Detailed IMC Campaign Program for Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium

This report presents an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) plan designed for Sea Life Melbourne, an Antarctic aquarium located in Melbourne, Australia. The report begins with a company overview, discussing its location, attractions, ownership, and financial aspects, followed by an analysis of the company's current marketing communication challenges. The core of the report focuses on campaign decisions, including the development of a detailed IMC campaign program. It outlines various marketing channels such as television, radio, print media, social media, and direct marketing, along with their respective communication strategies, target audiences, and estimated investment costs. The report emphasizes the importance of a multi-channel approach to enhance brand awareness and customer engagement. It also includes a discussion on the synergy between different channels and platforms to create a cohesive marketing message. The report concludes by summarizing the key consumer and brand relationship insights, message direction, and strategic consistency required for a successful IMC campaign, aiming to improve Sea Life Melbourne's marketing effectiveness and increase its customer base.

Running head: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Integrated Marketing Communication
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Company Overview
Sea Life Melbourne is an Antarctic aquarium which is situated in Australia, Melbourne
along the Southern Ocean. This is located along the Yarra River. The place is of great attraction
to tourists, local people and kids because of the enticing sea life which it presents at the center,
which is owned by Merlin Entertainments. The place has been designed by Peddle Thorp
Architects who have given it a shape of a ship which have been shifted to the setting of a river.
The aquarium currently stretches from Flinders street to Yarra River which was expanded. The
revenue which is collected by the organization is of about $3 million dollars in an annual basis.
About 50 employees work at the center. The company operates under a parent body but is
independent and private in its operation. They also have facilities for dining and other services
which have been tailored to cater to the needs and wants of the customers. The company
provides choices and options to the customers and visitors. They are given the liberty to choose
places of their own preferences to enjoy their dining experience right at Sea Life. They also
provide spaces for private parties. These come in packages which can be divided in four distinct
parts. These four different packages can be availed by the people visiting the place. The
packages, if mentioned in the ascending order will range from Cocktail Upgrade Package which
is available at $99pp, then comes the Silver package, which can be availed at a price of $250pp,
third is the gold package which costs $275pp and last but not the least, the most premium one,
which costs around $300pp.
Campaign Decisions
Sea Life Melbourne needs an Integrated Marketing Communication plan as the
management has shown reluctance in creating awareness among tourists which could have
intensified their prospects as a tourist attraction even more. Doing so, would mean increase in

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
their revenue collection and more awareness among the customers about the place. This would
enhance communication of the organization with its target audience and help in improving their
services to enhance the experiences of the customers (Sun 2015). They can pay attention to the
demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral information of the people which can be
utilized in designing the marketing and communication plan of Sea Life Melbourne.
Discussion
IMC actions of Sea Life Melbourne will enable them to market their services and
offerings effectively to the customers which they are not adequately informed about. This would
also help in developing proper communication with the target audience, which comprises of
foreign tourists, local people and mostly kids, who are eager and enthusiastic to note about the
sea life. The Sea Life Melbourne makes people become enthusiastic while witnessing sea life
that closely as it closely resembles a ship which has been taken out of a river. The place is
managed to draw attention of the media and gained popularity among visitors who are coming
from the domestic setting as well as abroad. It is primarily because there are several such sea life
organizations but no other place provides such services to the visitors. Even the packages which
are available for the VIPs are reasonable in their prices. They also have provision which is very
convenient, such as online booking. Therefore, people who are in Australia, have access to their
website to book tickets to avail the facilities and services at Sea Life, at any given point and plan
their visit accordingly. It is even more promising because the tourists who come to Australia
from different parts of the world can book their tickets while on the trip, by using various
payment portals for their bookings. However, it is also noteworthy that the management of the
Sea Life, is not that efficient in targeting the audience and developing plans for effective
marketing communication to attract customers. In order to keep up the reputation and popularity

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
which Sea Life has acquired over the years, they need to develop a plan which will be efficient in
drawing attention of the customers and increase awareness about the services they offer. This
needs to be combatted by overcoming the reluctance which has been evident from the marketing
tactics which have been in their use. It has been seen that Melbourne Zoo, which is a major
competitor to the organization, has better marketing communication plan and therefore are able
to attract more tourists and also collective more revenue. Therefore, there should be more
promotion of Sea Life, Melbourne on different platforms. To execute this, there is a need for an
Integrated Marketing Communication Plan as well as a specialized team to carry out the entire
process of promotion, publicity and communication (Thorson & Moore, 2013). There are ample
of opportunity to promote and advertise the services which must be organized into a whole. This
would turn out to be very effective in enhancing the rate of responses in foreign and local tourists
alike. The amount of money which the foreign tourists would invest in these services offered to
them by Sea Life, will only add to the foreign capital income of the nation.
Integrated Marketing Communication
The basic objective of the company is to highlight their services and facilities which are
available at Sea Life and create a brand identity among the visitors which is not as significant as
it should be. These can be done on various platforms and mediums to convey the messages about
the Organization and make people more aware and conscious about the exciting services which
are available at reasonable prices (Kuczamer-Kłopotowska, 2017). The marketing channels
which are to be made part of this plan in order to engage people will include traditional media
and advertisement as well as social and digital platforms.
Channels

