Importance of Integrated Marketing Communications

Importance of Integrated Marketing Communications This research will be dedicated to the subject area of Integrated Marketing communications and will investigate the planning and execution of marketing communication strategies. The proposed tittle of the dissertation is: An investigation of contemporary approaches in managing marketing communication strategies to forge brand awareness and to build strong brand-consumer relationship through the use of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). A case study of Indian Companies. Marketing Communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers- directly or indirectly- about the products and brands they sell. Kotler and Keller (2009). In accordance to this definition, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) can be characterised as a concept that focuses on identifying and developing strategy with the right combination of marketing channels to forge a stronger brand-consumer relationship. 2. Aims and Objectives for the Research (Background and Issue/Issues underlying the research)? Aims It is important for any organisation to notify consumers about its products and brands exploiting different means and to market their products. However, the development such marketing strategies rebuffs the existence of significant factors and assumes that the process is flexible enough to cope with any adversities that are expected in the real world. However, the aim of this dissertation will be to demonstrate that this assumption is wrong and the situation is indeed a significant aspect in the selection and configuration of the marketing communication strategies. The dissertation will critically reflect on the methods followed by organisations and will attempt to formulate a situational approach in developing an effectual marketing communication program. Objectives The objectives of this research would be: Outlining the role and relevance of Integrated Marketing communications in establishing stronger brand-consumer relationship. Critically evaluating the development of an analytical framework of various Integrated Marketing communications tools for planning communication strategy. Examining the effects of information provided by the marketers on customers attitudes towards a product or brand. To propose a set of best practices that lead to the development of an effective marketing campaign by a situational combination of different elements of the examined models. 3. Literature Review that will provide the academic underpinning: The literature discusses Integrated Marketing Communication to be a concept which is designed to make all the aspects of the marketing communications such as advertising, direct marketing, personal selling, etc. to work as a unified force rather than permitting them to work in isolation. Kotler and Keller (2009) define Marketing Communications as the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers-directly or indirectly-about the products and brands they sell. In addition to this, they view integrated marketing communication as the personification of a company and its brand which possesses a message and builds relationship with the consumers. Kotler and Armstrong, 2008 also comes to the conclusion that the objective of marketing communications is to ensure the consistency of message with complimentary use of media. Kotler and Keller, 2009 states that Integrated Marketing Communications helps in building brand equity by portraying the brand in the minds of the potential consumers and forming a brand image. Kotler and Armstrong (2008), claims that conflicting messages from a wide range of media mix and communication approaches creates confusion in the consumers mind about the companys image, brand positions, and customer relationships. They also maintain, Integrated Marketing Communications leads to a total marketing communication strategy aimed at building strong brand-consumer relationships by creating awareness of the brand among the consumers and linking it to the right associations to the brand image in the their memory. Kotler and Keller (2009) argue that to reinforce the prestigious image of a product or brand, a well-chosen formulation of Integrated Marketing Communications platforms is important. The marketers must seek and co-ordinate the messages from a variety of different sources (Yeshin, 1998). Yeshin further extended that there must be a feedback mechanism between all the elements of the communication strategy and the development inputs of the communication strategy must be chosen in a way that fulfil the promotional objectives established for the campaign. Percy (2008) recognized the integrated use several of marketing communication tools as the largest and fastest growing form of marketing communication which the company uses to introduce or to strengthen its product or brand in the market place. Onkvisit and Shaw cited in Blythe (2003) states that customers attitude is the learned inclination to respond time to time in a favourable or unfavourable way towards that particular product. Opinion towards a product or brand can be considered as a measure of how much a person likes or dislikes a brand (Pelsmacker, Geuens and Bergh, 2001). They describe the reason for these brand attitudes is the belief that the more favourable the brand attitudes are, the more likely the purchase of a brand becomes. Cognitive orientation, based on an information-processing, problem-solving and reasoning approach of human beings, considers the consumers to be an adaptive problem solver, who uses the information provided through various channels to conceptualize and acquiring knowledge (Fill, 2002). It appears that many of the motives for purchase are driven deeply by information provided by the marketers explaining that how the use of a particular product or brand can solve a specific problem, which is also supported by Fill (2002). Developing