Integrated Marketing Communications

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Integrated Marketing Communications An In-Depth Study PROJECT BY: Sagar Gala TYBMS (SEM V), 2008-2009 Project Co-ordinator

Transcript of Integrated Marketing Communications

Page 1: Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated Marketing Communications

An In-Depth Study

PROJECT BY:Sagar Gala

TYBMS (SEM V), 2008-2009

Project Co-ordinator

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A ROADMAP TO THE REPORT

TOPIC Page no.

PART I

Introduction……………………………………………………………………

What Is Integrated Marketing Communication ……………………….

Components of IMC……………………….…………………………………

Factors contributing to IMC's rising prominence …………………….

Heart Of IMC – 5 Power Concepts ……………………….……………….

Levels of Integration …………………….…………………….…………….

Consumer Psyche and Information Processing ……………………….

CASE I

How the Entertainment Industry Capitalizes on IMC (IPL) ………

PART II - PROCESS OF IMC

Characteristics of an IMC approach

Communications Mix Hierarchy

Model for Planning Integrated Marketing Communication

CASE II

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

Issues In Co-Ordination Of An IMC Campaign

PART III - REINVENTING THE AGENCY

Reinventing the Agency

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PART IV - EVALUATION AND BARRIERS

Evaluation – IMC Audit

Barriers To Implementation

Recommendations

Conclusion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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PART I

I M C

AN INTRODUCTION

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Introduction

I found two contrasting bits of information - The first

one spoke about how HUL has roped in Yuvraj to endorse Lifebouy,

which marks a change in HUL policy of using Bollywood stars as Brand

Ambassadors for its brands. The second news item spoke about how

the cola companies are shifting their focus from cricket to youth. The

Youngistaan campaign of Pepsi with Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor

and Deepika Padukone shows how the focus is shifing and with Coke

using Hritikh Roshan in "Jasan Mana Le" Campaign, the turnaround

seems to be more or less complete.

Here what we see is how different companies are approaching the

same issue in different ways and much differently from how they had

done earlier. All these companies have been major advertisers and

have a war chest to spend on ads. Maybe the Cola Companies have

realized the risks of using cricket as a major means of promoting their

products like risking the fortune of your campaign on the fortunes of

the cricket team, and with the controversies bogging players one can

never be sure ... But then why is HUL looking at cricket is it that it has

realized that after all these years rather than risking your fortune on

Bollywood stars it might be safer to bet on cricket.

Everything Sends a Message: What happened to the Cola companies

and HUL dramatizes the point that message consistency is a systemic

problem, as well as strategic. It has to be approached from the

viewpoint of the whole company and its total business operations, not

just from how the company executes its marketing communication or

corporate image programs.

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As The Wall Street Journal observed in recently

reported, "Pepsi’s image is all over the map." The story explains that a

grocery store in Hamburg uses red stripes, a bodega in Guatemala

uses '70s-era lettering, a Shanghai restaurant displays a mainly white

Pepsi sign, and a hodgepodge of commercials feature a variety of

spokespeople, ranging from cartoons and babies to doddering butlers.

It's not just Pepsi's marketing communication that sends different

messages to different people. Consumers say the cola tastes different

in different countries, so PepsiCo's plans also call for revamping

manufacturing and distribution to get a consistent-tasting drink

marketed throughout the globe. And some of its European marketing

communication partners were mixed in their support of the plan

because they felt they weren't consulted about how it was to be

implemented, so there's work to be done there, too.

As Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch, says, "Everything we do, and the

way we do everything, sends a message." And that’s where Integrated

Marketing Communications comes in.

Integrated marketing communications is a process that manages all of

a company or brand's interactions with customers and other key

stakeholders. Its premise is that everything a company does, and

sometimes what it doesn't do, sends a message.

In the marketplace of the 21st century ... the driving force is not a

company with products to sell but customers controlling what, where,

and how they want to buy. Thanks to the Internet, 24-hour toll-free

phone numbers, credit cards, and express delivery services,

consumers are accessing information on demand and seeking out the

products and services that interest them.

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Gone are the days when a company determined where, when, and how

it sells its product. This new approach not only changes the way we

make our purchasing decisions, it also revolutionizes how companies

market to their customers. For most companies to win, they must

replace outdated mass-marketing tactics with a targeted, customer-

focused approach.

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is one such customer-

centric, data-driven method of communicating with consumers. Nestle,

IBM, Sprint, Microsoft, Apple computers, Nike and many other

companies have adopted the IMC approach.

What is Integrated Marketing?

Integrated marketing is a comprehensive approach to internal and

external organizational communication.

Definition of IMC:

As per American Association of Advertising Agencies

'The concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes

the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic

role of a variety of communication disciplines - for example, general

advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations -

and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and

maximum communications impact'.

According to Don Schultz, Integrated marketing Communications is a

new way of looking at the whole, where once we only saw parts such

as advertising, public relations, sales promotion, purchasing, employee

communications, and so forth. It is realigning communications to look

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at it the way the customer sees it - as a flow of information from

indistinguishable sources.

A successful IMC campaign requires that the firm find a right

combination of promotion tools and techniques, defines their roles and

the extent to which they can or should be used, and coordinate their

use.

In the words of Duncan and Everett, Integrated Marketing

Communications may be defined as “The strategic coordination of all

the messages and media used by an organization to influence the

perceived brand value”

The focus here is on two aspects:

1) Being present at all the contact points

2) Managing the communications well that your brand speaks one

language. As Nowak and Phelps say - your brand should have ‘One

voice’ reaching to your customers, may it be by any number of

channels.

If this does not happen:

a) You may miss out on some of the contact points where your

customer awaits your communications but he does not find you and

he abnegates the brand.

b) You may reach different contact points but different

communications (including the intangibles) speak differently, your

customer gets confused as to what he should associate with your

brand.

Thus the first aspect creates awareness and the second aspect creates

and maintains loyalty.

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“Integrated marketing unifies the core purpose, key goals and

strategies and company-wide processes to create congruent messages

and sufficient dialog with all stakeholder groups.”

Necessary conditions for an Effective IMC program:

Today, IMC definitions are broader in application, as a brand is

developed in stakeholders' minds as a result of all interactions they

have with a company, and not just as a result of a campaign they are

exposed to. The premise is virtually the same — synergies are

achieved when all brand contacts work in concert.

