Integrated Marketing Communications: Objectives, Creative Approaches and Communication Model

This report discusses and illustrates the integrated marketing communication and while identifying targets markets i.e. consumers. Suppliers, customers etc. directed to IMC programs. It covers communication models and the IMC program objectives as well those creative approaches for positioning strategy.

Running Head:INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS1
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Executive summary
This report discusses and illustrates the integrated marketing communication and while
identifying targets markets i.e. consumers. Suppliers, customers etc. directed to IMC programs. It
covers communication models and the IMC program objectives as well those creative
approaches for positioning strategy. This paper can be useful in determining the importance of
integrated marketing communication.

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Table of Contents
Executive summary 1
Introduction 2
Communication model 3
IMC objectives 4
Creative approaches 5
Conclusion 6

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Introduction
Integrated marketing communication(IMC) is a communication model that ensures that
all forms of communication and messages are well connected to each other. IMC means putting
together all promotional tools to work in harmony. Promotion belongs to other Ps of the
marketing mix. It should be noted that, if all the communication tools are put together they work
better in harmony rather than when they work separately(McQuail & Windahl, 2015). This
report aims at identifying the mix of promotional communication tools, understanding the
communication process used by Australian medical association to pass information to its new
and prospective consumers using an integrated marketing communication program. It will also
develop the objectives of using the IMC program in reaching its consumers. And draw
illustrations from (Belch et al. (2018) communication model and how it has been applied to the
Australian Medical Association.
Communication model
The receiver/decoding
A receiver is a person whose message is meant to reach or passed to by the sender. The
creator of the message (sender) shares his thought to the destination (receiver) through a medium
of communication(Swart, 2010). The receiver will then transform the message from the sender
into thoughts(Swart, 2010). This happens through the influence of the receivers’ field of
experience(Levinson, Lesser & Epstein, 2010). Field of experience is his perceptions,
attitudes,and values brought to a communication situation.
The channel message

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A message contains communicated information or that meaning the source want to share
with the receiver(Swart, 2010). The sender must put messages across by use of transmittable
form to the appropriate channel. The message contains a literal meaning or a conscious and
symbolic meaning subconscious(Levinson, Lesser & Epstein, 2010). People who are trained are
in semiotics the study of the nature of meaning) and cultural anthropology is used by marketers
to understand the meaning subconsciously and consciously(McQuail& Windahl, 2015). In
Australian Medical Association, most of the medical errors committed are as a result of lack of
communication or failures in communication(Levinson, Lesser & Epstein, 2010). There are
errors are experienced in post-discharge(Shen & Bissell, 2013). The errors that result from
physicians and patients and healthcare providers who take charge after discharge happens due to
lack of communication and leads to suboptimal care transitions(Šerić & Gil-Saura, 2011). The
AMA greatly values communication with its patients, families/caregivers during the discharge
process using the following guidelines;
By getting the right information from the patients, family/caregivers in order to enhance patients’
needs, goals, care,and treatment.
Using the language understood by the patients and the understanding communication impaired
patients during the planning of discharge.
Giving understood instruction during discharge in order for the patients to comply with the most
critical orders.
Channel

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Channel is the medium in which communication travels from the sender to the receiver
and vice versa. It exists in two forms. Personal channels and non-personal channels. Personal
selling involves word of mouth and personal selling(Šerić & Gil-Saura, 2011). Non-personal
channels selling involve broadcast media and print media. AMA gives instruction to patients in
both print and electronic form aswell as online platforms like portals(Levinson, Lesser &
Epstein, 2010). AMA also hasusedthe internet in communicating with medical students and the
physicians in sharing information quickly and teach millions easily(Levinson, Lesser & Epstein,
2010). Social networking helps physicians express themselves freely and enable them to be the
active professional online presence(Shen & Bissell, 2013). When online, physicians are supposed
to cognizant to patients privacy and confidentiality which should be maintained in all
environments(Belech & Blech, 2009). They should also use privacy settings to avoid personal
information from being leaked and accessed when using social media for networking(Levinson,
Lesser & Epstein, 2010). They are supposed to maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-
physician relationship when online interaction with patients occurs(McQuail& Windahl, 2015).
The physicians should maintain the required professional boundaries by being conscious of what
is personal and professional content online(Urban& Mothusiwa, 2014).
Noise
The noise is referred to anything that distracts the process of communication. The source
of noise includes white noise (signal transformation), situational factors (distractions),clutter
(competitive messages), lack of common ground (improper encoding e.g. using a sign, symbol or
words that are unfamiliar or different meaning to sender-receiver(Belech & Blech, 2009).
Response/feedback

