Integrating Marketing Communications

to Build Brand Equity

A presentation by:
Varqa Shamsi Bahar
Presentation Outline
• Role of marketing communications

• Understanding communication through the cognitive map.

• Information processing model.

• Integrating marketing communications.

• Six characteristics of IMC

• Significance of the Promotional Mix

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 Introduction

• Marketing communications are the means by which firms attempt to

inform, persuade and remind consumers about the brands they sell.

• Marketing communications represent the voice of the brand and are

a means by which the brand can establish a dialogue to communicate
the value of a brand and build relationships with consumers.

• Marketing communications contribute to brand equity. They create

brand awareness, linking POP and POD associations to the brand in
the consumer’s memory. Eliciting positive brand feelings and brand
judgments and brand resonance.

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 Understanding cognitive mapping
• Cognitive maps are illustrations of the knowledge structures and
memories embedded in an individual’s brain.

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 Cognitive mapping and the role of
communication
• The cognitive mapping process explains the knowledge
structures a consumer possesses which is embedded in a
person’s long term memory.
• Hearing something once is usually not enough to cause it to
be retained in a person’s long term memory. This is due to
differences between short term recall and long term
memories.
• Hence, marketers need to repeat a message so that
consumers will remember the message. In consequence, the
message will be processed into long term memory and be
fitted into previously developed cognitive maps.

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 Cognitive mapping and the role of
communication
Strengthen current
linkage

Marketing Modify current linkage

Message

Create new linkage

•If the new information (message) is consistent with current information,

then the new information primarily tends to strengthen an existing linkage.

•A new message can be projected to change/modify current linkage.

•If an information is new to the consumer, then a new linkage is created.

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Existing cognitive map of the brand Vaseline

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Marketing Message

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New and modified linkages of the cognitive
map

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Cognitive map of Cooline A/C

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 New linkages

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Linkages are strengthened

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 Role of Marketing Communications

1. What is the current brand knowledge?

2. What is the desired brand knowledge? Have you defined the optimal POP and
POD?
3. How does the communication option help the brand get from current to desired
brand knowledge with consumers?
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 Information Processing Model of Communication:
The 6 factors of communication for persuasion
1. Exposure: A person must see or hear the communication. Hence marketers must come up with a
good media plan to create optimum exposure of the communication. Furthermore, half
hearted investment will not work e.g. of Shakti campaign.

2. Attention: A person must notice the communication. Hence, the communication must be creative
enough to grab attention. (e.g. of kool deodorant print ad).

3. Comprehension: A person must understand the intended message of the communication (sepnil
advert).

4. Yielding: A person must respond favorably to the intended message or arguments of the
communication and must like the advertisement (e.g. white plus, anti fairness ad).

5. Purchase Intentions: consumers should have the motive to make a purchase to address their
need. Example: Meril Petroleum jelly advertisement.
6. Actual Purchase: A person must actually act in the desired manner addressed in the
communication. and purchase the brand.

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 Pitfalls of communication
1.A consumer may not be exposed to an ad because the media plan missed the mark.

2.A consumer may not notice the ad because of a boring and uninspired creative strategy.

3.A consumer may not understand the ad because of Lack of category knowledge or technical
sophistication, lack of awareness or familiarity of the brand itself.

4.A consumer may fail to respond favorably and form a positive attitude because of irrelevant or
unconvincing product claims.

5.A consumer may fail to form a purchase intention because of a lack of immediate perceived need
OR the brand does not provide something really unique to create a compelling reason to make a
purchase.

6.A consumer may fail to actually buy the product because he or she doesn’t remember anything
from the ad when confronted with the available brands in the store.

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 Significance of Integrated Marketing Communications
(IMC)

• IMC is when the company carefully integrates its many

communications tools to deliver a clear, consistent, and
compelling message about the value they are
providing”.

• The goal is to generate both short-term financial

returns, and build long-term brand and shareholder
value.

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 IMC of Magic
Note 1: The touch points
TVC to reach the target market
BTV was crucial.
focused
Note 2: All the activities
have the same message so
RDC effectiveness of the
In-Shop campaign was enhanced.
Poster Betar
Focused
Note 3: Without
unconventional means its
is difficult to break into the
clutter.

Cinema
Slum
Hall
Activation
Exposure

Set of tightly focused activities which were effective at achieving campaign objective: converting
non branded users into consuming Magic.
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 Characteristics for an IMC programs

1. Coverage
2. Contribution
3. Commonality
4. Complementarity
5. Versatility
6. Cost

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 Coverage and Contribution

• Coverage is the proportion of the audience

reached by each communication.
• Contribution is the inherent ability of an IMC to
fulfill the communication objectives (e.g.
building brand awareness, enhancing image,
creating a conviction etc.) How well has the
IMC programs fulfilled this role?

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 IMC Audience Communication Option Overlap

Communication Communication
Option A Option B
50% reach 20% reach

n c e
die
Au

Communication Option C 10 % reach

Note: Circles represent the consumers reached by various communication options.
Shaded portions represent areas of overlap in communication options. 29
 Commonality
• its important that the IMC programs share commonality otherwise consumers will get
confused. It will be harder to build brand equity.

