Chapter 13- Designing an integrated marketing campaign in the digital age

Integrated marketing communications (IMC)

An approach that coordinates all communication

channels to deliver a consistent, unified brand

message for a company to achieve its strategic goals

Vertical integration

Aligning the communication objectives with the company’s higher-level marketing strategy

Horizontal integration

Coordinating all relevant marketing actions with a communication campaign to achieve maximum customer impact

Internal integration

Sharing the relevant information from different departments

External integration

A company’s communication activities with those of the external collaborators

Coverage, contribution, commonalty, complementarity, conformability, and cost.

Criteria to help ensure communications are integrated

Coverage

The proportion of the audience reaches by each communication option employed and the amount of overlap

Contribution

Ability to elect the desired response from consumers in the absence of exposure to any other communication option

Commonality

To which common associations are reinforced across communication options. Consistency and cohesiveness of the communication effort

Complementarity

Emphasizing different associations and linkages across communication options

Conformability

Marketing communication option works for both groups of consumers(new to some and familiar to others).

Cost

Evaluate marketing communications against their cost for efficiency and effectiveness

Advertising

Any presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, services, and brands by an identified sponsor using paid media

Television, print, radio, online, and place advertising

Most popular forms of advertising include…

Television advertising

Most powerful advertising medium and reaches a broad spectrum of consumers

Print advertising

Readers consume them at their own pace, magazines and newspapers can provide detailed product information and effectively communicate user and usage imagery

Radio advertising

Multiplatform with a strong digital presence to allow listeners to tune in anywhere anytime. Flexibility: Targeted stations, inexpensive, and allow for quick response.

Contextual placement

Marketers can buy ads on sites relates to their own offerings

Native advertising

Materials resembling publication’s editorial content but is intended to promote the advertiser’s product

Billboards, public spaces, and product placement

Place advertising include…

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Activities designed to improve the likelihood that a link for a brand ranks high as possible in the order of all nonpaid links when consumers search for relevant terms

Search engine marketing (SEM)

Pays search engine companies to be featured in the results of particular keyword searches that serve as a proxy for the consumer’s product or consumption interests

Social media

Means for consumers to share text, images, audio, and video information with each other and with companies

Online communication and forums

Build member bonds through activities; provide valuable consumer insights; created by consumers with no company affiliations

Blogs

Companies monitor them, used for info or feedback on products/services, personal or corporate online journals influencing word of mouth

Social networks

Marketers must navigate user-generated content and engagement challenges

Influencer marketing

The use of a popular online figure to promote a product, service, or brand within their social circle

Mobile communication

Uniquely tied to a single user; almost always “on”; immediate consumption; highly interactive

Boosting loyalty programs that reward customers for their purchases

Smart mobile devices are also conducive to…

Managing events

Involves exhibits, displays, and presentations to showcase a company’s offerings

Reasons to sponsor events

• Identify with a particular target market or lifestyle

• Increase the prominence of the name

• Create or reinforce perceptions of key brand image associations

• Enhance corporate image

• Create experiences and evoke feelings

• Express commitment to the community or on social issues

• Entertain key clients or reward key employees 

Creating experiences

Let customers experience how the company’s offering fits in their life

Viral marketing

Relies on WOM that encourages consumers to pass along audio, video, or written information about company-developed products and services to others online

Publicity

Involves securing editorial space- as opposed to paid space- in the media to promote a product

Public relations

A variety of programs to promote or protect a company’s image among the relevant stakeholders

Publications, events, news, speeches, public service activities, and identity media

Most popular PR media formats…