Role of Other Communication Mix in IMC
Communication mix refers to the combination of different tools/methods of communication made by an organisation to attain a particular goal. Communication mix consists of Offline and Online tools.
IMC is the well-coordinated and strategic implementation of various methods of promotion to accomplish set objectives. It also involves the optimal utilisation of resources of marketing so that best results can be obtained at minimum cost.
It is important to integrate customer data, employees and market- ing communications to maintain consistency of communication and ensure resource optimisation.
Smith, Berry and Pulford have defined IMC as “the strategic analysis, choice, implementation and control of all elements of marketing com- munications which efficiently, economically and effectively influence transactions between an organisation and its existing and potential customers, consumers and clients.”
Communication mix tools (both Online and Offline) are multifarious. Different organisations can communicate one message to their customers in multiple ways.
There must be balance because too much information through multi-communication tools can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. IMC as an integrated approach simultaneously makes excellent use of various channels.
Table of Content
These tools include sales promotion, social media, telemarketing, emails etc.
Communication mix in IMC helps in:
- Receiving best outcomes
- Maintaining creativity and consistency
- Cost savings
- Alignment of preferences of the customers
Too may lead to confusion in the minds of the customers. Hence, customer data need to be built and communication with the customer needs to be monitored. Organisations must align business values for the employees and others as well. Employees are the asset and face of the business or ambassadors.
Sales Promotion and IMC
Sales promotion is an IMC tool used to stimulate an organisation’s revenue by giving incentives to distributors, salesmen or customers over a short period. It typically consists of special offers, coupons, displays; demonstrations, etc. Sales promotions usually seem to have a positive impact on brand consciousness, purchaser satisfaction and revenue.
Sales promotion is affected by two main factors are:
- Internal factors are those factors that operate within an organisation. These include the decision of the top management, the use of sales promotion tools by the product manager and the pressure handling capacity of the product manager when the goal is to obtain a quick sales response.
- External factors are those that exist outside the firm in the marketing environment. These include an increase in the number of brands, and competitors, inflation and recession, trade pressure, government control of the media, etc.
The techniques employed by an organisation during sales promotion:
- Communication: The sales personnel informs, orients and persuades the buyer to make a sale.
- Incentivise: The sales team offers further incentives or throws in freebees for the customer to lock in the purchase.
- Invitation: Memberships with a promise of incentives in near future are also offered to garner loyalty from the customers.
The following are the tools that are used by the sales promotion team:
- Letters and mails
- Point of purchase displays
- Demonstrations
- Offers and discounts
- Coupons and gifts
What is Sales Promotions?
Sales promotions are offered to customers, distributors, clients, etc. with the help of marketing campaigns during a pre-set, limited amount of time. To improve awareness, impact and participation, sales promotions are combined with other marketing communication tools in the promotional mix.
Examples:
- Sales team sends weekly emails to the target audience informing them about the sales, special offers and coupons.
- Organisation’s website pop up the promotional information informing consumers about the availability of a rebate or other special offer.
- Posters and other promotional materials are used to create awareness
- Social media campaigns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are used for customer engagement
- Sweepstakes forms are incorporated into a magazine advertisement.
Following are the tools of sales promotion:
Sales promotion
These tools are designed to attract the concerned target group and convert their interest in to desire and drive them to act. Sales promotion involves application of the following tools:
- Free Samples: These are offers of a free amount or a trial of a product for consumers which can be delivered door to door, sent in the mail, picked up in a store or found attached to an- other product. Samples are considered as the most effective and most expensive method for introducing a new product. For example: Ariel Trial Pack was introduced by Hindustan Levers for its detergent powder Ariel Micro System.
- Rebates: These are cash refund or rebate after the purchase rather than at the retail shop. Rebates are given when the con- sumer sends a specified ‘proof of purchase’ to the seller, who ‘refunds’ part of the purchase price by mail.
- Price packs: These are also known as cents-off deals. For example; Rs.5 off on a Tata tea pack of 500 grams.
- Premiums or gifts: These are merchandise offered at a rel- atively low cost or free, as an incentive to buy some specific products. For example; Reusable jars, key chains, containers or buy one get one free or buy three at the price of two etc.
