TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ……………………………………………………….. 2
Introduction……………………………………………………. 3
. 6 M’s IMC Model………………………………………............ 4
Market…………………………………………………………. 4
Mission………………………………………………………… 4
Message ……………………………………………………….. 5
Media………………………………………………………….. 5
Money………………………………………............................. 7
Cost-Benefit Analysis…………………………………………. 8
Measurement…………………………………………………... 10
Hierarchy of effects model…………………………………….. 11
References………………………………………………………. 12
Appendix………………………………………………………….

1
 ABSTRACT

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is being practiced worldwide at very large scale. The
purpose of this assignment is to enhance the understanding of what IMC is, its impact and to
recognize the difference between IMC and traditional marketing communication. Integrated
marketing communication is consumer oriented approach rather than organizational oriented that
focuses on organizational needs. IMC is associated with some positive results like brand
awareness, customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, positive brand image, unique brand association,
greater profitability, increased sales and cost savings. Integrated Marketing Communications is a
simple concept. It ensures that all forms of communications and messages are carefully linked
together means integrating all the promotional tools, so that they work together in harmony. This
report will explain the development of small sized catering business from home using the low
budget options for promotions to introduce the product to the consumer and integrating it with the
6M’s model of IMC and a general model of steps that the consumers may go through which is
called Hierarchy of effects Model or the Purchase process of the catering business. The cost-benefit
analysis was conducted and close-ended questionnaire was developed to conduct marketing
research and collect feedback and sales data to improve the working of the business every 6
months.

2
 INTRODUCTION

The small catering business starting from home will include the products: Brownies, muffins,
waffles and cupcakes. The sweet delicacies. The reason for choosing dessert is clear, consumers
love dessert and our Pakistani market has a large need in the market for this as the trend of bridal
showers, kitty parties, baby showers, birthdays, graduations have immensely increased and these
occasions are incomplete without the sweet tooth so we need to fill in this market gap by
introducing cost-effective, high quality, home-based products with natural and high quality
ingredients, hassle free delivery and courteous customer service. The business will provide
customized cakes and cupcakes as well on demand and offering sugar-free or low fat products for
the elderly or diet conscious consumers without losing the authentic taste and sugariness. Our main
baker is professionally trained and has a keen sense for luxury and high quality baking products
and techniques. The hygiene is strictly taken care of. Our baker uses gloves and her hair is properly
covered, cleaned baking utensils with new and high-end baking equipment. The main mode of
delivering the products is through carts placed on different or famous areas of city and we will
take orders in person or through our website and social media pages and offer pick up as well from
our central location where the products are made. Our main specialty is we use Swiss or Belgian
imported chocolate for the rich luxurious taste. We don’t use low quality local ingredients.
According to Global Industry Analysts, a San Jose, Calif.-based market research firm, the global
market for desserts alone is expected to grow by more than 8 percent a year to some $97 billion
by 2020, driven by a rising demand for low-fat products. Facing the twin pressures of an ailing
economy and healthier lifestyles -- which have seen moves to ban transfats and other ingredients
deemed harmful by public health officials, along with the posting of calorie counts on menus --
successful dessert makers in every market niche are learning to adapt and we adapt as well. With
the limited budget our main focus will be on our main products because in the start we cannot
spend all the money on marketing and providing low quality product. We will move forward step
by step.

3
 6 M’S IMC MODEL

The 6M’s model is the base to start Integrated Marketing Communication Plan for a business:
Business Name: The Dessert Club
Tagline: A little bliss in every bite!
Business Logo:

6 M’s of Integrated Marketing Communication:

1. Market:

The target market for desserts reaches across all genders. Our main targets will be schools,
colleges, universities and parks and covering the online customer base as well. Young
women appear to be more likely to crave sweets than men, coinciding with hormonal
fluctuations and tend to arrange more events even potlucks and parties so putting up stalls
in universities. Children are even more inclined to like sweets, relating to an increase in
calorie use associated with growth. Men enjoy desserts as well, a result of the human brain
experiencing a rush of chemical reactions to sugar that includes the production of dopamine
-- a neurotransmitter controlling the pleasure centers in the brain.

2. Mission:

Through each bite we strive to provide a top-quality customer experience with our creative
desserts that put the cherry on top of all expectations. Our mission is to enhance our
customers’ business. We will do this by providing the highest quality bakery products and
the best possible services to the food industry. We will continuously improve all aspects of
our business in order to sustain the long-term success of our customers and ourselves.