While definitions differ, the practice of IMC involves the same success

factors and helps organizations build and deepen relationships with

their many stakeholders. The following conditions should be

considered "necessary," but not sufficient conditions of IMC practice:

Thus in the IMC approach, the different communications are in the

form of arcs making up a 360-degree circle, at the center of which lies

the customer. With too much communication surrounding the

customer he gets confused, he being a center of many brand

communications circles and still more if the communications from a

single brand are not integrated. Thus the communications need to be

spread and integrated on a holistic basis what forms the basis of IMC.

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The Components of IMC

Integrated Marketing will require strategic combination of two or more

of the following basic marketing elements/instruments used in concert

to multiply the effectiveness of a campaign:

Advertising (Print/ Television/Radio) - used to inform and

entice a prospect about a company's product or service, draw

attention to the company Web site and stimulate trial use.

Public Relations - also used to inform, but ads credibility by use

of a third party endorsement.

Web Site/ Internet - used by both existing customers and

prospects to obtain product and service information and, with

the implementation of E-Commerce, conveniently purchase

online.

Sales Promotion - provides short-term incentives to buy. Best

used when offered to prospects who are already familiar with the

product or service.

Direct Marketing - used today mostly to establish an ongoing

relationship with a current customer or prospect in order to

stimulate repurchase and build loyalty.

Special events

Video and audio presentations

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Multimedia presentations etc.

There are TWO CRITICAL FACTORS that have the most influence on the

effectiveness of an Integrated Marketing campaign.

The first is the strategic combination or "mix" of the basic

elements. Achieving the most effective mix is usually the result of

experience.

The second critical factor is the consistency of the theme across

all elements in the campaign. Logically, consistency is best

achieved through the use of a single source responsible for defining

the role of each element, creating the theme, and coordinating the

timely implementation of the campaign. However, consistency is

where most companies who believe they are already integrating

their marketing efforts usually fall short.

The following Research compiled from the U.S. Department of

Commerce, the American Management Association, and the Direct

Marketing Association reiterates the fact that strategically combining

the basic marketing elements with a consistent theme will impact

results:

Average stand-alone direct mail campaign generates 3.3%

response rate.

One basic marketing element added to stand-alone direct mail

campaign, response rate increases to 5.4%.

Two basic marketing elements added to stand-alone direct mail

campaign, response rate increases to 6.7%.

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Three basic marketing elements added to stand-alone direct mail

campaign, response rate increases to 6.9%.

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Factors contributing to IMC's rising prominence

1. Fragmentation of media - both the print and the Television

media have proliferated dramatically in the past decade which has

resulted in less reliance on mass media and more emphasis on the

other promotional options, such as direct mail and event

sponsorship.

2. Better audience assessment - More sophisticated research

methods have enabled more accurate and specific targeting,

leading the marketer away from the mass media to promotional

tools that reach only the segment that has been targeted.

3. Consumer empowerment - empowered consumers are more

skeptical of commercial messages and demand information tailored

to their needs.

4. Increased advertising clutter has diluted the effectiveness of

any single message. There seems to be no end in sight to this

'media' proliferation.

5. Many marketers feel that traditional advertising is too expensive

and is not cost effective. Hence there is a trend of shifting of

budgets from media advertising to other forms of promotions.

6. Database technology can be used to create accurate customer

and non-customer profiles for developing highly targeted direct

response & telemarketing programs can be implemented.

7. Channel Power - Retail channels are developing power and hence

are able to demand promotional fees and allowances from

manufacturers, which diverts funds away from advertising and into

special events or other promotions.

8. Increased Accountability has led the firms to reallocate

marketing resources from advertising to more short-term and more

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easily measurable methods such as direct marketing and sales

promotion.

4P’s versus the 4 C’s

The current revolution in the market has brought about several

‘Differents’. This has led to the replacement of 4 P's of marketing by

the 4 C's of marketing. The 4P’s v/s the 4C’s:

Not PRODUCT, but CONSUMER: Understand what the consumer

wants and needs. Times have changed and you can no longer sell

whatever you can make. The product characteristics must now match

what someone specifically wants to buy. And part of what the

consumer is buying is the personal "buying experience."

Not PRICE, but COST: Understand the consumer's cost to satisfy the

want or need. The product price may be only one part of the

consumer's cost structure. Often it's the cost of time to drive

somewhere, the cost of conscience of what you eat, and the cost of

guilt for not treating the kids.

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Not PLACE, but CONVENIENCE: As above, turn the standard logic

around. Think convenience of the buying experience and then relate

that to a delivery mechanism. Consider all possible definitions of

"convenience" as it relates to satisfying the consumer's wants and

needs. Convenience may include aspects of the physical or virtual

location, access ease, transaction service time and hours of

availability.

Not PROMOTION, but COMMUNICATION: Communicate,

communicate, communicate. Many mediums working together to

present a unified message with a feedback mechanism to make the

communication two-way. And be sure to include an understanding of

non-traditional mediums, such as word of mouth and how it can

influence your position in the consumer's mind. How many ways can a

customer hear (or see) the same message through the course of the

day, each message reinforcing the earlier images?

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The Heart of IMC

In keeping with the above trends, there are Five power concepts

that go in IMC and make the communications efficient and effective.

1. Customer Focus i.e. Your message must be appealing, relevant

and accurately timed and must be based on the understanding and

anticipation of what the customer expects and wants, when he

wants it, and how he wants it to be delivered to him.

2. Customer Empowerment i.e. you empower your customer to

define the relevance, you do not define it for him and do not force

the content as per your convenience. You allow him to decide how

deeply he wants to be involved in the communications. This concept

extends beyond the permission from customer. Her you are asking

your customer to take the lead.

3. Impressive marketing i.e. you need to be consistent at all the

contact points and need to have continuity such that all the roads of

different media lead down the same path to the brand. The beauty

of your communications lies in that the consumer gets the option

only to decide how far to go and not what different objective to go

for.

4. Brand Resonance i.e. your communication while creating

relationship must stand for something that the customers think is

worthy of a relationship with them.

5. Emotional bonding i.e. your brand develops a relationship with

your customer based on the insights about the customer. He is not

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only loyal to your brand but he treats the brand as a friend, a

trustee, a close relative, or as an inseparable part of his life. In this

case he becomes an advocate for your brand and propagates your

message himself. In other sense he becomes a contact point for the

other consumers. Thus the communications become vital to be

managed so well that even this newly created contact point speaks

the same voice.