- Prizes (Contests, Sweepstakes, Games): These are offers of the chance to win cash, trips, mobile etc. as a result of purchasing something. For example; Amazon Spin wheel, Quiz Contest, Nyka’s spin wheel etc.
- Free trials: These consist of inviting prospective customer to try the product without cost hoping that they will purchase the product. For example; MamaEarth Free trial samples.
- Buy back allowances: These are the allowances which are given to the buyers based on their previous purchases. These are given for new purchases on the basis of the quantity of goods bought previously.
- Discount: Reduction in the product price on a particular item during a particular period. Discount is common during festival season or during off-season period. For example; 50% off on Diwali sales, New year sales.
Trade Promotion
Trade sales promotions are directed at resellers. The terms trade includes distributors, dealers, wholesalers and retailers who are involved in distributing the company’s products. Trade sales promotion are part of “Push strategy” of manufacturers. Out of a total sales promotion budget, a higher portion is spent on trade sales promotion by the manufacturers.
Following are tools of trade promotion:
- Buying allowance: It is granted to those dealers who purchase in stipulated period of time. Buying allowance motivates dealers to buy in huge quantity and get immediate benefit like price reduction.
- Merchandise allowance: Manufacturer of the products may offer a merchandise allowance for the retailer’s agreement if retailer feature the manufacturer’s product in some way. For example, an advertisement allowance compensates retailers for advertising the product. A display allowance compensate the retailers for the usage of special displays.
- Off-invoice allowance: Manufacturer offers the retailer a reduction on the price of the product at the time of billing, generally for a limited period of time. It is of following types:
- Individual case bonus: A discount per unit purchased
- Volume allowance: Discount given to a retailer or wholesaler for buying large volumes of merchandise.
- Discount overrides: Supplier extends distributors/retailers a discount on their total purchases over a specified time period (usually one year) rather than on individual orders.
- Count & Recount: A technique wherein inventory is counted at the starting of the promotion and recounted at the end of the promotion period.
- Free merchandise: Promotional items that are distributed or sold free of charge.
- Individual case bonus: A discount per unit purchased
- Slotting allowance: It is also known as slotting fee, charged to producers/manufacturers by supermarket retailers for keeping their products, stocking in warehouse, or inventory and IT support.
- Buy-back allowance: This allowance offers to buy back the ‘old’ product, or commits to buying back the stock of the new product that is not sold during a specific period of time.
- Advertising/performance allowance: It encourages the retailer to advertise the manufacturer’s brand. This allowance is given when proof of the advertisement is produced.
- Dealer contests: It refers to a contest for dealers to encourage them to increase their sales performance over a period of time. Sales contests recognise good performers.
- Dealer loaders: It is a premium or other reward that encourage a retailer to develop a special display or product offering.
Consumer Promotion
It refers to a marketing strategy designed to entice customers to buy more. It helps in developing brand loyalty among current customers. Following are the tools of consumer promotion:
- Coupons: These are certificates offered to the consumers which entitle them to purchase the product at discounted rates or prices. Coupons can be provided to the consumer via email, can be included in advertisements appearing in newspaper, magazines, FSI etc. For example; ZOMATO50 coupon code
- Contests: These are the promotion events that give consumers the chance to win cash, trips, goods etc. Contests are conducted to attract new customers. For example: Vote and enter for a chance to win.
- Cash refund: These are rebates allowed from the product price. This sales promotion tool offers to refund part of the purchase price of a product to consumers who send a proof of purchase to the manufacturer. For example- Cashback on Paytm.
Product Promotion
Product promotion is done to improve awareness of the product, its features and offering solution to consumer’s problem. It answers the questions of the consumer.
Following are the tools of product promotion:
- Sampling: You can give free samples to people
- Premium: Involve the consumer purchasing a product in order to receive a free gift or reward
- Self liquidator: Type of product promotion tool that required the customer to pay a designated amount for the premium or the gift which are sold at price below the retail price
- Email: Encourage consumers to sign up for a rewards program or email newsletter
Role of Sales Promotions Tools in IMC
Tools of sales promotions give the reason to consumers to purchase a particular product. These tools play an important role in IMC as they help in broadening awareness, impact and participation; these tools are combined with other IMC tools like digital marketing in the promotional mix.
