Post-Graduate Diploma in Management

(PGDM)- 2019-21

Area: Marketing
Course Title: Integrated Marketing Communication

Course Faculty
Prof. Abhishek / Prof. Ekta Srivastava

Contact Emails:
abhsihek@imt.edu/ esrivastava@imt.edu

Student Meeting Hour: Between 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm on class days

 Course Description

In this era of fierce marketing competition, every company needs to promote its brands and
products offered. A brand is positioned in the target customer’s mind through communication.
Customer receives the communication cues sent by the company, processes the cues and form an
image of the company. Customer perceives some values in any company offerings and the
perception is created after processing the communication cues related to product and brand
attributes. There can be various types of communication cues or stimuli designed and
communicated by the marketer. There are different communication channels or media vehicles
available from which the marketer needs to choose. Appropriate media vehicles need to be chosen,
so that the communication cost is optimized. There are many intermediate organizations or
communication agencies that help the companies in designing the communication content, and
contacting appropriate media. Thus, marketing communication as a sub-system or department
within the marketing system of an organization becomes a complicated unit which needs to be
managed effectively by the marketing communication managers. This course intends to enlighten
the students regarding the management of complicated marketing communication activities.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, the student is expected to…

1. Understand the roles of communication department, their coordination with other functions
within the marketing department.
2. Understand the challenges and processes of running a communication department in an
organization.
3. Understand the roles played by different components of integrated marketing communication.
4. Understand how to design (a) integrated marketing communication plan (b) effective marketing
campaigns for an organization’s various goods and/or services subject to budget constraints.
5. Gain understanding of different media options and how they are evaluated for effectiveness
6. Apply the theory and concepts learned in development of integrated marketing communication
plans

Pedagogy:

The pedagogy will be a combination of class lectures, case discussions, experience sharing, real
life examples, project work and analysis. Total 16 sessions of 1 hour 15 minutes each would be
conducted. Concepts will be explained using cases, examples, videos, mathematics - wherever
applicable, so that students from any background can comprehend the concepts easily.

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 Course Requirements:

1. Thorough reading of the prescribed cases before the class and address the issues/ questions
pertaining to the case.
2. Identify the problems in understanding the concepts before the start of each session.
3. Apply the class learning to the project on a continuous basis and be prepared for presentations
in class.
4. Ask questions so that the sessions are interactive, leading to better learning.
5. Class participation will be based on the value you add to the class through your questions,
statement, and comments. It may also be evaluated through class assignments submitted and
quizzes conducted during the classroom sessions.

Recommended Text Book

Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective (Ed. 9),
authored by George Belch, Michael Belch, and Keyoor Purani (Hence after referred as BBP)

Evaluation

Components Assessment Weightage

Individual
Class Participation/Quiz(zes) 20%
(Ongoing)
Assignment(s) Group Work 20%

Project Report/Presentation Group Work 30%

Individual
End term exam 30%
(End of the term)
TOTAL 100%

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Course Outline: Session /Reading Material
Each module has a structure that will be followed right through the course. Text and cases specified for the
relevant sessions should be read before each class. For case sessions, it is mandatory to come prepared to
class after reading, discussing within your respective groups and analyzing the cases based on the
guidelines for preparation.
Please Note:
T: Topic of discussion
C: Case to be pre-read and discussed during the session
PR: Pre-read(s) for the session
SR: Supplementary read(s) for the session
GP: Guidelines for preparation of case discussion

Module 1: Introduction
In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Introduction: Understanding the Context
PR: Chapter 3 - Organizing for Advertising and Promotion: The Role of Concept
1
Discussion
Ad Agencies and Other Marketing Communication Organizations (BBP)

Module 2: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning in Communication Strategy

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning and Communication
Strategy
C: Evolution of Fortune Brand Communications of Adani Wilmar Concept and
Case
2 GP: 1. Evaluate segmentation & positioning strategy for Fortune brand. Discussion
2. Evaluate the present ad campaigns of Fortune and competitors.
3. Propose a design for future campaign.
PR: Chapter 2 - The role of IMC in the Marketing Process (BBP)

Due before session number 3: Groups along with Members’ Names and Project’s Brand

Module 3: Goal Settings and Communication Strategy

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Goal Settings and Budgeting Concept and
3 Case
C: Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (A)
Discussion

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 GP: Questions given at the end of the case
PR: Chapter 7- Establishing objectives and budgeting for the
promotional program (BBP)

Module 4: Managing Creative Strategy

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Creative Strategy Concept
4-5 PR: Chapter 8- Creative Strategy: Planning and Development (BBP) discussion by
Guest
PR: Chapter 9- Creative Strategy: Implementation and Evaluation (BBP Faculty

Due before session number 6: Agency Brief

Module 5: Decision about Media Options

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Choosing Media Option
PR: Chapter 10 – Media Planning and Strategy (BBP) Concept
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Discussion
SR: Media Planning for Pfeifer’s Fine Olive Oil

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Decision making for creative and media strategy
C: Pepsi Lipton Brisk
GP: 1. Analyse the pros and cons of options before Mary Barnard and
Concept and
Marisol Tamaro.
Case
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2. How should Mary Barnard and Marisol Tamaro go about making a Discussion
decision about media option?
3. How should Mary Barnard and Marisol Tamaro make a decision
about creative for Brisk campaign?

