The document discusses integrated marketing communication (IMC). IMC is defined as a planning process that ensures all brand contacts with customers are relevant, consistent, and deliver a clear message. IMC involves unifying a brand's messaging across all media to reach its target audience. There are four main reasons IMC is important: 1) ensuring consistency throughout the customer journey, 2) helping with brand building, 3) boosting campaign effectiveness through the right marketing channel mix, and 4) reinforcing marketing channels. The document then discusses various IMC concepts like the promotion process model, common promotion methods, and the five-step IMC communication process model.

1. Dr.Ravikumar.N
Associate
Professor
CMR University

3. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines IMC as “a planning process designed to
assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or
organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.”
US marketing guru Philip Kotler describes an Integrated Marketing Communications
approach as
"the concept under which a company carefully integrates and co-ordinates its many
communications channels to deliver a clear, consistent message about the organisation and its
products".
Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is the process of unifying a brand's messaging to
make it consistent across all media that the brand uses to reach its target audience.
CENTRAL THEME OF THE DEFINITION IS PERSUASION

4. There are four main reasons why IMC is
important in Marketing Process:
1.Need for consistency throughout the
whole customer journey
2.IMC helps with brand-building
3.Properly using right mix of marketing
channels helps boost campaign
effectiveness
4.IMC contributes to marketing channels
reinforcing each other

5. 1.Need for consistency throughout the whole customer journey:-

6. 2.IMC helps with brand-building:- Communicating in a consistent and recognizable
way is a big part of brand-building. You want people to join the dots between all your
campaigns to build and strengthen the set of associations they have with your brand.
3. Properly using right mix of marketing channels helps boost campaign
effectiveness:- IMC makes you rethink what marketing channels you’re on and how you
use them. you should strive to have a great presence on all the relevant channels and media.
Research suggests the more media channels in the mix, the more effective the campaign is
likely to be.
4. IMC contributes to marketing channels reinforcing each other:-
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7. .

8. .

9. IMC Promotion Process Model
Having a great product available to your customers at a great price does absolutely nothing
for you if your customers don’t know about it. That’s where promotion enters the picture: it
does the job of connecting with your target audiences and communicating what you can
offer them.
In today’s marketing environment, promotion involves integrated marketing communication
(IMC). In a nutshell, IMC involves bringing together a variety of different communication
tools to deliver a common message and make a desired impact on customers’ perceptions
and behavior.

10. .

11. SEVEN COMMON METHODS OF PROMOTION MIX IN IMC ARE
Advertising: Any paid form of presenting ideas,
goods, or services by an identified sponsor.

12. • Personal selling: Personal selling puts
an emphasis on face-to-face
interaction, understanding the
customer’s needs, and demonstrating
how the product or service provides
value.

13. • Public relations (PR): The purpose of
public relations is to create goodwill
between an organization (or the things it
promotes) and the “public” or target
segments it is trying to reach. Although
organizations earn rather than pay for the
PR attention they receive, they may spend
significant resources on the activities,
events, and people who generate this
attention.

14. Sales promotion:
Sales promotions are marketing activities that
aim to temporarily boost sales of a product or
service by adding to the basic value offered,
such as “buy one get one free” offers to consumers
or “buy twelve cases and get a 10 percent discount”
to wholesalers, retailers, or distributors.

15. Direct marketing: This method aims to
sell products or services directly to
consumers rather than going through retailer.

16. Digital marketing: Digital marketing tools and
techniques evolve rapidly with technological
advances, but this umbrella term covers all of
the ways in which digital technologies are used
to market and sell organizations, products, services,
ideas, and experiences.

17. Guerrilla marketing: This newer category of marketing
communication involves unconventional, innovative, and
usually low-cost marketing tactics to engage consumers in
the marketing activity, generate attention and achieve
maximum exposure for an organization, its products,
and/or services.
a lamppost transformed into a McDonald’s coffeepot.

18. 5 STEPS IN IMC COMMUNICATION PROCESS MODEL

19. 1.Identify your customers from behavioral data:- Behavioral data is going to yield better
results over demographic data, every single time. Aggregate your customers according to
their behaviors first. After that, enhance it with other types of segmentation.
2.Determine the financial value of your customers and prospects:- To know what we can
spend to attract new customers, we must know the financial value of our current customers
and prospects. This value becomes the basis for marketing investment because customers
drive revenue. Use this value to set goals and determine what marketing actions to take.
3. Create and deliver messages and incentives:- IMC first asks for an understanding of
where your customers are. With that knowledge, you can meet them there with content
and messaging that is grounded in customer insights.

20. 4. Estimate the return on customer investment (ROCI):- Step four focuses on
determining ROCI as a result of your marketing and communications. This is the goal
of IMC.
5. Budget, allocate, evaluate, and recycle:- A true IMC approach requires that you budget
at the end, Think like an investor and know important financial numbers: customer
acquisition cost, retention rate, and the difference between your short-term and long-term
returns.

