Foundation, and the cause of fighting cancer, marketers succeeded in sharing inspiring messages of hope with their target audiences: athletes, sports enthusiasts and people affected by cancer, particularly young people.

Telltale Signs of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing campaigns can be very diverse in their approach and tactics. So what do they have in common? Guerrilla marketing often has the following characteristics:

• It’s imaginative and surprising, but in a very hip or antiestablishment way
• Doesn’t resemble a traditional marketing initiative, such as a straightforward print or TV advertising campaign
• Uses combinations of different marketing communications tactics, in creative ways
• Is experiential, drawing in the target audience to participate
• Takes risks in what it aspires to accomplish, even if it might ruffle some feathers
• Is not 100 percent approved by the establishment (i.e. the city, the event planners, the powers that be)

Clever guerrilla marketing campaign: McDonald’s fries crosswalk

Successful guerrilla marketing campaign: AUSTAR’S Discovery Channel in Australia placed “shark-bitten” surfboards around popular Sydney beaches in an effort to create buzz for its upcoming Shark Week documentary. Source: https://malteholm.wordpress.com/tag/shark-week/

When to Use Guerrilla Marketing

This edgy marketing approach focuses on two goals: 1) get media attention, and 2) make a positive and memorable connection with your target audience. Many noteworthy guerrilla campaigns, like Nike Livestrong, focus on creating an experience that embodies the spirit of the brand. Often these projects invite people who encounter the campaign to become co-conspirators in achieving the campaign’s vision and reach.

Guerrilla marketing experts assert that this technique can work for virtually any brand or organization, so long as the organization doesn’t mind taking some risks, and so long as the project is true to who you are and what you represent. The right concept for the guerrilla marketing effort should capture your organization’s authentic voice and express what is unique about your brand identity. At some point you may be asked to stand up for your actions if you’re called onto the carpet, so you need to believe in what you are doing. Guerrilla marketing is particularly suited to small, imaginative organizations that may not have much money but have a burning desire to do something memorable—to make an entrance or a splash. Severe budget constraints can encourage creative teams to be very inventive and original. [9]

Because it is inherently spectacle , guerrilla marketing tactics work very well for building brands and generating awareness and interest in an organization, product, service, or idea. They aim to put a company on the map–the mind-share map. It’s interesting that guerrilla marketing often calls on the audience to engage or take action, but turning participants into a paying customers may not be the goal. However, successful guerrilla marketing can make audiences undergo a kind of “conversion” experience: if the impact is powerful enough, it can move consumers further along the path towards brand loyalty.

Take a look at the following guerrilla marketing spectacle organized by Belgium’s most popular TV channel, VTM. Notice how the event capitalizes on a unique combination of emotional appeal and surprise:

Guerrilla Marketing Tactics: The Usual Suspects

As you saw in the example of the lamppost transformed into a McDonald’s coffeepot, all kinds of spaces and urban environments present opportunities for the guerrilla marketer. In fact, guerrilla marketing initiatives can be executed offline or online. Some companies feel that an edgy, unexpected online campaign with creative guerrilla elements is a little safer than executing a project in the bricks-and-mortar world.

It goes against the very notion of guerrilla marketing to establish a set of tactics or practices that are “conventional” or “typical.” However, the following list describes some examples of guerrilla marketing tactics from noteworthy campaigns, which will give you an idea of what’s been used in the past. [10]

Despite the irreverent, antiestablishment spirit of guerrilla marketing, marketers should use good judgment about seeking permission from building owners, city managers, event planners, or others in a position of authority, to avoid unpleasant or unnecessary complications. Some coordination, or even a heads-up that something is happening, can go far toward earning goodwill and a cooperative spirit in the face of an unexpected spectacle.

How NOT to Guerrilla Market

When three guerrilla marketing veterans spoke with Entrepreneur about their work, they gave their top advice about what NOT to do with these projects: [11]

• Adam Salacuse of ALT TERRAIN: “Never aim to upset, scare, or provoke people in a negative way. The goal should be to implement something that people will embrace, enjoy, and share with friends.”
• Brett Zaccardi of Street Attack: “Don’t be contrived or too bland. Don’t try to be something you’re not.”
• Drew Neisser of Renegade Marketing: “Try not to annoy your target. [It] is generally not a good idea to do something that will cause someone on the team to go to jail.”

Advantages and Disadvantages of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing has several notable advantages. It can be inexpensive to execute—it’s often much cheaper than traditional advertising when you consider the number of impressions and amount of attention generated. It encourages creativity and inventiveness, since the goal is to create something novel and original. Guerrilla marketing is about buzz: it is designed for viral sharing, and it taps into powerful word-of-mouth marketing as people share their memorable guerrilla-inspired impressions and experiences with friends and acquaintances. A guerrilla marketing phenomenon can take on a life of its own and live in the memories of the people it affected long after the actual event is over. Finally, when executed effectively, guerrilla tactics are designed with media and publicity in mind. Media attention can snowball and generate a larger-than-expected “bounce” as local or even national outlets choose to cover these events.

As suggested above, guerrilla marketing also carries some disadvantages and risks. When an (apparently) spontaneous activity springs up in a public space, property owners, the police, and other authorities may object and try to interfere or stop the event. Unexpected obstacles can arise, which even the best-laid plans may have missed: weather, traffic, current events, timing, etc. Some audiences or bystanders may misinterpret what is happening, or even take offense at provocative actions or messages. When guerrilla projects are cloaked in secrecy or mystery, people may become uncomfortable or fearful, or the aura of mystery may cause them to interpret the message and goals incorrectly. Similarly, if people feel they have been duped by a guerrilla marketing activity, they may come away with negative impressions. If some people disapprove of a given guerrilla marketing activity or campaign, there’s a risk of backlash, anger, and frustration.