Module 6: Planning and Implementing Sales Promotions

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Sales Promotions for Products
C: Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao Concept and
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Case
GP: 1. Understand and evaluate the promotion and its implementation. Discussion

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 2. Suggest suitable changes in the programme and its implementation
and justify.
PR: Influences on Sales Promotion Design from ‘Sales Promotion
Management’ by John A. Quelch
SR: Chapter 16 - Sales Promotion (BBP)
T: Sales Promotions for Services
C: Spice Jet Big Sale Offer – Adding Spice to Air Travel
GP: 1. Was Neil Mills correct in initiating Big Sale offer?
2. Do you think that emphasis on PLF is justified? Concept and
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3. Suggest ways to improve the implementation of Big Sale Offer.
Discussion
PR: “Consumer Promotions in Service Marketing” by Christopher H.
Lovelock and John A. Quelch, Business Horizons (1983)
SR: Chapter 16 - Sales Promotion (BBP)

Module 7: Sponsorships and Event Marketing

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Sponsorships and Event Marketing
C: MasterCard International: World Championship Soccer Sponsorship
GP: 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of MasterCard Sponsorship as
Concept and
10 strategic decision making decision, given MasterCard's distinctive Case
business model. Discussion

2. Should MasterCard renew the sponsorship for 1999-2002 package?

Justify your choice.

Module 8: Public Relations

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Public Relations
C: Untended Acceleration: Toyota’s Recall Crisis
GP: 1. Analyze the factors that led the acceleration problem develop
Concept and
11 into a reputational crisis for Toyota? Case
2. Evaluate Toyota’s crisis response strategy. Discussion

3. How did media influence the crisis management at Toyota?

PR: Chapter 16 - Public Relations (BBP)

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Module 9: Marketing Communication Effectiveness
In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Evaluating Communication Effectiveness Concept
PR: Chapter 18 - Measuring the Effectiveness of the Promotional discussion by
12-13
Guest
Program (BBP) Faculty

Module 10: Digital Marketing Communication

In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Introduction to Online Advertising
C: Rocket Fuel: Measuring the Effectiveness of Online Advertising
GP: 1. Analyze the effectiveness of online advertising campaign for
Rocket Fuel.
2. What can be the KPIs for measuring the effectiveness of an online
campaign? Concept and
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3. Evaluate the profitability of the campaign.
Discussion
PR: 1. Paid Search Advertising
2. Search Engine Optimization: Note for Marketing Managers’ by
Michael A. Stanko
3. Read ‘How Google Search Works’ on
www.google.com/search/howsearchworks
T: Social Media and Content Marketing
C: Coca-Cola on Facebook
GP: 1. What should Coca-Cola do with fan-created Facebook page?
Concept and
15 2. What all should Coca-Cola aim to accomplish with fan-created Case
Facebook page? Discussion

PR: 1. Adding Social Media to the Marketing Mix

2. The Power of Consumer Stories in Digital Marketing

Module 11: Integrating the tools in IMC and concluding the course
In class
Session Theme of the session
activity
T: Integrating the tools
C: Cunard Line Ltd.- Managing Integrated Marketing Communications Concept
16 and Case
GP: 1. Analyze and recommend suitable communication objective for
Discussion
Cunard.

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 2. Analyze and recommend strategic (image building) communication
programs.
3. Analyze and recommend tactical (enhancing occupancy for individual
ships) communication programs.

List of Cases for Class Discussion

1. Evolution of Fortune Brand Communications of Adani Wilmar
2. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (A)
3. Pepsi Lipton Brisk
4. Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao
5. Spice Jet Big Sale Offer – Adding Spice to Air Travel
6. MasterCard International: World Championship Soccer Sponsorship
7. Untended Acceleration: Toyota’s Recall Crisis
8. Rocket Fuel: Measuring the Effectiveness of Online Advertising
9. Coca-Cola on Facebook
10. Cunard Line Ltd.- Managing Integrated Marketing Communications

List of Recommended Readings (In addition to the recommended Text Book)

1. ‘Media Planning for Pfeifer’s Fine Olive Oil’ by Paul W. Harris and Phillip E Pfeifer.
2. Influences on Sales Promotion Design from ‘Sales Promotion Management’ by John A. Quelch.
3. ‘Consumer Promotions in Service Marketing’ by Christopher H. Lovelock and John A. Quelch,
Business Horizons (1983)
4. ‘Paid Search Advertising’ by Shea Gibbs and Rajkumar Venkatesan.
5. ‘Search Engine Optimization: Note for Marketing Managers’ by Michael A Stanko
6. Read ‘How Google Search Works’ on the following microsite
www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/
7. ‘Adding Social Media to the Marketing Mix’ by Guillermo Armelini and Julian Villanueva
8. ‘The Power of Consumer Stories in Digital Marketing’ by R R Gosline, Jeffrey Lee, and Glen Urban,
Sloan Management Review (2017)