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Response refers to a set of reactions the receiver has after seeing, hearing or reading a
message. The response may be nonverbal or verbal actions. Feedback is the part of the message
recipient’s response that is communicated back to the sender(Belech & Blech, 2009). Feedback
takes various forms which help sender to understand and monitors how the message is being
encoded and received.
Developing Communication Objectives
IMC communication objectives include doing the following:
1. Determining the target market
This means clearly selecting and defining the target audience in order to send messages that
are going to be delivered effectively to the right people.
2. Determining the IMC campaign purpose and objectives
Once the market/audience is defined as the next thing is setting successful marketing
campaigns is to define what accomplishment is needed with its IMC efforts(Belech & Blech,
2009). IMC helps to accomplish a number of objectives which many marketing campaigns may
not accomplish.
3. SettingS.M.A.R.T goals.
Specific areas to be improved must be targeted
Measurable: when setting goals, they should be measurable i.e. suggesting indicators for
progress.
Assignable: select who will be doing it

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Realistic: State how realistic is your goal and how it can be achieved with the available time and
resources. All activities to be accomplished are well defined by S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T
goals ensure effective communication between employees and their managers enabling one
directional focus towards results(Urban& Mothusiwa, 2014).
Time-related: when do you want to achieve the result?
4. Defining the message
Messages campaign can be revisited and redefined to suit the style selected. This will help
getting the communication right(Ainin, Parveen, Moghavvemi, Jaafar & Mohd Shuib, 2015).Part
of message is a call to action. For instance, as customer continue engaging with the product sales
cycle, a need for call to action into web arises to stimulate feedback.
AIDA Model
Awareness: paid searchers ads allow clicks to a website and to view the description to
products and product comparative reviews (Mapheto, Oni & Matiza, 2014).
Interest: A white paper describing how a product is offering unique solution to a problem in
business is downloaded.
Desire: demonstration of productrequest
Action stage: Price quoteproposal request.
5. Selectingpromotion communications approaches and tools
There are choices that shape marketers to consider marketing communication methods.

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Budget: the resources and budget for the marketing campaign that are available to enable
the campaign should be determined (Huczynski, Buchanan, & Huczynski, 2013). A large budget
will help in sales promotion, mass-market advertising, broader reach etc. small budget may force
the organization to rely on the existing in-house labor and tools like a company website, email
marketing, social media capabilities etc. Despite the size of the budget, marketers should ensure
the biggest impact of advertising and promotional campaign with the available budget(Seric,
Saura & Descals, 2011).
Timing: there are IMC approaches and strategies that take longestperiod of time than
others. The good examples include Email and web promotionactivities which can be executed
rapidly, mostly with in-house resources. Longer lead time is likely to be for conference
presentations and events(Šerić & Gil-Saura, 2011). It is important to choose tools that are able to
make the biggest impact in the specified time.
Audience: good use of IMC enables to reach customers at their comfort. The targets’
segment behaviors and the media habits are the guide to marketer’s choice of marketing
communication(Barker, 2013). For instance, presence in the media could be chosen as your IMC
strategy if your target audience visits particular bloggers, websites, magazines, or social media to
get information(Mapheto, Oni & Matiza, 2014).
The kind of messaging to use in each component of IMC using AIDA Model includes;
Advertising: awareness-building messaging
Public relations: education messaging to prospective customers
Personal selling: stimulating action

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Sales promotion: focuses on inducing buying at the point of sale
Direct marketing: provides information that induces prospective customers to want to know more
etc.
6. Determining the promotional mix: the tools required, time to use, and how
After marketers select those methods of communication they have to decide on which tools
are useful, time and ways of use(Mapheto, Oni & Matiza, 2014).Promotional mix is so crucial in
that it amplifies and reinforces the message (Batra, & Keller, 2016).
7. Campaign Execution
This provides with the information on how to create marketing plans and communicate
effectively.
8. Results test
This involvestracking and measuring of success done by managers to monitor progress and
know areas of adjustment.
In summary, the major communication objectives for AMA include:
i) To promote and protect the medical profession in Western Australia
ii) To foster and sustain consultation and communication within the medical profession
iii) To preserve, maintain, promote and advance the intellectual, philosophical, social,
political, economic and legal interest of its members and of the medical profession in
general.

