ROLE OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Having an awareness of integrated marketing communications allows a company to create a

multi-pronged marketing campaign that targets wider audiences. A master's in integrated
marketing communications teaches students how to determine the right channels that will target
the right audience with the right messaging.

BENEFITS OF USING INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Implementing an integrated marketing communications approach into your business strategy
will create long-term effects that boost your returns and position you as a leader in your field.
The following section will review some of the top ways utilizing IMC can directly improve your
business.

1. Improved Results
In traditional marketing approaches, you typically find high levels of separation between the
different teams. This results in press releases, advertising, direct marketing and sales
promotions that are all over the place and in some cases, conflict with one another. On the
outside, this comes off as disorganized and even chaotic to consumers.
Think of it like this; Your company makes delicious food. Your marketing strategies determine
how your food (products) are presented. When you lack cohesion amongst your marketing
teams it is as if someone took all that tasty food and just threw it into a fridge. The food’s taste
doesn’t change but its presentation makes it unappealing and a little suspect. Only the most
diligent customers will wade through the mess to find their lunch. Most will quickly get
overwhelmed and simply move on to another brand with a clearer message. 
An integrated approach brings your marketing teams together to form one big and beautiful
marketing machine. The information released by the press is backed up by blog posts, articles,
external marketing agencies, sales teams etc. The result is a harmonious message that
contributes to customer confidence.

2. Improved Brand Image

Have you ever heard the saying “you eat with your eyes?” Well, it applies to more than just food.
Having a brand message that is not only consistent but also uniform across style guides, logos,
voice, headers etc. is essential for improving brand image. Consistency builds trust and lets
consumers know you care about your product. 
Utilizing IMC will ensure your brand’s elements line up seamlessly. This unified approach will
maximize your market impact and carve out your niche or industry.
Here are a couple examples of successful IMC campaigns that utilized their brand to promote
awareness to their products and services.
1. Observe Domino’s AnyWare campaign. Wanting to make fast food orders more accessible,
Domino’s set up a webpage called anyware.dominos.com, which described all the key details of
their campaign to customers. The process of ordering a pizza before this campaign launched
was a tedious struggle, having to navigate through countless topping options, entering payment
information, updating mailing addresses, and then waiting for the delivery person to arrive.
Acting as their primary source of communication, this website received 500,000 hits. Domino’s
had developed a streamlined ordering system. Additionally, it could be used on almost any
platform, such as Twitter, text messages, smartwatches and smart TVs.
2. Another example is GoPro’s Be a Hero campaign. The aim of this campaign was to be
emotionally appealing to their target audiences. This campaign covered multiple mediums such
as magazines, in-store displays, billboards and digital marketing channels. Tyler
Morten designed many parts of this campaign and he states that the campaign was intended to
inspire people to live a full life and find new ways to share their thrilling experiences using
GoPro products. Be a Hero effectively advertised the new GoPro Hero device thanks to this
campaign.

3. Cost Effective
As a successful business owner you already know that reducing unnecessary costs as much as
possible is essential to survival.  This is why, if, for no other reason, you should care about
implementing an integrated marketing campaign.

Reduce Costs
First, you will reduce the costs of purchasing or creating images and copy for different media.
Simply use the same content across your various platforms to reduce design, copywriting and
photography costs.
Let’s take a look at a specific situation you may currently be facing. Video production for
different marketing media such as television, YouTube, and other social media platforms can be
very costly due to all of the moving parts. One way to avoid this problem is to use an external
communication supplier. This will help you reduce agency fees, because you’ll work with a
single firm that offers integrated marketing communication services.
Save Time
Second, you will save time for your marketing department, which can then be put towards
creating higher quality content to boost your visibility and drive sales. 
Maximize ROI
Third, you can increase your return on investment (ROI) by sending united messages instead of
delivering uncoordinated commercials or “one-and-done” advertisements. Integrated marketing
campaigns should be treated much like surprise birthday parties. Come up with an idea, and
then find various clever ways to execute them. For example, our focus is on marketing. You
could call that the theme of the party. As a result, everything we put out centers around the
concept of marketing. And while our audience would likely be interested in general business
advice, that doesn’t fit with our messaging. General business advice that isn’t marketing related,
would not fit with the theme of the party. You will ultimately increase your profitability by
maintaining a consistent message.
When your marketing team has less original content to create each week, they can spend the
time to craft thoughtful and engaging messages that will prompt consumer action. Your sales
will improve along with your content quality.

