INTERNATIONAL

MARKETING
COMMUNICATION

By: Radhika Arora

International Marketing Communications
(IMC): is the coordination and integration of all
marketing communications tools, avenues, and
sources within a company into a seamless program
that maximizes the impact on consumer and other
end users at a minimal cost.
Clow and Baack, 2004,
Communication is a major part of export marketing
activities. It is not enough to produce goods and
make available a product or service; it is also
necessary to provide information that buyers need to
make purchasing decisions.
 International Marketing
Communication

As Senders As Receivers

Inform Develop messages

Persuade Adapt messages

Remind Spot new

communication
opportunities
 The Communication Process

Noise

Encoding Message Decoding

Sender Receiver
Message Channel Message

Feedback
Channel
Communication with foreign buyers:
Planning and Preparing for
Promotional Campaign
 Target
audience

Measurement
Campaign
of advertising
Objectives
Effectiveness

Campaign
Budget
Approach

Media Strategy
 Planning Promotional Campaigns-
Steps Involved

Determine the target audience

Determine specific campaign objectives
Determine the budget
Determine media strategy
Determine the message
Determine the campaign approach
Determine campaign effectiveness
 Target Audience
Global marketers face multiple audiences beyond
customers.
Cause-related marketing: the company or one of its
brands is linked with a cause such as environmental
protection.
Corporate image advertising- an umbrella campaign
may help either boost the image of a lesser-known
product line or make the company be perceived
more positively.
 Campaign Objectives

Essential to the planning of an international

promotional campaign is the establishment of
clearly defined, measurable objectives
Typical goals:
Increase awareness
Enhance image
Improve market share
 The Budget

The promotional budget links established objectives

with media, messages, and control decisions.
Available funds may dictate the basis from which the
objective-task method can start.
Take a market-by-market approach
It establishes a control mechanism
 Media Strategy
The major factors determining choice of media vehicles:
Media availability- government restrictions are there for
media
Product influences- different restrictions for different
kinds of products, e.g., tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceutical
products
Audience characteristics- demographics, media habits,
advertising exposure
Global media- Time, Economist, MTV, Internet
Promotional message- targeted message, S-A issues
 The Campaign Approach
What type of outside services to use?
Advertising agencies, local vs. global , e.g., McCann-Erickson- 130
countries
Agency-Client relationship
Using local agencies
How to establish decision-making authority for promotional efforts?
Centralization vs. decentralization
Reasons for Centralization- economies of scale, synergy, consistency
Reasons for Decentralization- proximity to market, flexibility, faster
response time, cultural sensitivity
 Measurement of Advertising
Effectiveness
Commonly used measurements regardless of
medium used:
Sales
Awareness
Recall
Intention to buy
Profitability
Coupon return
The Role of Promotion

Promotion

Communication by
marketers that informs,
persuades, and reminds
potential buyers of a
product in order to
influence an opinion or
elicit a response.
 Promotion Strategy
Promotional
Strategy

A plan for the optimal

use of the elements of
promotion:
Advertising
Public Relations
Sales Promotion
Personal Selling Competitive
Advantage
Competitive Advantage
High product quality

Rapid delivery

Low prices

Excellent service

Unique features
Goals and Tasks of Promotion

Informing Reminding

Target
Audience

Persuading
Goals and Tasks of Promotion

Informing Reminding

PLC Stages: PLC Stages:

Introduction Maturity
Early Growth Target
Audience

PLC Stages:
Growth
Maturity Persuading
Goals and Tasks of Promotion

Reminder Promotion

Remind customers that product

may be needed

Remind customers where

to buy product

Maintain customer awareness

 The AIDA Concept

AIDA Model that outlines the process

Concept for achieving promotional goals
in terms of stages of consumer
involvement with the message.
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
The AIDA Concept
 International Promotion Strategies: Push and
Pull Strategies
PUSH STRATEGY

Manufacturer Wholesaler Retailer Consumer

promotes to promotes to promotes to buys from
wholesaler retailer consumer retailer