Correctly implemented, the IMC program is a continuous cycle of

gathering data and implementing response-generating marketing

communications, which are based on previously, gathered data.

Marketing communications derived from consumer need can build

perceived value into your product or service, and separate it from the

competition in the minds of your customers and prospects.

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Levels Of Integration

Integration of communication goes beyond the definition of one

message, one voice to which so many marketers ascribe. Integrated

marketing communications is not just merely a piece of advertising, a

piece of public relations and a piece of direct mail that all look the

same. Rather, IMC is the management of all brand contact points

through an integrated, consumer-driven strategy. It means realigning

your communications from your customer’s perspective so that your

public relations is indistinguishable from your advertising, your direct

marketing is indistinguishable from your promotions and so on.

There exist various levels at which such integration can take place. The

following table details each of such stages.

Stages of Integration of Marketing Communication

LEVEL I

Tactical Co-ordination

To create ‘one sight, one sound’ by consolidating

communications planning. Often leads to attempts at cross-

functionality, where teams of specialists from different areas of

expertise are formed to increase synergy.

LEVEL II

Redefining the Scope of Marketing Rather than considering

Communications

Communications as an outbound activity, the firm looks at all

points at which the consumer and the brand are in contact. Most

important result of this level of integration is inclusion of

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employees as both target for and proliferates of marketing

communications.

LEVEL III

Application of IT

The key ingredient here is the use of databases to capture

individual transactions. This enables the firm to market to groups

of individuals rather than the average customer at the middle of

the segment.

LEVEL IV

Strategic and Financial Integration In these level two issues are

paramount:

The ability to measure the return on customer investment

Ability to use the marketing communication to drive

organizational and strategic directions. Rather than measuring

say, extra sales resulting from an advertising campaign, the firm

would now measure the returns from a specific group of

customers against costs associated with that group.

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Consumer Psyche & Information Processing

Key to effective communication understands how consumers process

the vast amount of information that comes their way each and every

day. To cope, we select only that information that we perceive to be

important and ignore the rest. Thus, we limit our span of perception as

a way of coping. If the marketing message is to be selected and

processed, it must:

Consist of sensory and life experiences that can easily be

identified and transformed into a unified concept,

Have mental relationships to other categorized ideas, and

Fit into the categories and mental linkages that people have

already created for them.

Marketing communication messages that are not recognizable, are not

related to each other, conflict with what has already been stored, or

are simply unrelated or unimportant to the person will simply not be

processed, but ignored. Communication only occurs when the

consumer accepts, transforms, and categorizes the message. Two

models of information processing have been proposed are as follows:

Models of Information Processing

1. The Replacement Model assumes that it is possible for the

marketer to "replace" previously stored information chunks with

new ideas. What is said does not matter as much as how often

and how loud the message has been transmitted. With enough

exposure, the new will replace the old.

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2. The Accumulation Model of information processing assumes

that message consistency is critical since the consumer accepts,

processes, and stores information about the product or service

relative to what has already been mentally accepted.

The storage and retrieval system works on the basis of matching

incoming information with what has already been stored in memory. If

the information matches or enhances what is already there, then

the new information will likely be added to the existing concepts and

categories. If it doesn't match, the consumer has to make a choice,

either the new information can replace what is already there or the

new information can be rejected. If rejected, the consumer would

continue to use existing concepts and categories and ignore the new.

This is called a "judgment system" - in that consumer’s match or

test new information against what they already have and then make a

judgment to add to, adapt, or reject the new material. The judgment

system (perceptual consistency) prevents consumers from having

multiple concepts or categories for the same message. When

consumers reject the information or do not add or attach it to what

they already have, there is a failure to communicate. In many cases,

the failure to communicate is the result of the marketer being unable

to match his or her messages or fields of experience with those of the

prospect or customer.

Consumers use the same information processing approach whether the

new data comes from advertising, sales promotions, a salesperson, an

article in a newspaper or magazine or from what their neighbor is

telling them. The marketer who presents non-integrated messages

risks not having any of his or her messages processed because of the

conflict that occurs in the consumer's information processing system. If

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for no other reason that the risk of confusion, marketers must integrate

their messages or consumers will simply ignore them.

Case I

How The Entertainment Industry Capitalizes On IMC

As the entertainment industry is forced to become more creative in

reaching its audiences, the opportunities for marketing

communications are endless. As the industry creates more and more

ways to communicate with its audiences, the need for integration is

paramount. With burgeoning franchises, entertainment companies

have begun to delve deeper into marketing strategies that enable

them to connect with their customers across their whole range of

properties and communication divisions. The hype about integration

has created a "buzz" in Hollywood that has the industry turning out

some of the best marketing strategies and campaigns in years.

Entertainment companies are defining their success with well-thought-

out, consumer-driven strategies and are using an array of marketing

tools to connect with audiences in more relevant and creative ways. In

the process, integrated marketing communications (IMC) is beginning

to take center stage as the entertainment industry’s shining star.

IMC Takes Center Stage

IMC has taken center stage in the entertainment industry as a result of

several factors and trends. Two of the greatest of these factors driving

IMC principles are:

The changes in consumer media consumption.

As the number of media options has increased, audiences have

become more diversified. Viewers are now able to make choices in

their media consumption that match their specific interests.

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However, as an industry that is dependent on media for advertising,

as well as for the delivery of its product, these facts are even more

striking.

Focus on the consumer

The industry is increasingly becoming more consumer-focused, using

media outlets to find out what their consumers want and then deliver it

to them through well-defined, specific formats and programming.

Entertainment companies are proving that they know this tenet better

than most others.

The business is using integrated marketing principles to connect with

its customers not only through its advertising messages, but also

through the entertainment product it offers.

CASE STUDYIndian Premier League

The IPL auction of cricketers in February was called

the 'Mumbai Cattle Market' by those horrified by the tamasha of

industrialists and filmstars throwing dollars at players. Adam Gilchrist

did say that he, for one, felt like a cow. The creme de la creme of the

stars were placed for bidding and lapped up at varying prices - more

for their local star attraction value rather than their cricketing skills. (A

Ponting drew less than an Irfan Pathan!).

As a cricket aficionado, it hurt to see filmstars, who live in a fake world

of make up and retakes, put a price on players who play real games in

real time with real skills. But that's the power of money. While the

process did seem distasteful, the money earned by the stars can't be

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grudged - this was fair compensation for the blood, sweat and tears

they give to the game and for the country.

Like it or hate it, the IPL is here. Whether it will stay on or die, the

performance of the first edition, which is currently on, will decide.