4. Increased Morale
So far we have discussed a lot of the external benefits IMC can have on your business. A great
IMC strategy can also lead to several great internal benefits, one of which is increased morale.
With less on their plate, a bigger focus on quality and a need for consistency across the board,
your teams will need to be in better contact with each other.
 TRENDS IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
1. Amplifying earned media wins. ...
2. Continuing significance of influencers and micro-influencers. ...
3. Focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. ...
4. Utilizing an omni-channel approach. is a multichannel approach to sales that seeks to
provide customers with a seamless shopping experience,
5. Emphasizing personal stories of social responsibility. ...
6. Prioritizing internal communications.

Top 5 trends for the future of marketing

1. Conversational marketing. People carry their phones everywhere, so the easiest place
for marketers to find them is on mobile -- whether through messaging or other mobile
apps. ...
2. Social media optimization. ...
3. Emotional connections. ...
4. Hybrid experience. ...
5. Web.

Types of Marketing Communications

 Digital marketing. In this type, brands use the internet to market and promote products, connect
with customers and encourage them to purchase. ...
 Public relations. ...
 Advertising. ...
 Social media. ...
 Customer recommendations. ...
 Direct marketing. ...
 Sales promotion.

What are the four components of marketing communication?

The four Ps are a “marketing mix” comprised of four key elements—product, price, place, and
promotion—used when marketing a product or service. Typically, businesses consider the four
Ps when creating marketing plans and strategies to effectively market to their target audience.

MOST PRACTICED ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL MESSAGES

Using promotional text messages for your business can help improve customer engagement
and increase your retention.
...
Here are some examples of promotional text messages you might use for your business.
 Annual sale. ...
 Timely event. ...
 Early bird special sale. ...
 Loyalty discount. ...
 Holiday sale.
 What is a Good Promotional Message?
The trick to writing a good promotional message is to simply send a text that you would want to
receive from a business. It should be conversational, stick to one main topic, be timely/topical,
provide a clear picture of what action the customer is to take and deliver some added
value/information.

ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations specialists build and maintain a positive public image for a company or
organization. They create media, from press releases to social media messages, that shape
public opinion of the company or organization and increase awareness of its brand.

What do you mean by public relations?

A more modern definition of public relations was drafted several decades later, a definition that
still stands today: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually
beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

What are examples of public relations?

Public relations can be: proactive – for example, sharing positive news stories to raise your
business profile. reactive – for example, responding to an event that can have a negative impact
on your business's reputation.

There are 7 different types of PR:

 Strategic communications.
 Media relations.
 Community relations.
 Internal communications.
 Crisis communications.
 Public Affairs.
 Online and social media communications.

Is PR a good career?
Yes, PR is a good career.

It's a perfect career choice for those who have good communication skills, as well as an
analytical mind. Working in public relations (PR) can be an exciting, rewarding career that pays
well and is always in demand. In fact, PR professionals are rated #3 in Best Creative and Media
Jobs.

What are the 6 tools of public relations?

 Publications: Publications are widely practiced tools for developing public relations. ...
 Events: A company may highlight certain attractive events for developing public relations. ...
 3. News: ...
 Speeches: ...
 Public-Service Activities: ...
 Identity Media
 What are seven functions of public relations practice?
The seven functions of public relations practice are: 
1) writing,
2) planning,
3) researching,
4) publicity,
5) media relations,
6) consumer relations, and
7) government relations.

CREATING A POSITIVE IMAGE

Make a list of your positive qualities. Ask significant others to describe your positive qualities.
Define personal goals and objectives that are reasonable and measurable. Confront thinking
distortions.

What are the five things that project a positive image?

5 ways to create a positive image at work
 Organisational Culture. Every organisation has its individual work culture. ...
 Be Vibrant & Lively. Don't be dull at the workplace. ...
 Company Counts. Never forget that the people you hang out with define you in a way. ...
 Be Meticulous. ...
 Go the Extra Mile.