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Group Project (Report and Presentation) Guidelines
1. Students will form groups among themselves. Each group will have 5-6 group members.
2. Each group has to select a B2C brand in any industry (goods or service), preferably having some
presence in the NCR region (so that it becomes easy for you to do primary research if need be).
Instructors are providing below some illustrative categories for project work. You can choose from the
list and can pickup categories beyond the list.
List of categories:
• Academic Institution
• Banking • Entertainment Sector (Film theatre
• Real Estate (Residential) Chain)
• Wrist Watches • Public School
• Clothing Brand • Apparel Brand
• FMCG • Home Appliances
• Food/ Restaurant • Automobiles
• Beverages • Eyewear
• Hospitality (A hotel chain) • Mobiles and Laptop
• Government organization/ government’s
campaign
3. The groups are expected to state names of group members along with brand names before session
number three.
4. You should take up a brand in the category which had been in existence for at least five years and
evaluate its marketing communication till date. The chosen brand should be problematic brand which
is losing its charm and image in the target market and having a declining revenue and/or profit during
last one to five years. This company has hired your group as an agency (which also provides brand
consultancy) who has been assigned the job to revive the brand.
5. As part of your assignment, track evolution of marketing communication of the brand and to what it
stands for. Based on secondary data, define the existing target market of the chosen brand in terms of
consumers’ segmentation profiles. According to your findings, brand’s current strategy and status,
define its current marketing objective and communication objective since it started its operations.
According to your team, did the company achieve its goals?
6. Based on your research and findings, you have to explain the reasons (e.g. inappropriate positioning in
target customers’ minds, problems in marketing communication) for the brand not doing well in the
market over past few years the brand is not doing well in the market and and make a Client/ Agency
brief (guidelines provided separately). The groups are expected to be ready with Agency brief in session
number six.

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7. For resolving the current concerns of the brand and company, your group will have to play the role of
an ad agency and prepare marketing communications strategy and campaign for a brand with
justification.
8. Your group will make recommendations through a report and presentation. Your detailed report should
include the following components:
• Context and Situational Analysis: The rational for selecting the brand, evidences of brand’s poor
performance based on analyzing secondary data during past few years (last one to five years), your
understanding of reasons behind poor performance, description of the existing situation including
company objectives, company strengths and a detailed competitive analysis.
• Brief overview of segments, positioning and marketing strategy adopted for brand.
• Understanding of the recent/past campaign. You need to do a detailed analysis of the
communication objectives, message strategy, creative brief, advertising execution, budget and
media plan through primary and secondary research.
• Development of a fresh integrated marketing communications campaign for the chosen brand.
Mention your Strategic solution, evolve your campaign idea and make draft creative. You may like
to design a storyboard for TVC, actual video advertisement, print/radio advertisement, a sales
promotion scheme, online/mobile advertisement, public relations campaign, sponsorship ideas, and
any other type of communication vehicle that you wish to choose in an integrated manner.
9. Each group will submit the report in Word document (Times New Roman, 12 font, 1.5 line spacing and
both side aligned). The cover page of the report will contain the project title along with the logo of the
selected brand. The report can contain innovative graphics and pictorial presentations of the ad. (In case
it is a video ad, you can give a screenshot of your main scene along with punch line. Actual video ad
will be shown while presenting.)
10. Each group will mail the soft copy of Word document final report to respective faculty’s e-mail id on
the day of your last teaching session. The hard copy of report will need to be submitted at the time of
presentation. The minimum word limit of the report would be 3000. There is no maximum word limit
but extra material, not relevant to main body of report, should be provided in exhibits.
11. The final presentation will have to be done using PowerPoint (and not using word doc). Instructor will
provide 15-20 minutes’ slot for each groups to come and present. The details regarding presentation
will be provided near the completion of course.
12. The evaluation of final project phase will include the evaluations of presentation and report. You must
remember that marks will be awarded largely based on research done to understand the past marketing
communication of the brand, the environment it operated in, current scenario and effectiveness of the

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 proposed IMC campaign to address the marketing problem and achieving the company’s current
marketing objective.
13. Individual marks of a group member may change based on their presentation, group peer marks and
faculty evaluation. Every member from the group may be called out by the faculty to present parts of
the presentation.

Note: If more than 15% plagiarism is detected in any report, the whole team would get zero.

Guidelines for Agency Brief

Agency Brief is written when a client company/brand outlines to an agency the issue that the
company/brand wants to be tackled. In order to prepare a good working brief, the following should be
mentioned in the brief:

• Details of brand(s) which you want to be covered and the category to which it belongs
• Target market for the brand
• Present set of direct and indirect competitors
• Issues faced by brand (need not be restricted to communication issues), thus underlying the problem at
hand
• Potential future marketing/communication objective, thus the way ahead
• Nature of the services (creative strategy, media planning, brand strategy etc.) that your brand may
require – purpose of hiring the agency

Generally, there is no word/page limit for brief to be written. In practice, it can range from 2 pages to 20
pages. However, for the purpose of IMC course, you should aim to write it within 1000 words (2-3 pages).

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