14

Integrated Marketing
Communications (IMC)
Dr. Close
 "Doing business without
advertising is like winking at a
girl in the dark. You know
what you are doing, but
nobody else does."
-- Steuart Henderson Britt
 Example of IMC- Axe
• Axe’s campaign for their
Axe Unlimited with some
tv commercials & online
components.
• The new TV spot leads
to
www.mojomastergame.com

• a Sim-like game.
 Marketing Communication Process
• Precondition for promotion: communication
– Need common frame of reference b/w sender and
receiver (Language, impairment)
– 5 Step Process:
– 1. Sender
– Ad agency
– Intends to share
meaning

• 2. Encoding: translating meaning of message into some form

(Got Milk?)
 Marketing Communication Process
• 3. Message Channel / Medium:
– Means of reaching target (print ad, T.V., salesperson)
– Be appropriate (print vs. T.V.; Newsweek vs. Playboy)
• 4. Decoding the Message
– Target makes sense of message
– Noise: anything decreases clarity (e.g., Nova; KFC in Japan)
– Message always changes (teaching)
• 5. Receiver: decoder of message (different markets see same
message differently). What examples can you think of?
– Feedback is response: circular
– Difficult to measure, so use feedback channels (research, sales)
 Communication & Promotion
• Communicate information between sellers
and potential buyers to influence attitudes
and behavior
• Main concern: “explains” product, place,
and price (may only “hint”; Infiniti)
 Goals of Promotion

– Inform: this is what we offer (especially new,

car financing)
– Persuade: we are better (Kia & Honda)
(similar to competition)
– Remind: have them already (well established
with loyal base; JC Penney)

VS
 AIDA: Attention?
• Attention-> Interest-> Desire ->ACTION!!!
• It gets harder as you go….
– Attention (e.g., sign-flippers, clowns)
• Headline (New York Post; only part read)
• Visuals (sex)
• Layout
• Colors
• Size (Times Square)
• Electronic: sound; music; animation
• Gross images (this nasty eyeball gets your attention!)
 AIDA: Interest?
• Keep Interest – difficult in “our ADD
world”
• Tactics:
– Drama/story (Taster’s Choice couple)
– Cartoons (M&Ms)
– Dialog (Diet Coke Thing; Wusssssup?)
– Cuts (MTV)
 Doritos Commercial:

What tactics do they attempt

to hold your interest?
 AIDA: Desire?
– Arouse desire
– Tactics:
• USP: Unique selling proposition (Gillette razor;
clear deodorant, clear soda)
• Provide a rationale (“I’m worth it”)
• Address “you” with their needs/problems
(“Do you want to make more $?”;
“Have you been injured in
an accident?”)
 "A good ad should be like a good
sermon: It must not only comfort the
afflicted, it also must afflict the
comfortable." -- Bernice Fitz-Gibbon

-What do you think this ad exec

means by this?
 AIDA: Action?
– Action – if consumers’ desire, hope action is
natural (and realistic for them):
• Ask consumers to do something (log on to…; call..)
• Imperative: “Drink Coke,” “Get Met,” “Fly the Friendly
Skies”
• Facilitate: 1-800 or web
• Direct competitive: supplies are limited!!
• Do you view ads after purchasing that product?:
Why?: To prevent dissonance
(I should have ordered milk….)
The Marketing Mix (i.e., Toolkit)
Your Tools:
• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Sales Promos
• Personal Selling
• Event Marketing
• Internet Marketing (blogs, banners)
• Mix and match….
 Framework for Marketing Mix/ IMC

Marketing
MarketingOrganization
Organization
•Marketing Plan
•Marketing Plan
•Goal Personal
•Goal&&Objectives
Objectives IMC PersonalSelling
Selling
•Customer/Prospect
•Customer/Prospect IMCManagement
Management
Databases
Databases

Advertising
AdvertisingAgency
Agency
•Research
•Research
•Creative Public
PublicRelations
Relations
•CreativeStrategies
Strategies
•Production
•Production Advertising
Advertising
•Message
•MessagePlacement
Placement

Sales
SalesPromotions
Promotions
Specialized
SpecializedPromotion
Promotion
P-O-P
P-O-P
Organizations Internet Supportive
Organizations
•Media InternetAdvertising
Advertising Supportive
•MediaOrganizations
Organizations
•Event
•Event ManagementFirms
Management Firms
•Web Site Designers
•Web Site Designers
•Sales
•SalesPromotions
PromotionsAgencies
Agencies
•Direct
•DirectMarketing Agencies
Marketing Agencies Direct
•Public
•PublicRelations
RelationsFirms
Firms DirectMarketing
Marketing Sales
SalesPromotions
Promotions
•P-O-P
•P-O-PAgencies
Agencies&&Designers
Designers
e-Commerce
e-Commerce
1.23
 IMC
• Integrated marketing communications
• Disjointed campaigns are horrible
– Use SYNERGISTIC combination of your tools
– Message should be complementary/
consistent (VW Bug as retro-hip)

– Experts who specialize must work together

• Don’t have to choose between sales promo,
personal selling, & ads (use some of each to
reach more of your target market)
 IMC Tool: Advertising
• Promotion Methods a.k.a. The Promotion
Mix
– Advertising: paid, impersonal promotions by
identified sponsor(s)
• Traditional big markets, but
adaptable to smaller
• Low cost/contact (LA Times:
2 cents/per)
• Difficult to measure impact
• Not adaptable, inflexible
What does this McDonald’s Ad
communicate to you?
IMC Tool: Publicity and The Media
• Promotion Methods (cont…)
– Publicity; unpaid, impersonal promotions (talk
show, movie premiere, charity, cars, etc;
Rosanne)
• Do not pay media costs (magazine article)
• Perceived credibility; negativity

Publicity has far more value

than advertising, but you must
give reporters a reason to
write about you. Photo: Michel
O’Sullivan
 IMC Tool: Sales Promos
• Promotion Methods (cont…)
– Sales promotion (coupons, POP, samples,
tradeshow)
• Added value or incentive in regard to a particular
product
• May complement personal and mass selling
(bonus)
• Targets
– Final consumers: coupons, freq. shopper
– Middleman: gifts, price breaks
– Company sales force: bonuses, training
• $3 SP for $1 ads
 IMC Tool: WOM/eWOM
• Promotion Methods (cont…)
– Word of mouth: “WOM is the most important
marketing element that exists” Gordon Weaver,
Paramount Pictures. Do you agree?
• Unpaid, personal promotions (after ads – PLC)
• Very high credibility (friends, business acquaintances,
employees)
• Try for opinion leaders (may pay to stimulate; teens;
movies; fashions)
• Usually negative (respond to complaints)
 IMC Tool: Personal Selling
• Promotion Methods (cont…)
– Personal selling; paid, personal promotions;
direct spoken communication
• Adaptable to each target
• Immediate feedback
• Very expensive ($200/contact)
• More spending on p.s. than ads
Factors Affecting Promotional Mix
– Nature of Product
– Stage in the PLC (When should you promote?)
– Target Market Characteristics
– Type of Buying Decision (Impulse?)
– Available Funds (Do you want a Bentley?)
"What helps people, helps
business."
-- Leo Burnett
 Summary
• Marketing Mix/Toolkit
• Promotion Objectives
• Marketing Communication Process
• AIDA
• Factors Impacting Promotional Mix
• IMC
• Any questions??