This document discusses evaluating integrated marketing communications (IMC). Evaluation is a key part of the IMC process and should not be left until the end of a campaign. There are no perfect evaluation measures, but they aid executive judgment. Evaluation ensures objectives are met, strategies are effective, and IMC has been cost efficient and the right approach. Evaluation covers media, messages, and sales effects using pre-testing and post-testing techniques. The challenges of evaluating IMC include isolating its impact from other factors and limitations of various evaluation methods.

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Evaluating IMC
Learning Objectives
• Discuss the role of evaluation as part of the IMC process.
• Recommend forms of pre and post-evaluation relevant to
differing IMC scenarios.

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Reminder: When will MC be effective?
Measurement, Evaluation and Control
• key part of the Marketing Communications process;
• should it be left until the end of a campaign?
• There is NO PERFECT MEASURE – evaluation measures
aid executive judgment!
• Evaluating a MC campaign = evaluating different elements
of the MC plan

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Role and Purpose of Evaluation
• ensure that communication objectives have been met;
• ensure that Communications strategy(ies) have been
effective;
• ensure cost efficiency;
• for guidance and development;
• also : prediction and evaluation;
• Inform whether IMC has been an effective approach.
Evaluation
• Efficiency – doing things right
• Effectiveness – doing the right things
• Economy – doing things within budget

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Planning Marketing Communications
(Fill)
4 dimensions of IMC (Lee & Park, 2007)
• Unified communications: communicate to create a clear, single
position in the target market & deliver a consistent message
through multiple channels.
• Differentiated communications to multiple groups: use hierarchy of
effects to create different campaigns targeting groups at different
stages of readiness.
• Database-centred communications: generate behavioural
responses through direct activities informed by information stored
in databases.
• Relationship fostering communications: retain customers 7 develop
LT relationships is a critical dimension of IMC.

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Implications
Lee and Park developed an 18 item scale to
measure these dimensions.
Problem – focus of their evaluation is on
consumers only – what about other stakeholders?
Might suggest a mix of qualitative and quantitative
indicators.
Access to Lee and Park, 2007
http://www.warc.com/Content/ContentViewer.aspx?ID=9a3114d
9-07db-49a5-84db-
dd5da6d1635a&q=Conceptualizing+and+measurement+of+mult
idimensionality+of+integrated+marketing+communications&Mas
terContentRef=9a3114d9-07db-49a5-84db-dd5da6d1635a

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Evaluation process
Typically covers 3 areas:
• Media
• Message
• Sales effect
Sales effects are difficult to capture:
• The collective effect of variables in the marketing environment
• The uniqueness of individuals
• Lagged variables
• Cumulative effects
Evaluation Process
• Involves both pre and post testing of marketing
communications.
• Pre-evaluation : test concepts with focus groups;
consumer juries; readability and theater tests.
• Post-evaluation : no. inquiries; recall; recognition; sales
figures; image analyses; familiarity and favorability
scales.

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ALSO CAN BE INFORMED BY EARLY-
STAGE ANALYSIS OF TARGET AND BUYER
READINESS OR AWARENESS, INTEREST,
DESIRE, ACTION.
The advertising research framework

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Advertising research
To improve decision-making in each stage of the advertising
planning process
Supports the linkages between MC – marketing – business
strategies
Development of an advertising campaign

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Strategic advertising research
Elements studied and prepared in this stage are:
Product – USP, advertising platform and convincing arguments
Market – size ,shares, etc.
Environment – PESTLE
Tools used:
Desk research
Qualitative interviews
Communications audit
Management judgement tests.
Objectives of pre-testing

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Pre-testing techniques

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Direct opinion measurement
Limitations of pre-testing

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Post-testing techniques

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Post-testing limitations
Campaign evaluation research
Focus on brand-related effectiveness measures
Hierarchy of effects logic for effects measurements:
Top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) – awareness telephone test
Scale techniques to measure attitude change
Net promoter score
Activation measures
Behaviour tests

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Evaluation of the integration of MCs
The integration of MC exists on multiple levels:
• Promotional mix integration
• Promotional mix with marketing mix integration
• Creative integration
• Intra-organisation integration
• Inter-organisational integration
• Integration of communications
• Integration of corporate and product/brand
communications
• Geographical integration

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Evaluation Techniques
These will be dependent upon :
a) The objectives of the campaign: consider hierarchy of
effects;
b) Intended audience;
c) Types of communication tools and media employed.
Planning for evaluation
• agree in advance when and how IMC are to be both
measured and evaluated;
• take action if it is required - contingencies; use of
scenario planning;
• take action at the correct time - do not leave
measurement and evaluation until the end;
• prepare for crisis management!

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Quality of integration assessment
profile
The Reality of Evaluation
• theory suggests that it should be straightforward -
remember stages involved in effective Marketing
Communications;
• …however criteria for measuring the effectiveness of
objectives can be difficult; N.B. AIDA.
• often objectives do not exist or there are few, if any
contingencies available when things don’t go as
planned;
• SMART objectives and benchmarking can really help.

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Contingency
When Results are less than expected
• remember actual and potential costs;
• contingency depends upon ‘damage limitation’ required;
• management of reputation;
• Choices : stop communication (drastic?); change
communication; change packaging or price?; support with
additional communication; deliver what you communicate.
Implications
• Measureable gaps between image and customer
perception of brands based upon their experiences.
• Where expectations are exceeded the promise gap is
positive and where not met it is positive.
• These gaps will be reflected in the financial
performance of brands.
• How to use communications to encourage brand
advocacy and endorsement – may require more direct,
below the line communications integrated with engaging
above the line communications.

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Online communications
Easy to measure and evaluation?
Perhaps not accurate.....
Within an IMC how readily can the impact of WOM,
blogging and on-line PR be isolated?
Strong ethical issues related to cookies which are
heavily used in developing complex customer
profiles.....