Download INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Course Instructor: DP Ghosh
I NTRODUCTION
The fourth P of marketing – Promotions – has metamorphosed in the past two decades to encompass a
variety of consumer contact activities and communication techniques. It is now termed “Marketing
Communications” and goes much beyond one-way communications such as advertising.
In the hyper-competitive marketplace of today, Marketing Communications have a critical role to play in
the success of brand marketing. Even the best of products cannot succeed in the marketplace without
strategic and tactical support from marketing communication activities.
New techniques for customer contact and involvement have evolved. New media are available. There is
increasing emphasis on evaluating marketing communication activities on a regular basis to ensure
financial accountability. It is no longer enough to advertise using mass media, with the occasional
promotional offer to achieve quarterly sales targets. The focus is on ‘Consumer Connect’, with successful
brands making best use of every consumer ‘Touch Point’ to involve the prospective buyer, to start a
dialogue and take it further…
AIM
The course aims to prepare students to apply the techniques of marketing communications to launching,
building and nurturing branded products. It will be useful for the taking forward the concept of brand
management, to make a success of both manufactured goods and services.
L EARNING O UTCOMES
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
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Understand how marketing communications influence consumer buying behaviour
Comprehend the different roles of the various forms and techniques of marketing communications in
the context of brand marketing strategy
Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of various media channels
Comprehend the role of research in marketing communications and how it can reduce the
probability of wastage of resources while optimizing the benefits of the campaign
Prepare communications strategy plan comprising the objectives of the campaign, positioning the
brand, selection of communication techniques and media channels and preparing a “creative brief”.
The course focuses on the strategic aspects of marketing communications, and will not deal in detail
with creative aspects (such as development of copy or visuals and art).
Textbook
“Advertising & Promotion: An Integrated
George Belch & Michael Belch (Tata McGraw Hill)
Marketing
Communications
Perspective”
by
Suggested reference books
1
2
Brand Positioning 2nd edition – Subroto Sen Gupta (Tata McGraw Hill, 2005)
Successful Sales Promotion – Pran Choudhury, Ricky Elliot & Alan Toop (Orient Longman)
C ASES
Cases for discussions and evaluation will be made available in due course.
P EDAGOGY
A combination of concept elaborations and case discussions will be used to enable participants to
comprehend the issues that comprise marketing communications.
It is expected that students come fully prepared to each session and participate actively, to enable
enhanced learning for all students.
C OURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Students need to form groups for case presentations and group assignments. It is expected that all
members of a group contribute to, and participate in, such assignments.
Case studies
Participants are expected to contribute to case discussions in class. Students will be informed in advance of
the cases that would be part of the evaluation, which are likely to be group assignments. The groups would
have to submit a soft copy of the analysis of the problem, identification of the marketing issues,
(alternative) solutions and recommendations with reasons. This would have to be submitted prior to the
case discussions in class.
Group Project / Term Paper
The projects would entail an analysis of the marketing communications strategy or programme of any
organization, including identification and evaluation of the key marketing issues. It should be a critical
evaluation of the communications programme, rather than a mere description.
Some of the issues that might be studied are: At whom is this communication targeted? What is the brand
concept… how is it being positioned in relation to customer needs and competitive offerings? What else
could be done to improve the probability of success of the brand communications?
Alternatively, Term Papers could be written on a topic of contemporary importance in the area of
marketing communications.
All topics for projects / term papers would need prior approval by the faculty.
E VALUATION
Group Project / Term paper
Class tests / quizzes
Case analysis
End Term Examination
Total
C OURSE S CHEDULE
25%
20%
20%
35%
100%
Session
Topic
1
IMC: concept, communication mix, role at different
stages of PLC
3
Overview of brands and, brand communications
strategy & cases *
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Marketing Communications Processes, Consumer
Response models
Overview of brands and, brand communications
strategy & cases *
Basis of strategic planning: USP, Brand Image and
Brand Personality; Positioning
Strategic planning: objective determination, models
Overview of the creative process
Advertising research and evaluation of campaign
effectiveness
Media channels & their characteristics
Overview of media planning & evaluation (1)
Textbook
Chapters
Readings
11
Overview of media planning & evaluation (2)
13
Sales Promotions and cases
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Marketing
communications
communications
budgets;
B2B
Marketing Public Relations
Personal Marketing: Relationship Marketing and
Direct Marketing
Sponsored Events, Exhibitions & Trade Fairs,
miscellaneous media
Brand Identity, Packaging & Retail Media
Digital, Social & Interactive Media
Project Presentations
Project Presentations
* Sessions 3 and 4 to be taken by guest speaker from industry.
The details of the topics are indicative… minor modifications may be incorporated prior to the start of the
course in Term V.