Let us discuss the role of Sales promotion in IMC.
- Gives a competitive age to survive and grow
- Attract new or existing customers through special offers, discounts and coupons
- Provide promotional information like rebate or other special offer on the package
- Convert advertisements expenditure into revenue
- Minimise or eliminate the idle cycles in some specific products
- Deals like free trial, rebate, premium, gifts etc. influence the consumers attitude towards brands
- Increase average consumption rate
- Product visibility on shelves gets increased
- Help in introducing a new product in the market
- Create synergies between sales promotions and other marketing activities
- Amplify the brands message and encourage active participation from target customers
- Improve brand loyalty
Personal Selling and IMC
Let us discuss what is personal selling. Personal selling tool of market- ing is done via face-to-face interaction with consumers. The purpose of private selling is to make presentations, answer questions and take orders. Personal selling enables keeping a long-term relationship with the purchaser.
The primary gain is that the message may be custom-designed to meet the desires of the customers. Personal selling is the second most com- mon method of communicating the benefits of a product to a potential customer and converting them from a result to a prospect and, even- tually, to a customer.
For example, when you enter a branded store like Mark & Spencer, ZARA, Body Shop, you will usually find that the company promoter is already present inside the store. The reason that the company appoints their brand promoter is the fact that this ensures that the purchaser can have a higher interest in their logo. In addition, because he was specifically hired through the brand, the company’s salesman may have a better understanding of the product and the competition.
At the same time, the shop salesman may not be as informed as the brand salesman because he has such a lot of manufacturers and merchandise to promote.
He becomes overloaded and, in the long run, forgets the functions of the products he is promoting. So, if a company desires to communicate the blessings of its merchandise, persuade and convert the purchaser, then personal selling with hand-picked and skilled executives is an excellent option.
In IMC, personal selling helps in the following manner:
- Collecting information
- Disseminating information
- Fulfilling orders
- Building a relationship with clients for a longer time
Role of Personal Selling in IMC
Let us understand the role of personal selling in IMC.
There are different types of promotion, but when we compare personal selling with the other types of promotion, it can be noticed that personal selling is the most precise form of market communication.
This is because personal selling assures brands or companies that they are in direct contact with an excellent prospect. The costs of recruiting, selecting, training and motivating salespeople make personal selling expensive. Despite the high costs, it plays a key role in IMC and the overall marketing strategy.
Personal selling involves achieving goals like finding prospects, informing prospects, persuading them to purchase and keeping customers satisfied through follow-up service after the sale. These goals are accomplished by making salespeople more competent in selling skills and also thoroughly trained in technical product characteristics.
Personal selling helps in:
- Locating prospective customers by recognising the needs and wants of customers
- Advising the prospects and suggesting, the possible solutions
- Building customers’ cooperation
- Informing the customers about the new product line
- Gathering market information and potential
- Demonstrating product features and technical know-how
- Driving customers commitment
- Following up
Not many brands can survive on the revenue gained from only trans- actional marketing or single-time purchases. That’s why personal selling has evolved to take on elements of customer service and marketing research. By delivering exceptional service and learning more about the customer’s needs, personal selling helps analyse the customer’s reaction toward them and build relationships during the sales process.
Public Relation (PR), Publicity and IMC
Let us discuss the meaning of public relations and publicity. PR is a communication method that is directed toward enhancing the connection between the enterprise and the general public. It consists of press releases, publicity and information conferences. While other strategies, such as product placement and sponsorships, particularly of events and experiences, tend to generate a lot of PR, the growth and significance of sponsorships are so important for so many businesses that they’re frequently considered a separate aspect of the conversation.
Many businesses have internal PR departments or else they outsource it to PR agencies to discover and create public relations possibilities for them. As such, public relation is an integral component of a com- pany’s promotion budget and integrated marketing communications. Technology, financial services, infrastructure, pharma and healthcare and lifestyle comes under the scope of public relation.
PR covers:
- Brand Communications
- Customer Relationship Building
- Corporate Reputation Management
- Financial Communications and IR
- Community Relations
- Public Affairs
- Crisis Communications
- Internal Communication
Following are the common objectives under PR:
- To give information
- To influence opinions
- To build or sustain attitudes and feelings
- To change behaviour
Let us discuss parties or public under public relations.