4
3. Message:

We provide “Cherry on Top” quality and great customer experience. Our staff is creative
and compassionate. We care deeply about people, our own people, our customers and the
community to which we belong. Passion is the fuel that drives our culture. It defines our
mindset and energizes our business. In the competitive environment we are offering cost-
effective solution to fulfill the sweet cravings without compromising customer’s budget.
We take seriously the responsibility to the environment. Through our actions, we contribute
toward creating a better place for future generation using our “Go Green strategy” and
incorporating CSR activities.

4. Media:

As it’s a startup business and our budget is not very high so we will use the low budget
promotional techniques.

 Word of mouth (Traditional): By putting up stalls in universities and doing sample-

testing and providing special discount coupons for students. Buy one cupcake and get
the other one free. Getting 2 cupcakes in price of 1 will encourage the customers to
make the purchase because students have limited money and once they will try and
taste the product they will be craving for more because our main priority is the taste
and quality of the product we don’t just want to make money but to position and sustain
our brand as trust-worthy business to make a stable place in the market and in this way
the customer will be wanting more and positive word of mouth will spread and create
brand awareness.

5
 Word of mouth (Electronic): One of our business partner is a professional graphic
designer and handles the online customer desk and takes orders and keep our online
site and social media page active and caters all the orders and direct them to the chef
and co-ordinate with the customer. Our graphic designer uses digital marketing and
develop funny and interactive videos and ads to capture customer’s attention. Stream
live videos of our baking station on snapchat and showing customers the gooeyness
they desire in their desserts. Capturing the attention of the young generation as the
younger generation uses the ephemeral social media so much nowadays. Creating a
hype online nowadays is really easy, cheap and effective in terms of seizing customers.

 Promotional activities: We will use a bike cart and the cart will be placed on different
areas like Model town, DHA, Bahria. The whole week will be scheduled. Monday to
Sunday and on weekend the cart will be placed in parks and malls as it will capture
more market and enhance customer base. The whole staff will be wearing same shirts
and caps. Will arrange competitions in parks and malls and the first 100 customers who
place an order online will get a 10% discount on total bill. Occasional discounts like
strawberries dipped in Nutella and special valentine offers if you buy in bundles.

6
  CSR Activities/ Go green: Our products will be served in recycled paper plates and
we eliminated the use of Styrofoam in packaging our cakes or cupcakes for shipment
of e-commerce orders. All of our bakery products ship in recyclable corrugated
containers

 Turn customers into campus-ambassadors: Your customers are part of the

community and have all sorts of contacts that could help us. We will get new word-
of-mouth business or hear about a potential new business customer. At the very least,
our team will come back to work on Monday feeling energized. Run online campaign
of selecting campus ambassadors and it will help us in promoting our product even
more.

5. Money:

Our total business budget is PKR 500,000 and we are total 6 partners with mutual and
shared capital. So the profits will be equally divided among the partners. We have
segmented each department to every individual. We all have achieved professional diploma
from COTHM - College of Tourism & Hotel Management Lahore in becoming chefs,
learning culinary arts and the running of the complete business is completely on the 6
members no extra staff is hired. Every partner has assigned duties:
Partner # 1 is responsible for developing interactive online campaigns, designing ads and
keeping the page updated and catering all the orders and directing it to the main chef.
Partner # 2 will be keeping checks to re-stock the inventory buy recycled packaging
material. Pack the products in efficient way and make it presentable for placing it on stalls
and handing it to the COD services company, do product photography for keeping it
updated on social media and official site which we have developed our self as our one
partner is a graduate in computer sciences.
Partner # 3, 4 & 5 are our main chefs and bakers there all-time duty will be in the kitchen
helping each other and preparing all the orders efficiently.
Partner # 6 is our company’s account holder and she is a graduate in finance and business.
She will keep the record of all the sales and expenditures, conduct marketing research,
develop surveys to collect feedback from the customers and devise new strategies to
improve the business or brand from every aspect. Will set the budget keeping in view our
capital for every segment.

7
Cost/Benefit Analysis:
Total Budget: PKR 500,000
We do everything our self except we have made an agreement with Roadrunner COD services for
hassle-free, low-time and fair price delivery to customers or the customers can pick up orders
themselves from the central location. The company usually charges PKR 200 for regular customer
but as we have done a 6month agreement to be our official partner so it’s charging us PKR 100
per delivery.
Our main budget will be spent on the purchase of equipment and the cooking material.