effective communications begins with identifying the target audiences, their objectives, designing messages, selecting the channels and establishing the budget (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Furthermore, they maintains that most effective communication plan focuses on achieving multiple objectives such as brand awareness, brand attitude, brand purchase intention, etc. The targeted audiences have critical impact on the marketers decisions about what will be said, how, where, when and who will say it (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Harmonizing to Kotler and Keller (2009), Kotler and Armstrong suggest that feedback also plays an important role in making a communication strategy more effective. Marketers need to know where the target audiences now stand and to what stage they need to be moved (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Researches indicate that the best communication program ask questions and allow readers and viewers to form their own conclusions (Kotler and Keller, 2009). 4. Sources of data/information you anticipate using: The selection of resources has been limited by the fact that there is no financial support available. For my project, I will use the following resources: Personal Network: My professional experience put me into the position of having a well-populated address book in hand. I have identified a group of individuals, who not only have the required level of expertise but might also want to participate in my project because they are interested in the subject. The information will be sourced from three directors, two general managers, four marketing managers of the companies listed below: Schà ¶n Ultrawares Pvt. Ltd., India. Tulip 3P Media Pvt. Ltd., India. Daksh Tools and Appliances Pvt Ltd., India. Libraries: There are university library and several public libraries, I have access to. In addition university library offers a nation-wide inter library loan service. Association for Computing Machinery: This special interest group for computer professionals provides several valuable resources. Most of them can be directly accessed online via the Digital Virtual Library. 5. Access/Research Ethics: I will confirm the Chairman, Directors and Marketing managers of the company clearly and in advance of the purpose of my research. I will ensure that they understand that I am collecting data for my Masters research. I will notify them that the data will only be published in my Dissertation. I will do this on email. I will also report them on email that the identity of the Company as well as their identities will not be revealed in my Dissertation. I will do this by speaking with the Directors and the marketing manager and also emailing them. I will also advise them that their views will not be read by other respondents in the Company. In this way, I will ensure confidentiality. 6. Possible techniques to be used for data/information analysis/interpretation: Several factors call for an inductive approach for this research. The limited resources do not permit an exhaustive data collection as required for a quantitative analysis. At the same time, the differences in the Integrated Marketing Communication programs across organisations suggest a qualitative analysis that can take into account the particular set of circumstances under which the data has been collected (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009). In this respect the aim of the dissertation will be addressed through desk research and structured interviews. The desk research will involve critical evaluation on the readings from text books and articles from journals, newspapers and magazines, etc. written by the academics and practitioners related to the underpinnings of the basic theories and management of Integrated Marketing Communications. Data collection will consists of gathering information from directors, general managers and marketing managers. The research will incorporate interviews to identify the groundwork, beliefs and attitudes of the marketing personnel regarding the use of various platforms in their marketing strategies. Data generated from this research will be recorded, summarized using the content analysis technique and will be compared to the data by other studies, the results of which are presented in the literature. 7. Potential Outcomes of your piece of research: The outcomes of the research would be: Finding out and understanding the underpinnings of the marketing strategy of the Indian companies and the practices performed by them in regard to the use of the various Integrated Marketing Communication platforms to make customers aware about their products, brands and services. Comparing the practices of the companies with those of theoretical models proposed by the academics and practitioners to find out how the company performs in relation to the model. Recommendations on the strategies of the company as to whether they should stick with the same methods or how can they improve the quality of their strategies in spreading awareness through Integrated Marketing Communication platforms. 8. Timetable for your research covering the whole period of time available (by month) as below: Time Frame Activity March Refine research objectives. Some part of reading for literature review. April Deciding the structure of the literature review. Finalizing access arrangements. May Deciding on interview dates. Deciding on data for the questionnaires. June Finish reading for literature review. Begin writing chapter-1. Writing chapter-2. July Designing the questionnaire. Designing the interview structure. Designing how to analyze secondary data. Writing chapter-3. Beginning the interviews. Sending out questionnaires. August Finishing collecting data. Analyzing data. Writing chapter-4. Begin writing chapter-5. September Finishing chapter-5. Reviewing other chapters. Applying final changes. Proof reading. Submission of Dissertation.