- Employees: An organisation’s employees determine the success and failure of any business unit. An organisation must have sound public relations with them so that they become enthusiastic, loyal and capable.
- Customers: They are the base for any business and every business exists for its customers. PR with customers help in knowing complaints and suggestion of the customers. Thus helps in removing product defects, knowing attitude of buyers and it becomes easy for the customers to launch new product line.
- Government: The policies, rules and administrative procedures created by the government play an important part in each of business activities. Good PR with Government helps in avoiding unnecessary restrictions and interference of the Government.
- Suppliers and middlemen: Suppliers provide inputs to the business and middlemen helps in the distribution of the products. Positive PR with them helps in fair dealings, credit facilities, assistance during bad time etc.
- Mass media: It includes TV, newspaper, radio etc. Mass media help business to reach other parties and convey its message to million people. Good PR helps in improving images and goodwill of the business.
- Servicing agencies: These consist of banks and financial institutions, warehousing, transportation, insurance agencies etc. Positive PR with servicing agencies help in improving image, save time, assistance during difficult time etc.
- Shareholders: Shareholders are the owners of the firm. With the help of good PR with shareholders, company can know the attitude of shareholders, can raise funds, improve impression.
- Others: They can be local public, academic institutions, charitable trust, environmentalist, debtor etc.
Publicity
Publicity is likewise a mode of mass conversation. It is an unpaid form of mass communication that entails getting favourable reactions from consumers with the aid of commercially vast information placed in mass media. It is important to note that publicity is not paid for in any which way. There are two types of publicity:
- Positive publicity (positively affects the brand image)
- Negative publicity (negatively affect the brand image)
Publicity comes from reporters, columnists and journalists. It may be considered as part of public family members. Publicity entails giving public speeches, giving interviews, undertaking seminars, imparting charitable donations, inaugurating mega events with the aid of using movie actors, cricketers, politicians or famous personalities, arranging a level show, etc., that appeal to mass media.
Role of PR and Publicity in IMC
PR can be used as an IMC tool in the following manner:
- By identifying target groups or audiences
- By determining the objectives and messages to be conveyed
- By putting communication channels, tools and instruments in place
- By timing for PR action
- By implementing plan
- By measuring its effectiveness
Events, Experiences, Activation and IMC
Let us discuss what is event activation, brand activation and experiential activation. Event activation is a brand new and surprisingly powerful way to create a wonderful and long-lasting effect for your occasion attendees through advertising, marketing and brand advertising. As an event organiser, the onus lies on you to create a unique event to be loved by the attendees. In this period of social media and steady virtual connectivity, it is becoming increasingly difficult to grab the attention of human beings.
Event activation offers you that extra wow factor. Branded experiential advertising and marketing, as well as brand activation, refer to a more modern, well-targeted approach to marketing that is high-con- tact, event-based and engagement-focused. This new form of marketing objectives would provide precise customer studies that they could not get anywhere else.
Role of Events, Experiential and Brand Activation Marketing in IMC
Brand activation and experiential marketing campaigns, when done correctly, provide numerous precise advantages. In this increasingly competitive business, companies prefer to use the integrated marketing method (IMC) because it is more cost-effective and more efficient in terms of marketing approach. The main distinction of promoting and marketing a product using media event is the greater opportunity for potential buyers to directly interact with the new product.
Therefore, bringing a group of consumers and media at one place will be more effective if using several marketing methods that generate sales so that the media event can help realise a successful IMC. Event marketing serves to spread awareness for a new product. There will always be competition to attract consumers to buy a product using print media or visual media. However, you can try to attract attention by holding a social gathering where you can attract potential buyers directly and help them interact with the new product firsthand.
They attract clients with a huge audience, supply memorable studies and contact points, have an impact on the introduction of consumer-generated content material and responses, can “move viral” and unfold throughout the internet, and, of course, effectively circulate services or products for a brand. Most importantly, they can get you unwavering clients.
Brand activations are occasions, studies and interactions that forge lasting emotional connections between a brand and its audience. These activations are normally part of a particular marketing campaign or occasion that is supposed to generate brand recognition and interactivity with your audience. Many terms are used to describe an experiential activation, including event advertising and marketing, stay advertising and marketing, participation in advertising and marketing, experiential advertising and marketing, brand activation and brand revel in advertising and marketing.
