Communication marketing anaysis

Marketing

communications

stems

from

Integrated

marketing

communications (IMC). Marketing communication comes in two different

forms, a channel and a tool. Marketing communication channels focuses
on any way a business communicates a message to its desired market,
or the market in general. A marketing communication tool can be
anything

from:

advertising,

personal

selling,

direct

marketing,

sponsorship, communication, promotion and public relations. If the two

kinds of marketing communications are put together, it can be seen that
marketing communications are the different ways a message is
communicated to different markets.
Marketing communications are made up of the marketing mix which is
made up of the 4Ps: Price, Promotion, Place and Product, for a business
selling goods, and made up of the 7Ps: Price, Promotion, Place, Product,
People, Physical evidence and Process, for a service based business.
Background
Marketing communications falls into various categories relating to
marketing to the public, from advertising, promotions, sales, branding
and online promotion. It is so spread out and iconic that it has become a
favoured term amongst practitioners. It is a symbolic tool that helps
organisations interact with their many stakeholders in the market, by
promoting their goods or services to them. Whenever members of the
public interact with an organisation, marketing communication has been
used, this is a significant process where businesses use to gain success
and knowledge on their brand. By far the most exciting and creative
areas within marketing, offering careers opportunities in this multi
millionaire industry. In order to gain success in marketing both the
organisation and members of the public must be involved. Businesses
cannot operate if they target every market to satisfy their consumers
satisfactions. By targeting audiences who appreciate the organisations
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marketing program will gain a successful branding. A target audience is

a group of people that aimed at by the marketers, delivering them a
message of their brand. The target audience will most likely be people
who will react to their marketing communications in a positive way.
Marketing communications can fall in to the same meaning as
advertising. Advertising is the most common marketing term that
organisations and even members of the public understand and evaluate,
it has come across people at least a number of times in their everyday
lives. Advertising is only a small section of marketing communications
and is not an alternative term to it. Promotion and marketing
communications is difficult comprehend, therefore considering it as a
term that can be similar within each other is more simple. The concept of
the marketing communications mix which is a range of tools available to
an organisations to deliver a clear and consistent message to their target
audiences, thus impacting the businesses performance negatively or
positively. It is also commonly called the promotional mix, Crosier (1990)
states that all terms have the same meaning in the context of the 4ps.
Marketing communications is very similar to marketing in general,
similar to comparing advertising to marketing communications. When
asking what marketing is, the marketing mix comes to mind and the
most common way of describing it is by explaining the 4ps. Product,
price, place and promotion. Price of a product or service can send a
message to their target audience. For example, comparing a $10 bag to
a $50 bag, the more expensive bag will most likely be a luxury item,
more durable than the cheaper one. This is market information that can
easily send out a message to all target audiences. The most fundamental
part of explains what marketing is using the 4ps is that, it elaborates
how promotion is crucial and a significant aspect of what marketing is all
about.
Marketing communications and the marketing mix falls into the category
of the marketing plan. The marketing plan is a specific document that
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outlines

current

marketing

situations.

This

plan

identifies

key

opportunities and threats, set objectives and develops an action plan to

achieve marketing goals. Each section of the 4Ps sets its own object, for
instance, pricing objective might be to increase sales in an a certain
geographical market by pricing their own product or service lower than
their competitors. This creates a significant change in the market
because more people of the target market would aim to do business with
your organisation than your competitors, because pricing is one of the
most significant aspects of marketing that can change the whole market
positively and or negatively. Marketing communications presents a
marketing strategy to draw the attention of all target audiences. Sending
a message about the organisations 4ps can excite their interests and
can help create a successful business.
Marketing communications consists of five key factors, persuasion and
information, objectives, contact points, stakeholders and marketing
communication activities. Firstly all marketing communications goal is to
persuade their target audience to change their attitudes and behaviour
towards the organisation. There are many ways to persuade the target
audience, for instance marketers can provide a valid reasoning and
significant facts that can change consumer behaviour significantly.
Listening and responding to any questions to the organisation can go a
long way in the driving success of the organisation. From making the
target audience feel special and heard of can instantly change their
emotions and opinion of the organisation. Marketing communication can
work

without

an

objective.

Generally

creating

brand

awareness,

delivering information, educating the market and an advanced positive

image for the organisation can also persuade the target audience.
Contact points must require managing and coordinating a marketing
message. Contact points can range from stores where customers are
able to physically experience the product and see it for themselves,
customer calls where the hotline will be able to help all customers in
need and advertisement through television, social media and others.
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Successful marketing requires that a message at every contact point can

persuade any target audience. Stakeholders are anyone in the target
market that can influence the purchase of the product or that can create
success to the company. Competitors can be important stakeholders for
an organisation; by two competitors working together can help protect
their market shares. Finally marketing communication activities can send
out a message informally by explicitly marking communication programs
or informally through the marketing mix. There are two key types of
messages marketing communications can deliver, unplanned and
planned

messages.

Planned

messages

are

delivered

through,

advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal

selling, point of purchase, packaging, specialties, sponsorships, licensing
and customer service. Unplanned messages however are all about the
company or brand sending out simplicity messages to consumers. Both
types of messages are crucial as they bring a unified story to the market.
Marketing Communication
"Communication is one of the more important elements of the marketing
mix".

Marketing

communication

usually

contributes

the

largest

component of all communication of the company. Which is in order to

present the goal of their company to the investors, consumers and
general public. In the 20th century, the communications have developed
more customized, more targeted and more interactive. And also the
global business has provided more challenge to the communication with
foreign. Because of the global business the marketing communication
have become more globally. So that the communication are get used to
local language and culture.
Communications are including both external communication and internal
communication.

External

communication

can

be

market

research

questionnaires, office website, guarantees, company annual report and

the presentation for investors. Internal communication can be the
marketing materials, price list, product catalogues, sales presentations
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and management communications. On the other hand, each market

demands different types of communications. For example, industrial
market demands a more personal communication but consumer market
demand a non-personal communication.
There are also 4 different fundamental types of communication.
One-to-many:

this

kind

of

communication

is

the

most

original

communication. It is "generated from a single broadcast point and then

available

over

airwaves

or

in

mass

print

runs".

This

type

of

communication is usually adapted to news distribution that does not

specific not even interactive. Such as in an urgent notice play over
airwave from broadcast in an industry, it is helpful for the general
announcement.
Many-to-one: many-to-one is usually connected to the one-to-many
communication. For example, a reply button in your email box, a prepaid
number bought from Spark. All the communication techniques proceeded
to

the

public

with

bi-directional

communication

from

mass

communications.
One-to-one: this is the most intensive and interactive communication at
a

one-to-one level.

There are so

many examples

like a

sales

presentation; a negotiation in the market or direct delivery is base on the

one-to-one communication. Most of this communication is face to face.
But in the development of Internet, email and online shopping are taking
place the chance to face to face of people. Which is provided the chance
to sellers and buyers talk more directly. Another important is instant
message chat channel like Wechat and Facebook, which are becoming
extremely popular in business.
Many-to-may: on the background of highly developed Internet, the
many-to-many communication has been growing up such as online chat

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rooms, blogging websites. The many-to-many communication stands

for the participants are able to exchange their ideas and experiences.
After all, each type of communication applies to different situation and is
time-based. The communications have the features of immediacy and
longevity. Such as one-to-one is more focus on now but the many-to-may
channels tend to less urgency and more reference.
Psychology of Communication: One of the primary goals of a
marketing communication is to persuade consumers, by either changing
their perception of a brand, product or service, or persuading them to
purchase (or feel motivated / tempted to purchase) a product or service.
The Elaboration Likelihood Model is used to demonstrate how
persuasion occurs. When a marketing communication message is sent
out, first it must be acknowledged and attended by the receiver. By
giving their attention to the marketing communication, consumers will
begin to process and comprehend the message. There are two routes to
persuasion: Central route and peripheral route. Central route processing
is used in high involvement purchase decisions. These are infrequent,
high risk purchases, usually involving large amounts of money and a
significant amount of time (for example, purchasing a house or car).
Because these purchase decisions are high risk, a large cognitive effort is
expended in order to rationally select the most logical and valuable
option available. In these marketing messages, information about the
product or service itself is most valuable. Peripheral route processing is
employed in low involvement purchase decisions. These are frequent,
low risk purchases, generally of a low or medium cost in which choices
are made more on affective (or emotion based) values rather than
cognitive (or rational) values. Because of this, marketing messages will
employ more storytelling and imagery, focusing on how the product or
service makes one feel, and the associations it has, rather than the
attributes and specifications it possesses.