The IPL is the biggest marketing initiative of 2008. If five-day cricket

was the creation of sports aficionados and one-day a product of the

media, then the IPL is a result of business.

And as all business is ultimately marketing, it's a marketing concoction

(Integrated marketing). It's about BCCI, business houses, the media

and the film industry putting their collective might to create a

brand of unprecedented proportions.

From a consumer viewpoint, IPL is a cocktail of four Indian diseases.

First, the base: Cricket. Since India won the World Cup in 1983, the

disease has been spreading like an epidemic. Today, despite a surfeit

of matches, interest hasn't waned. The centre of gravity of the game is

today the Indian sub-continent. The BCCI is so powerful that it can get

its way on any cricketing issue - on or off the field.

Add some glamour in the form of Cinema. It has been the opium of the

Indian masses. The arrival of television has not diminished its power.

For movie, entertainment or news channels, cinema is the biggest

source of TRPs. Whether it is by doing world premieres of the latest

'flop busters or 'block busters, hosting award shows or just covering

the latest gossip about the stars and their lives, cinema feeds into

home entertainment just like cricket.

Shake it with some Celebration. Indians need an excuse to celebrate,

to enjoy. Our respect for all faiths gives the average Indian a festival to

celebrate almost everyday. Each has its own rituals of the community

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coming together to dance, sing and create general cacophony,

unmindful of environment pollution and civic sense.

Finally, top it with Celebrity Craze. India is a country of 330 million

Gods and we make heroes very easily. Cricket stars or film stars, they

are easily deified and venerated. People flock in thousands just for a

real life glimpse of their heroes - often it is part of the national hobby

of time pass. India is, perhaps, the only country where a film star, just

released from jail, returns to a hero's welcome and stands on his

balcony waving to his fans as if he has returned from a successful

accomplishment.

When these four potent ingredients come together, the cocktail is

called the Indian Premier League. Package this in a business

proposition and you have something that could re-write the rules of

business, sports and entertainment. With the backing of some of the

best business groups and the high-decibel promotion, it makes for an

experiment worth watching and tracking.

The IPL breaks new ground in many ways.

Cricket started as a competitive sport of bat-v/s-ball. The media took it

to the masses as entertainment. The IPL is now converting cricket into

a marketing show. No longer are cricketers just players on the cricket

field, they are performers. And every match is not just a fight between

two teams but an episode in a continuous soap opera. Brands can be

plugged anywhere - in program, on cast, on television, in-stores

through merchandise. Cricketers have their own star power, which

makes the game attractive. Now, they have the added firepower of

celebrities - be it filmstars like Shahrukh Khan or Preity Zinta, or a

business tycoon like Dr Vijay Mallya - that makes the spectacle even

grander and bigger. It brings together the appeal of two diseases -

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cricket and films. Cricket has been a national passion. It has been

difficult to separate the Indian identity from the game. The IPL makes a

shift - it taps into local pride. In a global world, where integration is the

key, IPL teams are built on the counter-culture of division. Paul Harris,

an eminent LSE sociologist, says local identity is an opportunity in a

global world. The IPL is, perhaps, latching onto an emerging trend.

Cricket has been a team game - built on players knowing each other

and playing alongside each other at the nets, at domestic level and

national level. The IPL changes this and brings the corporate style of

teamwork into play. It expects professionals to come together for a

specific project. It hinges on individual prowess adding up to a winning

formula. With much cricket being played anyway, foreign players are

no longer aliens to any team. Simultaneously, the mixed-cultures team

could unconsciously foster greater harmony among different nations.

Will this spell the end of other forms of cricket: five-day cricket or one-

day internationals? While it may seem so, the truth is every product

has its place in this world if properly nurtured. Fast-food restaurants

and take-away joints didn't kill sit-down restaurants. There are

moments for quick eats and other occasions when food is ceremonial

and a celebration. If one-day internationals took cricket to larger

masses through television, the IPL could make cricket truly global. City

pride is universal. So, no longer do cities in non-cricketing countries

need to have local talent to field a team. It's just a case of buying the

best talent!

The 80s and 90s were eras when cricketers became bigger than the

game. While star power could be the initial draw, the attempt of

marketing efforts is to draw loyalty from stars to teams. Hopefully, in

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the future stars would want to play for a team rather than the other

way round. Thus, the IPL could bring focus back to the game!

Finally, on a jingoistic note, it could be an Indian "brand" export to the

world. Without doubt, Lalit Modi's experiment and the business houses

support it has received needs to be lauded.

Success Factors

The Entertainment Industry’s use of IMC, highlights some success

factors for effectiveness and these include:

Segmenting valuable customers.

Analyzing profitability.

Examining customer, brand & stakeholder contact points with

the company.

Marketing based on consumer differences, not similarities.

Using databases for behavioral segmentation and lead

management.

Creating strategic, effective communications-based initiatives.

Driving communications to a new level of customer and

stakeholder fulfillment retention.

Achieving consumer satisfaction and bottom-line profitability.

Advantages Of The Integrated Marketing Approach

The customer becomes the primary focus of everyone.

There is no needless duplication of services. PR messages

combine with advertising, marketing and internal

communications—everything is congruent and clearer to

customers.

There is almost no likelihood of "the left hand not knowing what

the right hand is doing."

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It fosters intra-departmental cooperation in your company.

Workers experience more harmonious working relationships with

their peers and senior management.

Studies verify increased productivity, which positively impacts

the bottom line.

Executive "oneness of focus" on mission and results; one mission

—one vision with all the "parts" aligned with it.

The core processes of the organization become much clearer and

people start pulling together rather than in several directions at

once.

It takes fewer people, energized around a fewer number of

central themes to get more work done than before because

human potential and energy is not wasted.

Marketing programs become more effective because they are

focused and more efficient. They are more powerful in delivering

the key message without waste and overlap to no effect.

Sales programs become more dynamic because the objectives

become much clearer to the existing sales force. The job of the

salespeople is made more effective because the "home office" is

supporting their steps and making them look much better in the

eyes of your customers.

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PART II

PROCESS OF IMC

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Characteristics of an IMC approach

Planning for an Integrated Communications program goes beyond

merely using the right tool under the right conditions. Strategic

planning for IMC is distinguished from the traditional use of multi-

dimensional promotions by the following four factors:

An Outside-In approach is used to plan communications – That

essentially means that a firm, designing communications, starts

with the customer or prospect and looks backward, identifying

what the customer deems as important information. This

approach helps to deliver the information that the customer

wants rather than in the form at a time that the firm deems

appropriate.

