Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)…

Introduction to
Marketing Communication and
Integrated Marketing Communication
[IMC]

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Marketing Communication and the IMC

Marketing Communication is the process by which

information about an organization and its offerings is
disseminated to selected markets.

Objectives of Marketing Communication:

- To inform the customers about the availability of offerings (both
existing and new products).
- To explain the unique features, benefits and brand information
(USP) of the offerings.
- To reduce the gaps between manufacturers & customers (B2B and
B2C) and to provide information about where & how to find and
use the offerings.
- To ensure competitive advantage of the offerings.
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Marketing Communication and the IMC

Modes of Marketing Communication:

Advertising
Sales Promotion
Events and Experiences
Public Relations and Publicity
Direct Marketing
Interactive Marketing
Personal Selling
Word-of-mouth Marketing
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Marketing Communication and the IMC
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the
concept under which a company carefully integrates and
coordinates its many communication channels (more than
one) to deliver a clear, consistent, and convincing message
about the organization and its products.

- It is also called Promotional Mix that consists of the specific blend

of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling,
and direct-marketing tools etc that the company uses to
communicate with their customers and build a strong customer
relationships. 4
Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix
The promotional mix consists of eight major elements/
modes of communication:

1. Advertising:
Any paid form of non-personal presentation and
promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified
sponsor via print media (newspapers and magazines),
broadcast media (radio and television), network media
(telephone, cable, satellite), electronic media
(audiotape, videotape, videodisk, CD-ROM, Web
page), and display media (billboards, signs, posters)
etc.

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

- The common platforms of Advertising are:

Print Ads Point of Purchase
Broadcast Ads (POP) Displays
Packaging Inserts Logos
Brochures and Booklets Audio and Videotapes
Posters Transition Ads
Billboards

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Advertising:

Advertising can reach masses of geographically scattered

buyers at a low cost per exposure, and it enables the seller to
repeat a message many times. For example, television and
radio advertisings can reach huge audiences.

On the one hand, advertising can be used to build up a long-

term image for a product (such as Coca Cola’s ads). On the
other hand, advertising can trigger quick sales.

For the most part, advertising can carry on only a one-way

communication with an audience, and the audience does not
feel that it has to pay attention or respond.

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Advertising: General Types of Advertising

Informative Advertising is used when introducing a

new product category; the objective is to build
primary demand.
Comparative Advertising directly or indirectly compares
the brand with one or more other brands.
Persuasive Advertising aims to create liking,
preference, confidence, and purchase of a product or
service.
Reminder Advertising is important with mature
products to help maintain customer relationships and
keep customers thinking about the product. 8
Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

2. Sales Promotion:
A variety of short-term incentives to encourage trial or
purchase of a product or service including consumer
promotions (such as samples, coupons, and
premiums), trade promotions (such as advertising and
display allowances), and business and sales force
promotions (contests for sales reps), purpose of
making presentations, answering questions, and
procuring orders.

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix
- The common platforms of Sales Promotion are:

Consumer Sales Promotion Trade Sales Promotion

Contests and games
Coupons and raffle draws
Free gifts with purchase
Sampling
Participations in trade shows
Discounts and Reductions
Continuity Programs
Trade discounts
Allowances
Sales contests and schemes
Specialty advertisements
Training facilities

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Sales Promotion:

Sales promotion includes a wide assortment of tools —

coupons, contests, discounts, premiums, and others — all of
which have many unique qualities. They attract consumer
attention, offer strong incentives to purchase, and can be used
to dramatize product offers and boost sagging sales. Sales
promotions invite and reward quick response.

 Whereas advertising says, “Buy our product,” sales promotion

says, “Buy it now.”

Sales promotion effects are often short lived, however, and

often are not as effective as advertising or personal selling in
building long-run brand preference and customer relationships.
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Sales Promotion:

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

3. Events and Experiences:

Company-sponsored activities and programs designed
to create a daily or special brand-related interactions
with the customers, including the final consumers
and the channel members of the organization.

- The common platforms of Events and Experiences are:

Games & Sports Factory tours

Entertainment Company museums
Festivals Road shows and street
Art & Cultures activities
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

4. Public Relations and Publicity:

A variety of programs directed internally to employees
of the company or externally to consumers, channel
members, other firms, the government, and media
to promote or protect a company’s image or its
individual product communications.
- The common platforms of Public Relations are:
Press kits Charitable Donations
Speeches Publications
Seminars Community Relations
Annual reports
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Public Relations:

Public relations is very believable — news stories, features,

sponsorships, and events seem more real and believable
to readers than ads do. PR can also reach many prospects
who avoid salespeople and advertisements — the message
gets to buyers as “news” rather than as a sales-directed
communication. And, as with advertising, public relations
can dramatize a company or product.