- The large size convection oven will cost us: PKR 30,000 for two but as we are baking from
home and our main baking location is the home kitchen. We already have equipped oven in
our kitchen wall. So this cost was saved. We only have to buy 2-3 waffle machines which will
cost maximum Rs. 10,000.

- The basic recipe of a single brownie or cupcake includes: Sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa
powder, salt, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract and walnuts etc.

- We will buy the materials from the main supplier itself not from the retailers but the
wholesalers our main wholesaler is AF Foods (Pvt) Ltd located on Al-Latif Centre, Main
Boulevard Gulberg III Lahore. Our imported chocolate costs the highest and we will buy the
materials in bulk for a tenure of 4-6 months. The budget for buying ingredients and icing
products is PKR 60,000 initially and 20,000 for the baking and necessary kitchen utensils.
Including all kinds of shapes, decorating tools for fondant specialties.

- We will set the introductory price of one good quality fudge brownie for Rs.100 and Rs.120
for the vanilla or strawberry cupcake which will cost us Rs.50-60 respectively as it’s really
hard to cut down the price because we are using high quality products but to promote and
sustain a place in the market we will offer promotional discounts for example 10% discount to
first 100 customers who place an order online and that will minimize our profit but a Rs.100
brownie will cost them Rs.80 our profit will be a bit less but as mentioned before gaining
profits is not our business goal and for stalls on different places giving buy one get on free
offer in the first week and with this offer we will be having no or very minimum profit but our
brand will slowly and steadily make a place in customer’s mind and that’s all we want to
position our business as a high quality and cost-effective business which customers can rely
on.

- Gas bills will be in our attention and our finance head will keep proper checks to not go into
loss every month. During first 6 months we just plan to sustain our business and make a good
standing in the market. An electricity and gas bill of Rs. 4-5000 is expected monthly.

8
- For staff clothing (wearing same shirts) and chef aprons will cost about Rs.3000 and putting
up a stall in school or university or even hyper-markets will cost Rs.5-6000 and most of the
places allow free stalls like children complex and even Al-Hamra arts complex and school and
university stalls are relatively cheap as compared to malls. Schools/University cost Rs.1500-
2000 after asking the university club presidents who arranges such events and festivals and
malls cost Rs. 3-4000 per day. As our budget is very low we would like to do it one week and
then the other week only online ordering and then again keeping in view the amount of sales
we achieve. Our business will be conducted mostly online because of the low-budget we have.

- For sponsoring our social media page on Facebook the adverts cost $40 a month which is
equivalent to Rs.4000 but it seizes a lot of audience.

- Mini bon bons (size on 1 bite) will be provided free in specially schools and universities with
a purchase of one product. A mini-bon cost like Rs.10-15.

So our total expenditure becomes:

Waffle machines Rs. 10,000

6 months raw material Rs. 60,000

One time-kitchen utensils Rs. 20,000

Gas bill (monthly) Rs. 4-5000

Facebook Advert (1 month) Rs. 4000

Stalls cost (maximum limit per month) Rs. 25000

Freebies Rs. 2000

Printing and Stationery cost (monthly) Rs. 3000

Staff clothing (1-time) Rs. 4000

Packaging, plates, boxes, plastic spoons Rs. 3000

Total Rs. 136,000

9
So, our initial start will require at least Rs. 136,000. After promotions our normal regular prices
will give us a 30-40% profit when the customers will place a single order. 6 pieces of brownies
which cost us Rs.300 will give us a direct profit of Rs.300-320 upward. We will try to expand
our customer base slowly and progressively and add more product lines and assortments.
If our business starts running successfully then we will have a chance to move upward by 25-
30% gradually even with covering all the costs.

6. Measurement
The effectiveness of the marketing communication and the business will be analyzed through
surveys which we will conduct every 6 months. We will customize our ways and techniques
even pricing strategies according to the results fetched through research.
Financial analysis will be done every month by one of our partner which will state all the profit,
cost, and expenditures. Basically the income statement. Everything will be documented. We will
analyze our marketing and business success by keeping track of following things:-
 Where our website visitors discovers our site
 What content they look at
 How much time they spend on our site and on specific pages
 Which premium content or post offers produce the most qualified leads
 Which marketing initiatives produce the leads who actually become paying customers
 Which post or product gained the highest customer liking
 Which product sells out the most
 How did they find about us
 Where do we get more customers online or in public