An IMC plan is built around brand contacts like packaging,

employee contacts, in-store displays etc. Each contact must be

evaluated for clarity and consistency with the overall IMC

program.

Control of the IMC plan is highly centralized. The effectiveness of

the program is highly increased by appointing a single person or

team to control and evaluate all contacts with targeted

customers.

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Communications Mix Hierarchy

In the process of implementation of IMC, the marketer assumes a

major responsibility for developing the marketing program and making

the final decisions regarding the advertising and promotional program

to be employed. The marketer typically brings to the process a

marketing plan, goals, objectives, and perhaps a database that will

identify current and potential customers.

The agency on the other hand will help research the market, suggest

creative strategies, and produce IMC materials. Quite a few times the

agency does not have all the internal expertise necessary to develop

and manage every marketing tool. Often the agency is an expert with

the development & Placement of mass media advertising, and hence is

often criticized for their tendency to push mass media as the best form

of communication. When the marketers want other communication

options, they often hence turn to External facilitators to get the

expertise they are looking for. The hierarchy in this case is as shown

on the next page.

Once the specialist agencies come into the picture, co-ordination and

integration of a marketing communications program becomes much

more complex. These various agencies view each other as competitors

for the client’s dollars and will most likely champion their particular

specialty. Thus instead of ending up in coordination and integration, it

created a situation characterized by conflict and disintegration.

Realizing these challenges, many advertising agencies attempted at

redesign to add more internal expertise to foster the goals of IMC.

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The Communication Hierarchy

Marketing OrganizationMarketing planGoals and objectivesCustomer/ prospect databases

Advertising AgencyResearch Creative strategiesProductionMessage placement

Specialized marketing communications organizationsMedia organizationsEvent management firmsWeb site designersSales promotion agenciesDirect marketing agenciesPublic relations firms

Mass- media Advertising

Event participation

Internet advertising

Sales promotion

Direct marketing Publicity

Customer

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Model for Planning IMC

Tension, Stress, creativity, deadlines, collaboration, synergy, conflict,

misunderstandings, expertise, complexity, details, details, details….are

all things that characterize the process of preparing to launch an IMC

campaign.

There are many different models that guide the process of planning an

IMC campaign. One such model being discussed is the ‘Strategic

Planning Triangle’ –

proposed by advertising

researchers Esther Thorson

and Jeri Moore in their book

‘Integrated Communication:

Synergy of Persuasive

Voices’.

As shown alongside, the

apexes of the planning

triangle entail the segment(s) selected as targets for the IMC

campaign, the brand’s value proposition, and the array of persuasion

tools that might be deployed to achieve campaign objectives.

The firm starts with customer, prospect, stakeholder definition,

as identification and specification of the target segment as a

paramount apex of the triangle. Building a consensus between the

client and the agency about which customers will be targeted is

essential to the campaign’s effectiveness. Complex IMC campaigns

may end up targeting multiple segment. In such a case it is critical to

analyze if and how different target segments will interact to support or

Prospect Definition

Brand’s Value Proposition

Persuasion Tools evaluation

Strategic Planning Triangle

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disparage the campaign. The description of the target hence has to be

both Personal and Precise.

The second important apex in the Planning triangle entails a

specification of the Brand’s Value Proposition. A brand’s value

proposition is a statement of the functional, emotional, and self-

expressive benefits delivered by the brand that provides value to the

customers in the target segment. Factors like what the brand has

stood for in the past, as well as what new types of value or benefits

one wants to claim for going forward need to be considered here.

The final apex of the planning triangle considers the various

persuasion tools that may be deployed in executing the campaign. The

mix of the various tools should depend on the objectives that are set

for the IMC campaign.

Collaboration between the agency and the client is the key to ensure

that the approval process proceeds in a timely fashion.

The Process of an Integrated Marketing Program thus:

Encourages the establishment of a marketing-team approach to

discuss strengths and weaknesses, mission and vision, and niche

and quality, and to reach a consensus on the primary messages

to be delivered to priority audiences.

Involves working in teams, typically with members from other

campus offices, to reach prospective students, parents, donors,

and community and government officials with maximum impact.

Uses quantitative and qualitative research techniques, including

focus groups and survey research, to determine constituent

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attitudes and opinions, and effectiveness of various

communications messages and techniques.

Calls for a communications analysis to determine what messages

are being sent to key audiences, including the sequence and flow

of these messages.

Calls for the examination of your existing message vehicles for

clarity, consistency, and effectiveness. Combines this

assessment with the results of your research to provide your key

audiences with the information they need, in the ways they have

asked to receive it.

Focuses on long-term advantages and incorporates interactive

communication to develop more personal relationships. May

include the use of technology like email and the World Wide Web

to get feedback from key audiences.

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Case II

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

The Godrej Group - Corporate profile

Everyday, every Indian encounters the ‘Godrej’ name sometime

somewhere. A person may begin the day bathing with Godrej soap,

shaving with a Godrej shaving cream, storing clothes in a Godrej

Storewell cupboard, cooking food in a Godrej cooking oil and

preserving it in a Godrej refrigerator. Money and valuables are kept in

a Godrej safe; work is done on a Godrej computer or typewriter while

sitting on a Godrej chair and drinking a Godrej fruit drink.

Innovation has been the key to the growth of the Godrej group. It is

this spirit that has built Godrej and carried it for over a hundred years.

Existing in diverse industries ranging from cupboards to soaps, hair

dyes to edible oils, and packaged foods to refrigerators, the group in

recent years has forged several partnerships with international giants

like General Electric, Pillsbury, Fiskars and Sara Lee, bringing Godrej

membership in the Global village that will carry it forward into the 21st

century.

Godrej has always been a crusader for a better world with programs

that benefit endangered forests, wild life and mangroves. Every year

the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation dedicates funds towards promoting

education, housing, social upliftment, conservation, population

management and relief of natural calamities.

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GCPL – An Overview

Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), has started operations

w.e.f. 1st April 2001. This new company is the result of the demerger

of Godrej Soaps Limited, the flagship company of the Rs. 34 billion

Godrej Group.

GCPL is a true FMCG business with focus on four key markets:

Personal care with brands like All Care, Fair Glow, Cinthol, Nikhar,

No.1, Godrej Shaving Creams etc.