Experiential marketing occasions are valuable in helping others recognise your brand or product and increasing your social media following and engagement. In addition, those varieties of events permit a client to visualise how your brand will fit into their lifestyle. Most experiential marketing campaigns consist of a few factors of emblem activation and each of the phrases overlap, which can make it a bit complicated for human beings to apprehend the variations among the two.
However, as most experiential advertising and marketing organisations will inform you, experiential marketing is more than simply brand activations or product activations.
Experiential advertising and marketing has a much longer time frame than brand activations because it is considered a completely different advertising and marketing approach. While traditional marketing styles used to be entirely focused on the benefits of the products, experiential marketing is entirely focused on the customer’s experience with the logo and product.
The ultimate goal of experiential advertising and marketing, as demonstrated by maximum experiential marketing campaigns and experiential advertising and marketing organisations, is to establish a genuine relationship between the client and the symbol.
Events are extremely important in integrated marketing communication. It creates a buzz about the product or emblem, it creates a fan following even before the consumer has mastered the service or product, it creates a positioning for your service or product and most significantly, it creates sales-equipped leads.
However, events are tough to manage. They want meticulous plans and a crystal-clear message that business enterprises desire to carry through. Even so, occasions continue to have a place in advertising and marketing verbal exchange.
The system of making plans and coordinating the occasion is normally known as “event planning,” and that can consist of budgeting, scheduling, site selection, obtaining essential permits, coordinating transportation and parking, arranging for an audio system or entertainers, arranging decor, occasion security, catering, coordinating with third- party celebration vendors and developing emergency plans.
Each occasion is distinct so a system of making plans and executing every occasion differs on the foundation of the form of the occasion.
The events enterprise now consists of occasions of all sizes, from the Olympics right down to commercial enterprise breakfast meetings. Many industries, charitable organisations and hobby groups preserve occasions that allow you to market them, construct commercial enterprise relationships, improve money or celebrate achievement.
Direct Marketing and IMC
Direct marketing is an age-old method of marketing communication wherein an organisation communicates directly with the consumer through email, phone calls, the Internet, brochure, catalogue, etc. Companies normally have a database of consumers, through which they immediately contact clients.
Direct marketing includes personalised and frequently interactive promotional material to characterise purchasers through channels inclusive of mail, catalogues, the Internet, e-mail, phone calls and direct-response advertising. By targeting purchasers individually, cor- porations hope to get purchasers to take action.
Any marketing that is based on direct conversation or distribution to specific purchasers rather than through a third party, including mass media, is considered direct marketing. Many of the transport structures used include mail, email, social media and texting campaigns. It is known as “direct advertising” as it normally removes the middleman, inclusive of advertising media.
What is Direct Marketing?
According to the Direct Marketing Association (DAM),” Direct marketing is an interactive advertising gadget that makes use of one or greater marketing and marketing media to have an effect on a measurable reaction and/ or transaction at any location.”
Direct marketing includes app based approach, QR code scanning, SMS to xxxxxx, a special number for respondents to call etc. It can also be monitored through mechanisms like number of orders received via email or SMS, hit rates/visitors, number of likes, specific URL statistics, App download/first order or repeat order. Direct marketing helps in obtaining customers information- name, contact details, email address, alternative person’s information etc.
Following are the objectives of direct marketing:
- To identify prospective customer
- To direct sale
- To do cross-selling
- To extend sales or distribution support
- To retain customer and improve customer loyalty
- To improve customer engagement
- To build brand community
Role of Direct Marketing in IMC
Below given points describe the role of direct marketing in IMC:
- It helps in sending specific messages to targeted groups of customers and potential customers on the basis of demographics and buying behaviour.
- It helps in personalisation.
- It is one of the cost effective tool of IMC because it uses emails, SMS to reach audience.
- It is informative and measurable as it asks the recipient to take a particular action or use a specific code which is traceable.
- It helps in obtaining personal information of the target audience like:
- Name
- Contact number
- Email address
- Alternate person’s number and name
- Seek permission
- It supports and is supported by the other elements of promotional mix i.e. personal selling, public relations, advertising, sales promotion etc.