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Opinion Leaders: Opinion leaders are consumers who have large

influence over the purchasing behaviour of other consumers. These can
take the form of peers or celebrities, and often represent a desired
state in the eye of the influenced consumer. By following the
consumption patterns of opinion leaders, consumers aspire to achieve a
similar status or lifestyle, and project a similar image. Because of this,
opinion leaders are powerful factors in marketing communications.
Having opinion leaders endorse a brand can increase brand awareness
and sales. Due to this, large companies pay highly influential celebrities
to endorse their products.
Opinion Formers: Opinion formers are consumers who are regarded by
their peers as being highly knowledgeable and trustworthy. They are
considered experts in selecting the highest quality products due to their
extensive knowledge, and as such are able to influence the purchasing
behaviour of other consumers despite lacking the celebrity status of an
opinion leader.
Communication Barriers: Communication barriers are factors that
hinder

the

effectiveness

of

marketing

communication.

Major

communication barriers are: Noise and clutter, consumer apathy, brand

parity and weak creative ideas or strategies. Noise is an unrelated
sensory stimulus that distracts a consumer from the marketing message
(for example, people talking nearby making it hard to hear a radio
advertisement). Clutter is the high number and concentration of
advertisements presented to a consumer at any time. As attention
cannot be divided, there is a limit to how much can be taken in and
processed, which means that a strong marketing communication needs
to stand out from the clutter and be heard above the noise. (Ang, 2014.
Principles

of

Integrated

Marketing

Communications.

Page

11.)

Consumer apathy is the tendency of a consumer to avoid marketing

communications. This can be for a number of reasons. The consumer
may not be interested, or consider themselves in the market, and as
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such attempt to shut out the irrelevant marketing stimuli. This is known
as selective attention. Alternatively, a consumer may be in the market,
yet not be aware of the brand or products existence or prevalence.
Consumers tend to purchase familiar brands, and will not be inspired to
investigate alternatives. One approach marketers use to overcome
apathy is to create incentives, such as competitive pricing or loyalty
rewards.

(Ang,

2014.

Principles

of

Integrated

Marketing

Communications. Page 11.) Brand parity means a brand is not

significantly different from its competition. Without a distinct value
proposition, consumers do not develop brand preference or associations,
and instead purchase purely based on price. (Ang, 2014. Principles of
Integrated Marketing Communications. Page 12.)This is not ideal, as
effective

marketing

communication

increases

brand

equity.

One

important objective of marketing communications is to develop a strong,

unique brand identity that allows the brand to be positioned separate
from its competition.
Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is the most importance part of marketing strategy, which
is "the framework to manage marketing and incorporate it within a
business context . Refer to the marketing strategy; it is to identify how
the business achieves their marketing objective and the service they
want to deliver to their customers. And the initial step to achieve the
marketing strategy to identify the market target and build up plan that
the business should implement. Also the business has to make sure
every step of achieving marketing target is running effectively or one
step of failure will cause the bad influence to the whole business. After
all, this is reason why the business needs marketing mix.
Neil H. Borden
As the leader of marketing, Neil H. Borden is the first person proposes
the theory of marketing mix of 12 marketing variables. And Mr. Borden
starts his academic career in advertising and marketing in business
Page 8 of 49

school in 1922. The marketing mix mentioned by him as: merchandisingproduct planning, pricing, branding, channels of distribution, personal
selling, advertising, promotions, packaging, display, servicing, physical
handing-warehousing-transportation, fact-finding and analysis-marketing
research.
In the early academic research of marketing and advertising from Mr.
Borden, consumer attitudes and habits, trade attitudes and methods,
competition and government control also treated as the vital factors in
marketing mix.
E. Jerome McCarthy
Since the first propose of marketing mix of 12 marketing variables by
Neil H. Borden, the marketing mix have developed in 1960s. The idea of
marketing mix was widely used to help with a business. A business can
succeed with carry out all these process properly of marketing mix.
However, it is difficult to a company use 12 marketing variables propose
by Mr. Borden. So that E. Jerome McCarthy developed the marketing mix
into "4Ps". The 4Ps model is known as price, place, promotion and
product.
Product can be the "quality, features, benefits, style, design, branding,
packaging, services, warranties, guarantees, life cycles, investments and
returns.
Product: this is what the business offers a product or service to the
customers. Each of the company want their product appeal to everybody
even through some kind of product only appeal to a special group of
customers. And all the companies are trying to maximize the customer
group that can benefit from their products.
Price can be "list pricing, discount pricing, special offer pricing, credit
payment or credit terms ".
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Price: price is the total cost to customer to assume the product, but it is
not the cash payment from the business to the supplier. This costs also
included learning how to use the product and the peripheral costs. [5] Not
only the raw material included, and also the machining costs by workers,
transports costs.
Place can be the "direct or indirect channels to market, geographical
distribution,

territorial

coverage,

retail

outlet,

market

location,

catalogues, inventory, logistics and order fulfilment ".

Place: place is the location where a business doing their business. It can
be a retail store in a most original way. But nowadays it can mean "a
mail order catalogue, a telephone call centre or a website". As the
development of business, e-business is become more and more popular,
and this is exactly the reason why website is treated as a location now.
Promotion can be the "advertising, external communications with the
media, direct selling and sales promotions".
Promotion: "Promotion is the marketing communication used to make the
offer known to potential customers and persuade them to investigate it
further

". In terms of promotion can be propose to promotion mix,

[5]

which is advertising, public relations, sales promotion and personal

selling.
The 4Ps of marketing mix which is helpful to the business, and
businesses are attempting to find a balance in these 4Ps process to
approach the success. And the marketing mix is helpful to the business
to simplify the present marketing conditions, and then make the
adjustment appropriate.
Booms and Bitner
Booms and Bitner has developed marketing mix based on the previous
4Ps with three more elements to the model, which are people, process
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and physical evidence.[5] And the 4Ps have improved into 7Ps, which
helps the marketing mix model widely used by the business.
People are essential in the marketing of a company, especially in
services business that it usually is the product. [5] Which is mean all men
actors play a role in service delivery and they are actually part of the
product even the hence of product quality. So it is so important to a
business pay a particular intention to the quality of employees and their
performances such as some "high contact" like airlines.
Process is "the set of activities that results in delivery of the product
benefits ". The services environment including the customer has offered
service and the other customer in this area. For example, the restaurant
manager has not only control the performance of employees but also the
action of every customer.[6]
Physical evidence is the lasting proof that the service has happened. [5] In
the original way of buying a physical product, the physical evidence is
the product itself. According to Booms and Bitner framework, "physical
evidence is the service is delivered and any tangible goods that facilitate
the performance and communication of the service

[6]

". Physical evidence

is important to customer because the tangible goods the evidence that

the seller has provided. Also, the physical environment itself such as
building, furniture and layout is the quality and service that the business
provided. So the physical environment plays an important role in some
kinds of business like hotel and restaurant.
Communication process
Communication can be defined as process of using, word, sound or visual
cues to supply information to one or more people ("Communication",
n.d.). A communication process is defined as information that is shared
with the intent that the receiver understands the message that the
business intended to send. ("Communication process", n.d.). The
communication process was once thought of as having the source of the
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message, which is then encoded, put through the chosen communication

channel, which is then decoded by the recipient and then received
(Belch, & Belch, 2012). Throughout the middle of the channel there is the
potential for noise to distort the message being sent (Belch, & Belch,
2012). Once the receiver has the message they then give feedback to
the original source, where they then find out whether the campaign has
been successful or not (Belch, & Belch, 2012).
In present times with the prevalent use of technology, customers are
seeking out information about brands, products and businesses prior to
purchase (Edelman, & Singer, 2015). This means that there is a need for
an additional channel within the communication process, so it is a more
accurate representation of the current business environment. Businesses
are now having to take into consideration that both opinion leaders and
opinion formers who have a great influence over today's society and
their perceptions. So they have to be included into the communication
process before the recipient of the message receives it (Zhang, Zhao, &
Xu, 2016).
Source: The source is an individual or organization that has information
to share. The source (or sender) creates and sends the information to
another person or group of people. The source maybe an individual (e.g.
a sales person or spokesperson) or a non-personal identity (e.g. a
corporation or organization). The communication process begins with the
source, marketers must carefully choose a source as it effects how the
message will be perceived by the target audience (Belch & Belch, 2003).
Encoding: This is transposing the intended meaning of the message
with words, symbols or pictures to show a message. Encoding is the
development of the message that contains the information the source
hopes to convey. It is putting together the thoughts, ideas and
information into a symbolic form that can be transmitted and understood
by the receiver (Belch & Belch, 2003).
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Encoding the message is the second step in the communication process.

