INMA_A01.QXD

The simple reason we would want media-neutral communications is so that we can con-

nect the right message with our target audience, at the right time and place to persuade

them to do what we want. This will lead to powerful, effective, value for money communi-

cations that solve clients’ business challenges.

A customer-centric media-planning approach is key to this process, Anthony Clifton,

Planning Director at WWAV Rapp Collins Media Group is quoted by the Account

Planning Group as saying (quoted in Crawshaw, 2004):

real consumer insight has to be positioned at the core of the integrated planning process

and the planner must glean a complete understanding of the client’s stake holders, who

they are, their mindset, media consumption patterns and relationship with the business –

are they ‘life-time’ consumers or have they purchased once, are they high value or low

value customers etc. This requires lifting the bonnet of the database, segmentation and

market evaluation.

Online marketers also need to remind themselves that many customers prefer to com-

municate via traditional media, so we should support them in this. The need for

marketers to still support a range of communications channels is suggested in Mini Case

Study 8.2 ‘Disasters Emergency Committee uses a range of media to gain donations’.

INTEGRATED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

There are few people who did not see the images of the human and physical devastation caused by the

earthquake on the ocean floor near Sumatra, Indonesia and subsequent tsunami on 26 December 2004.

These images and reports were the catalyst for unprecedented levels of individual and corporate philan-

thropy. From a communications perspective, it is a useful indication of channel preferences. Over £350

million was donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Tsunami Earthquake Appeal through a

range of channels shown in Figure 8.5. While the Internet was a source of many donations, it is perhaps

Mini Case Study 8.2

Disasters Emergency Committee uses a range of

media to raise funds



Figure 8.5 Source of donations to the 2004–5 Asian Tsunami appeal

Source: Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) (www.dec.org.uk)

Gift Aid tax reclaim

From DEC member agencies

Post Office

Web site

Corporates, trusts and other

Postal donations

Banks

Telephone

0 10 20 30 40

£millions

How donations were received

50 60 70 80