Intending to guerrilla-market an online gaming site (GoldenPalace.com), this Canadian man jumped into an Olympic pool at the 2004 Athens games. The authorities and official divers weren’t pleased (some divers were so rattled they failed to complete their dives). The man was convicted of various counts of trespassing and creating a disturbance. Source: http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/06/5-great-examples-of-guerilla-marketing-gone-wrong-from-olympic-fumbles-to-bomb-scares/

Compared to traditional marketing, guerrilla tactics are definitely riskier. Then again, the rewards can be brilliant, when things go as planned.

Check Your Understanding

Answer the question(s) below to see how well you understand the topics covered above. This short quiz does not count toward your grade in the class, and you can retake it an unlimited number of times.

Use this quiz to check your understanding and decide whether to (1) study the previous section further or (2) move on to the next section.

• https://www.behance.net/gallery/29879405/Clear-Channel-Where-brands-meet-people ↵
• http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/04/28/decline_of_newspapers_hits_a_milestone_print_revenue_is_lowest_since_1950.html ↵
• http://edwardlowe.org/digital-library/how-to-establish-a-promotional-mix/ ↵
• http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategic-selling-techniques-15747.html  ↵
• http://www.smetimes.in/smetimes/in-depth/2010/Sep/02/personal-selling-when-and-how500001.html ↵
• http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/206202 ↵
• http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/09/22/guerrilla-marketing-examples ↵
• Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Screenshot McDonald's Lamppost. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Clear Channel Where Brands Meet People. Authored by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Keep Your Head PSA. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Naked Juice Ad. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Puma Ad. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Rogue Voodoo Porter Ad. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Public Relations. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Public Relations LeMaster Group. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Ace Hardware Promotion. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Staples Rebate. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Direct Marketing. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Mobile Advertisement. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Target Baby Registry. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Capital One Home Page. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Cats for Sale Search. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Airbnb San Francisco List. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Farmer's Insurance Web Site. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Linda Williams and Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Guerrilla Marketing. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Shark Week. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot Golden Palace Tutu Man. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Screenshot McDonald's Crosswalk. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Shifting from Fragmented to Integrated Communications. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/boundless-marketing-textbook/integrated-marketing-communications-12/introduction-to-integrated-marketing-communications-81/introduction-to-integrated-marketing-communications-403-4061/.%20 . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Chapter 8: Communicating to Mass Markets, from Introducing Marketing. . Authored by : John Burnett. Provided by : Global Text. Located at : http://solr.bccampus.ca:8001/bcc/file/ddbe3343-9796-4801-a0cb-7af7b02e3191/1/Core%20Concepts%20of%20Marketing.pdf. . License : CC BY: Attribution
• People On Internet Argue About Dress Colour. Authored by : studio tdes. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/thedailyenglishshow/16725299326/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Chapter 8: Communicating to Mass Markets, from Introducing Marketing. Authored by : John Burnett. Located at : http://solr.bccampus.ca:8001/bcc/file/ddbe3343-9796-4801-a0cb-7af7b02e3191/1/Core%20Concepts%20of%20Marketing.pdf . Project : Global Text. License : CC BY: Attribution
• 1984-01. Authored by : ITU Pictures. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/itupictures/16474896040/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Advertising. Provided by : Wikipedia. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Communicating to Mass Markets, from Introducing Marketing. Authored by : John Burnett. Project : Global Text. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Behavioral Targeting. Provided by : BBC. Located at : https://youtu.be/HtOkaAMOmAc . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Innovation Awards. Provided by : ICT Authority. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenyaictboard/14140767473/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Sales Promotion, from Boundless Marketing. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/boundless-marketing-textbook/integrated-marketing-communications-12/the-promotion-mix-83/sales-promotion-415-10910/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Sampler tray of Starbucks new Mocha Toffee Latte. Authored by : Urban Bohemian. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanbohemian/4948232118/ . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• CES 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Authored by : Joseph Hunkins. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeduck/6699427077/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Gamification. Provided by : BBC. Located at : https://youtu.be/1nikw1v5Zjo . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Personal Selling, From Boundless Marketing. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/boundless-marketing-textbook/personal-selling-and-sales-promotion-14/personal-selling-90/value-of-personal-selling-449-4027/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Phone call. Provided by : CWCS Managed Hosting. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/122969584@N07/13780153345/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Email Marketing. Authored by : RaHuL Rodriguez. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/rahulrodriguez/9162677329/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Google AdWords. Provided by : BBC. Located at : https://youtu.be/NIL2POjhvI8 . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Digital Marketing. Provided by : Lumen Learning. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/waymakerintromarketingxmasterfall2016/chapter/reading-digital-marketing/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Clear Channel: Where brands meet people. Authored by : Charis Tsevis. Located at : https://youtu.be/u1b5EtGqUOI . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• HEINZ Ketchup Wiener Stampede. Provided by : Heinz. Located at : https://youtu.be/LOlfhBT8i9I . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Our Awesome Drill with AutoSense Technology. Provided by : Black+Decker. Located at : https://youtu.be/mc_VsL44nWE . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Tyson Foods Meals That Matter. Provided by : Tyson Foods. Located at : https://youtu.be/awsB5_H2PlI . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Android: Friends Furever. Provided by : Android. License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Social Fresh interview with Morgan Johnston of jetBlue. Provided by : Social Fresh. Located at : https://youtu.be/mzsN3oEV1YE . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Nike Livestrong - ChalkBot - Web Film. Provided by : Nike. Located at : https://youtu.be/iCLdyKHxBnQ?list=PLGhn_uYiaIc8injQ6hgMPXHwmXc3l66Hx . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Historic Flashmob in Antwerp Train Station, Do Re Mi. Provided by : Ad Show. Located at : https://youtu.be/bQLCZOG202k . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Got Milk?. Provided by : Wikimedia. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gotmilk.png . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• Pears Soap ad. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pears_Soap_1900.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

11.1 Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

Learning objectives.

