"The 8 Step Guide to create an Integrated Marketing Communication Plan"

"The 8 Step Guide to
create an Integrated
Marketing
Communication
Plan"
By:
Lh Design and Marketing

THE 6 STEP GUIDE TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED
MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLAN
marketers recognize that to increase
Retail
equity, shoppers must be led along a
brand
A path that does not only result in a
path.
but one that causes the customer
purchase
to be an advocate for the brand.
integrated marketing communication
An
uses the same thematic message in
plan
types of promotions. The idea
different
the message remains consistent
behind
consumers see a magazine ad or
whether
company's web page.
the
consistent messaging plays an
This
role in delivering the right brand
important
STEP 1:
STEP 2:
STEP 3:
STEP 4:
STEP 5:
STEP 6:
STEP 7:
STEP 8:
Identify Target Audience
Create Brand Strategy
Situational Analysis
Determine Objectives
Communications Strategy
Create a Schedule
Make a Budget
Implement, Monitor, and Control
to the right shopper, at the right
message,
via the right interaction channel to
time,
in a purchases decision or build
assist
awareness.
brand

STEP 1: CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR
TARGET AUDIENCE
you develop your message, you must
Before
to whom you're going to be
determine
the end of your information gathering,
At
will be able to create a customer
you
One of the first steps in
communicating.
an integrated marketing
developing
Once you have created this profile.
profile.
will have all the information needed to
you
plan is identifying the
communications
customer.
your customer at the appropriate
target
and place with content that appeals
time
to them.
customer analysis determines what makes
A
target consumer unique. This includes
the
characteristics, such as age,
demographic
level, gender, income, and
education
geographic location.
you know who you're going to target,
Once
also need to determine how you're
you'll
to reach your audience. An analysis
going
the media an audience is likely to
identifies
including specific magazines,
use,
and television
newspapers

STEP 2: CREATE A BRAND
STRATEGY
brand is more than just a name, a logo
A
or a snazzy strapline – it is
design
of a brand like a person, each
Think
has their own personality, way of
individual
that encompasses your
everything
and helps to set you apart
organisation
communicating, their own values,
dressing,
characteristics and story to tell. It is
friends,
others. For example, branding can be
from
through:
achieved
that makes up who we are and it is also
this
characteristics which make a brand.
these
brand identity (logo, website and colors)
-
advertising and communications
-
a unique identity, or "positioning,"
Creating
important, because it distinguishes your
is
product and packaging design
-
in-store experience
-
from the competition. The message
product
your integrated marketing
in
- pricing
plan will embody this
communications
identity.
unique
you determine who your customer is,
Once
want to create a unique identity for
you'll
brand or company. The identity that
your
create will be more effective if it
you
appeals to an important need or value.

STEP 3: DEVELOPE A SITUATIONAL
ANALYSIS
analysis refers to a collection of
Situation
that managers use to analyse an
methods
TYPES OF SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
internal and external
organization's
to understand the
environment
Analysis: a study undertaken by an
SWOT
to identify its internal
organization
capabilities, customers, and
organization's
environment.
business
and weaknesses, as well as its
strengths
opportunities and threats.
external
situation analysis can provide much
A
into both internal and external
insight
5 FORCES: Porter's five forces
PORTER's
is a framework that attempts to
analysis
that can lead to a more
conditions
marketing communications
effective
the level of competition within an
analyze
and business strategy
industry
development.
strategy.
Analysis: A framework or tool used
PESTEL
marketers to analyse and monitor the
by
is important to be aware of the fact that
It
are various types of situational
there
marketing environment factors
external
have an impact on an organisation.
that
that aim to better understand
analysis
internal and external forces that
different
can affect your organisation.

emember to ensure that the objectives that you have created
Always
S.M.A.R.T:
are
SPECIFIC:
Well defined
-
MEASURABLE:
Know if the goal is obtainable and how far away completion is
-
AGREED:
Agreement with all the stakeholders what the goals should be
-
REALISTIC:
Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
-
TIMED:
Enough time to achieve the goal
-
STEP 4: DETERMINE YOUR MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES
NOTE
OBJECTIVES
are basic tools that underlie all
Objectives
and strategic activities within a
planning
- Clear to anyone that has a basic knowledge of the project
They serve as the basis for
company.
company policy. Additional, they
creating
- Find out when you have achieved your goal
concrete goals and provides a
represent
to measure progress.
way
CREATING OBJECTIVES
you sit down to develop your
When
objectives, make sure that they
marketing
- Not too much time, which can affect project performance
clear and easily understood. That
are
when you return to the table months
means
you will know exactly what you meant
later,
each of the specific objectives.
by

are 6 different elements that can be used in a
There
strategy. These are:
communications
All messages a business pays to deliver
Advertising:
a medium to reach a targeted audience.
through
Selling: Using people to sell your product after
Personal
face-to-face with customer.
meeting
Relations: Public Relations involves a message
Public
conveyed through mass media at no cost via
being
Marketing: It is interactive communication with
Direct
where the company's message seeks or
customers
a response from targeted customers (i.e. e-mail
implores
marketing)
Sponsorship: Event sponsorship occurs with a
Event
pays to have a presence at a sports,
company
STEP 5: CREATE A COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY (MIX) ELEMENTS
back at the objectives you created
Looking
step three, you will want to develop
in
which are ideas on how you will
strategies
those objectives.
accomplish
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY (MIX)
communications strategy (mix) is a
The
of activities that you will
coordination
Sales Promotion: Offering a discount price to a customer
to directly interact with your
perform
The main purpose of the
customers.
newspaper or TV.
mix is to inform, persuade
communications
remind your customer about your
and
product or service.
entertainment, nonprofit or community events

STEP 6: CREATE A
SCHEDULE
TIMELINE
a project timeline requires
Creating
project activities in
coordinating
with the ongoing business
conjunction
activities.
project manager will identify and detail
A
required in each phase of a
activities
and lead teams with members of
project
staff to carry out each phase.
your
within the parameters of a project
Working
plan sets out target dates for
management
of tasks within each phase. The
completion
is directly correlated to the scope
timeline
a project and will ensure each task in
of
plan will start and finish on time and
your
remain within the budget.

1: Organise your finances by taking
Step
account how much you have to spend.
into
2: Consider the cost of all the
Step
elements that will need to be
different
3: Determine how long your campaign
Step
be to see if your finances can match
will
4: Prioritise spending on aspects of
Step
plan that has the best ability to reach
your
STEP 7: FORMULATE
BUDGET
Who? Who are your customers?
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE BUDGET
What do you hope to achieve in
What?
them?
targeting
Where do you plan on targeting
Where?
them?
purchased in order to execute your plan.
When? When are you going to implement?
now we would've answered the 4 major
By
of this process. However. before
questions
the distance.
plan can be executed, the budget
this
to be taken into account. Without
needs
a good enough budget, your plan
creating
underperform (due to lack of funds) or
can
your customers.
a lot of resources (due to over
waste
spending.

Manage (Monitor)
1.
the campaign to see how well
Monitor
Control 2.
you have identified what works and
Once
F
I
N
I
S
H
STEP 8: IMPLEMENT, MANAGE AND
CONTROL
you have implemented your
Once
marketing communications plan
integrated
you will need to do two things:
elements are performing. By doing
different
you will have a clear indication of
this,
is currently working how you hoped it
what
work and what is performing in a
would
way you didn't want it to.
doesn't; make some changes. Adjust
what
integrated marketing communications
your
to perform more to your liking in order
plan
get the desired results.
to