Last PBL session I played as an observer watching my group mates discussed what they had found about storytelling and its role in corporate communication. We opened a new task for next PBL session with topic Integrated Marketing Communication. The main problem of integrated marketing communication is that how to keep messages about the brand consistent channels? In order to answer the question, we came up with three learning objectives to be solved next time as follow:
1. Coordinating IMC
- Define what is IMC
- Participants of IMC and their roles
- Successful coordination of their activities in IMC
2. Tools and channels for IMC
- Available tools and how to choose the right ones
- How to implement them successfully (case studies)
3. How the channels and coordination affect the message?
----------------------------------------
1. Coordinating IMC
1.1 Definition of IMC
IMC covers a big picture of marketing communications. In a book Integrated Marketing Communications written by William Chitty, Nigel Barker, Michael Valos and Terence A. Shimp says "IMC is to examine the different elements of marketing communication mex, followed by an examination of the features and benefits of IMC". So the important thing to be done in IMC is to mix all types of marketing communications such as PR, advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, etc. This helps achieve organisation's objectives and increase brand's equity (Integrated Marketing Communications, edition 3, p3)
In another word, IMC basically means to mingle all promotional tools to ensure all forms of marketing and communications linked together. There are some levels of integration such as Horizontal, Vertical, Internal, External and Data integration (MMCLearning) helps strengthen integrated communications.
Sources:
William C., Nigel B. Michael V., Terence A., Integrated Marketing Communications, edition 3, p3
MMCLearning, Integrated Marketing Communications, http://multimediamarketing.com/mkc/marketingcommunications/
Good speech from Nick Scarpino, A Guide for Prioritizing Marketing Communications, https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=347&v=UhQ2T5V2SQE
1.2 Participants, their roles and successful coordination
IMC is a big process requiring many participants taking part in. Participants of IMC can be grouped by four main categories:
Advertiser or client: some one who pays for advertisement and promotions to market their products or services
Advertising agency: another company offering different services to facilitate the development of marketing and promotion process for clients
Media organisations: using promotor's point of view to provide information for viewers and audience with the purpose of creating an environment for the marketing communication programs that the firm is utilising.
Specialist marketing communication comprises direct-response agencies, sales promotion agencies, interactive agencies, public relation firms (IMC, Krishna Kant, 2011)
Another participant which is mentioned generally as media agencies provide many services including account management and services, creative planning devision, media planning and buying division, post production division, finance and client billing, marketing research and behaviour research (SlideShare, 2012)
Nowadays that everything is interconnected to each other that marketing is doing the same thing. IMC is a strategic model where all marketing tools are combined to generate good values to the customers. The final goals are to create long-term customer relationship, long-term profits once the organization has increased brand recognition.
Sources:
Krishna Kant, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) 2011, http://teamkuhner.com/2011/09/20/integrated-marketing-communication-imc/
SlideShare 2012, http://www.slideshare.net/singh.the.hacker/integrated-marketing-communication-15206992
2. Tools and channels
There are many tools used for IMC:
Figure. element of the promotion
Direct marketing uses various media channels to reach customers directly to encourage customers to purchase products or services. It can be direct mail, telemarketing, internet marketing, etc. The message giving should be quick, depends on customer's reaction, good expression.
Sales promotions are designed to reach communication objectives. It includes different types of marketing activities to increase brand awareness or new products and create impact on buyers' attitudes. Sales promotions are more often used for short-run effects.
- Trade-oriented sales promotions offer allowances to wholesalers
- Customer-oriented sales promotions offer free samples, discounts, coupons, etc. to enhance sales
Marketing public relations (MPR) is fairly similar to advertising in some elements but a company does not pay for the media fees. For example, press releases about the company, its products, what they have done and what is new could be published to the local newspaper to increase public awareness.
Personal selling is person-to-person or face-to-face selling. It is pretty popular that one day we receive some phone call to hear about product introduction, discounts or benefits of products. Personal selling is implemented to persuade potential customers to buy specific products which can bring high benefits to the company.
Point-of-purchase communications are in-store presence with posters, flyers, logo showing the company's signs in shops or stores to influence their choice when buying.
Sources:
William C., Nigel B. Michael V., Terence A., Integrated Marketing Communications, edition 3, p4-5
MMCLearning, Integrated Marketing Communications.
Krishna Kant, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) 2011, http://teamkuhner.com/2011/09/20/integrated-marketing-communication-imc/
Figure, SlideShare 2012, http://www.slideshare.net/singh.the.hacker/integrated-marketing-communication-15206992
3. How channels affect the message!
There are two types of communication channels:
Personal communication channels aim for face-to-face marketing, direct marketing, telephone, internet chat, service support
Non-personal communication channels including print media (newspaper, direct mail), broadcast media (TV, radio), electronic media (videotapes, CD-ROM, webpage) , display media (posters, banners, signs, billboard) (Krishna Kant, 2011)
Non-personal communication channels almost always have to pay, sometimes very expensive for promotion and marketing fees. This suits more for medium and big companies who can afford that much costs meanwhile personal communication channels cost less but the company needs to manage the process effectively to reduce operating fees as much as possible.
Source:
Krishna Kant, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) 2011, http://teamkuhner.com/2011/09/20/integrated-marketing-communication-imc/
No comments:
Post a Comment