- It seeks direct response through media which include direct mail, catalogs, print media, telemarketing etc.
Historically, direct marketing was the first area of marketing communication to adopt an integrated marketing approach. One reason that integration works so well in direct response marketing is because of its effects on the customers. By using databases, companies can become more sensitive to customers’ wants and needs and less likely to bother them with unwanted commercial messages. Integrated direct marketing is considered to be a systematic method of getting close to your best current potential customers.
Direct marketing achieves direct response from the customer in the following form:
- A request from catalogues or sale literature
- Purchase over telephone or by past or via the internet
- A request for product demonstration
- A request for a salesman visit
Techniques of Direct Marketing
Following are the techniques of direct marketing:
- Mail order marketing: This is also known as catalogue marketing or mail order business. In mail-order marketing, the consumer becomes aware of a product through information furnished to them by the marketers through catalogues dispatched by mail.
- Direct mail marketing: In this marketing, not only letters or attachments to the prospects are mailed but free product, samples, gifts and compliments are also mailed depending on the context.
- Database marketing: Use of huge database of customer records and contact information so that the companies can contact the target customers from time to time, and tries to inform and convince the customers about the products.
- Telemarketing: It is a less expensive direct marketing technique where trained specialists use telecommunication and information technologies to contact customers and conduct marketing and sales activities.
- Teleshopping: It is also referred as home-shopping, where marketer shows products on the air and customers watch it on their TV screen at home and encourage viewers to make a buying decision.
Direct marketing campaign should be evaluated against clearly defined objectives which include:
- Sales volume and value
- Response rate (the percentage of contacts responding)
- Number of existing customers re-buying
- Conversion rate from enquiry to sale
- Renewal rate
- Repeat purchase rate
- Number of enquiries
- Cost per order/enquiry/sale
- Number of new customers
Word-of-mouth Marketing and IMC
Let’s discuss the meaning of Word-of-Mouth marketing in detail. Word-of-Mouth marketing (or WOM marketing) occurs when a pur- chaser’s interest in an organisation’s services or products is reflected in their daily dialogue.
Essentially, its mile-free marketing and mar- keting triggered by consumer reports—typically, something that exceeds their expectations. WOM marketing refers to any method in which people share information about your company’s logo, products or ser- vices with others. It also includes any actions your company takes to encourage people to share their stories with your logo and endorse others on your behalf.
WOM marketing is a type of free marketing or marketing that is influ- enced by buyers’ impressions, feelings and thoughts. With the con- sumers being easily available and interactive with each other on the digital platform; social media is providing an ideal opportunity to brands for their WOM marketing.
Today, each brand strives to be seen on social media and rank better on Google. If a brand can create an incredible product and promote and package it well, the consumers themselves can become spokespersons for the brand on social media and can promote it. They can easily share their advantages and attract new customers. Such businesses then won’t want too many advertis- ing strategies which don’t even promise tangible results.
On social media, consumers are increasingly becoming a part of WOM promo- tion in several ways. It may be an unpacking video on Instagram Sto- ries, an overview on a website, a hashtag or a tag. As a result, human beings can see this content material and think about interacting with a specific organisation too.
Referral marketing (and other referral-type marketing) is a segment of WOM marketing, but it is a more proactive way of generating clientele, as you have to control the referral process and track the process of conversion.
WOM marketing in IMC
- Most consumers believe the recommendations from their friends and family member over any product or service. WOM marketing is one of the most powerful tools of IMC that helps the organisation to influence and encourage organic discussions about a brand, organisation, resource, or event.
- Consumers love referrals and trust the opinions of relative and friends when making purchasing decisions. For example; Coca-co- la’s #shareacoke campaign which asked consumers to participate by sharing a personalised Coke bottle with friends, in person and on social media.
- WOM marketing tool of IMC is essentially seeking to kick start an exponential referral chain that drives:
- Continuous traffic
- Leads
- Sales
- WOM marketing has become more effective because of digital media in the following manner:
- Companies now apply more User Generated Content (UGC). UGC is content created and shared by the consumer (photos, video, text, etc.) about the brands and products. For example; Parachute launched #MyParachuteHome campaign which included content featuring the company’s products. The company showcased how other buyers have made Parachute products a part of their home.
