Integrated Marketing Communication

Yes Om is talking to the love of his life! On a hoarding! As a marketer, you must pay extreme attention to this scene. Especially that hoarding! Now think back to the various films you have seen and loved. Do you ever notice how they appear to be everywhere? Even before they are released and aired? You see them on TV, in magazines and newspapers, on social media, on posters and hoardings, even on radio ads! When a company markets their product or service using all the forms of marketing they have access to, we call it integrated marketing communication or IMC. In the previous chapters, we have zeroed in on a Product using the 4P framework, understood the target consumer on basis of the STP framework, got the price right, and understood the consumer as well as the market. We know exactly what message we wish to drive. So what sources of communication should we use? That is the next step. The answer lies in integrated marketing communication or IMC A men’s deodorant might advertise its price and longevity on TV but with online advertising it might focus on how wearing that brand makes you look cool. This is a classic case of IMC. The IMC or MCM - Marketing Communication Mix comprises of 8 major modes of communication. Let us understand each one of them. The 8 modes are - Advertising - the most common mode includes print media (newspapers, magazines), broadcast video (radio and TV), network media (telephone, cable, satellite) electronic media (audio or video tape, CDs, Web page) and display media (posters, signs and billboards) Sales promotion - remember those VIVO and Oppo phone ads shops and stores? These are short term incentives given to retailers or consumers to drive purchase of the product, trade promotions (where you pay a part of the cost incurred when you ask the retailer to advertise your product - for example, hypothetically HUL agrees to pay 30% of the cost of the standees that a retailer makes for his outlet for display of Lakme). Promotions also include sales force promotions where you give incentives to your sales force or retailers if their sales exceed target. Events and experiences - -In the Movie Om Shanti Om, when SRK wanted to produce a new film, he arranged a special “muhurat” event. Companies organize events to promote products. Launch events like the ones Microsoft or Google organize, sponsor events like the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon,an event for a good cause like P&g organizes to support its Shiksha initiative, are all examples. These events can be of any nature, size and be held at any location. Public relations and publicity - This mode of communication includes programs for consumer or for employees. For example, loyalty cards by Big Bazaar. This is a part of the Customer Relationship Management and requires integration with the company and retailer. Online and social media marketing - This is rising to be the most commonly used source to generate awareness. This is the first source where consumers turn to for information and hence can be the make or break for marketing of any product Mobile marketing - yes, those irritating in-app ads are planned and paid for. This type of advertising helps marketers to bombard those consumers with ads who search for related products online. Hence if you read about an electric shaver online you will soon begin to see the ads in your apps, reminding you to buy it. Direct and database marketing - This involves use of mail, telephone, fax or internet to communicate or initiate dialogue with specific consumers. This is not a mode of mass communication and hence has limited applicability. Personal selling - this is the most conventional method of selling. This includes face to face interaction with prospective customers. You can share information about the product, answer their questions, get orders and sometimes also hear their reviews. This can also be door to door selling. This was used specifically for selling water purifiers due to complexity in installation. Also, people had a large number of queries that could not be solved in store as there were too many customers at the same time and also because target consumer and key decision maker was the mother of the household who could be found at easily at home. The marketing mix or integrated marketing communication is successful only if it is CONSISTENT. The message that you want to drive about your offering should be consistent across all the marketing channels that you use. Yes, sometimes depending on difference in the segments within the target consumer we drive different messages but that means we are changing how much focus we put on which part. The overall message is consistent. Do what channel should you use? And how do you decide this? In interviews, you generally will be asked questions around which channel would you focus the most on and why. The investment division should be decided on following basis Costs involved - is it per square cm as in newspapers, per second of broadcast, printing and setup cost, brand ambassador cost etc Return on investment - which channel is more capable of driving final purchase, as this would change with product category and target consumer. Every company wants to maximise the ROI Target consumer - which mode of media does he consume the most. For a dish wash bar like Vim, making a YouTube web series would be barely effective, compared to sponsoring one for brands like Flipkart or Swiggy which has target consumers who are active on YouTube Depending on all the variables, choose the media wisely because no matter how good your product is, how affordable it is, if you cannot communicate this message strongly to the right consumer at the right moment in the right way, it will not translate into sales.