The encoding process leads to development of a message that contains
the information or meaning the source hopes to convey. Encoding is
extremely important, it is a brain activity that takes effect when the
receiver makes sense of a brand message or idea used to convey
meaning: words, colour, pictures, signs, symbols or even music. The
message may be verbal or nonverbal, oral or written, or symbolic (e.g.
the sound of a brass band being redolent of simpler times or heritage).
or it can often include 'cues' such as the Nike 'swoosh which indicates
success. Often things can get in the way of the "correct" encoding and
the interpretation of the intended message (decoding). There are
methods the sender can use to make sure the receiver interprets the
message correctly, these methods include; channels, consumer insights,
having similarities with the receiver and frame of reference (e.g. age,
values, culture). Finally, it is extremely important for the sender to get to
know its receiver and this is accomplished through research for targeting
strategy. These concepts help craft the intended message in the minds
of the consumer.
Message: The message comes from the encoding process, it is the
content, meaning or information the sources hopes to convey. The
message can be in many forms such as verbal, non-verbal, oral, written
or symbolic (Belch & Belch, 2003).
Decoding: The receiver unravels the symbols to interpret what is being
communicated. Transforming the senders message back into thought.
This is influenced greatly by the receivers frame of reference (or realm
of understanding) which involves their values, attitudes and state of
mind when receiving the message. For the model to be effective the
decoding by the receiver would match the encoding by the source,
meaning they correctly understand the message that was sent (Belch &
Belch, 2003).

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The third stage of the marketing communication process occurs when a

channel or medium delivers the message. Generally, receivers are the
consumers in the target market or audience who read, hear, and/or see
the marketer's message and decode it. Decoding is the process of
interpreting messages and relies on correct encoding and the ability of
the receiver to deconstruct transmitted meaning. Decoding occurs when
the message reaches one or more of the receiver's senses. Consumers
both hear and see television ads, others consumers handle (touch) and
read (see) an advertising offer (e.g. coupon). According to Belch & Belch
this process is deeply influenced by the receiver's frame of reference or
field of experience, which refers to the experiences, perceptions,
attitudes, and values he or she brings to the communication situation. [7]
For effective communication to occur, the message decoding process of
the receiver must match the encoding of the sender. Over this entire
means the receiver comprehends and correctly translates what the
source is trying to communicate. Effective communication is more likely
to emerge when there is some common ground between the two parties.
The more familiarity the sender has about the receivers, the better the
sender can understand their needs, commiserate with them, and over all
communicate more effectively.

Opinion Leaders and Opinion Formers:

Opinion leaders are people who are either celebrities, or a peer that has
the ability to influence someone elses opinion/perception ("Opinion
Leaders", n.d.). You can receive the opinion leaders thoughts or feeling
towards the product/service through paid advertising, social media,
blogs, or any other form of written media. These can be direct, or
indirect influences. Opinion formers are people that have specialised
knowledge about the area which corresponds with the product, service or
Page 14 of 49

business ("Opinion Formers", n.d.). This can be a doctor sponsoring a

form of medication, or a personal trainer recommending a sports brand
to the customer. This means that both opinion leaders and opinion
formers have a large influence on the consumer and their perceived view
of the business, product, or service provided (Stehr, Rossler, Leissner, &
Schonhardt,

2015).

If

brand

is

specialising

in

the

sale

and

manufacturing of makeup products, the business would want to look at

someone who is both known for their knowledge about makeup and also
someone who they know is popular within that community, so that the
message is as wide spread throughout their target market as possible.
Receiver: The individual (s) that the source shares thoughts or
information with. The receiver hears, sees or reads the message and
decodes it.
Noise: Noise is any external interference during this communication
process. Any external factors that creates unplanned distortion. This
distortion can make it difficult for the receiver to interpret or assign
meaning to a message as it was intended by the source. Examples of
noise in the encoding of the message could be lack of radio or television
signal. Noise can also occur when the sender and receivers fields of
experience do not overlap, if there is no common ground between them,
which may result in a misunderstanding in the meaning of the message.
Throughout the communication process, the message is subject to
irrelevant factors that can distort or interfere with its reception. Noise is
the physical or Psychological fundamentals either from inside or outside
of the process of communication. Noise acts as a barrier as it makes the
message less accurate, less productive and unclear. It may even prevent
the message from ever reaching the receiver. Physical noise is often
triggered by badly made images or messages (e.g. poor print quality) or
elements

of

distraction

(e.g.

consumer

scrolling

through

TV

advertisements). Psychological noise could be mixed meanings, poor

Page 15 of 49

credibility of source or the insignificance of the message to the consumer

requirements. Not having a connection with the receiver and lacking in
common ground usually cause this. This may result in unsuitable
encoding of the message such as; using a sign, symbol, or word that is
unfamiliar or has different meaning to the receiver (e.g. sending a
message in foreign language that is not understood by the receiver). The
more common ground there is between the sender and the receiver, the
less likely it is for noise and barriers to interrupt a message. [7]
Response/ Feedback: The receivers reaction to the message provides
feedback to the sender. This is the set of reactions after seeing, hearing
or reading the message. The receivers response is the feedback and lets
the sender know how the message was decoded and received. A form of
feedback in an interpersonal selling situation could be questions,
comments or any reactions (such as expressions) about the message. In
mass media an indication of how the marketing communications were
perceived is the amount of sales after the message has been sent. There
are many different ways such as attitude change, store visits and
inquires that provide feedback in mass media. Feedback can help to
improve the communication process and the success of future messages.
(Belch & Belch, 2003).
The receiver's particular type of reactions after seeing, hearing, or
reading a message is known as a response. Receivers' responses can
range from either non noticeable actions or noticeable actions. Non
noticeable responses can be storing their information in memory and
noticeable

responses

are

immediate

action

such

as

dialing

the

commercials number to order a product advertised on television. One of

the main goals of communication is receiving appropriate receiver
responses, feedback closes the loop in the communications flow and lets
the sender monitor how the intended message is being decoded and
received. To achieve this goal one can ask indirectly or directly for the
response, or assist the receiver in giving the response. [8] Receiving feed
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back can be more difficult for parties that advertise through the channels
of mass media, because advertisers are not in direct contact with their
customers so other methods must be obtained to determine how their
messages have been received. While the critical form of feedback
happens through sales, it is often hard to show a direct relationship
between advertising and purchase behavior. So marketers; visit stores,
check coupon redemption, use reply cards and listen to customer
inquiries

to

achieve

feedback.

Once

significant

amount

of

feedback/response study has been gathered advertisers would then have

enough information to determine reasons for success or failure in the
communication process and from there they can make appropriate
adjustments.
Channel
The channel is the method by which the communication travels from the
source or sender to the receiver.[7] There are two types of channels,
personal and non-personal. Personal channels of communication are
direct and target individual groups. Personal communication channels
are connected with two or more persons who communicate directly with
each other face-to-face, person-to-person through telephone, email or
fax.

Social

channels

also

fall

under

the

category

of

personal

communications. Friends, neighbors, associates, co-workers, or family

members are all means of social channels. Carrying a message without
interpersonal contact between sender and receiver is known as nonpersonal

channels

of

communication.