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Developing Creative approaches
The Cognitive response approach. This includes cognitive responses which are that that
occurs to people while reading, viewing or hearing a communication(Šerić & Gil-Saura, 2011). It
is a method for examining consumers’ cognitive processing of advertising messages(Barker,
2013). It measures consumers’ cognitive response in terms of hearing, or viewing, or reading
communications(Demiray & Sever, 2009). It examines the types of thoughts stimulated by an
advertising message(Barker, 2013). Consumers write down or they report through word of mouth
their reaction to messages(Seric, Saura & Descals, 2011). In its implementation of medical
strategies and reconciliation in the discharge process, AMA uses the following strategies for
patients to properly use their medication after they are discharged:
i). All discharge medication, prescription and over the counter drugs are reconciled with those
administered during patient’s hospitalization.
2). They also ensure that an accurate list of drugs also those to be discontinued and those to be
taken after hospital discharge, with dosage and time for each drug is well communicated to
patients(Han, Niyato, Saad, Başar & Hjørungnes, 2012).
3). Patients with complex drugs timetables are encouraged through administration by
multidisciplinary teams for reconciliation including pharmacists(Batra, & Keller, 2016).
4). Medication instructions are clearly stated for the patients, family and caregivers to avoid
misuse of drugs.
Elements of Integrated Marketing Communication
Media

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A combined campaign uses the full range of media communication to perform specific
roles. Advertising is meant to raise awareness of a product and create necessary follow-up(Šerić
& Gil-Saura, 2011).Information on Pressstrengthens advertising by increasing the advertising
messages. Direct mail or email would providefollow-up toolsfor the advertising campaign and
also offer detailed information to prospects via brochures or links to a website(Demiray& Sever,
2009). Telemarketing and sales support material, such as sales and product guides, help the sales
force to follow up the strongest prospects(Batra & Keller, 2016). Newsletters and email
campaigns help to maintain contact and build relationships with prospects until they are ready to
buy.
Consistent Messages
The consistency of message is one of the most important elements of integrated
marketing communication. The copy style and content should be consistent across all
media(Seric, Saura & Descals, 2011). Prospect should have the same perception of a product
description as well as statement of benefits when they see an advertisement, when reading
leaflets, or when called by telemarketing specialist in each of all communications(Urban&
Mothusiwa, 2014).
Consistencyin Design
Consistency means having the same colors and other visual elements as well as
photographs when reinforcing the important campaign messages. Design consistency has an
added advantage for recycling stardard element and visuals across other advertising media hence
help in reducing cost(Šerić, Gil-Saura& Ruiz-Molina, 2014).

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Strengthening/reinforcing
To reinforce is very important in IMC campaigns. Integrated marketing communication
combines all the element of marketing campaign to work together with an aim of achieving the
best result and objectives (Mapheto, Oni& Matiza, 2014).Campaigns like retailer training guide,
direct marketing, retailer sales force, etc. are used to reinforce sales through sales through retail
networks(Mapheto, Oni& Matiza, 2014).
Arrangement for Sales
Marketing through business-business can be tiresome and complicated as it involves too
many decision makers and other stakeholders. Integrated marketing communication act as a
bridge between your sales team and make them provide information needed by decision makers
at each purchasing stage(Mapheto, Oni & Matiza, 2014). In a typical scenario, the buying team
establishes its requirements, prepares a specification and a short list of potential suppliers,
evaluates proposals, and makes a final assessment of the most suitable suppliers. An integrated
campaign aligns the communication program with the purchasing process at each stage to ensure
success.
Conclusions
Integrated marketing communication abbreviated as IMC is the communication model
ensuring all forms of communication are put together to produce the most effective results. The
examples ofa model of communication include sender, receiver, message, channel,noise,
feedback and the response. Integrated Marketing communication helps small businesses to do
better outcomes from campaigns and reduce marketing costs. American Association of

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Advertising Agencies defines combining tools like sales promotion, social media, advertising,
telemarketing, and direct mail is essential for consistency, clarity and maximum communication
impact. IMC is majorly reliable due to better results, creativity consistency, cost savings, and
customer preference.

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