Hair care – Godrej Shikakai. Crowning Glory, Color Soft, Color

Gloss, Anoop Hair Oil etc.

Fabric care and – Ezee and Trilo

Household care – Godrej Liquid Cleaner

With a turnover of Rs. 500 crore, the company employs 950 persons

and has two modern manufacturing facilities at Malanpur (M.P.), and

Silvassa (U.T.). GCPL is India's largest marketer of Hair Colorants and

Liquid Detergents and the third largest marketer of toilet soaps.

GCPL is committed to providing world-class products and services and

its efforts are aimed at fulfilling the daily needs of consumers through

innovative, value for money, products that improve their quality of life.

GCPL is a high growth, highly profitable FMCG operation. It will own all

its brands among which are the high profile Cinthol, Fair Glow, Ezee

and Godrej Hair Dye.

GCPL is expected to have ROCE and RONW ratios comparable with the

best FMCG companies in India. It is a professionally managed company

under the leadership of Mr. Adi B. Godrej, as the Chairman and

Managing Director.

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Associate Companies include Godrej Industries Ltd., Godrej Sara Lee

Ltd., Godrej Foods Ltd., Godrej Agrovet Ltd. and Godrej Properties and

Investments Ltd.

IMC and its Importance at Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

Mr. Girish Korde, Brand manager, FairGlow, defines IMC as “ a multi-

dimensional, multi media communication system that is based on a

pre-designed strategy. It necessitates across the board implementation

for effectiveness”.

Godrej Consumer products for all its brands are implementing the

integrated marketing process across product categories. This is

because with a slate of launches and relaunches, it is very essential for

the brands to not lose focus. Besides concentration of communication

on a central theme, with ‘one look, one voice’ enhances the recall and

Impact of communication on the consumers. Godrej also believes that

use of Integrated Marketing Communication helps the brands to get a

noticeable ‘Share of Voice’ and ‘Share of Mind’.

In today’s arena where the messages need to make an effort to stand

out of the immense Clutter and where the messages are prone to

different interpretations in different contexts, use of Integrated

Communications reduces the risks associated with such loses.

The use of Integrated Communications also leads to an emergence of a

sharper brand personality as the personality gets re-inforced over

usage and exposure to the audiences.

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In fact Mr. Girish also specifies that only Integrated Communications is

often not enough to ensure all the benefits. The process of integration

of communication should be complemented and supported by the

Integration of the Product and Marketing functions too. This essentially

means that the product should live upto the expectations created by

the communication and all the extensions should also be integrated

with the overall brand. Hence the FairGlow brand was extended to

Fairness Creams and innovations like the sachets packs etc. continued

to deliver the brand promise in an integrated and True manner.

THE BRAND - FAIRGLOW

Launched in Jan 2000, the brand FAIRGLOW has captured 3.5% market

share, in some areas where it has been launched. There has been

overwhelming consumer response to this unique product from Godrej

Soaps. The company is receiving letters, which reveal that consumers

who used FAIRGLOW have become noticeably fairer in a short period of

usage.

Objective – ‘Creating an entirely new category in the stagnant toilet

soaps market’.

Mission - ‘To work towards ensuring that the brand maintains it’s

market creator and leader status’

Product - FAIRGLOW is a high quality toilet soap with 76% TFM (total

fatty matter) and an excellent floral perfume. It is packaged in a

polyester wrapper with attractive graphics. FAIRGLOW is available all

across India and has an introductory price offer of Rs. 10.00 for a 75

gm pack.

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Formula - FAIRGLOW has a unique Bio-extract ‘Natural Oxy-G’ that is of

vegetable origin and absolutely safe. Its natural action involves

reduction of the black melanin in the skin without changing the skin’s

natural balance. The Natural Oxy-G also helps remove blemishes to

give the user a smooth and glowing complexion. FAIRGLOW therefore,

provides fairness for the face and the whole body without any extra

effort. In sum, it gives the twin advantages of a clean and fresh bath

while also providing the fairness benefit.

Activities undertaken by FairGlow:

Television advertising on a large scale to ensure awareness

Magazine and News paper advertising

Press articles and other public relations

Outdoor advertising –Hoardings

FairGlow Express

Net advertising

Skin care section – advisor etc.

‘FairGlow Face of the Fortnight’ series

Radio advertising (FM)

Seminars on skin care

Events – friendship day, valentines party etc.

Direct advertising to members of SIBHA ( South Indian Beauty

and Hair associates)

Promotions – both trade and consumer

FairGlow Express

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The Process Of Communication Generation

The component design – Factors:

In the process of designing the communications mix, there are various

factors that are taken into account at Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

The mot important factors that have a bearing on the variables in the

mix are:

The objective of the brand communication – a brand that seeks

to gain awareness will have greater proportion of mass media.

Thus maintaining the brand reputation and developing brand

awareness would see two different mix of target contact points.

Also the magnitude of the objective would also be a contributing

factor. For example ‘gaining a 5% share of the competitor’s

market would require a more aggressive strategy as compared

to an objective of gaining a 2% market share’

The competitors’ activities – Selection of nuances between the

available options at times is also based on the actions of the

competitors. Thus if the competitor is making efforts through the

trade promotions to create ‘dealer push’, a brand like Cinthol

would splurge on mass media or create a consumer promotion,

to create a ‘Consumer Pull’

The stage of the Product Life Cycle in which the brand operates

will also be a factor in the formation of the communication mix.

The Brand Philosophy, character – A brand that symbolizes and

associates itself to Safety, Care, Environment etc. would lend

itself easily to collaborative advertising which may not be the

case with all brands.

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Product Category is yet another actor. Some brands like Cinthol

are youthful in character and hence lend themselves to Events,

Mass media etc. but a personal care product like Condoms may

not lend themselves to Outdoor communication like the Trains,

Hoardings etc.

The Target group also plays an important role in the

communication mix definition. Thus a brand like FairGlow lends

itself more to Events promotion as compared to a family brand

like ‘All Care’

The Impact of Expenditure that a brand would earn also be of

consideration. Thus thanks to the novelty factor attached o the

FairGlow brand, the impact of the expenditure incurred was quite

higher as compared to the expenditures incurred by Cinthol.

Qualitative parameters like the Brand Image, Brand Personality

also would be a decisive factor in the process of strategizing for

Communication.

One of the most important parameters in the decision making

would be the Budgets allocated to the brand for the

communications exercise. As these budgets would be based on a

forecast of the market’s purchasing ability and other factors, this

actor is of paramount importance to ensure the viability of the

brand.

