Integrated Marketing Communication (CMI)

1. Elements of IMC

1.1. 1. Publicity - A form of mass communication used for product promotion through news about a firm's products, actions, policies, awards, etc.

1.2. 2. Advertising - a paid form of non-personal presentaion and promotion of ideas, goods, and services by an identified sponsor. Message can be communicated through media.

1.3. 3. Sales Promotion - A set of marketing activities to boost sales of product or services. Techniques include- after sales service, consumer contests, discounts, exchange offers, free samples.

1.4. 4. Sponsorship - A firm may sponsor sports, cultural, and social events to create a distinct image for itself and its brands. Ex: JDT FC, an MSL team, is sponsored by reputed brands like Johor Corporation and Nike. Similarly, Pahang FC is sponsored by Genting Forest City and Fila.

1.5. 5. Personel Selling - it involves face-to-face communication between a firm's representative and a potential customer. It is the oldest form of promotion. Ex: Perfume brands use the personel selling IMC element in malls to boost sales.

1.6. 6. Public Relations - PR refers to creating and maintaining goodwill of an organization's stakeholders (customers, employeees, investors and supplies) through publicity and non-paid forms of communication.

1.7. 7. Packaging A well- designed package can communicate the product type and quality and influence potential customers. Ex: Fanta uses attractive product packaging.

1.8. 8. Direct Marketing - Involves selling products and services directly to cunsumers. Techniques include direct mail, telemarketing, brochures, and catalogues. Ex: Dominos and Maxis call customers to inform about thier latest offers and schemes.

2. The Communication Process

2.1. It stimulate the reciever's needs and suggests an appropriate method of satisfying

2.2. It gains the reciever's attention

2.3. It achieves understanding by both receiver and sender

3. Pulling and Pushing Promotional Strategies

3.1. Pulling Strategies - Promotional effort by the seller to stimulate final-user demand

3.2. Pushing Strategies - Promotional effort by the seller directed to the members of the marketing channel

4. Definition

4.1. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)

4.1.1. A marketing mix element used to inform, persuade and remind people about an organization and/or its products

5. Objectives of IMC

5.1. 1. Awareness- create customer awareness to survive market competition through techniques such as advertising, publicity and personel selling.

5.2. 2. Brand Loyalty - Involves customers making repeat purchases & recommending a brand to others. Company can develop brand loyalty trough sales promotions, effective personel selling & timely, efficient direct marketing

5.3. 3. Brand Image - refers to customer's perception of a brand. Marketers use various techniques for developing the brand image.

5.4. 4. Market Expansion - Marketers can use various IMC techniques to expand their markets local to regional to national levels.

5.5. 5. Persuasion - If competitors have similar products, a marketers can use IMC techniques to show the superiority of their products and encourage buying

5.6. 6. Educating Customers - IMC techniques are used to educate customers about, for instance, the use of a product, handling operations, etc.

6. The Value Of Marketing Communication

6.1. Social Importance

6.2. Economic importance

6.3. Business Importance

7. Budgeting for Promotional Strategy

7.1. Percentage-of-sale method - Set as a specified percentage of either past forecasted sales.

7.2. Fixed-sum-per-unit method- Set as a predetermined dollar amount for each unit sold or produced.

7.3. Meeting Competiton Method - Set to match competitor's promotional outlays on either an absolute or relative basis.

7.4. Task-objective method - Once marketers determine thier specific promotional objectives, the amounts of promotional spending needed to achieve them is determined.

8. Benefits of IMC

8.1. Wraps communications around customers and helps them move through the various stages of the buying process.

8.2. Makes messages more consistent and therefore more credible. This reduces risk in the mind of the buyer which, in turn, shortens the search process and helps to dictate the outcome of brand comparisons.

8.3. saves money as it eliminates duplication in areas such as graphics and photography since they can be shared and used in say, advertising, exhibitions and sales literature.