1. IMC – Integrated Marketing communications
[Chapter one page 6 – in book, read and study it + definition]
1. What is IMC?
= Strategic coordination of all marketing communication channels to deliver one
consistent, clear and compelling brand message to your consumers.
- Every touch point (Instagram, YouTube, etc.) presents one unified brand story.
- People need 27 touch points / messages to buy something
- A clear, strong, and consistent message is used across all marketing
communication channels.
- Synergetic effect between tools and instruments.
- Seamless, homogeneous communication. => consistency
Benefit: Clarity, maximum communication impact -> consumers notice brand!
Synergy – examples
= When different marketing activities work together to create a greater impact than they
would alone.
- Direct mail is more effective when part of a wider awareness campaign.
o Sending mail when people have already seen the ads -> more effective
- PR and sponsorship can have a synergetic and positive influence on your
corporate image.
- Website/social media traffic enhances when mass media ads (like radio, TV)
refer to the website/social media.
, - It is far easier for sales reps when the product or company they represent is well
known through sponsorship or advertising.
o Salespeople have an easier job selling products if the brand is already
familiar through advertising or sponsorship.
2. Main reasons for IMC
- Fragmentation of media: clutter
o IMC ensures all messages are consistent and cut through the noise.
- Need to have more ROI (return of investment) (1+1 = 3)
o Together gives bigger return
- Low level of brand differentiation
- Target group overlap
o But still need to reinforce each other
- Technological developments: social media, mobile marketing, …:
o Reach consumers in many ways
o Need careful coordination
3. Obstacles
- Functional specialisation in communication agencies
o Departments work separately -> inconsistent messages
- Functional specialisation in companies
- Existing (company) structures
o Makes coordination and flexibility difficult
- Ego problems
- Lack of internal communications
- Perceived complexity of planning and co-ordination
o IMC planning and coordination seem complicated and time-consuming.
You need to work together, if no one communicates you’ll get no where
4. Case – Doritos silent
Didn’t change anything about their
product -> but changed the experience
around it
, 2. Segmenting, targeting, positioning (STP)
Target groups
The market consist of:
- Different groups of (potential) customers
- With different wants & needs
- Influenced by various trends
- Right target audience: cost less money
Goal:
- Being relevant to your customer
o Touch a sensitive nerve
o Building relationship with the right customer
- The right message
- Disseminate through appropriate media
- To achieve predefined objectives
1. Segmentation
What is segmentation
= The process of dividing consumers into (homogeneous) groups or
segments which share needs, characteristics or behaviours or react in
a comparable way to marketing and communications efforts.
- Homogenous within the market segment will respond similarly to market stimuli
o They share similar interests, needs, locations
( = internal homogeneous)
- Heterogenous between the market segments will respond differently than the
ones out of the other market segments
( = external heterogeneous)
, Segmentation criteria
- objective criteria:
o can be easily & objectively measured (e.g. age, income, gender, place of
residence, education, job title...)
- psychographic (inferred) criteria:
o must be defined first before classify people into groups ex. lifestyle,
personality, social class …
- general criteria:
o variables that hold in all behavioural circumstances ex. a person is always
his or her age no matter the buying situation
- specific or behavioural criteria:
o that divides customers into groups based on their behaviour, including
how they use a product or service, how often they use it, and their
attitudes towards it
OBJECTIVE AND GENERAL
1) Geographic: continents, climate, nations, regions or neighbourhoods, cities,
postal codes, …
- Consumer behaviour/buying patterns often denote cultural differences or needs
(=> adjusted MKmix)
2) Demographic: easy measurable criteria
o Gender
o Family size
o Religion
o Race
o Education
o Income
o Age
o Generations
3) Household life-cycle criteria
- Birth, marriage, divorce, bachelors, young couples, ...