And of course the Skill and the Experience of the Brand manager

also is important in the process of strategizing the

communications mix as that often happens to be a source of

innovations and experimentation.

Page 44: Integrated Marketing Communications

The Agencies Involved:

Client – Brand Team of Godrej

Creatives and Strategy - All of the communication for most

brands is handled by Mudra excepting Cinthol, which is handled

by Leo Burnett.

Media Buying and Planning – This function is centralized with

Madison, the Agency Of Record for Godrej.

Specialists – Most of the times, Mudra proves to be self-sufficient

agency for functions like direct marketing etc. As and when

required, Mudra internally outsources specialists for tasks where

it may not be as competent (Net advertising)

Others – Besides these agencies at times there are Event

management outfits etc. who may be involved for specific

events.

Factors that lead to smooth flow of the process:

‘Centralization of communication’ is an essential for ensuring

that the communication flows the way it is expected to. In fact

for all the regional sales zones, the communication is

designed at the corporate office by the marketing team

keeping in mind the inputs from the Regions. The

communication plan along with the creative is then passed on

to the regional areas, where they are implemented.

The existence of one central agency for all of its

communication facilitates coordination and effective

implementation of various communication strategies.

An effective Creative director would be a great benefit to the

communication process, as he would not only germinate the

‘Big Idea’, but would also mobilize the various specialist aid

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required at all points and time for communication

implementation.

Page 46: Integrated Marketing Communications

Process of Implementation of IMC at Godrej Consumer

Products Ltd .

The responsibility of coordination of the entire brand building efforts

rests with the Brand Team, which is the Final authority on all

components and mixes adopted by the brand. While the Brand team

has complete freedom to execute strategies that are in keeping with

their brand philosophy, they also keep in mind the association of the

brand with the Corporate Brand – Godrej and the synergy between the

two brands. This ensures that no brand lends a negative rub-off to the

corporate brand and works within its purview, enhancing it at the same

time.

Client’s Marketing Strategy

Creative agency - Mudra

Agency of Record - Madison

Specialists – Events etc.

Specialist outfits - Net advertising, Direct

Marketing etc.

Com

mun

icat

ion

Str

ateg

y

Exe

cuti

on

(Cre

ativ

es)

Media Strategy Event

Strategy

Event Creatives

Outsourcing for Certain areas of Strategy

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The entire process of implementation of a communication program is

documented in a confidential “BRAND Book”. This book contains not

only the process adopted, but also contains update information of all

the communication activities conducted under the various brands.

The Corporate Brand GODREJ

According to Mr. Korde there exists a two-way relationship between the

corporate brand Godrej and each of the brands in the Godrej Stable.

The Godrej brand stands for TRUST, RELIABILITY and QUALITY and that

is an integral part of each brand that evolve with the Godrej Name. The

Godrej name also lends stability to the new brand, reducing the efforts

required to build a new brand.

On the other hand, with newer brands emerging from Godrej, the

Godrej brand too earns a younger, vibrant and versatile image.

Each brand manager ensures that his brand philosophy lies well within

or is related to the overall Godrej philosophy of commitment to Quality

and well-being of the consumer. The senior management (Board of

directors et al) ensure that the vision of the company translates into

brands that are diverse and yet converge synergistically under the

Godrej Brand.

TheGodrej Brand

Individual brands(FairGlow, Cinthol etc.)

Two-way synergistic relationship

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-----------********------------

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PART III

REINVENTING THE AGENCY

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REINVENTING THE AGENCY

Thomas Eppes, president of Charlotte, N.C. based Price/McNabb sees a

change arriving, a trend that looks at a ‘New Avataar’ of an agency. He

says, "I think the change is going to be so dramatic that in the future

there won't be any such thing as an advertising agency .We have

begun to refer to ourselves as a communications company, and that

might change because we are getting involved with our clients'

business in ways that go beyond communications."

IMC is a specialized concept and while many agencies claim to deliver

on

this, there are truly very few agencies capable of integrated

communication. Agencies having separate cells/departments for

different functions

According to Marketing Head Devadas Nair, Shoppers Stop, “It has

been my experience that there are two stands one must consider

before identifying whether the brand should take a specialist route or a

one-stop shop route. These points are:

Can you afford to have specialist agencies, as these agencies

would mean splitting your marketing spends across various

agencies?

The Creative approach generally is different for mainly three

components – Public relations, Direct Marketing and Advertising.

Can your agency handle the contradictions within, or do you

have the resources (time and expertise) to consolidate them at

your end.

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In case too many agencies are involved in the branding process,

the control generally resides with the brand team who provides

guidelines for implementation and where the agencies’ tasks are

often only left to the execution. And that’s not enough reason for

the agency to exist. Instead a route to a common agency who

could provide specialist skills under one roof, either from its

internal processes or through Out-sourcing could be ideal”.

Need for a One-Stop Shop Agency

Strategizing with the brand communication with several agencies

leaves no meaning to the brand route, as there tend to be too

many so-called ideas, conflict of interests etc.

Dealing with one-agency aids quicker implementation of the

strategies, due to less time involved in co-ordination.

Reduces the problems of coordination and duplication, as all the

concerned entities know well enough the objectives and the

directions.

The merging of ideas proves to be a ‘synergistic beauty’, as

there are rare clashes between the creatives for various media.

Besides after working for all communication with one agency,

there arrives a point where the brand team and the agency vibe

well and therefore there exists a comfort zone that allows free

flow of ideas.

Pros and Cons of Integrated services:

Proponents of Integrated marketing and one-stop shop services agency

contend that maintaining entire control of the promotional process

achieves greater synergy among each of the communication program

elements. They also note that its is convenient for the client to

coordinate all of his marketing effort.

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PART IV

EVALUATION AND BARRIERS

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Evaluation – IMC Audit

With today's marketplace conditions, emphasis must now be placed on

retaining and growing the value of existing customers, as much as on

acquiring new ones. Consequently, companies are setting up cross-

functional processes and making other structural changes to better

manage brand relationships. This means there is an increasing need to

audit these internal processes to make sure that they are, in fact,

integrated, and operating efficiently and effectively. Recognizing this,

Tom Duncan and Sandra M. designed the Integrated Marketing (IM)

Audit. IM Audit findings should be used in conjunction with customer

satisfaction and other types of output controls. In other words, an audit

should not be used in place of, but in addition to, traditional output

controls.

