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Part One Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications
Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
I. Introduction to Integrated
Marketing
Communications
Developing the Marketing
Planning Program
2. The Role of IMC in the
Marketing Process
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
market share. This leads to two basic questions: First, if our firm is first into the
market, will we be able to maintain the position (in terms of quality, price, etc.)?
Second, if a product is positioned as finest quality, it must be. If it is positioned as
lowest cost, it has to be. Otherwise, the position claimed is sure to be lost.
• Is the current positioning strategy working? There is an old saying, “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.” If current efforts are not working, it may be time to consider an
alternative positioning strategy. But if they are working, a change is usually
unwise. Sometimes executives become bored with a theme and decide it is time for
a change, but this change causes confusion in the marketplace and weakens a
brand’s position. Unless there is strong reason to believe a change in positioning is
necessary, stick with the current strategy.
6. Monitoring the position. Once a position has been established, we want to monitor
how well it is being maintained in the marketplace. Tracking studies measure the
image of the product or firm over time. Changes in consumers’ perceptions can be
determined, with any slippage immediately noted and reacted to. At the same time, the
impact of competitors can be determined.
Before leaving this section, you might stop to think for a moment about the positioning
(and repositioning) strategies pursued by different companies. Any successful
product that comes to mind probably occupies a distinct market position.
The development of the marketing strategy and selection of
a target market(s) tell the marketing department which customers
to focus on and what needs to attempt to satisfy. The
next stage of the marketing process involves combining the
various elements of the marketing mix into a cohesive,
effective marketing program. Each marketing-mix element is multidimensional and
includes a number of decision areas. Likewise, each must consider and contribute to
the overall IMC program. We now examine product, price, and distribution channels
and how each influences and interacts with the promotional program.
Product Decisions
An organization exists because it has some product, service, or idea to offer consumers,
generally in exchange for money. This offering may come in the form of a
physical product (such as a soft drink, pair of jeans, or car), a service (banking, airlines,
or legal assistance), a cause (United Way, March of Dimes), or even a person (a
political candidate). The product is anything that can be marketed and that, when used
or supported, gives satisfaction to the individual.
A product is not just a physical object; it is a bundle of benefits or values that satisfies
the needs of consumers. The needs may be purely functional, or they may include
social and psychological benefits. For example, the campaign for Michelin tires shown
earlier stresses the quality built into Michelin tires (value) as well as their performance
and durability (function). The term product symbolism refers to what a product or
brand means to consumers and what they experience in purchasing and using it. 15 For
many products, strong symbolic features and social and psychological meaning may
be more important than functional utility. 16 For example, designer clothing such as
Versace, Gucci, and Bebe is often purchased on the basis of its symbolic meaning and
image, particularly by teenagers and young adults. Advertising plays an important role
in developing and maintaining the image of these brands (Exhibit 2-21).
Product planning involves decisions not only about the item itself, such as design
and quality, but also about aspects such as service and warranties as well as brand
name and package design. Consumers look beyond the reality of the product and its
ingredients. The product’s quality, branding, packaging, and even the company standing
behind it all contribute to consumers’ perceptions. 17 In an effective IMC program,
advertising, branding, and packaging are all designed to portray the product as more
than just a bundle of attributes. All are coordinated to present an image or positioning
of the product that extends well beyond its physical attributes. Think for a minute
about the ads for Nike; the product benefits and attributes are usually not even
mentioned—yet information about the brand is communicated effectively.