The objectives of this section is to help students …

• Understand what integrated marketing communications (IMC) are.
• Understand why organizations may change their promotional strategies to reach different audiences.
• Understand the different components of the promotion (communication) mix and why organizations may consider all components when designing the IMC program.
• Understand the difference between types of communication that target many people at one time versus types of communication that target individuals.
• Understand the factors that influence selection of the promotion mix.
• Understand the communication process and message problems.

Once companies have developed products and services, they must communicate the value and benefits of the offerings to current and potential customers in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) provide an approach designed to deliver one consistent message to buyers through an organization’s promotions that may span all different types of media such as TV, radio, magazines, the Internet, mobile phones, professional selling, and social media. For example, Campbell’s Soup Company typically includes the “Mm, mm good” slogan in the print ads it places in newspapers and magazines, in ads on the Internet, and in commercials on television and radio. Delivering consistent information about a brand or an organization helps establish it in the minds of consumers and potential customers across target markets. Although the messages are very similar, Campbell’s uses two variations of commercials designed to target different consumers. Watch the following two YouTube videos. You’ll notice that the message Campbell’s gets across is consistent. But can you figure out who is in the two target audiences?

Video Clip A Meal : That’s Always Popular with the Group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ZM1cqpdT0

Campbell’s soup provides a good meal.

 Video Clip : So Many Possibilities for Enjoying Soup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN3c4rZJNd4

Campbell’s soup pleases people of all ages.

Changes in communication technology and instant access to information through tools such as the Internet and social media (online communication among interdependent and interconnected networks of organizations, people, and communities) explain one of the reasons why integrated marketing communications have become so important. Consumers are also changing. With access to many sources of information and often an interest in interactive media, consumers may collect more product information on their own. Marketers must organize and assemble available information to build a consistent brand message and make it relevant. With IMC, organizations can coordinate their messages to build the brand and develop strong customer relationships while also helping customers satisfy their needs.

FedEx’s recent campaign, the “We Understand” tagline launched in 2009 and the “Solutions that Matter” tagline launched in 2011, illustrate examples of IMC campaigns they used to deliver a consistent message across all media channels including television commercials, e-mails, social media, mobile marketing, direct mail, and the FedEx channel on YouTube (Dilworth, 2010). Watch the following videos to see examples of commercials in the FedEx campaigns.

Video Clip : The “We Understand” at FedEx Shows Customers that They Understand and Can Satisfy Their Needs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et1oZPNf2d0

FedEx often uses a humorous appeal.

Changing Media

Many consumers and business professionals seek information and connect with other people and businesses from their computers and phones. The work and social environments are changing, with more people having virtual offices and texting on their cell phones or communicating through social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. As the media landscape changes, the money that organizations spend on different types of communication will change as well. Some forecasts indicate that companies will spend almost 27 percent of their total promotional budgets, or $160 billion, on electronic or non-traditional media by 2012.

Figure 11.1: Changing media 

Some consumers feel lost without their cell phones. Phones such as the one pictured provide a source of information for consumers and a new medium for advertisers to deliver information.

(Yeray Hdez Guerra – iPhone – CC BY 2.0.)

Many college students are part of the millennial generation, and it is consumers from this generation (people like you perhaps) who are driving the change toward new communication technologies. You might opt to get promotions via mobile marketing—say, from stores on your cell phone as you walk by them or via a mobile gaming device that allows you to connect to the Web. Likewise, advertisements on Facebook are popular as businesses continue to utilize more social media. For example, when Honda let people on Facebook use the Honda logo to give heart-shaped virtual gifts on Valentine’s Day, over one and a half million people participated in the event and viewed the Honda Fit online in the process. Imagine the brand awareness generated for the Honda Fit.

Figure 11.2: Search engine marketing

Marketing based on the Internet and wireless technology is popular.

(Danard Vincente – Search-Engine-Marketing – CC BY 2.0.)

Traditional media (magazines, newspapers, television) compete with media such as the Internet, texting, mobile phones, social media, user-generated content such as blogs, and YouTube as well as out-of-home advertising such as billboards and movable promotions. You might have noticed that the tray tables on airplanes sometimes have ads on them. You have probably also seen ads on the inside of subway cars, in trains and buses, and even in bathroom stalls. These, too, are examples of out-of-home advertising.

Figure 11.3: Out-of-home advertising

The inside walls of many subways provide an opportunity for advertisers to reach commuters with their messages.

(emilydickinsonridesabmx – Vintage NYC Subway Trains – CC BY 2.0)

Although the money organizations spend promoting their offerings may go to different media channels, a company still wants to send its customers and potential consumers a consistent message (IMC). The different types of marketing communications an organization uses compose its promotion or communication mix, which consists of advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing, public relations and publicity, sponsorships (events and experiences), social media and interactive marketing, and professional selling . The importance of IMC will be demonstrated throughout the discussion of traditional media as well as newer, more targeted, and often interactive online media.

