Download free eBooks at bookboon.comMarketing Communications
Fundamentals Of Communication In Marketing
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION MEETS CUSTOMER’S NEEDS: Integrated
marketing communication (IMC) meets the information needs of the buyer, results in the desired
position, and secures the appropriate action at the right time. If IMC does not provide value to the buyer,
then the buyer will not participate in the dialogue. IMC seeks the answer to the question concerning
what the buyer wants or needs to know in order to make the next decision. That decision may be to
visit the trade show booth, or to place an order, or to elevate the marketer to preferred account status. If
IMC does not meet the information needs of the buyer, there would be reason for that buyer to interact
with the marketing communication.
THE INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIC PLANNING
PROCESS
The integrated marketing communication strategic planning process includes the following steps:
- SETTING COMMUNICATION GOALS: This involves setting of communication
goals, based on identification of the firm’s target audience, establishing the information
requirements of the audience and the firm’s determination of what the target audience
should do with the marketing communication. - DETERMINING ROLES OF EACH MEDIUM: The marketer should determine the role
each medium will play as input into the integrated marketing communication. This means
the input of composite elements such as advertising, direct response, public relations, trade
shows, telemarketing, personal selling and marketing research would be determined as part
of the overall strategy. - CREATING MESSAGES: The marketer should create specific messages that will satisfy
the buyers’ need. The idea of an integrated marketing communication plan is that each
message, delivered through each medium, will achieve tactical positioning and action goals
that support strategic positioning and action goals. Using the advantages and disadvantages
of each medium as a basis, an integrated strategic communication can be developed by the
marketer to orchestrate the contribution of each medium. - PLACING MESSAGES IN APPROPRIATE MEDIA: The messages of each integrated
element should be placed and exposed to the target audience through appropriate media
in order to achieve effective reach and impact on the audience. - MESSAGE RESULTS: Results feeding back to the marketer from each medium should be
measured to determine its effectiveness and the extent to which it has achieved the planned
goal. These results will be used to modify the current plan or future plan.