21. Steps involved in developing IMC Programme:
Step 1: Know your target audience:- As a general rule, there is no “general audience”. You
always want to communicate with a specific audience to make the most effective use of
your resources.
Segmenting specific audiences into groups based on characteristics will help you identify
who are most likely to purchase or utilize your products and services.
Step 2: Develop a situation analysis:- Commonly referred to as a SWOT Analysis, this is
basically a structured method of evaluating the internal strengths and weaknesses, and
external opportunities and threats that can impact your brand.
A situation analysis can provide much insight into both internal and external conditions that
can lead to a more effective marketing communications strategy.

22. Step 3: Determining marketing communication objectives:- In this step, you basically want
to document what you want to accomplish with your IMC strategy. Objectives should be
measurable if you truly want to map your campaign’s effectiveness at the end of your plan’s
term.
Step 4: Determining your budget:- Having a realistic idea on what you have to work with is
important as it will shape the tactics you develop in the next step. Once you determine your
overall budget, you will want to come back to this after completing step five to further
refine your budget allocations.

23. Step 5: Strategies and tactics:- Looking back at the objectives you created in step three,
you will want to develop strategies which are ideas on how you will accomplish those
objectives. Tactics are specific actions on how you plan to execute a strategy.
Step 6: Evaluation and measurement:- Almost as important as the plan as a whole, you
want to outline a method of how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your IMC strategy.
Sometimes elements of your plan will not work. It’s important to know what did or didn’t,
try to understand why, and make note for future planning.

24. EFFECTIVENESS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
What is Marketing Communications?
It is a fundamental part of every business’s marketing plan. Branding, packaging, online
presence, printed materials and direct marketing are all examples of marketing
communications. Basically, it’s any strategy that your business uses to send a message to its
consumers and to attract potential customers.
The principles of effective marketing communications remain essentially unchanged.
Whether you create an email campaign, plan direct mail marketing with letters or postcards
or simply intend to distribute fliers and business cards to prospective customers at a trade
fair, you want to convey a message that gets results.

25. 1)Know Your Customers:- Before you begin to create a message, think about your target
market. Actually, try to stop thinking about your customers as your target market for a
moment, and picture the individuals who might have an interest in your offer. Then write as
if you were speaking to them. This will set the tone for your ad, web page, sales letter or
email. If you sell services to businesses, you will be addressing corporate decision makers, so
your writing will have a different tone than it would if you were selling jeans to teenage
girls.

26. 2) Focus on Benefits:- Don’t just cover the features of your product or service; tell your
prospects how these features will benefit them. If you offer video production services, for
example, explain to them how adding a professionally produced video to their website will
increase conversion rates.

27. 3) Be Outstanding:- Let your customers know what they can expect from you that they
won’t get from your competitor. Instead of using vague generalities such as “great customer
service,” tell them exactly how you will respond to their specific needs.

28. 4). Keep it Simple :- Don't complicate your message. Keep it concise and direct. Avoid
phrases such as "innovative business solutions," "superior customer service," "money-
making system" or any other clichés you might be tempted to use. You’ll recognize them
because you’ve heard them so many times they’ve begun to lose their meaning.

29. Track your Results:- Always find out from your customers where they heard about your
company, and keep detailed records of all of your marketing campaigns. If you find your
marketing communications are losing some of their effectiveness, look for ways to clarify
your message and convey exactly how your company or service will benefit your customers.
Get feedback from your customers to determine how you can better serve their needs, and
plan your next campaign with these insights in mind.

30. ADVERTISING
Advertising is any paid form of communication from an identified sponsor or source that
draws attention to ideas, goods, services or the sponsor itself. Most advertising is directed
toward groups rather than individuals.

31. Advertising is a marketing tactic involving
paying for space to promote a product,
service, or cause. The actual promotional
messages are called advertisements, or ads
for short.
Advertising is the practice and techniques
employed to bring attention to a product or
service. Advertising aims to put a product or
service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it
attention from consumers.

32. The Purpose of Advertising
Advertising has three primary objectives: to inform, to persuade, and to remind.
Informative Advertising creates awareness of brands, products, services, and ideas. It
announces new products and programs and can educate people about the attributes and
benefits of new or established products.

33. Persuasive Advertising tries to convince customers that a company’s services or products
are the best, and it works to alter perceptions and enhance the image of a company or
product. Its goal is to influence consumers to take action and switch brands, try a new
product, or remain loyal to a current brand.

34. Reminder Advertising reminds people about the need for a product or service, or the
features and benefits it will provide when they purchase promptly.

35. Public service announcements (PSAs) are a category of institutional advertising focused on
social-welfare issues such as drunk driving, drug use, and practicing a healthy
lifestyle. Usually PSAs are sponsored by nonprofit organizations and government agencies
with a vested interest in the causes they promote.