Mass

media

or

mass

communications are examples of non-personal channels, since the

message is sent to many individuals at one time. Non-personal channels
of communication are made up out of two main types, the first being
print. Print media includes newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and
billboards. The second type is broadcast; broadcast media includes radio
and television.

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This model is more effective when there is common ground between the
senders and receivers so they can communicate effectively. Choosing the
appropriate source helps develop the message and appeal to the
targeted audience. The source will be more effective if they are relatable
to the target audience. This realm of understanding is represented by
the overlapping circles. The more knowledge the source has about who
they are targeting, the better they can understand how the receiver may
interpret or react to the message (Belch & Belch, 2003).
The core model of communication has been criticized for its linearity
sender, message, receiver and its absence of structural perception (Hall,
1980). Since then an adjusted model of communication has developed.
Adjusted Model of Communications
The adjusted model of communication was developed within a marketing
context, when marketers saw that people were affected more by
influential homophilous groups (family and friends) and heterophilous
groups (outside the persons network) than mass media (Dahlen, 2010).
The adjusted model is different to the core model of communication
because it incorporates opinion leaders also known as gate keepers.
Opinion leaders are perceived to be of a higher social status, a socialite,
and of high influence in their peer groups. Opinion leaders do not have
the same authority as opinion formers. Opinion formers also known as
change agents have formal influence over groups of people. They
provide an expert opinion or recommendation in their profession. Both
opinion leaders and opinion formers have influence over the opinions of
others.
Opinion leaders add another link in the communication process, acting
as a "meaning filter" for the receivers of the message (Dahlen, 2010).
The message is sent from the sender and the opinion leaders share their
opinions with the targeted audience.
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Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is a communication process
that entails the planning, creation, integration, and implementation of
diverse forms of marketing communications. IMC unifies and coordinates
the organizations marketing communications to promote a consistent
brand message (Shimp, 2010). Coordinating the brands communications
makes the brand seem more trustworthy and sound as it is seen as a
whole rather than a mixture of different messages being sent out
(Duncan, 2002). The IMC perspective looks at the big picture in
marketing, advertising and promotions (Belch & Belch, 2003).
Traditionally the different marketing communications in businesses such
as advertising, promotion, sales, public relations, and display have been
divided into separate practices or teams within the organization. With
integrated communications it ensures that a cohesive message is being
sent through all of the channels. Reluctance to change from inside the
business occurs when staff may think that there may be budget cutbacks
in their departments or and reductions in their authority or power.
Resistance from outside the business comes from advertising, promotion
and public relations agencies reluctance to broaden their function.
Recently more advertising agencies have been expanding by merging
with other marketing companies (Shimp, 2010).
Using multiple communication tools in conjunction with one another can
produce greater results than tools used individually without coordination.
By combining multiple methods there is a synergistic effect and
companies can focus on the ultimate objective to affect consumers
behavior (Shimp, 2010)
Integrated marking communications emerged as a new concept in the
21st century but now there is reason to believe that the definition of IMC
has changed since then (Luck & Moffatt, 2009).
Page 19 of 49

Old definition of IMC "IMC is the concept and process of strategically

managing audience focused, channel centric, and results driven brand
communications over time" (Shimp, 2010).
New definition of IMC- "IMC is the audience driven business process of
strategically managing stakeholders, content, channel and results of
brand communication programs" (Shimp, 2010).
In the new definition the term audience driven this is the most crucial
difference. The IMC starts with the customer/ prospect, customers have
increasing control of marketing communications due to social media.
There is importance for a deep understanding of the target audiences
trends, wants and behavior. The relationship development with the
customer is key in all business processes. Other changes include the
addition of word content because of its importance in persuasion.
Customers also create highly powerful content themselves that effects
other consumers. The word business process, IMC looks at the business
as a whole (Shimp, 2010). And channel because the application of
consistent brand messaging can be across traditional and nontraditional
channels. All channels must be considered. Picking the correct channel
must be relevant for the consumer and a preferred source of information/
media (Shimp, 2010).
IMC considers all touch points and sources of contact that the customer
or prospect has with the brand. Using nontraditional or traditional
channels so that the different promotional methods to reinforce each
other.
Communication is the process of conveying information between two or
more people. A communication process is the notion of steps a sender
takes in order to achieve a successful communication. To understand
how organisations create and maintain ongoing dialogues with target
audiences, and equally, how individuals interpret brand meaning, it is
necessary to study the communication process.[10] The communication
Page 20 of 49

process consists of several components that include a sender, receiver,

channel, encoding, decoding, noise and the last element response &
feedback. All of these aspects contribute to the communication process
of any advertising or marketing programs. A successful communication
should start with a marketer selecting an appropriate source, developing
an effective message or appeal that is encoded properly, and then
selecting the channels or media that will best reach the target audience
so that the message can be effectively decoded and delivered. A sender
is the party that sends a message and the receiver is the person(s) with
whom the sender shares thoughts or information.
Traditional media
Traditional media include broadcast channels (television, radio and
cinema), print (newspaper, magazine, books, directories) and public
advertising such as billboards, posters and public transport. TV, radio
and print remain the largest media to advertise in, accounting for
approximately 70% of all media expenditure. These are known as
traditional media as they have existed effectively for the longest. The
effectiveness of traditional media is its ability to reach large numbers of
people. For this reason, it is also referred to as mass media.
Television: Television has since its inception dominated the advertising
media scene, due to its combination of visual and aural stimulation,
allowing for greater attention grabbing and more effective transmission
of messages than other forms of media. This makes it a strong choice for
a marketer wishing to increase brand awareness. Most homes in
developed countries have at least one television, which makes it an ideal
choice for reaching consumers, however there are a few disadvantages:
Television commercials suffer from being zipped and

zapped:

Zipping is the term given to fast forwarding through commercial break

sections during viewing of pre-recorded programming. Often viewers will
record programs purely so they can be viewed without the commercial
breaks. Zapping is the term given to the habit of many consumers to
Page 21 of 49

change channels during commercial breaks. This is also done to avoid

watching advertisements. Using television advertisements is beneficial
due to its wide reach and the degree to which content can be segmented
according to the intended target market. Advertisements are carefully
paired with time segments and / or linked with appropriate programming,
known as media vehicles. This helps to ensure the intended audience
is being reached with the marketing message. (Ang, 2014. Principles of
Integrated Marketing Communications. Page 118.)
Radio: Despite being the oldest form of media transmission still being
used, marketing via radio remains a popular and effective choice due to
its relatively lower cost and convenience (one may watch television ads
in the comfort of their home only, while radio exposure can occur
additionally during transit, at work, and during recreational activities
such as shopping). Due to the lack of a visual aspect, radio advertising
attempts to create imagery in the consumers mind. Radio advertising is
also extremely effective at reinforcing messages encountered in other
channels (such as television). (Ang, 2014. Principles of Integrated
Marketing Communications. Page 122.) A familiar jingle or voice
associated with a brand enhances brand and ad awareness, ultimately
increasing brand equity. This is an example of Integrated Marketing
Communications,

in

which

multiple

marketing

channels

are

simultaneously utilized to increase the strength and reach of the

marketing message. Like television, radio marketing benefits from the
ability to select specific time slots and programmes (in this case in the
form of radio stations and segments within).
Print: Printed media is the most basic form of media advertising. It is
the most challenging to create strong imagery with, due to its lack of
sensory stimulation, but can be effective in efficient, clear information
communication and message delivery. Where a consumer may miss a
message in video or audio (perhaps a loud noise interrupts, or someone
blocks their view) in print the message remains visible indefinitely.
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Aspects such as size, colour and style can be used to increase