• The practice of unifying all marketing communication mediums – from advertising to

packaging - to send the target audience a consistent, persuasive message that promotes a
brand’s benefit/value

• The more common the message in a campaign, the stronger the linkages created in the
consumer’s long term memory about a specific association.
• A brand should be actively and consistently promoting the positioning of the brand so that
the linkage becomes extremely strong. Example: White Plus campaign in 2012 and 2013.
• If the messages transmitted by the various media utilized during an IMC campaign are not
common – it can lead to confusion – which will lead to weak linkages in the consumer’s
memory.

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 Complementarity

• Complementarity describes the extent to which

different associations and linkages are
emphasized across communication options.
• E.g. of zerocal: 1 communication medium
induced trial ( brand judgment) and 1
communication medium induced brand
feelings (not getting overweight).

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Factor: Slogans

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 Versatility & Cost

• Versatility refers to the extent that a marketing

communication option is robust and effective for
different groups of consumer – usually for mass
marketing tactics. (flexibility of GP’s campaigns across
many groups of consumers).

• Cost: You should create the most effective and

efficient IMC campaign by spending the least amount
of money. Something that is necessary when
competing with MNCs. (Cost Factor)
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The significance of the promotional mix

The specific blend of promotional tools

that the company uses to persuasively
communicate customer value and build
customer relationships.

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The tools for IMC

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 Personal Selling

• Personal selling is traditionally perceieved as an

interpersonal communication tool that involves face to
face activities undertaken by individuals in which a seller
attempts to assist and/or persuade prospective buyers to
purchase the company‘s product or service.
• Builds long lasting profitable customer relationships.
• Attitudinal loyalty is strengthened which facilitates
behavioral loyalty, customer lifetime value and
customer equity.

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 Direct Marketing

• Definition: Connecting directly with

carefully targeted individual consumers
to both obtain an immediate response
and cultivate lasting customer
relationships.
• Attitudinal loyalty is strenghtened.
• Database is a MUST for direct marketing.
• Example: NSU Career fair
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 Public Relations

• The planned and sustained effort to establish and

maintain goodwill and mutual understanding
between an organization and its publics.
• In other words, the purpose of PR is to establish
and maintain a positive image of the company
among its various publics.
• Public relations strengthens brand resonance
(Brand community, attitudinal loyalty)

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 Publicity
• Publicity refers to non-personal communication regarding an
organization, product, or service not directly paid for or run under
identified sponsorship.
• It usually comes in the form of news story, editorial, or announcement
about an organization and/or its products and services.
• An advantage of publicity is the credibility crietrion. In other words,
consumers trust the message which comes from credible source which
they perceive as unbiased.
• Brand judgements is strenghtened in the CBBE model.
• Another advantage of publicity is its low cost as the company is not
paying for the time or space in a mass medium such as TV, Radio, or
newspaper.

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 Negative Publicity
• Publicity is not always in control of the organization and is sometimes
unfavorable.
• Negative stories about a company and/or its products can be very
damaging.
• Negative linkages are created in the cognitive maps. This leads to weaker
brand performance and brand judgements.
• Audi 5000 model cars suffered from a tidal wave of negative publicity and
WOM because it was alleged to have a sudden acceleration problem that
resulted in an alarming number of fatal accidents. In reply, Audi officials
blamed the drivers to be driving in a clumsy way. In consequence, sales
dropped from 74,000 in year 1985 to 21,000 in year 1989. This negetive
publicity even hampered the sales of the other car models sold my AUDI.

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 Sales Promotion

• Sales promotion are short term incentives to

encourage trial or usage of a product.
• Advertisement provides consumers a reason to buy,
sales promotion offers consumers an incentive to buy.
• Two types:
– Trade Promotion (changing the behavior of the trade so that
they carry the brand and actively support it).
– Consumer promotion (changing the behavior of consumers
so that they buy a brand for the first time or more often.
• Sales promotion facilitates behavioral loyalty.
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 Advertising

• Advertising is defined as any paid form of non-personal

communication about an organization, product or service
by an identified organization.
• Advertising is an important tool for companies whose
products and services are targeted towards mass
consumer markets such as packaged goods and drug
companies.
• Cost effective way to reach large numbers of consumers.
• Hence, brand awareness can be built effectively in the
customer mindset of millions of consumers.
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 Advertising

• Advertising is a powerful means of creating strong, favorable,

and unique brand associations in the customer mindset
– Point of parity and point of difference associations can be
established in the minds of the customers.
– Brand Salience links can also be established.
• Broadcast media
• Print Media
• Outdoor branding
• Point of purchase advertising
• Online advertising.

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 Major communication tools
Tool Use Examples
Advertising Efficiently gets message Television and radio commercials and new paper ads;
to large audience paid search engine links; billboards; transit ads; ads
delivered by cell phone and emails

Sales promotion Stimulate immediate Samples, coupons, premiums, contests, games,

purchase; reward incentives
repeat purchase

Public relations Build positive image, Event sponsorship, news release, briefings, speeches
strengthen ties with and blogs, public appearance
stakeholders

Direct marketing Reach target audience, Mail, email, telemarketing campaigns, printed and
encourage direct online catalog/brochures, direct response tv and
response radio
Personal selling Reach customers one to Sales appointment, sales meetings and presentation,
one to make sales, online sales chat help
strengthen relationships
Thank you for your Attention.

Any Questions?