Advertising involves paying to disseminate a message that identifies a brand (product or service) or an organization being promoted to many people at one time. The typical media that organizations utilize for advertising of course include television, magazines, newspapers, the Internet, direct mail, and radio. Businesses also advertise on mobile devices and social media such as Facebook, blogs, and Twitter.

Consumer sales promotions consist of short-term incentives such as coupons, contests, games, rebates, and mail-in offers that supplement the advertising and sales efforts. Sales promotions include promotions that are not part of another component of the communication mix and are often developed to get customers and potential customers to take action quickly, make larger purchases, and/or make repeat purchases.

In business-to-business marketing, sales promotions are typically called trade promotions because they are targeted to channel members who conduct business or trade with consumers. Trade promotions include trade shows and special incentives given to retailers to market particular products and services, such as extra money, in-store displays, and prizes.

Direct marketing involves the delivery of personalized and often interactive promotional materials to individual consumers via channels such as mail, catalogs, Internet, e-mail, telephone, and direct-response advertising. By targeting consumers individually, organizations hope to get consumers to take action.

Professional selling is an interactive, paid approach to marketing that involves a buyer and a seller. The interaction between the two parties can occur in person, by telephone, or via another technology. Whatever medium is used, developing a relationship with the buyer is usually something the seller desires.

When you interview for internships or full-time positions and try to convince potential employers to hire you, you are engaging in professional selling. The interview is very similar to a buyer-seller situation. Both the buyer and seller have objectives they hope to achieve. Business-to-business marketers generally utilize professional selling more often than most business-to-consumer marketers. If you have ever attended a Pampered Chef party or purchased something from an Amway or Mary Kay representative, you’ve been exposed to professional selling.

Pampered Chef and Tastefully Simple have built their businesses primarily on the professional selling skills of their consultants. Professional selling is used more in business-to-business markets than in business-to-consumer markets.

[Wikimedia Commons – public domain.]

Public relations (PR) involves communication designed to help improve and promote an organization’s image and products. PR is often perceived as more neutral and objective than other forms of promotion because much of the information is tailored to sound as if it has been created by an organization independent of the seller. Public relations materials include press releases, publicity, and news conferences. While other techniques such as product placement and sponsorships, especially of events and experiences, tend to generate a lot of PR, the growth of expenditures and importance of sponsorships are so critical for so many companies that it is often considered a separate component in the communication mix. Many companies have internal PR departments or hire PR firms to find and create public relations opportunities for them. As such, PR is part of a company’s promotion budget and their integrated marketing communications

Sponsorships typically refer to financial support for events, venues, or experiences and provide the opportunity to target specific groups. Sponsorships enhance a company’s image and usually generate public relations. With an increasing amount of money being spent on sponsorships, they have become an important component of the promotion mix.

A marketing manager from one company might decide to focus on social media, whereas a marketing manager from another company might decide to focus her company’s efforts on television commercials. Why do companies select different types of media for what may be perceived as similar messages? As Figure 11.5 “Factors That Influence Selection of Promotion Mix” shows, a number of factors affect the choice of promotion mix elements.

Factors That Influence Selection of Promotion Mix

Budget Available: For many companies, the budget available to market a product determines what elements of the promotion mix are utilized. The budget affects a promotion’s reach (number of people exposed to the message) and frequency (how often people are exposed). For example, many smaller companies may lack the money to create and run commercials on top-rated television shows or during the Super Bowl. As a result, they may not get the exposure they need to be successful. Other firms such as McDonald’s may come up with creative ways to reach different target markets. For example, McDonald’s targeted college students with a special promotion that it filmed live in a Boston University lecture.

Stage in the product life cycle: The stage in the product life cycle also affects the type and amount of promotion used. Products in the introductory stages typically need a lot more promotional dollars to create awareness in the marketplace. Consumers and businesses won’t buy a product if they do not know about it. More communication is needed in the beginning of the product life cycle to build awareness and trial.

Type of product and type of purchase decision: Different products also require different types of promotion. Very technical products and very expensive products (high involvement) often need professional selling so the customer understands how the product operates and its different features. By contrast, advertising is often relied upon to sell convenience goods and products purchased routinely (low involvement) since customers are familiar with the products and they spend relatively little time making purchase decisions.

Target market characteristics and consumers’ readiness to purchase:  In order to select the best methods to reach different target markets, organizations need to know what types of media different targets use, how often they make purchases, where they make purchases, and what their readiness to purchase is as well as characteristics such as age, gender, and lifestyle. Some people are early adopters and want to try new things as soon as they are available, and other groups wait until products have been on the market for a while. Some consumers might not have the money to purchase different products, although they will need the product later. For example, are most college freshmen ready to purchase new cars?

Consumers’ preferences for various media:  We’ve already explained that different types of consumers prefer different types of media. In terms of target markets, college-aged students may prefer online, cell phone, mobile marketing, and social media more than older consumers do. Media preferences have been researched extensively by academics, marketing research companies, and companies to find out how consumers want to be reached.

Regulations, competitors, and environmental factors:  Regulations can affect the type of promotion used. For example, laws in the United States prohibit tobacco products from being advertised on television. In some Asian countries, controversial products such as alcohol cannot be advertised during Golden (prime) time on television. The hope is that by advertising late at night, young children do not see the advertisements. The strength of the economy can have an impact as well. In a weak economy, some organizations use more sales promotions such as coupons to get consumers into their stores. The risk is that consumers may begin to expect coupons and not want to buy items without a special promotion.