effectiveness relative to other print advertisements, which is important
as despite being a basic media communication channel, print is the
second largest medium after television. (Ang, 2014. Principles of
Integrated Marketing Communications. Page 126.)
Traditionally, marketing communications practitioners focused on the
creation and execution of printed marketing collateral. Traditional media,
or as some refer to as old media, has been used within the marketing
and advertising world for many years. [11] Traditional media encompasses
conventional forms of advertising media, such as television, magazines,
newspapers, radio, and direct mail and outdoor. For many decades, these
forms of communication have been the main source for marketers to
reach both consumers and other companies. In a world with no internet
and the vast world of social media, roots of advertising and promotion lie
within traditional media, where there is a more direct, physical way of
advertising.
In traditional advertising and promotion in terms of media, it usually
conveys of having a physical display or action to channel the senders
message. Advertising in the form of print is used by businesses in the
form of billboards, magazines, newspapers and posters, to get their
message across to the target audience. The effectiveness of print relates
back to aspects of the marketing mixs 4 Ps. Print advertisement is in
physical form, the whereabouts of where u place the print will contribute
to how effective it will reach the target audience. Businesses will usually
place a billboard in areas where in can be easily seen and where the
target audience will spend their daily activities. Newspaper, magazines
and posters are smaller in size and can be found in numerous places
allowing the general public availability to read them. Depending on the
product or service that is being advertised, marketers may specify where
majority of their prints may go to, such as advertisement of a new
shampoo may be more common within salons. Television and radio use
Page 23 of 49

physical actions to advertise, which reaches the consumers senses of

hearing or seeing or both. These forms of traditional media channel the
message intended by visually and/or vocally communicating them to the
consumer. Though traditional media is effective, over the last few years
there have been more and more businesses utilizing new media to reach
its target audiences.[11]
Technology advancements have created new and efficient ways for
marketers to reach consumers, not just affecting modern media but also
affecting the more traditional media. Traditional media is gradually losing
effectiveness. Traditional media is becoming an increasingly less
powerful mean of communicating with consumers and this change is
driven by two key factors, audience fragmentation and ability to choose
commercial content. Television, radio, magazines, and newspapers are
becoming more fragmented and reaching smaller and more selective
audiences. The rapid growth of communication due to interactive media,
particularly the internet have caused the changes in the use of
communication through media, with businesses preferring to use modern
media over more traditional media methods. Consumers no longer
accept the faith they once had in conventional advertising placed in
traditional media. Consumers cannot avoid new and innovative ways of
communication. The larger companies are realizing that to be able to
survive in the 21st century, they must adapt to new modern ways of
advertising. If they do not adapt, competitors in their respective
industries will make it more difficult for their business to survive. Many
marketers believe that traditional methods of advertising have become
too expensive and is not cost-effective compared to modern media.
Companies are looking to use lower-cost, more targeted means of
communication such as direct mail, sales, promotions, marketing and
sponsorships and the most common in modern times, the internet. The
internet is an interactive medium that is becoming an essential part of
the

communication

strategies.

Traditional

forms

of

marketing

communications such as advertising are one way in nature, whereas new

Page 24 of 49

media allows marketers to perform a variety of functions. Interactive

media such as internet, C-D-ROMS, kiosks and interactive television
allow consumers to alter information and images given to them, make
inquiries, respond to questions and make purchases. The transition of
marketing communications from applying traditional media to modern
media has significantly influenced the success of the communication
process. Interactive media allows marketers to interact with the
audience easier and more efficiently. It is a rapid procedure to
communicate through interactive media to promote goods and services.
Marketers can now channel their message to the target audience in a
short span of time and a cost-efficient way. Advertising campaigns have
the feature of adaptability with ease and innovations. It also allows
marketing messages to go viral and response and feedback can occur at
any time along the communication process, as it is an open and flexible
method of channeling communication.[11]
Communication platforms
During the last decade communication platforms like Skype, Facebook or
other types of medias have become extremly important means of
communication. Although there are other methods of communications
that aren't just related to social media, people can also be hugely
influenced by their peers, this process is known as social mediation.
Marketing Communication Platforms are a powerful capability for
personalizing and expending marketing contents in an automated
fashion based on the profile of the recipients.
A platform by simplest definition is a raised floor or stage. It functions as
a similar principle in marketing communications, providing awareness
and information about a specific brand or product. Strategic selection of
various communication platforms is known as a media strategy which
aims to engage an audience in a meaningful conversation and, as a
result, create a lasting relationship.Modern technology has expanded the
use of platforms and ways in which consumers and the brand can
Page 25 of 49

interact. As a result, the context of platforms and how they are defined
has changed.[1] There are various platforms by which communication is
transmitted,[16] and these can be categorised as paid, owned, earned and
shared, formally named as the integrated communication triangle by
Grnroos

and

Lindberg-Repo.

The

model

acknowledges

that

communication must be credible and trustworthy to be effective. Studies

reveal many consumers look at review forums and ask friends or peers
whom they trust for ratings on products before making a purchase
decision. Therefore, effective communication relies on an integrated
approach of one dimensional and interactive platforms.
Explicitly planned market content is communicated through non-personal
communication platforms. The brand is in control of the platform,
message content, frequency and repetition of the communication
message. This is typically accomplished through traditional paid
platforms, such as, print, electronic, outdoor and alternative media, that
aims to target a mass segment of the target market.
Print media includes newspapers and magazines, these publications are
a highly customizable and vary in print size, font, positioning and colour
combination. Newspapers commonly use coarse paper and tend to have
poor reproduction quality, while magazines can enhance the appearance
of a certain product due to the heavy weight gloss paper used which
translates colour well and offers a long lasting quality and likeability.
Magazines

function

as

frame,

psychological

device

which

manipulates perspective and judgement. For example, Vogue, a leading

paid circulation fashion magazine, publishes advertising efforts alongside
beautiful imagery and elegant photography, the association of the two
communicates respectability and sophistication and promotes the
creditability of the brands which appear in the same publication. Due to
the high-quality reproduction, magazines tend to last longer and are
often found in hair salons and waiting rooms. Consumers often cut out
individual images which further prolongs the message and increases
Page 26 of 49

potential exposure. Although the relevance of the message may be lost

during this extended time, brand awareness may still be raised.
Magazines are often segmented by subject such as womens health,
automotive or fashion and therefore effectively reach a particular target
market while newspapers focus on geographical regions which tend to
appeal to a broad representative population sample and, therefore, offer
low impact in selectivity. Newspapers are often run on a weekly schedule
offering up to date information and coverage of local events and
businesses as a lower coast alternative. Such advertisements in smaller
typeface and are black and white.
Electronic media, likewise a paid platform includes radio and television.
Radio by definition is the broadcasting of sound programmes to the
public and today can be live streamed through a broadband connection
or digitally transmitted into peoples cars or homes. Fill et al.
acknowledges radio communication promotes emotional consumer
centric associations as each listener is forced to construct a visual
representation of the words and sounds such as music in their minds. A
common technique used by companies is known as imagery transfer,
where

complementary

visual

television

advertisement

is

used

alongside a one-dimensional radio advertisement featuring a similar

audio track to stimulate a visual association between the two. Research
suggests this sub-conscience relational thought process greatly benefits
future brand recognition and awareness.
Television and radio channel options have significantly increased in the
last decade and are therefore a selective and deeply segmented
communication platform. Furthermore, a brand can select which time of
the day certain advertisements are to be played, for example, during
rush hour. Both Television and radio commercials are often efficient to
produce. While initial production costs of a television advertisement are
high, it is likely to reach a mass audience and, therefore, maintains a low
Page 27 of 49

cost per viewer, making it an efficient communication platform. Likewise,

radio infomercials are often a simple script that is read out by the
presenter. This is quick and does not require extensive lead times due to
minimal production efforts. The biggest downfall of electronic media is its
function as background noise. For example, many listen to the radio
while cooking and cleaning while others switch between television
channels to avoid advertisements, this may limit the effectiveness of
reach and frequency and therefore, message recall.
Other

aspects

of

noise

decrease

the

effectiveness

of

message

penetration, for example, most paid communication platforms, print and

electronic media are filled with marketing and advertising messages and
are subject to clutter, often forcing brands to compete for attention. To
eliminate noise brands often choose to include inserts such as samples
and scent strips within magazines while newspapers utilise call to
action inserts such as coupons which encourage consumers to visit or
try a local service or good.
Due to the rise in advertising clutter, there has been a push for nontraditional media such as guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla Marketing is
usually a low-cost way of generating buzz through creative or
unexpected communication platforms. It is often outdoors which has the
potential to gain attention from a large sum of the audience, for example
customising street infrastructure or creating an even such as a flash
mob. Research rates guerrilla advertising as having a higher perceived
value compared to other communication platforms, which tends to result
in a positive consumer response. An example of successful guerrilla
marketing was created by Volkswagen (VW) in their promotional driven
by fun campaign, where consumers could use VW fast lane slide
instead of the escalator to get to the bottom of the stairs faster.
Every point of contact is a form of communication and it is, therefore,
necessary to consider touch points as a communication platform. Touch
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points are owned communication and can be either physical or a human