Who should do it?

An IM audit should be done by an outside, objective team and should

be a census (not just a sample) of the managers of all departments

impacting on brand relationships. At the audit orientation meeting with

top management, the audit instruments are reviewed and customized

to fit the organization's structure and needs.

What Can Be Learned From an IM Audit?

The benefits of auditing the organization, and the processes that are

responsible for acquiring, retaining, and growing customer

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relationships, can uncover major inefficiencies and integration gaps.

These may include:

Confusion about objectives: In one company, managers gave

nine different responses when asked what the corporate

marketing communication objectives were and ten different

responses for the brand marketing communication objectives.

When people are working against different message objectives, it

is impossible to have message consistency; a facts subsequently

proven by content analyses undertaken as part of the Audit.

Lack of agreement on message themes: A retail chain had begun

advertising "Low Prices Every Day." However, there was no

agreement among managers on what this meant in the context

of the chain's pricing strategy. Interviewees offered a total of

seven different explanations of what this new strategy involved.

None was given by more than 15 percent of those interviewed.

Messages not targeted to primary stakeholder groups: In one

company it was found that 24 percent of all printed messages

were not targeted to any of the high priority stakeholder groups

identified by management, and only 1 percent were specifically

directed to the target audience rated most important.

Not enough information available: In almost all the audits

conducted, the majority of marketing managers say that half the

time they do not receive enough information from other

departments to do their jobs effectively. The types of information

frequently mentioned as difficult to get were sales results,

research results, and promotional and other special marketing

plans for specific events and programs.

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Little knowledge of annual planning: In one company, 60 percent

of the managers did not know how the budget was allocated

among departments, and half of the managers did not know to

what extent each year's communication plan compared to the

previous one.

Lack of agreement on which stakeholders are most important: In

a health care facility, patients/families received the third highest

rating when all responses were averaged, but were ranked

eighth by top management responses. Political leaders were

ranked ninth, but third by public affairs/public relations. This was

in response to the question: "What is the overall importance to

the whole organization of the organization's stakeholders?"

Limited use of computers for networking and consumer

databases: One company had a relatively small number of

industrial customers; yet it did not capture customer buying

behavior information, although there were many opportunities

for doing so.

Thus although the IM Audit was designed to be an evaluation tool, it

also provides a road map for showing how a company can become

more integrated. The audit provides an objective, well-documented list

of what must be changed in order to strengthen brand relationships.

BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION

IMC is indeed enjoying a growth in awareness, particularly among

larger companies. Nearly three fourths of the companies surveyed

report using a database to better target their customers- an essential

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part of implementing IMC; but only 30 percent say they are doing

extensive profiling and segmenting of customer buying habits using a

database. This suggests that many companies have not yet reached a

full implementation of IMC.

Case in Point: Procter & Gamble - The World's Great Consumer

Products Company

Procter & Gamble is considered by business scholars to be a world-

class marketing company. Like the Nike brand, Procter & Gamble

possesses some of the most recognizable brands in the world

including: Tide detergent, Crest toothpaste, Jiff peanut butter, Cover

Girl cosmetics, and Duncan Hines cake mix. It also has dominant

market share with many of its premier brands. For some time now P&G

has been lauded for its efforts in implementing the Integrated

Marketing Communications. But is Procter & Gamble a perfect IMC

exemplar? If beginning with stakeholders and speaking to them with

one voice across all communications channels is an important criterion

of IMC, the answer must be "NO."

Despite Procter & Gamble's marketing preeminence, it has a history of

internal and external communication blunders:

Procter & Gamble publicly mishandled both the Rely Tampon

crisis and allegations that their packaging symbol documented

the company's satanic links.

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Recently, Procter & Gamble lost face publicly and alienated

employees when it was revealed that the company had phone-

tapped three employees they suspected of leaking company

information.

This was followed by a botched job of dealing with some of the

physiological effects of its new fat substitute, Olestra. Without

considering public reaction, they allowed their scientists to term

the discharge of Olestra, "anal leakage" (Henkoff, 1996), raising

another wave of public controversy.

Lately Proctor & Gamble shot itself in the corporate reputational

foot again. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) announced to the

financial media that Proctor & Gamble fully expected to meet its

earnings forecast for the end of the quarter. CEO Durk Jager was

forced to announce to the same media that they had badly

overestimated their quarterly earnings and that the company

would fall significantly short of its quarterly earnings forecast.

Over the following week, the company's stock fell precipitously

as shareholders and financial markets lost faith in the venerable

company. The Proctor & Gamble Board of Directors

subsequently fired Mr. Jager.

Despite characterizations to the contrary, these examples illustrate

just how far away Proctor & Gamble has been operating from the

necessary IMC condition of speaking to all stakeholders with one voice.

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Recommendations

The above explanation offers adequate rationale for the corporate

neglect of IMC. The recommendations that flow from the analysis are:

First, existing IMC theory gives considerably more emphasis to

implementation than adoption of IMC. For IMC to be a reality in a

corporation, adoption must precede implementation. This means

the IMC proponent must negotiate his/her way through the maze

of corporate politics, get CEO and other top-level management

buy-in before the first implementation step can be taken.

Second, once top-level buy-in has been achieved, an

implementation plan must be developed that can be reconciled

with the organization's existing structure and functional

realities. In some instances, a "communications czar" is out of

the question, but a team of structurally equal marketing and

communications executives might work.

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Third, organizational culture must be dealt with in a substantive

way in future IMC adoption models. This means placing the

communication process itself alongside organizational culture. It

also means looking at organizations historically to see how they

have developed and evolved over time. Just as the IMC process

must be built around the customer, so to an IMC operation must

reflect the culture of the organization in which it is being

implemented.

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Conclusion

The New Economy is Integrated Marketing's Time to

Shine!!

Ten years ago, the business world was not quite ready to embrace the

principles of IMC. But as the environment developed over the past

decade, IMC grew in stature because it makes good business sense,

especially in today's fast-moving economy

In a business environment where all four mega trends effect the way

we go to market, following the IMC principles of knowing your

customers, building your brand and measuring effectiveness will put

companies one step ahead of the competition.

For companies that currently embrace IMC, the new economy mega

trends translate into opportunities. Placing the customer and other key

stakeholders at the center of your business strategy has never been

more important. The highly competitive marketplace has made

relationship building paramount in the quest for success. For

companies who do not see IMC as vital, it is time to reconsider.