A well-thought-out public relations campaigns used with

other promotion mix elements can be very effective and
economical.

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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix
5. Direct Marketing:
Use of mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or internet to
communicate directly with or solicit response or
dialogue from specific customers and prospects.

- The common platforms of Direct Marketing are:

Catalogs Fax mail
Mailings E-mail
Telemarketing Voice mail
Electronic shopping Websites
TV shopping
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Direct Marketing:

Although there are many forms of direct marketing — direct mail

and catalogs, online marketing, mobile marketing, and others—
they all share some distinctive characteristics.

Direct marketing is less public – The Message is normally

directed to a specific person (selective).

Direct Marketing is immediate and customized – Messages

can be prepared very quickly and can be tailored to appeal to
specific consumers.

Direct Marketing is Interactive – It allows a dialogues

between the marketing team and the consumer, and messages can
be altered depending on the consumer’s response.
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix
6. Interactive Marketing:
Online activities and programs designed to engage the
customers or the prospects and directly or indirectly
raise awareness, improve image, or extract sales of
products and services.

- The common platforms of Interactive Marketing are:

Company website
Facebook fan page
Online competitions
Company sponsored Blogs
Social support programs
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

7. Personal Selling:
Face-to-face interaction with one or more prospective
purchasers for the purpose of making presentations,
answering questions, and procuring orders.

- The common platforms of Personal Selling are:

Sales Presentations
Sales Meetings
Incentive Programs
Samples
Fairs and Trade Shows
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Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix

More on Personal Selling:

Personal selling is the most effective tool at certain stages
of the buying process, particularly in building up buyers’
preferences, convictions, and actions. It involves personal
interaction between two or more people, so each person
can observe the other’s needs and characteristics and
make quick adjustments.
 An effective salesperson keeps the customer’s interests at heart
to build a long-tem relationship by solving a customer’s problems.

Finally, with personal selling, the buyer usually feels a greater need
to listen and respond, even if the response is a polite…

“No, Thank you!”. 20

Marketing Communication and the
Elements of Promotional Mix
8. Word-of-mouth Marketing:
People-to-people (C2C) oral, written, or electronic
communications that relate to the merits or
experiences of purchasing or using products or
services.
- The common platforms of Personal Selling are:
Community brand ambassadors
Opinion leaders
Facebook fan page
Charity and social support
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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

The following factors should be considered while

determining the promotional mix:

Nature of the product

Nature of the market
Stage of product life cycle
Availability of funds and budget
Nature of the technique and company objectives
Readiness of buyers

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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

1. Nature of the Product:

Different product requires different tools of promotion.

- Consumer Goods (FMCG)

- Industrial Goods (Plant, machinery & equipments)
- Controversial Goods (Tobacco, Pharmaceuticals)
- Services

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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

2. Nature of the Market:

Nature of the market or the number and location of the

customers/ prospective customers influence the
promotional mix to a great extent.

- Small number of customers and concentrated in a

particular area
- Large number of customers and scattered widely
- Educated and illiterate customers
- Urban, sub-urban and rural customers
- Local and international customers
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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

3. Stage of Product Life Cycle (PLC):

Promotional mix changes with change in the product life

cycle stages.

- Product Development stage

- Introduction stage
- Growth stage
- Maturity stage
- Decline stage

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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

4. Availability of Funds and Budget:

Availability of funds also affects the planning of

promotional mix. If funds available for promotional
purposes are large, a mix of all promotion tools may
be used simultaneously. But, if there is shortage of
funds the firm has to be selective in use of
promotional tools.

- Company’s financial position

- Fund allocation (Short/long term budget)
- Competitive budget (back up fund)

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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

5. Nature of the Technique and Company Objectives:

Each promotion technique has its own advantages and

disadvantages and there must be understood before
deciding the promotional mix.

- Advertising is impersonal and mass media of promo.

- Personal selling involves face to face presentation.
- Direct marketing can connect distant customers.
- Sales promotion is incentives based operation for
creating quick response and applicable everywhere.
- And company objective varies case to case.
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Factors Affecting Promotional Mix

5. Readiness of Buyers:

Different tools of promotional mix are effective at

different stage of buyer’s readiness.

- Unawareness stage
- Interest and knowledge stage
- Conviction stage
- Loyalty stage

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 End of Introduction to
Marketing Communication…

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