interaction between a brand and the consumer which influence customer
decision-making process during pre-purchase, purchase and postpurchase.
There are many ways in which a customer may interact with a business.
Interactions occur through direct customer service exchanges, a
company website, the point of purchase environment and product
packaging or performance. These all contribute to consumer perceptions
of a particular brand. For instance, the service-scape of a purchase touch
point such as a retail store can influence the perception of quality and
service through lighting and layout or other sensory touch points, for
example smell. Fast fashion retailers such as Topshop maintain a white
store interior and exterior which is perceived as luxurious. Likewise, the
higher price point and packaging of Ferrero Rocher may communicate
sophistication and better quality. Visual appearance can have a
significant effect on purchase decision, companies such as Coke a Cola
and Pepsi provide a free fridge to distributors to control how products are
displayed at the point of purchase.
In contrast, United Airlines is an example of how poor utilisation of postpurchase customer service can have an adverse effect on company
reputation. While boarding a United Airlines flight, Dave Carroll saw
baggage handlers on the tarmac damage his guitar Taylor. After failed
attempts to solve the issue through customer service, Carroll uploaded a
humorous YouTube video titled United breaks guitars, which has
experienced significant viewership and currently holds over 15 million
views. Reportedly, United faced a significant drop in the stock market.
Carrolls YouTube video is an example of the multiplier effect, and how
consumer attributes are shared through user-generated content (UGC)
networks and word of mouth communication. Research shows customer
are more likely to pass on negative experiences, and therefore, such
Page 29 of 49

interactive platforms of communication have a significant impact on

purchase decisions and brand outlook.
This links to the new trend in consumer behaviour and integration of
marketing communications, where technological developments have
enabled

socially

mediated

communication.

The

dynamics

of

communication platforms has changed from one-way flow where

companies were in control of the message to a continuum dialogue
where businesses interact with consumers in a co-creative process. As
Andy Lark, Commonwealth Bank CMO states the power has shifted, we
are now entering a transparent age where there are no secrets.
Traditional single step communication was business to consumer
orientated, where users took a passive role in the process with little
feedback.Further studies have shown consumers are more likely to find
interpersonal communication from influential people like family and
friends more credible than mass media. Such influential people are
known as opinion leaders and formers, who maintain a high social
standing within a given group or hold expert knowledge, for example, a
doctor. These further developments highlight the importance of opinion
leaders as can be seen in the two-step linear model of communication
purposed by Roger, where opinion leaders function as intermediaries by
interpreting and filtering information to their followers. These traditional
models view paid media platforms as the primary source of information,
however, this has changed due to technological developments in
communication platforms which enable dialogue among consumers
within a consumer-centric communication from which meaning is
constructed. This multi-dimensional non-linear flow of communication
allows a many to many exchanges of information through platforms such
as UGC. UGC includes all the ways in which people publish creative
content publicly online through blogs, chats, forums, online platforms for
product reviews and social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube
and Instagram, this is known as earned and shared media.
Page 30 of 49

Nike is an example of how such earned and shared media has created
co-creation due to a shift in the consumer relationship through customer
empowerment. Nike ID is an online application that allows customers to
design their shoe and therefore Just do it online. Therefore, interactive
media is highly critical to integrated marketing communication as it may
benefit organisations by engages with valuable customers and may
encourage positive word of mouth communications.
Studies show that market-generated media is still an important
communication platform and information source. Consumers tend to
consider both market-generated and UGC when making a purchase
decision, particularly, for higher involvement product like vinyl albums.
However, the movement from traditional media to various forms of
online and UGC marketing is a rising trend, and academics recognise
that marketing communication is an open system and customer
attributes are influenced by multiple aspects of business surroundings
through various communication platforms. Ultimately positive brand
encounters manifest brand supporters who contribute to positive earned
and shared media, through product recommendations online and offline.
Social Mediation
According to Laszerfeld, Berelson and Gaudet, people tend to be more
affected by influential homophilous groups (family and friends) and also
heterophilous crowds (people that are outside of an individual's personal
network) rather than by the mass media. This process which is known as
social mediation, initiated the idea of opinion leaders and opinion
formers. Opinion leaders and opinion formers are influential in shaping
the opinions of others. Opinion leaders are peers that can influence a
message to an audience but they are not seen as an expert in their field.
They may pick up their information from the media or may comment on
blogs, they are regularly perceived by their immediate peer group to
embody the characteristics of an innovator or social light. Opinion
formers are people that are knowledgeable in their field. This may be
Page 31 of 49

derived from their professional position, formal influence, job status or

qualification over groups. Opinion leaders add another link in the
communication chain process and act as meaning filter for the targeted
audience.
The internet
The Internet features both non-personal as well as personal forms of
communication. It has become one of the most dominant sources of
information for most consumers. Belch & Belch (2012) explain that the
internet is mostly a non personal from of communication as consumers
are absorbing information provided online with no personal contact
between the consumer and the organisations that are providing the
information on their websites. However, as the internet continually
develops, it is now progressively changing into a form of personal
communication as consumers have the ability to interact with marketers
online as well as communicate and share information with one another
through the use of social media.
Social Media
Social commercials market share is rising, thanks to services like
YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. With the explosion of social media
usage around the world, social media websites have become an
important platform for businesses to engage with customers, prospects,
employees, and applicants. To personally engage with existing and future
customers, reinforce brand messaging, influence customer opinions,
provide

targeted

offers,

and

service

customers

more

efficiently,

companies are beginning to use external social media platforms.

Email
Email marketing is directly marketing a commercial message to a group
of people using email. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a
potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. It
usually involves using email to send ads, request business, or solicit
Page 32 of 49

sales or donations, and is meant to build loyalty, trust, or brand

awareness. Email marketing can be done to either sold lists or a current
customer database. Broadly, the term is usually used to refer to sending
email messages with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a
merchant with its current or previous customers, to encourage customer
loyalty and repeat business, acquiring new customers or convincing
current customers to purchase something immediately, and adding
advertisements to email messages sent by other companies to their
customers.
In-product communication
Another channel for direct digital marketing is in-product communication
(or in-product marketing), which delivers marketing content directly to a
user's internet-connected device or software application. In-product
marketing content is often very similar to that of email marketing
campaigns, but the segmentation and delivery is more targeted.
Because email has become a standard tool in the digital marketing
toolkit, the email channel often is overloaded and overused, leading to
much lower open rates, lower engagement rates, lower click-through
rates (CTR), and lower conversion rates. The rise of internet-connected
(IOT) devices is enabling a growing number of consumer products
manufacturers

to

take

advantage

of

this

channel

of

marketing

communications, to supplement other digital marketing channels.

Branding
The first era of branding came to the new world in 1541 when Cortez
imported Spanish cattle stamped with his trademark brand of 3 crosses,
this solved the issue of knowing who's cow belonged to who. Branding is
an extremly important communication platform in the marketing
communication

process.