REDUCING IMAGE DAMAGE

BRAND IMAGE DAMAGE CONTROL STRATEGIES

1. Crisis management involves either accepting the blame for an event or refuting those
making the charges in a forceful manner.
PR department managers should try to resolve the crisis and build an advantage from
the crisis.
2. Apology
It is a reactive form. If it is proved that h firm is at fault, an apology should be offered quickly.
Inappropriate behavior must be rejected.
3. Impression Management
The firm can protect its own personal image. It can make an effort to control images that are
projected in a real or imagined social setting.
It can influence the identities it displays to others.
4. Expression of Innocence
Under this approach, company leaders provide information designed to convince others (clients,
the media, government) that they were not associated with the event that caused the
predicament.
5. Excuses
Excuses are explanations designed to convince the public that the firm and its leaders are not
responsible for the things that happen.
6. Justifications
It is the logic or rationale statement designed to reduce the negativity associated with the event.
7. Other Explanations
These may be created to persuade individuals that the cause of the event is not a fair
representation of what the firm is really like.
 8. Entitling
It is an attempt to claim responsibility for positive outcomes of events.
9. Enhancements
It is an attempt to increase the desirable outcome of an event in the eyes of the public.
10. GOOD NEIGHBOR IMAGE
A company may become involved in local communities by participating in special events
and supporting social causes.
This is to build a good neighbor and a solid social citizen image.
11. Internet Interventions
It is another method of combating negative word of mouth communication.

SPONSORSHIP
noun. the position or function of a person or group who vouches for, supports, advises, or helps
fund another person or an organization or project: The money from your sponsorship will go
towards paying the child's school fees and ensuring they get three meals a day.

Sponsorship advertising involves a company promoting a brand by offering financial support.

Sponsorship examples can include: Sports - Companies can pay for the construction of a new
sporting arena, headquarters, or other facility. Their company name can be publicly labeled on
the new building.

4 Types of Event Sponsorships That Bring Value

 Financial Event Sponsorship. Financial, or sometimes referred to as cash sponsors, continue to
be the leading type of event sponsorship. ...
 In-Kind Sponsorship. ...
 Media Event Sponsorship. ...
 Promotional Partners.

How to Get a Sponsorship: 8 Key Tactics

1. Research potential sponsors. Look at your existing supporters. ...
2. Tell your organization's story. ...
3. Provide sponsor incentives. ...
4. Reach out to established companies. ...
5. Use data to legitimize your pitch. ...
6. Find the right contact. ...
7. Build a connection over time. ...
8. Follow up.

How does sponsorship works?

Sponsorship involves a business relationship between two parties, where one party (sponsor)
provides support in the form of funding, resources, or services to the other party (beneficiary).
The beneficiary, in return, allows access to the sponsor for rights and associations for
commercial advantage.
 What are the benefits of sponsorship?
By sponsoring events, companies enjoy a set of perks that typically include the
following: Increased brand exposure through the event itself, event advertising, and media
coverage. In-event speaking opportunities that help boost their brand equity. Direct contact with
an audience full of relatively warm leads.

EVENT MARKETING
Event marketing describes the process of developing a themed exhibit, display, or presentation
to promote a product, service, cause, or organization. It leverages in-person engagement to
connect with customers. Events can occur online or offline. You can participate in, sponsor or
host an event yourself.

What are the 5 P's of event marketing?

The 5 P's of marketing – Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People – are a framework that
helps guide marketing strategies and keep marketers focused on the right things.

Event marketing is a promotional strategy that involves face-to-face contact between brands
and their customers at events like conferences, trade shows, and seminars. Each event is
different, it has different audiences, different content, and different culture.

Benefits of Event Marketing

 Increase Brand Awareness and Product Exposure.
 Reach a Target Audience.
 Develop Relationships With New Leads and Existing Customers.
 Build Your Pipeline With New and Engaged Leads.
 Incorporate an Effective Sales Strategy to Convert Leads and Boost Sales.
 Establish Leadership and Credibility.

Is event marketing a good career?

Yes, event management is a good career.

To be successful at event management takes a strong combination of marketing and advertising

skills. Therefore, event managers need to have a passion for event planning, which helps them
stay positive and not burn out from the physical demands and long work hours.

WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR EVENT AND GET PEOPLE TO COME

1. List your event on event discovery sites
2. Network at similar events
3. Create content marketing that provides valuable information
4. Use professional/good images
5. Use social media to tell stories
6. Start a YouTube channel
7. Do a ticket giveaway via social media
8. Customize your email lists / Email targeting
9. Connect with an influencer