Session: IMC Planning

Deepa Kumari drdeepakumari@rediffmail.com

Learning Objectives
1.

How does IMC campaign planning work, and how does it use zero-based planning? What are the six steps in the IMC planning process? Why is internal marketing important in IMC planning?

2.

3.

1. Starting At Zero With IMC Campaign Planning

The process which is called as zero-based planning, determines the objectives and strategies

based

on

current

brand

and

marketplace

conditions, which are considered as zero point.

1. Starting At Zero With IMC Campaign Planning Contd.,

A formal campaign is done for several reasons.

First, it provides a rational process for identifying the most important communication issues on which

the campaign should focus over the next 12

months-that is, to determine how best to use marketing communication to help the company achieve its sales and profit objectives.
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1. Starting At Zero With IMC Campaign Planning Contd.,

Second, it informs everyone involved with MC, including outside MC agencies, what is expected of them.

Third, it helps to ensure that the MC effort is integrated and

focused on most important communication issues.

Fourth, a MC plan tells top management how and why MC money will be spent and what the company can expect in return for the money it is investing in marketing communications.
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1. Starting At Zero With IMC Campaign Planning Contd.,

Fifth, the plan provides a standard against which progress and final results can be measured. In most cases the campaign, which is a set of MC messages with a common theme that runs for a specified period of time to achieve certain MC objectives. Applying Zero-Based Planning

2. The IMC Planning

The six-step planning process is equally applicable to B2C and B2B companies; to companies of every size and stature.
Identifying Target Audiences Analyzing SWOTs Determining MC objectives Develop Strategies and Tactics Determine the Budget Evaluate Effectiveness
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1. 2. 3. 4.

5.
6.

3. The IMC Planning: Identifying the Target Audience

To advertise and promote a product to everyone would be waste of money.

http://happydent.in/TVC.html
Therefore, companies segment customers based on

certain characteristics and the likelihood that group

members will buy certain characteristics and the likelihood that group members will buy the product;

then companies target messages specifically to these

key audiences. Segmenting and Targeting
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3. The IMC Planning: Identifying the Target Audience

1.

Targeting focuses the MC effort on Current customers who are most likely to repurchase or influence purchases. Customers and prospects who need special attention for whatever reason.

2.

3.

Prospects who have never bought the brand might buy it, given their profiles.
Other stakeholders who affect or influence these three categories of customers or prospects may also be targeted. Account Planning help companies identify and understand their target audience.
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4.

5.

4. The IMC Planning: Analyzing SWOTs

1.

Analyzing SWOT
A SWOT analysis is a structured evaluation of internal strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities and threats that can help or hurt a brand.

2.

Relationship construct to know how do customers rate a brand with respect to competition.
SWOT analysis of brand communication.

3.

4.

Prioritizing SWOT

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5. The IMC Planning: Determining Marketing Communication Objective

Objectives are what marketers want to achieve with the help of marketing communications.

Communication Objectives versus Marketing Objectives

Using Consumer Behavior

Prioritized

SWOT

findings

determine objectives.

Models to set objectives such

as AIDA or think/feel/do model

SMART objectives make good

objectives.

Baseline or benchmark
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6. The IMC Planning: Developing Strategies and Tactics

Strategies are ideas about how to accomplish objectives. Tactics are specific actions to be taken to

execute a strategy.

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6. The IMC Planning: Developing Strategies and Tactics

1.

Phases of Strategy Development

Selecting the Marketing Communication and Media mixes-A marketing communications mix is the selection of MC functions used at a given time as a part of marketing program. Selecting the Creative Idea Selling the strategy with a strong rationale. Involves timing and scheduling
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2. 3. 4.

7. The IMC Planning: Setting the Budget

1. 2.

3.
4.

Marketing and marketing communications department are allocated a fixed amount of money for a fixed period of time. Cost or investment? Determining how much to spend on MC Percent-of-Sales Budgeting ROI Budgeting Objective-and-Task Budgeting Share-of-Voice Budgeting
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