If

company

brand

isnt

effectively

communicated customers could easily become confused and possibly

give their attention to another organisation. Branding goes beyond
having a logo, its how businesses communicate on behalf of their
Page 33 of 49

company, verbally and visually. A brand is a conversation, It is how

people talk about your company when you are not in the room.
Consumers are constantly interacting and meeting with brands. This can
be through television or other media advertisements such as event
sponsorships, personal selling and product packaging. Brand exposure
such as this is known as a brand touch point or brand contact whereby
the organisation can try impressing its consumer. Without branding,
consumers wouldn't be able to decipher between products and decide
which one they like most. People may not be able to even tell the
differences between some of the brands, they would have to try each
brand several times before being able to judge which one was best. In
order to help with purchase decisions, marketing communications try to
create a distinct image for the brand. Brand associations are made to
encourage linkages with places, personalities or even emotions which
creates a sophisticated brand personality in the minds of the consumers.
This shows how brand communications add value to productsand why
branding is a crucial aspect to the communication platform.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is defined as the process in which individual customers
responses and transactions are recorded. Direct marketing has increased
over the past decade and is an important aspect to Marketing
Communications. Direct marketings largest strength is that it is a
communication tool that is designed to build the relationship between
the customer and the brand. A large part of this area is Customer
Relationship marketing. Organisations use accounts of the customers to
give specific experiences in order to satisfy their needs. It is the process
of managing detailed information about the customers touch points with
the objective to maximize satisfaction and loyalty. This type of
communication can be transmitted in person, by telephone, mail, email
or website. An important part of direct marketing is that it is the
interaction between the organisation and the customer and is mostly a
two-way communication. Direct marketing relies heavily on databases,
Page 34 of 49

which contain valuable information on the customers. Organisations

should

understand

that

databases

could

provide

competitive

advantage and in turn increase profitability. Mistakes that organisations

make are treating databases as an expense rather than an investment
and not maintaining or updating them sufficiently.
Direct Mail
This form of direct marketing is usually a letter, catalogue, or sample.
These items are sent through post, e-mail, fax, and courier. This
communication indicates that the recipient has shown interest in or has
previously purchased from the organisation. Advantages of direct mail
are personalisation, careful targeting, creativity and flexibility. Email is
low-cost, but can be lost through spam and junk email filters. Direct mail
is heavily dependent on databases that should be kept up to date.
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is the type of marketing communication transmitted
through telephone. There are 2 types of telemarketing: Outbound and
Inbound. Outbound telemarketing is used by organisations to reach out
to potential customers, generate sales, make appointments with
salespeople and introduce new products. Inbound telemarketing is where
people call the organisation to complain or inquire about products. Both
outbound and inbound can be used as a customer service strategy to
boost sales and receive suggestions for improvement. Advantages of
telemarketing are that it allows targeted communications, it is a flexible
and direct interaction between the organisation and the customer, it can
accompany the personal selling platform well and it is cost effective per
contact compared to personal selling. A disadvantage is that call centres
are usually used to handle outbound and inbound telemarketing, which
needs to be implemented, managed and financed.

Page 35 of 49

Mail order
Mail order as a form of direct marketing is a catalogue of products that
customers can order to receive in the mail. This form of direct marketing
dates back over 100 years. Home shopping, online shopping and
teleshopping now accompany it. With current technology mail order has
improved. Now there can be a larger range in catalogue, delivery is
faster, and complaints are dealt with professionally. Advantages of mail
order are they exert less pressure to the customer than telemarketing
and sales are easy to manage, however costly infrastructure is required
in maintaining the back-end.
Direct-response advertising
Direct-response advertising is a message transmitted through traditional
media communications that requires the reader, viewer, listener or
customer to respond directly to the organisation. The audience may
respond to receive more information or to purchase a product. A
common example of direct response advertising is in television "home
shopping". Viewers are told to purchase the product right away to
receive a particular deal or discount. Disadvantages are that focus can
be lost because of the medium of communication and the targeting can
be less narrow compared to direct mail. Organisations messages can get
cluttered and crowded. By using radio and magazine advertising
organisations are able to narrow in on their target audience.
E-communications
With the introduction of new technology, new media opportunities have
opened for organisations to have greater impact with their marketing
communications. E-communications are the types of new electronic
media. Media included are: the Internet, the World Wide Web (www.),
Cellular technology and SMS, touch-screen kiosks, CD and DVD
technology and Smart cards.

Page 36 of 49

The Internet
The Internet allows many multimedia documents to be shared among its
users. In 2003 approximately 30 million websites have been registered
worldwide and 650 million were connected to the Internet. The Internet
as a marketing tool can be used to reach customers directly, inform
customers, create brand loyalty, build relationships and altogether be
used as a marketing communications platform. Online advertising can be
used to build brand attitudes, it includes techniques such as: graphic
images as website banners, pop-up advertisements, homepage restyling
and anchor deals (co-operation between two organisations).
Cellular Marketing
Cellular marketing uses audiences mobile phone and SMS to promote a
product or brand. Advantages are that there are high levels of flexibility
and it can be easily integrated through computer systems using the
Internet to send mass text messages. Using databases this platform of
marketing communications allows organisations to directly

target

customers and remember important information such as their name.

Uses for sending mass SMS messages to customers could be reminding
them to renew magazine subscriptions, giving exclusive product
discounts,

or

building

brand

reputation

through

competitions

or

sweepstakes. When using customers personal information permission

must be granted.
CD/DVD technology
CD and DVD can be used as part of e-communications. Entire marketing
presentations, catalogues, brochures and price lists can be stored on a
CD. CDs are small and simple to hand out to target audiences and most
modern computers have CD drive readers, however most of the
aforementioned information can be presented on a website or email.

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Conclusion
Marketing communications is focused on the product/service as opposed
to corporate communications where the focus of communications work is
the company/enterprise itself. Marketing communications is primarily
concerned with demand generation and product/service positioning while
corporate communications deal with issue management, mergers and
acquisitions, litigation, etc.

Establishing a communication budget

Personal

communication

is

often

more

effective

than

mass

communication, mass media might be the major means of stimulating

personal communication. Mass communications affect personal attitudes
and behavior through a two-step process. Ideas often flow from radio,
television, and print to opinion leaders from these to the less mediainvolved population groups.
This two-step flow has several implications. First, the influence of mass
media on public opinion is not as direct, powerful, and automatic as
supposed. It is mediated by opinion leaders, people whose opinions are
sought or who carry their opinions to others. Second, the two step flow
challenges the notion that consumption styles are primarily influenced
by a trickle-down or trickle-up effect from mass media. People
interact primarily within their own social groups and acquire ideas from
opinion leaders in their groups. Third, two-step communication suggests
that mass communicators should direct messages specifically to opinion
leaders and let them carry the messages to others.
One of the most difficult marketing decisions is determining how much to
spend on promotion, John Wanamaker, the department store magnate,
once said I know that half of my advertising is wasted but I dont know
which half.

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Industries and companies vary considerably in how much they spend on

promotion. Expenditures might be 30-50% of sales in the cosmetics
industry and 5-10% in the industrial-equipment industry. Within a given
industry, there are low and high spending companies. How do companies
decide on the promotion budget? Four common methods are: the
affordable method, percentage-of-sales method, competitive parity
method, and objective-and-task method.
Affordable method:
Many companies set the promotion budget at what they think the
company can afford. The affordable method completely ignores the role
of promotion as an investment and the immediate impact of promotion
on sales volume. It leads to an uncertain annual budget, which long
range planning difficult.
Percentage-of-sales:
Many companies set promotion expenditure at a specified percentage of
sales (either current or anticipated) or of the sales price. Automobile
companies typically budget a fixed percentage for promotion based on
the planned car price. Oil companies set the appropriation at a fraction
of a cent for each gallon of gasoline sold under their own label.
Supporters of the percentage-of-sales method see a number of
advantages. First, promotion expenditures will vary with what the
company can afford. This satisfies financial managers, who believe that
expenses should be closely related to the movement of corporate sales
over the business cycle. Second, it encourages management to think of
the relationship among promotion cost, selling price, and profit per unit.
Third, it encourages stability when competing firms spend approximately
the same percentage of their sales on promotion.

Integrated marketing communications plan

Page 39 of 49

Integrated marketing communication integrates all aspects of marketing

mix to promote products and services among the end-users at the right
time and right place. You need to promote your products well for
maximum awareness among the end-users. According to integrated
marketing communication plan, various methods of promoting a brand
are put together for maximum effectiveness and better results.
Let us understand the same with the help of an example:
Organization B deals in providing lucrative holiday packages to endusers. The first step would be to identify the target customers. It is
crucial for the organizations to understand who would be the best buyers
for their products and services (in this example). For honeymoon
packages they need to target the newlyweds, for pilgrimage packages, it
would be the senior citizens and so on. Organization B can promote its
brand by simultaneously giving advertisement in the news paper (print
media), promoting through social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter,
Orkut),

through

companys

websites,

banners,

hoardings,

press

conferences and so on.

