Integrated Marketing Communications - Saint Leo University

Integrated Marketing CommunicationsAdvertisingSellingPromotionPublic Relations

What Is Integrated MarketingCommunications? Integrated Marketing Communications Coordination of promotional efforts for maximuminformational and persuasive effectPrimary goal is to achieve and to support marketingobjectives This is primarily accomplished by sending an integratedand consistent message to consumers Usually employs a variety of mediums

Why IMC Is Important Decreased use of mass media advertisingDatabase marketing provides more precise targeting ofcustomersMore broadly diversified suppliers of advertisingIncreased management demands for return oninvestment in marketing efforts

Objectives of IMC Create awarenessStimulate demandProduct trialIdentify potential customersRetain existing customersBrand imageCounter competitive effortsReduce sales fluctuations

Push vs. Pull Push Pull The seller focuses their promotional efforts on the nextstage in the channel Dealers, distributors, wholesalers These in turn “push” it to the next stagePlaces a greater burden on the channel membersThe seller focuses their efforts on the consumer who “pulls”the product through the channelNot uncommon to have a mix of the two

IMC ing

Advertising A non-personal form of marketing communicationintended to persuade or inform using any one of severalmass media types: NewspapersTVRadioInternetBillboardsDirect mail

Print Ad Example

Print Ad Example

Celebrity Ads

Using Humor

Advertising Campaign The design of a series of advertisements and theirplacement in various advertising media in order tocommunicate with a particular target audience Got milk?Gecko and CavemenAnti-smoking ads

Advertising Campaign Process

Defining the Advertising Objectives What does the firm hope to accomplish with thecampaign? Objectives should be clear, precise, and measurable. revenue positioning brand awareness or image education/informative

Identify and Analyze Target Audience Target audience is the group of consumers targeted bythe campaign Location and geographic distributionDistribution of demographic factorsLifestyle informationConsumer attitudes

Creating the Advertising Platform Basic issues or selling points to be included in theadvertising campaign: selling propositionmessagingpositioning

Determining the Advertising Budget Advertising budget for a specified period Geographic size of the market and distribution of buyerswithin the market are important factors in determining thesize of the budgetAre there objectives other than market opportunity? Awareness and visibility Product rollout Strategic positioning or competition

Developing the Media Plan Specifies media vehicles and the schedule for running theadvertisements the “when and where”Plan objectives focus on achieving the reach andfrequency that the budget will allow Reach: the percentage of consumers in a target marketexposed to an advertisement in a specified periodFrequency: the number of times targeted consumers areexposed to an advertisement in a specified period

Developing the Media Plan (cont’d) Cost Comparison Indicator A means of comparing the cost of vehicles in a specificmedium in relation to the number of people reachedThe indicator is stated as the cost for exposing onethousand people (CPM) to an advertisement in a medium.Media Scheduling Types ContinuousFightingPulsing

Creating the Advertising MessageProduct Features, Uses,and BenefitsCharacteristics of theTarget AudienceAdvertising CampaignObjectives and PlatformChoice of MediaCollectively determinethe message which mayinclude images, words,music, and specialeffects as well othernon-verbal clues

Advertising Copy Copy: the verbal portion of advertisements Includes headlines, sub headlines, body copy,and signatureCopy guidelines: Identify a specific desire or problemDefine why the product is the best way to satisfy the desireor solve the problemState product benefitsSubstantiate advertising claimsAsk the buyer to take action

Artwork, Illustrations, and Layout Artwork Illustrations An ad’s illustration and layoutPhotos, drawings, graphs, charts, and tables used to sparkaudience interestLayout The physical arrangement of an ad’s illustration and copy

Personal Selling

What Is Personal Selling? Personal Selling Paid personal communication that informs customers andpersuades them to buy products Most adjustable to customer information needs Most precise (targeted) form ofpromotion methods Most expensive element inpromotion mix

Public Relations

Public Relations The practice of managing the flow of informationbetween a firm and its public Communications efforts used to create and maintainfavorable relations between an organization and itsstakeholdersFocuses on enhancing the image of the total organization

Stakeholders Another term for public is “stakeholders” CustomersVendorsStockholdersCommunityGovernments

Tools of the Trade Company magazinesBrochuresInternal newslettersSpeechesAnnual reportsSponsored eventsPress releases

Publicity Publicity: a news story type of communicationtransmitted through a mass medium at no charge News release A short piece of copy publicizing an event or a productFeature article A manuscript of up to 3,000 words prepared for aspecific publicationCaptioned photograph A photo with a brief description of its contentsPress conference A meeting used to announce major news events“There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary”--Brendan Behan, Irish writer

Advantages and Disadvantages Publicity Advantages Credibility Significant word-of-mouth communications A perception of being endorsed by the mediaLimitations Must be accepted by news media Must be timely, interesting, accurate, and in the publicinterest Inability to control content or time of release to public

Press ReleaseHEADLINESub Headline With MoreInformationIntroduction – 5 W’sBody paragraph twoBody paragraph threeClose - ###Contact

Sales Promotion

Promotion A non-personal form of marketing communicationsintended to generate sales of a given product at a giventime Usually requires that a purchase be made to take advantageof the “offer” coupons BOGO samples rebates

Method Selection ObjectivesProduct characteristicsTarget market characteristicsDistribution channel(s)Number and types of resellersCompetitive and legal environmentBudget

Methods BOGOPremiums Captain Midnight Secret Decoder RingRebatesCouponsRepeat offersIn store samples or demosPOP displaysLoyalty programs Delta AirlinesWinn Dixie

Direct Marketing A form of non-personal marketing communicationsclosely related to advertising Direct mailBroadcast emailsInfomercialsTelemarketing

Guerrilla Marketing Unconventional and often very edgy marcom techniqueusing non-standard mediums Low costHigh attention valueMay miss some audiencesGenerally not useful for B2BBuzz, Viral and Ambassador tactics

What Is Integrated Marketing Communications? Integrated Marketing Communications Coordination of promotional efforts for maximum informational and persuasive effect Primary goal is to achieve and to support marketing objectives This is primarily accomplished by sending an integrated and consistent message to consumers Usually employs a variety of mediums