Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) - A Case Study of McDonald's

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (UNIT 23)
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Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................3
P1. Evaluate different types of marketing channels and how they serve communication
objectives within an organisational context...............................................................................4
P2. Design communication objectives for a given organisational situation..............................7
P3. Provide justifications for the selection and integration of communications channels
chosen.......................................................................................................................................10
P4. Create a marketing communications plan that effectively meets communication
objectives for a given organisational situation.........................................................................12
P5. Critically evaluate a marketing communications plan in relation to the communication
strategy, channel choice, creative content................................................................................16
Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................19
Reference List:.........................................................................................................................20
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Introduction:
Marketing is the essential part for any business communication. Marketing is required for the
growth and for the establishment of the business in the modern market place. Integrated
marketing communication (IMC) is the tool by which all the methods of promotion of the
company for marketing can be achieved. It can be achieve by utilisation of the well
coordinated promotional methods. For successful IMC it requires high effort after that the
benefit can be received. The main purpose of IMC is to generate reasonable advantage, to
enhance the sales of the organisation and the productivity of the same.IMC is not only helpful
for the smooth running of the business but also looks after the customers by helping them in
process of purchasing the various products.
In this regard case study of McDonald’s has been done and it targets to connect all the
communication and the information are linked in very logical and clear way. McDonald’s is
one of the most famous brand names for providing fast food to the consumers with quality
service (McDonalds, 2018). IMC includes promotion by means of online and offline
marketing, selling personally, maintaining public relations etc.
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P1. Evaluate different types of marketing channels and how they serve communication
objectives within an organisational context.
Marketing channels is often referred to the activities that the employee as well as an
organisation follows to advertise and sell their produced goods or services to the consumers
(Armstrong, et al., 2015). This is also refers to distribution channel as this helps the
organisation to distribute their service to the consumers. Every organisation uses various
distribution or marketing channels in order to transfer their products and services to the
customers. Likewise, McDonald’s also uses some marketing channels to connect or
communicate with the customers. The mostly used marketing channels that impacts on the
communication objectives of an organisation are:
 Marketing campaigns
 Advertisements
 Sales Process
Before focusing on marketing channels every organisation needs to identify the customer
segment for which the marketing channels will be used. Evaluation of marketing channel is
possible any time but first an organisation needs to focus on the distribution management so
that it does not create any problem in the future (Watson IV et al., 2015). Another factor that
an organisation needs to focus on before creation of marketing channels is the opinions and
choices of the customers. By focusing on the customer choice the organisation will be able to
get the required information about the kind of products they are willing to use or buy.
Preparation of a distribution strategy and then building the marketing channels will help the
organisation avoid threats during product or service distribution.
In case of McDonald’s they prepare the marketing campaigns by researching the present
market condition as well as focusing on every important details of the customer opinions.
McDonald’s starts planning their marketing campaigns after understanding the market
requirements and plans promotion of their services according to that. McDonald have
conducted few campaigns which are, ask questions about McDonalds, this was a YouTube
survey that had customers ask questions to the organisation and many more.
Advertisements are the promotional services of the company. The company chose different
mode of communication such as television, banners, and new media and advertises their
services in order to gain the interest of the customers and influence them to buy those
products (Belch et al., 2014).
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Sales process on the other hand is divided into few parts that consist of the full selling
process that an organisation follows. McDonald’s also plans their selling process by
undergoing those divisions. The divisions are prospecting the market and identifying the
customers, preparing data that certifies the market information, approaching the customers
with questions, gifts or sample to gain trust and influence the customer to buy the product and
many more.
The role of marketing channels in serving communication of an organisation is very vital one.
In any organisation if marketing channels help in gaining profit then communication is the
bridge that helps the organisation to prepare ways to gain the profit and grow their business
(Luxton et al., 2015). Both the components are interrelated. No organisation can ever grow
without maintaining proper communication with stakeholders, which are customers,
employees, dealers and other related service providers. In order to prepare marketing
strategies and planning distribution, communicating with the customers and others are very
important. Communication with the customers and the others can be done with the help of
marketing campaigns, which is again an important marketing channel (Hallahan, 2015).
Without communication the organisation will not be able to gather information about
customer choice.
When McDonald’s are willing to bring out new products they focus on promotions and
advertisement of the products, which is again another mode of communication, with the help
of promotion McDonald’s grab the customer interest and then plan their marketing strategy
for gaining profit. For maintaining proper marketing channels, McDonald’s also need to
communicate with the investors as well as the employees, this helps in gaining opinions
about whether the product will be useful for the customers or not. Communicating with the
employees and involving them in decision making is also important for every organisation.
Hence, it can be said that communication as a whole contributes to the development of
market position and growth of an organisation.
Communication objectives are mainly referred to the strategies or tactics that an organisation
utilizes in order to gather customer information, promote their services, shape up the
organisational structure, share company information and policies with customers, increase
company visibility, catch the attention of global customers and clients, broaden their
organisation’s goals in order to grow business and enhance profit (Hallahan, 2015). The
communication objective of McDonald’s is, inspection of the present market strategy,
analysing the communication gap, evaluating the missions.
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A situational context that will help to ascertain the importance of marketing channels in
serving communication objective is if McDonald is trying to expand their business in a city
where they do not have any branch then at first they will need to get a brief idea about the
market condition of the place then communicate with the investors and dealers and after that
prepare the marketing channels so that they can communicate with the customers for their
launched services and gather their interests (Bielinski et al., 2017). Marketing channels and
communication objectives are incomplete without the help of each other.
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