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
 Television
The Television channels are very effective platforms to promote services which
attract tourists and other visitors, even from the local areas. Television is something
which is watched by most of the people across the world and advertisements made on
televisions catch the attention of the viewers amid watching other programs. There
advertisements can be made to come to the notice of the viewers while they are watching
programs. These advertisements can be telecasted on channels such as Nickelodeon and
Disney which are mostly watched by children. Children are mostly keen about Sea Life
and things which are lesser known to them but at the same time they are eager to know.
These advertisements made on television platforms cost around 1,000 dollars
approximately which are usually of two minutes of length. These can be made to appear
eight times in a day amid different programs for over a time period of hundred days to
create enough awareness about the services. It would total amount to a total of 800,000
dollars approximately to promote the services in television media. This would pull more
people to the Sea Life Melbourne, as they will also get to see clippings of what lies inside
and can only be experienced while visiting the place.
 Radio
Radio is also what people listen to, in their leisure time. This can be addressed
while building an effective marketing communication plan to convey message about the
services to the people. People in Melbourne who listen to Radio will be able to know
about the recent offers and facilities which are being offered by Sea Life through radio.
The usual cost of an advertisement made on radio costs around 50 dollars for 20 seconds
of promotion. This can be aired on Radio for six times in a day for a period of hundred

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
days. Repeated intimation of ongoing offers and packages will be able to draw more
people to the centre. This would total amount to a cost of around 30,000 dollars.
 Print Media
Traditional way of promoting services is very effective in creating awareness and
letting people know about products. Products have been promoted and marketed to the
target audience through various platforms which also includes the print media. This can
be done through newspapers, leaflets, magazines and so on. People get to know about
what goes around in the world through newspapers, ever since print media has come into
play. Hence it has also been utilized for promotional purposes. An average print media
post costs about 500 dollars a post, if they are made on the front pages of newspapers.
These advertisements can be made to feature on top newspapers and magazines over a
period of one year for about a hundred times in total. The cost which the company will
have to invest will be approximately 50,000 dollars.
 Social Media
The company can make investments on social media platforms. In the age of
social media, when the world is a click away, the most effective way to promote a
product or a brand is by promoting and marketing the services on social media platforms.
The youth of the generation are most likely to be found on these platforms. There are
different sites and platforms where the advertisements can be featured in the form of paid
advertisements. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are the most common social
media platforms where communication with the target audience and marketing of the
product and services prove to be most effective to increase revenue collection and
customer base. A typical advertisement made on Social media platform costs around 50

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
dollars. These advertisements can be pulled across networking sites for 50 times in a day
for over a time period of two hundred days. The cost which Sea Life Melbourne will have
to afford on social media will be approximately 500,000 dollars.
 Direct Marketing
Direct Marketing is an effective way to approach the customers. These can be
done in the forms of emails and text messages which the customers will receive as
promotional messages. These messages are usually less costly but highly effective to
draw the attention of the customers.
Multi-Media and Multi-Channel
Communicati
on channel
Objective Communication Strategy Target Audience Investment
Television To promote the
services offered by
Sea Life Melbourne
to the consumers.
1. Advertisement of
the mentioned
organization and
the facilities
available for the
consumers will be
conducted through
popular kids
channel like
Disney and
The target
audiences for the
mentioned
communication
channel of Sea
Life Melbourne
aquarium include
children of age
ranging from 3-15
years. However,
800,000
dollars
(approx)

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Nickelodeon.
2. Signing contract
with famous kids
television shows in
order too promote
the place or events.
the mentioned
aquarium also
offers services
and facilities for
all age range
ranging from 18
years to 60 years.
Radio To promote the
services offered by
Sea Life
Melbourne to the
consumers
1. The
communication
strategy that will
be followed by the
organization to
promote its
services includes
celebrity
endorsement.
2. Along with this
discounts offered
by the organization
at specific event
will also be casted
through radio.
3. The organization
For this
communication
channel the target
audience of the
Sea Life
Melbourne
aquarium
includes children
under the age of 3
to 15 years and
tourists.
30,000
dollars
(approx.)

8
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
will sign contract
with popular
shows on radio.
Print Media
( Newspaper,
leaflets)
To promote the
services offered by
Sea Life
Melbourne to the
consumers
1. The prime
communication
technique will
include
communication
through local
newspaper. The
management
should post
attractive
advertisement that
will grab the
attention of the
target audience in
order to ensure
effective
promotion through
this technique
(Carter-Harris et
al., 016).
children of age
ranging from 3-15
years and local
consumers
50,000
dollars
(approx.)

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
2. The second
communication
strategy will
include leaflet and
brochures. The
leaflets will be
made attractive
and colourful to
grab the attention
of both audiences.
Discount rates will
be printed in bold
and colourful
letters.
Social Media To enhance the
awareness of the
consumers about
the existence and
facilities available
in the organization
and to enhance
consumer-
organization
1. The first step that
will be taken by
the mentioned
organization is to
promote its
company though
popular social
media platforms
like Facebook,
Children of age
ranging from 3-15
years and local
consumers, local
as well as
international
consumers
100,000
dollars
approx.

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
relationship. Instagram and
Snapchat
(Antoniadis,
Assimakopoulos &
Koukoulis, 2019).
Attractive and
interactive posts
will be uploaded in
the official page of
the Sea Life
Melbourne. Social
media marketing is
considered to be
one of them most
efficient yet
cheapest
communication
technique that can
enhance the
awareness of the
mentioned
organization both
across local as

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
well as
international
consumers.
2. Regular tracking
of comments
posted by the
potential
consumers will be
done and majority
of the queries and
comments should
be replied with a
positive approach
(Topolovec-Vranic
& Natarajan,
2016). That will
enhance the
bonding of the
consumers and the
organization which
in turn will result
in enhancement in
consumer base.