Integrated marketing communication increases the visibility of the brand
and also enables customers to remember the brand whenever they go
out for shopping. The impact of integrated marketing communication
plan is obviously more as end-users see the brand simultaneously at
multiple places.
How to create an integrated Marketing Communication Plan
An integrated marketing communication plan needs to keep in mind the
available resources and time to promote a particular product or service.
Budgeting and allocating right resources for promoting products and
services through integrated marketing communication plan are of utmost
importance. The objective of the marketing plan needs to be clear.

Page 40 of 49

The second step is to gather as much information as you can about your
company, brand, features and most importantly target audience.
Understand who all would be the best buyers of your products and
services and what they expect of you and your organization? A marketer
needs to very clear of the vision, goals and objectives of his/her
organization. Know what your product is offering and how would it
benefit the customers?
Plan out how you would like to proceed with the integrated marketing
communication plan. Always adopt a step by step approach. Do not
forget to do your homework carefully before writing an integrated
marketing communication plan. Thorough research is essential.
Integrated marketing communication plan needs to include:
Detailed summary of your marketing plan as to how it intends to
promote products and services among target customers.
Background, history and vision of your organization.
Know

your

products

well.

Include

features

and

essential

components of your brand.

Target market needs to be described well. Plan out how your brand
can meet and exceed customer expectations. Have clarity as to
how your brand is better than your competitors and why should
consumers only buy your product and not go anywhere else. It is
essential to read customers mind and know their perceptions.
Compare your brand with the competitors. Write down how
your brand is better than competitors? You need to keep a close
watch on competitors activities.
Do a SWOT analysis which highlights the strengths, weaknesses,
threats and opportunities of the marketing plan.
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 Specify the tools and methods which would help you create
awareness of your brand.
Implementing Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
Integrated marketing communication plan blends essential components
of marketing mix to promote brands effectively among end-users.
Integrated marketing communication plan integrates various methods of
marketing such as advertising, public relation, promotion through social
networking sites and so on to create awareness of products and services
among target audience. Brand communication methods instead of being
used in isolation are all put together under one umbrella to increase the
visibility of a particular brand and eventually yield higher profits for the
organization.
Successful implementation of integrated marketing communication
plan relies on clear understanding of target customers - specifically
their needs and expectations. Remember, your product must
exceed customer expectations for customers to stay loyal towards
your brand. Know how your brand would benefit end-users. It is
essential to integrate the various components of marketing mix
effectively and sensibly for effective results. The blending needs to
be done with utmost care. Example - If you are giving an
advertisement in the newspaper, make sure the product details are
also available on your companys website, banners and hoardings
are displayed at proper places and so on.
Make sure products are promoted simultaneously at multiple
places. Marketing tactics, instead of being used in isolation, need to
work in unison communicating the same message to the end-users.
Integrated marketing communication plan needs to reflect similar
strategies employed by organizations to promote their brands.

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 Make sure you assign fixed time and resources to implement

integrated marketing communication plan. Marketers need to strive
hard to implement integrated communication plans within the
stipulated time frame with the budget allocated for the same. It is
always advisable to focus on the best customers. Best customers
are those who generate maximum revenues for the organization.
Understand who all are the highest users of your brand (products
and services)?
Let us understand this with the help of an example.
Nike shoes are a hit among college going students who prefer
wearing them with jeans for a casual look. Professionals or office
goers would prefer spending on formal shoes which they can wear
daily

to

work.

Nike

instead

of

concentrating

on

mature

professionals need to devise ways to promote the brand among

individuals within age bracket of 16-23 years through integrated
marketing communication plans. Brand can be promoted through
print media, social networking sites, campaigns in schools and
colleges, website and so on simultaneously.
Promotional activities should not be undertaken just for the sake of
it and as a mere formality. What is the purpose of brand
communication activities if the message does not reach customers
at the right time and the right place? Planning is important but
what is more crucial is executing the plan effectively for maximum
results. Find out how much business would the end-users bring to
your organization, before allocating budgets for the implementation
of the plan. Careful analysis is essential before you finally
implement the plan. Integrated marketing communication plans
need to be implemented in the most cost effective way.

IMC components
Page 43 of 49

The idea of integrated marketing communications developed in the late

1980s, but as marketing strategies gained sophistication, the concept
gradually evolved. In 1989, the American Association of Advertising
Agencies defined integrated marketing communication as an approach
to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign through a wellcoordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to
reinforce each other.
The Journal of Integrated Marketing Communication has a similar
definition, which focuses on different aspects. They refer to it as a
strategic marketing process specifically designed to ensure that all
messaging and communication strategies are unified across all channels
and are centered around the customer.
Customer-centered

is

one

of

the

major

catch-phrases

of

the

millennium. In fact it is one of the 10, primary components of integrated

marketing communications strategy.
Client Centered
Many business owners measure success by their ability to attract new
clients, but the ability to maintain the loyalty of existing clients is even
more important. Client-centered business owners understand that
communications is the essential keyword in integrated marketing. As
such, companies that use integrated marketing communications plan
interactive strategies across all of their marketing platforms.
Product Design
Since client-centered companies are always listening to consumers, they
usually develop products that people actually want to buy, with features
that clients say they need. Once they determine the requirements of
their potential clients, they create the appropriate product.
Promotion
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The second part of listening tells you where your prospective customers
hang out. Some will spend most of their time online, while others fall
into the television addict category. Another subset of people takes public
transportation, and is constantly exposed to billboard advertisement. An
integrated

marketing

communications

strategy

would

focus

the

advertisements in the places where customers are most likely to seem

them. The other marketing channels would reinforce the major marketing
platform.
Tracking
Tracking the success of your promotions, either with sophisticated
metrics or analytics, or by simply asking where did you hear about us,
lets you determine your strongest marketing channel. Once you know
this, you can leverage your integrated marketing communications
strategies.
Leverage
Every marketing channel has its specific strengths and weaknesses.
Savvy marketers know how to leverage the strengths of one marketing
channel, in order to offset the weaknesses of another. For example, a
start-up with a limited marketing budget might not be able to afford a
full page ad in the local paper. Instead, their integrated marketing
communications plan would involve purchasing

a smaller ad that

features their distinctive logo and slogan, then set up social media pages
with said logo and slogan.
Brand Identity
The stronger your brand identity, the easier it is to market it across a
variety of channels. Geico, with its signature gecko, illustrates this point.
Even in the commercials that do not use the gecko, the message
remains the same: Fifteen minutes can save you 15 percent on car
insurance. Nike also does this well, with their Just Do It slogan.
Page 45 of 49

7. Synergy
A successful integrated marketing communications strategy has an
overwhelming need for synergy. Every type of communication must sing
in a single voice, which harmonizes with your brand identity. This implies
that all of your marketing tools, including advertising, event sponsorship
and social media pages must coordinate with your brand identity.
Referring back to Geico, its ads are almost always funny. Unlike other
insurance companies, they do not mention strife or calamity, because
humor is essential to their brand identity.
Earned Media
Paid media is advertising that you pay for. This might even include social
media, because you have to pay for your Internet access. Earned media
comes from being newsworthy. Newspaper articles, television news,
magazines and blog posts by others all constitute earned media. If you
do something unique with your business, or if the history of your
business is particularly interesting, you might earn media coverage.
Then, you can use quotes from the media source as integrated
marketing communications examples in your advertisements, and on
your social media pages.
Educated Consumers
Syms: Where an educated consumer is our best customer. This
advertisement appeared on television commercials during the 1980s, but
how much can you educate your clients in a 40-second TV spot? Thanks
to social media, you can stress the need for consumer education in a TV,
print or billboard ad, then make a call to action, advising clients to go
your website, and listing your URL. This is integrated marketing
communication at its finest.
Event Sponsorship

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Event sponsorship is a highly effective, albeit expensive means of

marketing. As the sponsor of an event, you will be allowed to hang your
banner, and give out company literature. Given the expense, it is best to
use an integrated marketing communications strategy to inform
customers of your sponsorship. Mention it in your ads and on your social
media pages. Add a call to action, such as come see us at such and
such event.

Page 47 of 49

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