36. Role of Advertising in Marketing
• Inform.
• Persuade.
• Remind
• Increase in Sales.
• Increase Consumer Demand.
• Brand Attachment.
• Brand Recognition.
The different types of advertising
• Outdoor Advertising – Posters, Painted / Travelling Displays, Sky writing, Hoardings
• Indoor Advertising – Press Media, Radio & Television Advertising

37. Functions of Advertising
When a company has a specific product that it wants to sell, they have to find ways of letting
potential customers know about their product. They can rely on people accidentally finding
the product when they go to the store to buy milk and bread, but that is not the most effective
way to reach a lot of people and make them want to buy. Most companies use advertising to
tell potential customers that their product exists and is available. The functions of
advertising are:
Promotion of Sales
Introduction of New Product.
Creation of Good Public Image
Mass Production
Research
Education of People
Support to Press

39. ADVERTISING APPEALS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PLC

41. Measurement in Advertising
• 1. Use survey data to identify the real reach of your marketing campaign
• 2. Find the frequency sweet spot
• 3. Evaluate the true impact of your campaign against your goals
• 4. Measure ROI with confidence
• 5. Identify which campaign metrics need improvement
• 6. Identify which media types are most valuable

42. Various methods used for evaluation in Advertising:-
Advertising is of no use if the defined objectives of communication is not achieved. So, it is
necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of advertisement at different level, starting from
creation of ad-copy to running of ad on media, and also after execution of ad to know to what
extent the objectives are achieved.
Types of Test
• Pre-Testing
• Concurrent Testing
• Post Testing

43. 1. Pre-Testing:- Pre-Testing method refer to testing the potentiality of a communication
message or ad-copy before printing, broadcasting, or telecasting. Following are the types of
pre-testing methods:
A. Qualitative Methods of Pre-Testing
Focus Group: Focus group involve exposing the ad to a group of 8 to 12 respondents. Focus
groups are used with surprising frequency for making final go or no go decision.
In-depth Interview: In-depth interview involve one on one discussion with respondents.
Interviews are very effective when a researcher has a good idea of critical issues but does not
have a sense of the kind of responses one will get.

44. Projective Techniques: In this technique the respondent is instructed to project himself into
the situation and verbalize the thoughts. projective technique can be very effective for
evaluating ad concepts and for generating new ad concepts. But, it cannot be used for
making final decisions.
B. Quantitative Methods of Pre-Testing
Checklist Method: Checklist method is used to test the effectiveness of ad-copy. The
purpose of this method is to ensure that all elements of the ad-copy are included with due
importance in the advertisement. As it is a pre-test method any omitted element of ad can
be included in the copy before release of the advertisement.
Consumer Jury Method: This method involves the exposure of alternative advertisements
to a sample of jury or prospects. This test is designed to learn from a typical group of
prospective customers. Advertisements which are unpublished are presented before the
consumer jury either in personal interviews or group interviews and their reactions are
observed and responses are recorded.

45. Sales Area Test: Under this method advertising campaign is run in the markets selected for
testing purposes. The impact of the campaign is evaluated by actual sales in the selected
markets. The market with high sales is considered the best market for effective sales
campaign. In other markets suitable changes are made in the advertising campaign.
Questionnaire Method: It is a list of questions related to an experiment. The draft of an
advertisement along with some relevant questions is to be sent to a group of target
consumers or advertising experts. Their opinions are collected and analyzed to find out
whether the proposed advertisement is satisfactory or not.
Recall Test: Under this method, advertising copies are shown to a group of prospects. After
few minutes they are asked to recall and reproduce them. This method is used to find out
how far the advertisements are impressive.
Reaction Test: The potential effect of an advertisement is judged with the help of certain
instruments, which measure heartbeats, blood pressure, pupil dilution etc. Their reactions
reveal the psychological or nervous effects of advertising.

46. Readability Test: All the listeners of advertisements cannot read it equally. So respondents
are drawn from different socio economic and geographical backgrounds. This method is
used to find out the level of effectiveness when and advertisement is read.
Eye Movement Test: The movements of eyes of the respondents are recorded by using eye
observation camera when advertisements are shown to them in a screen. This helps to find
out the attention value of advertisement.
2. Concurrent Testing
Concurrent testing is evaluated throughout the whole advertisement execution process.
Tests are conducted while audience is exposed to different type of media. Following are the
types of concurrent testing methods:
Consumer Diaries: Diaries are provided to a selected customers. They are also informed to
record the details of advertisements they watch, listen or read. The diaries are collected
periodically. The result obtained from such a survey reveals the effectiveness of
advertisement.

47. Co-incidental Surveys: This method is also called as co-incidental telephone method. Under
this method, samples of customers are selected and calls are made at the time of broadcast
of the advertisement programme. The data obtained and analyzed will give a picture about
the effectiveness of an advertisement.
Electronic Devices: Now day’s electronic devices are widely used to measure the
effectiveness of an advertisement. They are mainly used in broadcast media. These are auto
meters, track electronic units etc.
3. Post Testing
Post testing is done to know- to what extent the advertising objectives are achieved.
Following are the types of post testing methods:
Recognition Test: Recognition test involves the ability of viewers to correctly identify ad,
brand, or message they previously exposed to.
Recall or Impact Test: The recall test is designed to measure the impression of readers or
viewers of the advertisement. If a reader has a favorable impression of the advertisement, he
will certainly retain something of the advertisement.