Availability of media:  Organizations must also plan their promotions based on availability of media. The top rated television shows and Super Bowl ad slots, for example, often sell out quickly. Magazines tend to have a longer lead time, so companies must plan far in advance for some magazines. By contrast, because of the number of radio stations and the nature of the medium, organizations can often place radio commercials the same day they want them to be aired. Social media and online media may be immediate, but users must be careful about what they post and their privacy. Uncontrollable events can affect a company’s promotions, too. For example, when a disaster occurs, TV stations often cut advertisements to make way for continuous news coverage. If there is a crisis or disaster and your company is in the middle of a promotion being advertised on TV, you will likely have to scramble to reach consumers via another medium.

Figure 11.5: Factors Influencing Promotion Mix

The Communication Process

Do you use TiVo or a digital video recorder (DVR) to record movies or television shows so you can watch them when you want without television commercials? Do you ever use the remote to skip the commercials or zap (change channels) to look at different shows? Think about which television shows you choose to watch, which magazines you read, which radio stations you select. The perceptual process is how a person decides what to pay attention to and how to interpret and remember different things, including information in advertising. By selecting a magazine, a television show, or even an elective class in school, you’re selecting what you’re exposed to and deciding what gets your attention. However, your selection does not insure you’ll either pay attention or remember or correctly interpret what you see or hear.

Think about what else you are doing when you watch television, when you are studying, or when you are listening to the radio. It’s a hot day in July and you’re enjoying a day at the beach. Your friends brought a radio and the volume is turned up so you can hear all the music. If you’re listening to the music or talking to a friend at the beach while you’re listening to the radio, do you hear or pay attention to the commercials? Do you remember which products were advertised? If you’re with a friend and hear someone else say your name, do you pay more attention to the person talking about you than to your friend?

The same thing happens when you are watching a television show, reading a magazine, or studying for a test. The phone rings or your friends show up and your attention shifts to them. With so many different types of distractions and technology (such as recording devices), imagine how difficult it is for an advertiser to get you to pay attention much less remember the message. Do you remember the terms you memorized for a test a day later? Do you know your friends’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses or do you just find their names on your contact list? To increase retention, advertisers may repeat the same message multiple times in different places, but they must be careful that consumers don’t get so tired of the message that there is a negative effect.

The communication process illustrates how messages are sent and received, as shown in Figure 11.6 “The Communication Process”. The source (or sender) encodes, or translates, a message so that it’s appropriate for the message channel—say, for a print advertisement, TV commercial, or store display—and shows the benefits and value of the offering. The receiver (customer or consumer) then decodes, or interprets, the message. For effective communication to occur, the receiver must interpret the message as the sender intended.

Message Problems

You’re ready to go home on a Friday afternoon and you hear someone mention an upcoming event on Saturday. However, you did not listen to all the details and assume the event is the next day, not the following Saturday. Since you already made other plans for the next day, you don’t even consider showing up the following Saturday. Has this ever happened to you? You don’t show up at an event because you didn’t interpret the message correctly? If you do not hear someone correctly, misread information, or misinterpret a message, you might think a product or service provides different benefits or is easier or harder to use than it really is.

Interference, or noise, can distort marketing messages. Factors such as poor reception, poor print quality, problems with a server, or a low battery can interfere with your getting messages. Interference includes any distractions receivers and senders face during the transmission of a message. For example, when you were growing up did you see commercials for toys such as the pogo ball, which appeared to be so easy to use but when you tried to jump up and down on it, you found out it was extremely difficult? The same thing may happen if you’re studying for an exam while you’re talking on the phone. The conversation interferes with remembering what you’re reading. If a friend tells you a story, then you tell another friend, and that person tells someone else, will the message be the same after it is relayed to multiple people? If you miss class and borrow someone else’s notes, do you understand what they mean? Not only must advertisers try to present consistent messages (IMC), they must also try to ensure that you interpret the message as they intended.

Purchasing a product provides the sender with feedback, which often tells the seller that you saw information and wanted to try the product. If you use any coupons or promotions when you buy a product, the advertiser knows which vehicle you used to get the information. Market research and warranty registration also provide feedback.

We tend to purchase products and remember information that has some relevance to our personal situation or beliefs. If you have no need for a product or service, you might not pay attention to or remember the messages used to market it. Advertisers also want you to remember their brands so that you’ll think of their products/services when you need to make a purchase.

Figure 11.6: The Communication Process

• As the media landscape changes, marketers may change the type of promotions they use in order to reach their target markets.
• With changing technology and social media (e.g., Facebook), less money is being budgeted for traditional media such as magazines and more money is budgeted for “non-traditional media.”
• Regardless of the type of media used, marketers use integrated marketing communications (IMC) to deliver one consistent message to buyers.
• Technology is changing the way businesses and individuals communicate.
• Organizations use Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) to deliver a consistent message across all components of the promotion mix.
• The promotion (communication) mix is composed of advertising, professional selling, public relations, sponsorships (events and experiences), sales promotion, direct marketing, and online media, including social media.
• Many factors, such as a firm’s marketing budget, the type of product, regulations, target customers, and competitors, influence what composes the promotion mix.
• Depending on what medium is used, marketers use the communication process to encode or translate ideas into messages that can be correctly interpreted (decoded) by buyers.
• Marketers must determine how to get consumers’ attention and avoid as much interference and noise as possible.
• Perceptual processes include how a person decides what to pay attention to and how to interpret and remember different things.

