Discussion for Marketing - Communications
Because of a proliferation of media, consumers are bombarded with many marketing messages on a daily basis. Just think about how many marketing messages you receive in the course of any given day:
· A coupon wrapped around the morning newspaper you retrieve from your front step.
· A radio advertisement during the morning news program you listen to as you prepare for work.
· An ad on the side of the bus you take to the train station.
· Another ad overhead as you ride the train.
· An ad on your favorite social network when you log in to post about your morning.
· A text alert announcing a sale going on at your preferred airline carrier.
· Someone handing out promotional flyers when you exit the train.
· And all this in just the first few hours of your day!
With all of the noise in the marketplace, how can a brand breakthrough and get noticed by consumers?
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
The goal of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is to deliver a consistent message to consumer through a variety of media options. You may be familiar with the saying "the sum is greater than its individual parts." Well, this is also the case in marketing and is the reason IMC campaigns are important!
The Who, Why, What, Where and How of IMC
In order to develop a successful IMC campaign, you must answer the following:
· Who is the target?
· Why are you communicating with them? Whats the objective?
· What do you want to tell them? Whats the message?
· Where will you reach to them? (e.g. through what types of media or communication channels?)
· How will you accomplish this? (How much will you spend to make it happen?)
New Media vs. Traditional Media The best IMC campaigns employ a combination of new media and traditional media. Traditional media (also referred to as offline media) has been around the longest and therefore is "tried and true." Consequently, marketers continue to include traditional media in their campaigns. Additionally, new media (also referred to as digital or online media) has gained momentum rapidly and is now a central component in the marketing communication plan. Here are some examples of new media vs. traditional media:
· Traditional Media Examples:
· Newspaper Ads
· Television Commercials
· Direct Mail
· New Media Examples:
· Social Networking Sites