Integrated Marketing Communications

slideshare

Tutorial #2

Closing: 15.9.15

Problem : How to keep brand message consistent through different channels

Learning Objectives:

1. coordinating IMC 
1. Define IMC 
2. Who participates in IMC & What are their roles
3. Coordinating activities inside IMC
2. Tools/channels
1. What are the available tools & How to choose the right one
2. How to implement them successfully
3. Message
1. How the message is effected by the channels used & the coordinated efforts?

Coordinating IMC 

Define IMC

"An approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign, through a well coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to reinforce each other."
source: Business dictionary Accessed: 10.9.2015

Basically, it is coordinated efforts amongst the marketing/advertising/communications in a company to promote brand and/or certain products through appropriate mediums to reach the target group. 

Here is short video that may help explain what Integrated Marketing is and how it works. 

What is Integrated Marketing? 

Who participates in IMC & What are their roles

The client/company: They provide vision and funds

Advertising Agency: They are an outside entity that provides the production and creation of an ad.

Media: The platform from which they can reach their consumer

specialist communication marketing agencies: Provide the consumer help platforms, PR

IMC.IMC. Accessed 14. 9.2015

Coordinating activities inside IMC

The key to IMC is becoming and maintaining an integrated system. Otherwise, its value significantly decreases.
MMC Learning Multimedia Marketing. Accessed: 14.9.2015

According to Pickton and Broderick there are 4 C's that can help IMC be successful. They include:

Smartingsights accessed: 14.9.2015

An example of a brand that executed its campaign successfully using these 4 c's is Snickers. Their campaign slogan was "you're not you when you're hungry" They were coherent in their message relating to something that everyone experiences which was when hungry you don't function as your best self would. Snickers was consistent in their message along many platforms including tv ads, posters with misspelled words, twitter posts by celebrities that all portrayed this message. This campaign has been running for four years, each time with new actors and new scenarios and it continues to do well. According to their figures sales went up but youtube searches were also skyrocketing.

Smartinsights accessed: 14.9.2015

Tools & Channels

What are the available tools & how to choose the right one

Here are some of the tools available to a company when wanting to market their brand/products.

You can see in this graph that some have their advantages and disadvantages. Ie. price, if your company is strapped for cash then some of the more expensive options shouldn't be first go to options.

Maybe some basic business analysis is in order before making decisions, such as SWOT. It can give a clear view of where your brand stands. Also look to your target audience, what platforms do they use. Meet with all departments to make a clear plan on which plan works collectively for all purposes.

Source: search engine people. The integrated marketing process any marketer can use. Accessed:10.9.2015

How to implement them successfully

There are ways to control how effective your implementation of a marketing plan will work. Through the use of sample testing you can get immediate feedback before spending the money. Media feedback can be easily tracked through number of followers, viewers, comments, shares, etc. 

Other than this the only way they can be implemented successfully is if all platforms being used are used regularly and provide the same message to the target audience. 

There are some ways to ensure, prior to release, that the message is consistent.

1. By utilizing a brand handbook that clearly states the message, colors, etc.
2. Associate brand core values with every message 
3. Start from scratch - developing a new communications plan ensures everything starts consistent
4. be prepared to make changes - learn from mistakes 

Communication is also one of the key concepts here when creating a consistent message.
Here is a checklist of ways to communicate successfully:

multimediamarketing : accessed: 14.9.2015

Message

How the message is effected by the channels used & the coordinated efforts?

It's important the company's message is consistent across the board. If the message isn't clear in association to their brand or inconsistent it confuses the consumers. The message is effected by the channel used because if you're not focused on what channels your target audience is using, you simply won't reach them. 

By utilizing an integrated system you are able to make your target audience actively engage with your company. Compared to old traditional ways of marketing ie. 30 second ad campaigns, now you can make an ad that lures your audience to engage on one of their social media platforms either through a giveaway or a competition, etc. This also makes them engaged for a longer period of time. 

making digital and traditionl work together. eonsultency.com