Dilworth, D., “FedEx Launches Fully Integrated Campaign, Featuring E-mail, Direct Mail,” Direct Marketing News, January 7, 2010, http://www.dmnews.com/fedex-launches-fully-integrated-campaign-featuring-e-maildirect-mail/article/160829/

Share This Book

• Increase Font Size

Books And Literature

Business Plan

Product Guide

Krishi Booklet

E catalogue.

Agriculture And Veterinary

Product Catalogue

Agriculture and Veterinary

Food Products

Garments Accessories and Books

Health and Nutrition Care

Personal Care

Shipping Policy

Return Policy

Privacy Policy

Terms and conditions.

Aloe Arjunarishta

Protiwon For Children

Smart Alkalizer

Aloe Pachak Risht

Immune 20 X Tablets

Triphal Tablets With Isabgol

Aloe Skin Guard Cream

Omega 3 6 9 Capsules

Glucosamine Tablets

Air Touch S8 Honeywell Air Purifier

Super Health Capsules

Protiwon For Family

Herbal Hand Sanitizer

Ashwagandha and Shilajit Tablets

Giloy And Pappaya Tablet

Aloe Chyawan Gold No Added Sugar

Apple Cidar Vinegar

Navrattan Multigrain Atta

Wild Amla Shakti Ras

Top 50 product leaflets.

Aloe Facial Kit

Herbal Aloe Gel

Aloe Dental Cream and Charcoal Dental Gel

Sanitary Napkins with Anions and Magnetic Energy

Organic Noni Hair Color Shampoo

Herbal Bal Shakti Syrup

Alkaline Anti Bacterial Mineral Water Bottle

Blood Purifier Syrup

Aloe Cal D Tablets

Aloe Digest

Aloe Jyoti and Jyoti Plus

Aloe Kofkare Syrup

Aloe Liv Kare Tablets and Syrup

Aloe Mukta and Heart Strong Tablets

Aloe Noni Juice

Aloe Piles Away Cream and Tablets

Aloe Sanjivani Juice

Aloe Spirulina Tablets

Aloevera Fibrous Juice

Daily Diet Tablets

Detox Foot Patch

Elaichi Amrit

Fat Away Tablets

Herbal Fever Guard Tablets and Syrup

Fresh Morning Tablets

Garlic Pure Tablets

Herbal Naturomega Capsules

Herbal Neempure Tablets

Herbal Protiwon

Herbal Urinorm Syrup and Tablets

Himalayan Berry Juice

Tru Knight Power Oil and Tablets

Omega 3 6 9 Fish Oil Capsules

Pain Away Cream Oil and Tablets

Pyari Saheli Syrup and Tablets

Shri Haldi Curcumin With Kesar

Sugar Away Ras and Tablets

Super Nourish Moringa Tablets

Tru Health Capsules

Wheat Gold Tablets

Activator and Agro Growth Booster

Herbal Aloe Vical and Vita

Aloe Chyawan Gold

Imc code of ethics.

IMC Code Of Ethics

Forms and agreement.

Associate Joining Form

Application Form To Change Personal Details

Application Form To Change Business Details

Transfer Of Name To Individual Name

Product Return Form

Resignation Form

Tradeshow and Advertisement And Social

Individual Name To That Of Legal Entity

Transfer Of Business Within Immediate Family

Imc magazine.

Ayurveda Apnaye Swasth Jeevan Paye

IMC E Magazine

Prashikshan aur Vikas

Team Management Skills

E Magazine January 2019

E Magazine February and March 2019

E Magazine April 2019

E Magazine May 2019

E Magazine July 2020

E Magazine August 2020

E Magazine September 2020

E Magazine October 2020

E Magazine November 2020

E Magazine December 2020

E Magazine January 2021

E Magazine February 2021

E Magazine April and May 2021

E Magazine June 2021

E Magazine July 2021

E Magazine August 2021

E Magazine September 2021

E Magazine October 2021

E Magazine November 2021

E Magazine December 2021

E Magazine January 2022

E Magazine February 2022

E Magazine March 2022

E Magazine April 2022

E Magazine May 2022

E Magazine June 2022

E Magazine July 2022

E Magazine August 2022

E Magazine September 2022

E Magazine October 2022

E Magazine November 2022

E Magazine December 2022

E Magazine January 2023

E Magazine February 2023

Sashakt nari magazine.

Sashakt Nari January 2023

Sashakt Nari February 2023

Sashakt Nari March and April 2023

Sashakt Nari May 2023

Sashakt Nari June 2023

Sashakt Nari July 2023

Preview image.

Join the IMC Business

Incredible Magic of Conviction, an extended version of IMC generates energetic vibes to fulfill your dreams.

IMC Business Plan 2023 PDF Download

Download IMC Busines Latest Full Business MLM Plan PDF for free – International Marketing Corporation Income and Business Plan PDF

This post will provide you with a PDF of the complete IMC Business Plan.  You can find the latest Marketing and Business Plan for IMC Company,  which you can also download in PDF format   at the end of the post.

IMC is a product-based network marketing company , which is a well-known direct-selling company in India. It was started in 2007 and its head office is in Ludhiana, Punjab.

IMC stands for International Marketing Corporation . Ashok Bhatia is the chairman and Satyan Bhatia is the managing director of IMC.

IMC got registered under MCA on 31 December 2013 from Ludhiana, Punjab. IMC products list consists of Health Care, Agriculture products, Personal Care, and Home Care category products.

• Tupperware Business Plan PDF
• AWPL Plan PDF Download

IMC Business Plan

Anyone can join IMC as a Distributor or Associate and being an Associate, Every person has to perform two major tasks to earn from it.