Orders to manufacturer

PULL STRATEGY

Consumer Retailer Wholesaler

Manufacturer
demands demands demands
promotes to
product product product from
consumer
from retailer from wholesaler manufacturer

Orders to manufacturer
 Standard Promotion Strategy
Differential Promotion Strategy
Factors Affecting Promotional Mix
The Promotional Mix
Promotional
Mix Combination of
promotion
tools used to reach the
target market and fulfill
the organizations
overall goals.
Advertising
Public Relations
Sales Promotion
Personal Selling
The Promotional Mix

Impersonal, one-way
mass communication about
a product or organization
that is paid for by a
marketer.
 Integrated Marketing
Communications

Integrated
Marketing
Communications

The careful coordination of all

promotional messages to assure
the consistency of messages at
every contact point where a
company meets the consumer.
Media Structure: Types of
advertising Media
Advertising Media
Traditional New
Advertising Media Advertising
Media

Television
Radio Internet
Newspapers Banner ads
Magazines Viral marketing
Books E- mail
Direct mail Interactive video
Billboards
Transit cards
Advertising
Advantages Disadvantages

Reach large number Total cost is high

of people
National reach is
Low cost per expensive for
contact small companies

Can be micro-
targeted
Public Relations

The marketing function that

evaluates public attitudes,
identifies areas within the
organization that the public
may be interested in, and
executes a program of
action to earn public
understanding and
acceptance.
The Function of
Public Relations
Sales Promotion

Marketing activities
other than personal
selling, advertising, and
public relationsthat
stimulate consumer
buying and dealer
effectiveness.
Sales Promotion
Free samples
End
Consumers
Contests

Premiums
Company
Trade Shows
Employees

Vacation Giveaways
Trade
Coupons Customers
Personal Selling

Planned presentation to
one or more prospective
buyers for the purpose
of making a sale.
Personal Selling

Traditional
Selling

Relationship
Selling
Characteristics of the Elements
in the Promotional Mix

Advertising
Communication Mode Indirect and impersonal
Communication Control Low
Feedback Amount Little
Feedback Speed Delayed
Message Flow Direction One-way
Message Content Control Yes
Sponsor Identification Yes
Reaching Large Audience Fast
Message Flexibility Same message to all audiences
Characteristics of the Elements
in the Promotional Mix

Public Relations
Communication Mode Usually indirect, impersonal
Communication Control Moderate to low
Feedback Amount Little
Feedback Speed Delayed
Message Flow Direction One-way
Message Content Control No
Sponsor Identification No
Reaching Large Audience Usually fast
Message Flexibility Usually no direct control
Characteristics of the Elements
in the Promotional Mix

Sales Promotion
Communication Mode Usually indirect and impersonal
Communication Control Moderate to low
Feedback Amount Little to moderate
Feedback Speed Varies
Message Flow Direction Mostly one-way
Message Content Control Yes
Sponsor Identification Yes
Reaching Large Audience Fast
Message Flexibility Same message to varied target
Characteristics of the Elements
in the Promotional Mix

Personal Selling
Communication Mode Direct and face-to-face
Communication Control High
Feedback Amount Much
Feedback Speed Immediate
Message Flow Direction Two-way
Message Content Control Yes
Sponsor Identification Yes
Reaching Large Audience Slow
Message Flexibility Tailored to prospect
Factors Affecting the
Choice of Promotional Mix

Nature of the product

Stage in PLC

Target market factors

Type of buying decision

Promotion funds

Push or pull strategy

 Planning Media Strategy
International Media habits
Media Availability
Media Reliability
Media Restrictions
Media Costs
Corporate Advertising
 Advertising that is more public relations than
sales promotion.
Its objective is to build a firms corporate
image, reputation, and name-awareness
among the general public or within an
industry.
Types of Corporate Advertising

Public Relations
Advertising

Institutional Advertising

Corporate Identity
Advertising

Recruitment Avertising

Cause-Related Advertising
 Role of Corporate Advertising in
International Marketing

Balanced Communication Process

Increases Customer Relationship across
Nations
Maximizes Sales and Profits
Multitasking