10
 Hierarchy of Effects Model / Purchase Process
Business Name: The Dessert Club

Unaware of the product

Awareness

Liking

Trial

Purchase

Communication will play the role of making the market aware and this is a challenging step
because this is the first step of how our business will enter and introduce itself in the market. Our
main promotion for making the customer aware will be through social media. Creating visual
aids, sharing recipes and facts about desserts and how warm delicacies can cherish a person’s
mood and sweet-tooth is a necessity after every meal and how you can even start your day with a
little sweet as the sugar in it will keep you boosted for your whole day. The next step liking will
ensure that the customer likes our product. The non-resisting live videos of freshly baked
brownies with chocolate drizzling on top and even colorful cupcakes with a pinch of sprinkles or
a fresh strawberry can elevate anyone’s mood and due to this type of advertising our customer
will like to have the product or at least develop a craving which in the end results in a purchase.
In the first week giving promotional discounts and giving free-aways like buy one get one free or
get a mini-bon free with the purchase of any product will anticipate the customer to try the
product and once you have captured the customer it’s the core responsibility of the business to
make a solid mark that the customers taste buds love the product you’re offering and is forced to
make another purchase until he/she starts to get the feeling of satiety.

11
 REFERENCES

Holm, O. (2006). Integrated marketing communication: from tactics to strategy. Corporate

Communications: An International Journal, 11(1), 23-33. doi:10.1108/13563280610643525

How to measure marketing success. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2018, from
https://www.gorilla76.com/how-to-measure-marketing-success/

Market Segmentation In The Dessert Food Service Industry Marketing Essay. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 09, 2018, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/market-segmentation-in-
the-dessert-food-service-industry-marketing-essay.php

Marketing Communications: The Role of Advertising and Sales Promotions. (n.d.). Tourism and
Hospitality Marketing: A Global Perspective, 250-288. doi:10.4135/9781446280140.n8

Sheth, J. N., Peterson, R. A., Kamakura, W. A., Bagozzi, R. P., Belch, M. A., Bayus, B. L., &
Bello, D. C. (2011). Wiley international encyclopedia of marketing. Chichester: Wiley.

Sheth, J. N., Peterson, R. A., Kamakura, W. A., Bagozzi, R. P., Belch, M. A., Bayus, B. L., &
Bello, D. C. (2011). Wiley international encyclopedia of marketing. Chichester: Wiley.

Ward, S. (n.d.). No Budget, No Problem With These Low Cost Business Marketing Ideas.
Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.thebalance.com/low-cost-marketing-ideas-
2948325

12
 APPENDIX

Questionnaire:
In order to provide better services and cater our customer demands and needs more efficiently
we The Dessert Club are conducting a survey and would like your feedback on our service and
products. Choose the right option or place () on the right box:
What is your gender?
 Male
 Female

Please indicate your age range:

 20 or below
 21-30
 31-40
 41-50
 51 or above

What is your occupation?

 Student
 Self-employed
 Businessman
 Employee
 Housewife

Please indicate your salary range

 PKR 0 to 5000
 PKR 5000 to 10000
 PKR 30000 to 60000
 PKR 60000 or above

Do you like eating desserts?

 Yes

13
  No

How often do you eat desserts?

 Once a week or more often

 2-3 times a month
 Once of month
 Every 2-3 month
 2-3 times a year
 Once a year or less often
 Never

If we open a permanent dessert shop is set up in your campus, will you visit?
 Yes
 No

How much do you usually spend on eating desserts every time?

 Rs. 100-200
 Rs. 300-500
 Rs. 600-800
 Rs. 900 or more

In your opinion, what is the reasonable price for (i) A piece of brownie

 Rs. 100-200
 Rs. 300-500
 Rs. 600-800
 Rs. 900 or more

In your opinion, what is the reasonable price for (ii) A single cupcake
 Rs. 100-200
 Rs. 300-500
 Rs. 600-800
 Rs. 900 or more

14
In your opinion, what is the reasonable price for (iii) freshly baked waffles

 Rs. 100-200
 Rs. 300-500
 Rs. 600-800
 Rs. 900 or more

If there are VIP memberships or discount coupons provided, will you visit our shop more often?
 Yes
 No

If we open up our little dessert shop in a nice area with comfortable sitting environment will you
visit?

 Yes
 No

Please provide any additional comments or ideas you would like to share with us.

Thank you so much for your time!

15