1. Product Selling

After becoming an Associate, the company provides the product at a lower price, which is known as Distributor price (DP) and by selling that product in MRP, you can earn a good amount of retail profit.

The retail profit can be calculated by the following formula:

2. Recruitment

The second task to earn more is recruiting new people. To earn passive income as well as active income, distributors need to recruit more people in the downline.

As per Direct Selling Guidelines , earnings are always based on the product purchase, which can be a personal purchase or downline purchase.

IMC Compensation Plan

IMC offers 17 types of Income to their Associates:

• Retail Profit
• Accumulative Performance Incentive
• Leadership Bonus
• Travelling Fund
• Chairman Star Fund
• Ambassador Star Fund
• Crown Ambassador Fund
• President Star Fund
• Crown Ambassador Star Fund
• Senior Crown President Star Fund
• Director Crown President Star Fund 0.25%
• Kohinoor Crown President Star Fund
• Special Meeting Fund
• Royal Annual Bonus

IMC Business Plan PDF Download

To understand more about it, you can download IMC business plan PDF by clicking the below button.

How to Join IMC?

To join IMC, a person can contact any existing distributor of IMC and ask them to enroll in the company.

To join, individuals should have documents such as Aadhar Card, Pan Card, and Bank Account.

• Qnet Business Plan PDF Download
• DXN Business Marketing Plan PDF

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Newly Launched - AI Presentation Maker

AI PPT Maker

Powerpoint Templates

PPT Bundles

Icon Bundle

Kpi Dashboard

Professional

Business Plans

Swot Analysis

Gantt Chart

Business Proposal

Marketing Plan

Project Management

Business Case

Business Model

Cyber Security

Business PPT

Digital Marketing

Digital Transformation

Human Resources

Product Management

Artificial Intelligence

Company Profile

Acknowledgement PPT

PPT Presentation

Reports Brochures

One Page Pitch

Interview PPT

All Categories

Top 10 IMC Strategy Benefits PowerPoint Presentation Templates in 2024

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategies bring numerous benefits to businesses by ensuring a cohesive and consistent message across all marketing channels. By utilizing a well-structured IMC approach, organizations can enhance brand awareness, foster customer loyalty, and improve overall marketing effectiveness. One of the primary advantages of an IMC strategy is its ability to create a unified brand message. This consistency helps consumers recognize and trust the brand, leading to increased engagement and higher conversion rates.Moreover, IMC strategies allow for more efficient use of marketing resources. By coordinating various communication methodssuch as advertising, public relations, social media, and direct marketingbusinesses can optimize their campaigns, reducing redundancy and maximizing impact. This integrated approach also facilitates better data collection and analysis, enabling marketers to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. As a result, businesses can tailor their messages more effectively, ensuring they resonate with their target audience.Additionally, IMC fosters collaboration among different departments within an organization, breaking down silos and encouraging a more holistic view of marketing efforts. This collaboration not only improves internal communication but also enhances the overall customer experience, as consumers receive a seamless interaction with the brand across various touchpoints. Ultimately, adopting an IMC strategy can lead to increased sales, improved market share, and a stronger competitive advantage in todays dynamic marketplace.

IMC Process Powerpoint Ppt Template Bundles

Deliver a lucid presentation by utilizing this IMC Process Powerpoint Ppt Template Bundles. Use it to present an overview of the topic with the right visuals, themes, shapes, and graphics. This is an expertly designed complete deck that reinforces positive thoughts and actions. Use it to provide visual cues to your audience and help them make informed decisions. A wide variety of discussion topics can be covered with this creative bundle such as IMC Process Steps, IMC Planning Process, Effective IMC Process, IMC Process Framework, IMC Process Model. All the thirteen slides are available for immediate download and use. They can be edited and modified to add a personal touch to the presentation. This helps in creating a unique presentation every time. Not only that, with a host of editable features, this presentation can be used by any industry or business vertical depending on their needs and requirements. The compatibility with Google Slides is another feature to look out for in the PPT slideshow.

Our IMC Process Powerpoint Ppt Template Bundles are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• IMC Process Steps
• IMC Planning Process
• Effective IMC Process
• IMC Process Framework
• IMC Process Model

Country analysis overall strategic approach marketing mix imc

Presenting this set of slides with name - Country Analysis Overall Strategic Approach Marketing Mix Imc. This is an editable four stages graphic that deals with topics like Country Analysis, Overall Strategic Approach, Marketing Mix Imc to help convey your message better graphically. This product is a premium product available for immediate download, and is 100 percent editable in Powerpoint. Download this now and use it in your presentations to impress your audience.

Belief becomes firm and genuine with our Country Analysis Overall Strategic Approach Marketing Mix Imc. Faith will get further cemented.

• Country Analysis
• Overall Strategic Approach
• Marketing Mix Imc

IMC Plan Template In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb

Presenting IMC Plan Template In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb slide which is completely adaptable. The graphics in this PowerPoint slide showcase five stages that will help you succinctly convey the information. In addition, you can alternate the color, font size, font type, and shapes of this PPT layout according to your content. This PPT presentation can be accessed with Google Slides and is available in both standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also a useful set to elucidate topics like IMC Plan Template. This well structured design can be downloaded in different formats like PDF, JPG, and PNG. So, without any delay, click on the download button now.

Our IMC Plan Template In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• IMC Plan Template

Imc process ppt powerpoint presentation summary designs cpb

Presenting this set of slides with name IMC Process Ppt Powerpoint Presentation Summary Designs Cpb. This is an editable Powerpoint four stages graphic that deals with topics like IMC Process to help convey your message better graphically. This product is a premium product available for immediate download and is 100 percent editable in Powerpoint. Download this now and use it in your presentations to impress your audience.

