Introduction

 

The objective of this lesson is to introduce you to the field of advertising and promotion and explain its role in the overall marketing process. I am sure you have heard the term  integrated marketing communications (IMC) before in the previous marketing courses you have completed, but it might have just sounded like a buzzword then. This lesson introduces the concept in more depth and emphasizes the increasing importance of coordination and execution of the various communication functions as a part of the overall marketing strategy planning. Significant changes in the changing marketing environment, especially with respect to the consumer behavior, technology, and media necessitate the coordination of all customer contacts by the firm.

Furthermore, IMC should not be viewed in isolation but rather interpreted as an integral part of market orientation and strategy planning. As we learned, coordination across departments to create customer value is a key factor for the success of market orientation. Similarly, IMC expects the synchronization and harmonization of the company voice to develop and support a consistent brand image and position. Therefore, in this lesson, we will also reexamine the marketing process and refresh your knowledge about the concepts of marketing mix, target marketing, segmentation, and positioning while keeping in mind that the goal of marketing is to develop and sustain relationships with customers and deliver value to them. In this process, identification of unfulfilled needs and communication of the benefits offered by the firm’s offering are some of the crucial activities that need to be performed by marketers. We will also summarize the key ideas and decision areas that shape marketing strategy planning.

Lesson 01 Objectives

After completing this lesson you should be able to do the following:

• Define integrated marketing communications and explain its growing importance.
• List and explain the various elements of the promotional mix.
• Identify various types of customer contact points through which marketers communicate with their target audiences.
• Explain the marketing process and different elements of the marketing mix.
• Explain the concept of target marketing in an integrated marketing communications program.
• Discuss the role of market segmentation and its use in an integrated marketing communications program.
• Explain marketing positioning and repositioning strategy.
• Explain how promotional strategy is influenced by and interacts with marketing strategy.