INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Advertising & Promotion, 7e Michael Guolla, George Belch, Michael Belch (Solutions Manual with Case Notes) 1 / 4

Chapter 1 – Advertising & Promotion, 7 th Canadian Edition ©2020 McGraw-Hill Ltd.1-1

CHAPTER 1

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Chapter Overview This opening chapter provides the student with an overview of advertising and promotion. The first section summarizes the content of promotional messages as it reviews how marketing communication is used to convey the marketing mix. The elements of the promotional mix are introduced and a brief overview of the kinds of firms involved in promotion is highlighted. This chapter introduces the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) and discusses its evolution, a renewed perspective, and importance. Most marketers understand the value of strategically integrating the communication functions rather than having them operate autonomously and so the depth of these topics provide a foundation of the emerging IMC trend. A model of the IMC planning process is examined that gives direction for the content of a promotional plan. Finally, we describe the perspective and organization of the text that is consistent with the planning process.Learning Objectives

• Describe the importance of marketing communication within the marketing mix.
• Identify the tools of the promotional mix - advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct

marketing, Internet marketing, and personal selling – and summarize their purpose.

• Illustrate the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) by considering its evolution,

renewed perspective, and content.

• Explain the IMC planning process and express the steps in developing a marketing communications

program.

• Identify how the IMC planning process is continued throughout all chapters.

Chapter and Lecture Outline

I. MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Most students may already have had a marketing course; however, it is still helpful to define marketing and stress that it involves more than just selling or other promotion functions. Previously, the American

Marketing Association defined marketing as:

the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.The description of marketing should include a discussion of the activities involved in the marketing process and its role and importance in different types of companies including both profit and nonprofit organizations. It is important to stress that each element of the marketing mix is multidimensional in nature and includes a number of decision areas. This reminder leads the way to defining the text’s scope.In discussing the marketing mix, it should be highlighted that marketing communication is responsible for drawing attention to product, price and distribution elements in the message received by the audience. 2 / 4

Chapter 1 – Advertising & Promotion, 7 th Canadian Edition ©2020 McGraw-Hill Ltd.1-2 A Communicating Product—an organization exists because it has a product, service, idea or cause to offer. Discussion can focus on the value offered by the product and the fact that goods and services offer attributes and benefits that satisfy needs. Benefits are communicated as functional based on their features or attributes. They are also subjectively claimed in ads based on performance. And they are communicated emotionally through product consumption. These emotions are positive or negative, and are psychologically or socially based. Instructors can show ads that demonstrate these differences since they are the heart of message development and delivery since promotional planners have complete control in deciding which approach to influence consumers.Communication for brand identification is important with respect to brand name, brand logo, band tag-line and packaging. As the text exhibits illustrate, ads often identify the brand characteristics clearly to encourage recognition at the point of purchase where decision are made.Communicating all facets of the product is expected to contribute to brand equity; an intangible asset of added value or goodwill that results from the favorable image, impressions of differentiation, and/or the strength of consumer attachment to a company name, brand name, or trademark. A discussion of the overall assessment of brand can ensue with reference to the data in the brand exhibits. Other brand outcomes are identified and instructors can draw on new ideas to see if advertisers are attempting to foster different brand related impressions upon consumers.B Communicating Price—the price variable of the marketing mix refers to what the consumer must give up in exchange for a product or service. Marketing managers must be concerned with establishing a price level, developing pricing policies and monitoring consumers’ and competitors’ reactions to price in the marketplace. From a marketing communication standpoint, price is often a key piece of information in an ad or is the main selling message.C Communicating Distribution—marketing channels or the place element of the marketing mix refers to the set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available to customers. In discussing the latter, the importance of resellers in marketing and promotional strategy should be introduced. Attention should be given to the need to develop promotional programs for the trade or resellers to encourage them to stock and promote a product.D Communicating Value—all marketing activities and marketing communication are designed to enhance and or communicate customer value as conveyed in the new AMA definition. This chapter draws on both definitions for historical significance and to highlight that marketing communication plays a role in persuading consumers that a brand offers value through the compilation of all aspect of the offering.

II. THE PROMOTIONAL MIX

Promotion is defined as the coordination of all seller-initiated efforts to set up channels of information and persuasion to sell goods and services or promote an idea. It should be noted that promotion is best viewed as the communication function of marketing as most of an organization’s communication with the marketplace takes place through a carefully planned and controlled promotional program that utilizes elements of the promotional mix.The promotional mix should be defined as the tools or elements that are used to accomplish an organization’s objectives. The role and function of each promotional mix element in the marketing program can be discussed along with its advantages and disadvantages. 3 / 4

Chapter 1 – Advertising & Promotion, 7 th Canadian Edition ©2020 McGraw-Hill Ltd.1-3

• Advertising—any paid form of nonpersonal communication about an organization, product,

service, or idea by an identified sponsor.

Advantages of advertising:

• cost-efficient way for communicating, particularly with large audiences • cost-effective communication of a controlled message (what, when, how, where) if audiences process the message and the message is appropriate for that audience • valuable tool for creating and maintaining brand equity by creating images and symbolic appeals and for differentiating similar products • encourage online interaction with the brand • flexible tool for all sorts of products, market situations, channel members, and target audiences that works with other IMC programs • advertising occurs in all domains; consumer markets including national, retail/local and direct-response advertising, and, business and professional market including industrial, professional and trade advertising.

Disadvantages of advertising: (not in the text)

• the cost of producing and placing ads can be very high, particularly television commercials but inexpensive Internet media examples occur • it can be difficult to determine the effectiveness of advertising • there are credibility and image problems associated with advertising • the vast number of ads has created clutter problems and consumers are not paying attention to much of the advertising they see and/or hear

• Sales Promotion—marketing activities that provide extra value or incentive to the sales force,

distributors, or the ultimate consumer and can stimulate immediate sales. Sales promotion is

generally broken into two major categories: consumer and trade activities.

Advantages of sales promotion:

• provides extra incentive to consumers or trade members to purchase or stock/promote a brand • way of appealing to price sensitive consumer • way of generating extra interest in product or ads • effects can often be more directly measured than those of advertising • can be used as a way of building or reinforcing brand equity

Disadvantages of sales promotion:

• companies may become too reliant on sales promotion and focus too much on short-run marketing planning and performance • some forms of sales promotion do not help establish or reinforce brand image and short-term sales gains are often achieved at the expense of long-term brand equity • problems with sales promotion clutter as consumers receive many promotional offers

• / 4