Our IMC Process Ppt Powerpoint Presentation Summary Designs Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• IMC Process

Four Components IMC In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb

Presenting Four Components IMC In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb slide which is completely adaptable. The graphics in this PowerPoint slide showcase four stages that will help you succinctly convey the information. In addition, you can alternate the color, font size, font type, and shapes of this PPT layout according to your content. This PPT presentation can be accessed with Google Slides and is available in both standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also a useful set to elucidate topics like Four Components IMC. This well structured design can be downloaded in different formats like PDF, JPG, and PNG. So, without any delay, click on the download button now.

Our Four Components IMC In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• Four Components IMC

Imc Elements In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb

Presenting Imc Elements In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb slide which is completely adaptable. The graphics in this PowerPoint slide showcase four stages that will help you succinctly convey the information. In addition, you can alternate the color, font size, font type, and shapes of this PPT layout according to your content. This PPT presentation can be accessed with Google Slides and is available in both standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also a useful set to elucidate topics like Imc Elements. This well structured design can be downloaded in different formats like PDF, JPG, and PNG. So, without any delay, click on the download button now.

Our Imc Elements In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• Imc Elements

Example IMC Tools In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb

Presenting Example IMC Tools In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb slide which is completely adaptable. The graphics in this PowerPoint slide showcase four stages that will help you succinctly convey the information. In addition, you can alternate the color, font size, font type, and shapes of this PPT layout according to your content. This PPT presentation can be accessed with Google Slides and is available in both standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also a useful set to elucidate topics like Example IMC Tools. This well-structured design can be downloaded in different formats like PDF, JPG, and PNG. So, without any delay, click on the download button now.

Our Example IMC Tools In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb are topically designed to provide an attractive backdrop to any subject. Use them to look like a presentation pro.

• Example IMC Tools

How IMC Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line Integrated Marketing Communication MKT SS V

The following slide illustrates real industry example of integrated marketing communication strategy adopted by Always to change the perception of girls as weak. It includes elements such as objectives, challenges, initiatives and outcomes etc. Introducing How IMC Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line Integrated Marketing Communication MKT SS V to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with Three stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Campaign Objective, Initiatives Taken, Key Outcomes, using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

The following slide illustrates real industry example of integrated marketing communication strategy adopted by Always to change the perception of girls as weak. It includes elements such as objectives, challenges, initiatives and outcomes etc.

• Campaign Objective
• Initiatives Taken
• Key Outcomes

Comprehensive Integrated Marketing How Imc Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line MKT SS V

The following slide illustrates real industry example of integrated marketing communication strategy adopted by Always to change the perception of girls as weak. It includes elements such as objectives, challenges, initiatives and outcomes etc. Introducing Comprehensive Integrated Marketing How Imc Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line MKT SS V to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with Five stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Emotional Level, Social Media, Leveraged Consumer using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

• Emotional Level
• social media
• Leveraged Consumer

Implementing Integrated How IMC Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line MKT SS V

The following slide illustrates real industry example of integrated marketing communication strategy adopted by Always to change the perception of girls as weak. It includes elements such as objectives, challenges, initiatives and outcomes etc. Introducing Implementing Integrated How IMC Strategy Improved Always Bottom Line MKT SS V to increase your presentation threshold. Encompassed with two stages, this template is a great option to educate and entice your audience. Dispence information on Challenges Faced, Initiatives Taken, Key Outcomes, using this template. Grab it now to reap its full benefits.

• Challenges Faced

• S&P 500
• Commodities
• Personal Finance
• Company News
• Real Estate
• International
• Newsletters

Two Australian Pensions Plan Merger to Create $41 Billion Fund

(Bloomberg) -- Australian pensions Equip Super and TelstraSuper are exploring a tie-up that would create a A$60 billion ($41 billion) fund, the latest of the industry’s smaller players to join forces. 

The boards of the two funds have entered a merger agreement via a non-binding memorandum of understanding, according to a statement Wednesday. The plan is expected to be completed late next year, pending due diligence.

The regulator is encouraging consolidation as it tightens scrutiny of pension fees and performance, though deals have been relatively quiet given their cost and complexity. Australian Retirement Trust recently agreed to merge with smaller rival Qantas Super, while CareSuper and Spirit Super are also merging.

Australia’s pension system, one of the world’s largest, is nearing A$4 trillion in assets that are forecast to more than triple by 2048, according to Mercer analysis. The firm also predicts that mergers will see just a dozen funds controlling more than A$100 billion each by 2028.

Equip Super, with around A$35 billion of assets, was established in 1931, while A$26 billion TelstraSuper is the corporate fund for Telstra employees. They have a combined 225,000 members.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Top Stories

TD Names Chun CEO as Masrani to Retire Amid US Investigation

Trans Mountain purchase doesn't sway Suncor CEO's view on Canadian competitiveness

Freeland asks opposition parties to ratify new NAFTA quickly

U.S. Federal Reserve cuts key rate by sizable half-point, signaling end to its inflation fight

Canada’s luxury real estate market seeing more price stability: Royal LePage

Canada makes small emissions cut in 2023, but must ramp up to hit key targets: report

Watch LIVE: BNN Bloomberg

Developing small, portable nuclear reactors

Implications of MLSE deal for Toronto sports fans

Canadian policy makers split on balance of inflation risks

Market reaction to US Feds' 50 BPS rate cut

Impact of US fed rate cuts on oil markets