- Brands shows online reviews and testimonials of their customers for promotion which helps in reassuring their products performance and acts as a social proof.
- Companies based on the nature of their business request customers to rate or review specific product directly on their website. This is mainly done by tech companies involved in the development of mobile applications, website design, event management etc.
- Companies now apply more User Generated Content (UGC). UGC is content created and shared by the consumer (photos, video, text, etc.) about the brands and products. For example; Parachute launched #MyParachuteHome campaign which included content featuring the company’s products. The company showcased how other buyers have made Parachute products a part of their home.
- WOM marketing with the help of referral program makes spreading of word easy and quick. Company can also measure the results.
- WOM marketing is done via an influencer (individual with strong followings and power). For example; influencers on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube are doing WOM marketing. Refer figure 8.12
Digital Marketing and IMC
Digital marketing is the technique of promoting and selling goods or offerings through the usage of distinct kinds of online advertising tactics, which include company websites, social media advertising, search engine marketing, content advertising, e-mail advertising, etc.
Let us discuss what is digital marketing. The term “digital marketing” refers to using virtual channels to market services and products to
attain customers. This kind of marketing entails using all digital plat- forms, such as websites, smartphones, social media, search engines and other digital channels. Advertising and marketing on Digital media entail similar ideas as conventional advertising and is consid- ered a contemporary way for organisations to attract clients and con- vert them into regular users.
Companies regularly integrate conventional and digital marketing strategies into their strategies. The key appeal of digital marketing is the customised or personalised communication that the brand makes with the consumer. Your e-mail box, your Facebook wall and your Twitter feed is your personal spaces and through digital marketing, brands can make their way into your personal spaces and make a con- nection. If the Digital campaign is successful, it can lead to a huge amount of virtual followers.
However, it may also be noted that within distinct social media chan- nels, you’ll be selling your products and services differently. For instance, you’ll be selling your offerings on Instagram in a manner distinct from that of TikTok. On Instagram, it can be with the shape of visible factors like images and infographics.
Finally, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) can be defined as the method used to unify advertising communication factors, which consist of public relations, social media, advertising, direct marketing and digital marketing – properly into a brand identity that remains consistent through all these media channels. It allows businesses and organisations to deliver a captivating and seamless client expe- rience for a product and/or service and to optimise an organisation’s image and relationship with stakeholders in a consistent manner. The integrated marketing communication combines traditional and new media practices in a holistic manner.
Role of Digital Marketing in IMC
Digital marketing helps the advertisers to show their advertisements to the targeted audience right on their mobile phones, laptops/desk- tops, smart TVs, or tablets. Following are the key divisions in digital marketing:
- Organic: Here advertiser spends time but not money.
- Inorganic: Here advertiser pays money to achieve goals.
For companies, smart phones are just advertising screens, who display Advertisements that are customised as per personality of the user.
Digital marketing is concerned with using organic methods like SEO, Email marketing through list building to grow a business like Quora drives traffic to the website. It takes efforts, not money in doing so. Quora improves organic reach. Digital marketing improves compa- ny’s conversion rate and the quality of leads.
Following are the tools of digital marketing:
- Pay-per-Click (PPC): An advertising system in which the advertis- ers need to pay for each click produced for their websites
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Improving the visibility of search engine results by making modifications in content and Web pages
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM): A type of advertisement that allows an advertiser to bid for the keywords that people are typing in search engines
- Website: Optimising a website with creative and unique content facilitates a smooth experience to users on websites, microsites, blogs, etc. helps in driving visitors and leads
- E-mail marketing: Sending personalised mails to the targeted audience is a lead-nurturing strategy adopted by organisations
Let us know the reasons why digital marketing is a critical IMC effort.
According to, Robert Allen, “digital marketing is a critical IMC effort because different channels have different strengths and weaknesses, and different types of content suit different channels better – Twitter is good for short, witty and pithy messages, whilst Pinterest is great for content related to design, and aspirational content works best on Instagram.”
The efforts of companies in digital marketing are focused on the channels most used by a more mature demographic such as blogs, multi-media, email marketing, Google search and video advertising. It is necessary for the companies to understand the relevant market space, its strengths and weaknesses to get the right brand message across to the intended audience.