An Overview of Integrated Marketing Communications

Dr. George BelchSan Diego State University

Corporate Level Message Sources

Administration Manufacturing/ Marketing Finance Human Legal

Operations Resources

Cross-Functional Brand Equity (IM) Team

Marketing Level Message Sources

Product Price Marketing Distribution Mix Mix Communication Mix

Cross-Functional IMC Team

Marketing Communication Level Message Sources

Personal Adver- Sales Direct Public Pack- EventsSales tising Promotion Marketing Relations aging

Interactivity

Other StakeholdersEmployeesInvestorsFinancial CommunityGovernmentRegulators

CustomersDistributorsSuppliersCompetition

ConsumersLocal CommunityMediaInterest Groups

Communication-Based Marketing Model

Communication Levels

Corporate Level Messages sent by a company’s overall business

practices and philosophies such as its mission, labor practices, philanthropies, culture and other processes

Marketing Level Messages sent or inferred from various aspects of

a company’s marketing mix such as product quality and performance, design, appearance, pricing, and distribution

Marketing Communication Level Strategic and executional consistency among all

forms of marketing communication

Marketing Communications

(Advertising, Publicity/ Public Relations, Web Site)

Marketing Level(Products, Price, Store

Atmosphere)

Corporate Level(Social Responsibility)

Nike

What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)?

IMC is a strategic business process used to:

plan, develop, execute and evaluate coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programs

with consumers, customers, prospects employees and other relevant external and internal audiences

goal is to generate short-term financial returns and build long-term brand value

The Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective

The concept of integration: Combining or coordinating separate elements so as to

provide a harmonious integrated whole

The logic of integration: Communications emanating from a single strategic platform

will be more effective than those that are independent and not coordinated

The reality of integration: Companies must consider how a variety of MARCOM tools

can be used to deliver messages about their company and/or brands

Effective integration begins with discipline excellence: It requires individuals in various disciplines to think about

how they contribute to the overall process and outcome rather than their own specific goals.

The Marketing Revolution

Shift from traditional media ads to other forms of promotion/nontraditional media

Internet and social media changing how companies interact with consumers

Power shift: manufacturers to retailers

Growth of Database marketing

Greater ad agency accountability

Greater Role of IMC in Brand Building

Skyy Spirits Uses a Variety of TouchPoints to Reach Consumers

IMC Communication Tools

Traditional IMC Communication Tools

AdvertisingDirect

MarketingInteractive/

Internet Marketing

SalesPromotion

Publicity/PublicRelations

PersonalSelling

IMC–Audience Contact Points

TargetAudienceTarget

Audience

Broadcast Media

(TV/Radio)

Broadcast Media

(TV/Radio)

Print Media (NewspapersMagazines)

Print Media (NewspapersMagazines)

Public Relations/Publicity

Public Relations/Publicity

Internet/InteractiveInternet/

Interactive

DirectMarketing

DirectMarketing

Sales Promotion

Sales Promotion

Product Placements

(TV and Movies)

Product Placements

(TV and Movies)

Events andsponsorshipsEvents and

sponsorshipsWord-of-Mouth

(Buzz)Word-of-Mouth

(Buzz)

Point-of-Purchase(Displays/Packaging)

Point-of-Purchase(Displays/Packaging)

Personal Selling

Personal Selling

Out-of-homeMedia

Out-of-homeMedia

Assessing Touch/Contact Points

Companies/brands connect to customers through contacts Contact = each and every opportunity the

consumer has to see or hear about the company’s product/brand or have an experience/encounter with it.

Contacts are not neutral conveyors of messages as they add or subtract value “Net promoter” value vs. “Detractor”

Contacts are not all equal - some are more influential than others, e.g. an in-store demonstration will have more impact than a TV or print ad

Company-Created

Planned Messages •Advertising, web sites,

news releases, packages, brochures, store displays

Intrinsic Messages received

from interactions that occur during the process of purchase or use

•Instructions, manuals, web sites, packages, retail sales personnel

Unexpected Unanticipated messages

received that are beyond the control of the company

• Word-of-mouth/buzz• Messages from suppliers,government officials, channels,

retailers, analysts

Customer-InitiatedInteractions that occur whena customer or prospect contactsa company.• Help lines, web sited, e-mail responses, CRM efforts

Types of Touch Points

Company XProducts/Services

High

RelativeImpact

LowAbility to control/influence

High

Planned: Company-Created

Unexpected

Customer Initiated

Intrinsic

Touch Points: Control vs. Impact

Touchpoint Planning

Determining the optimal mix of MARCOM tools or channels to ensure that we deliver the right message, the right way to the right customer, at the right time

Taking a discipline agnostic perspective with no preconceived roles for one MARCOM discipline over another

Zero-based communication planning. Focusing on the objectives to be achieved, the tasks required to achieve them, what MARCOM elements should be used and to what extent

Levels of Integration

Vertical integration – within a specific campaign to a specific audience or market segments All IMC elements working synergistically

Horizontal integration – across campaigns to a specific audience or market segments Alignment across communications to a given

audience to maximize their cumulative impact

Cross-audience integration – across multiple campaigns and across audiences and market segments Delivering a consistent value proposition, message

and image across all markets segments and globally

The Role of Integrated Marketing Communications

IMC perspective can help address these issues and ensure that we:

determine the right wayto deliver the right messageto the right customer at the right time

General Mills Used an Integrated Campaign to Introduce New Wheaties Fuel