Paper on Integrated Marketing Communication Plan for Lion Company

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Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
Case of Lion Company on Australia
Student Name:
Student Number:
Module Code:

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Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................3
2. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................3
3. Communication objectives..................................................................................................................4
4. Segments and the Target markets.......................................................................................................4
5. Targeting strategy................................................................................................................................5
6. 4. Creative Idea....................................................................................................................................6
7. Positioning strategy.............................................................................................................................6
7.1. Benefit positioning strategy.........................................................................................................7
7.2. Celebrity-driven positioning strategy...........................................................................................7
7.3. Value and price positioning.........................................................................................................8
7.4. Quality positioning strategy.........................................................................................................8
8. Communications Strategy and media mix...........................................................................................8
8.1. Advertising...................................................................................................................................8
8.2. Public relations............................................................................................................................9
8.3. Direct marketing........................................................................................................................10
8.4. Personal selling..........................................................................................................................11
9. Budget...............................................................................................................................................11
10. Timeline.........................................................................................................................................15
11. Evaluation......................................................................................................................................16
12. Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
References.................................................................................................................................................18

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1. Executive Summary
The paper is an integrated marketing communication plan for Lion Company. The paper focuses
on different sections in order to understand the processes that the company chief executive officer
(CEO) will use to market soya brand of milk to teenagers in Australia. Among the key areas of focus
includes the communication objectives, STP, creative idea and the IMC mix. The findings of the plan
shows that key communication objectives is to increase the market awareness among the teenagers by
20% in 2020, sell 3 million of soya milk units by 2020, and increase the overall market share from 35% to
45% in 2020.
The company should adopt the following strategies. The benefit positioning, celebrity-driven
positioning, value and price, and quality positioning strategies. Be marketing department must ensure
that the company implements the communication mix in terms of public relations, direct marketing, and
advertising.
2. Introduction
This report is an integrated marketing communication plan that focuses on Lion
Company in Australia. The company operates with its headquarters in Sydney Australia. Lion
Company specialises in manufacturing of food and beverages. For example, some of the
products processed includes beer, wine, spirits, yogurts, cheese, soya products, and flavoured
soya milks. Therefore, this IMC focuses on households and primary consumers of flavoured soya
milk brand.
The report covers nine different sections. For instance, section two outlines the
communication objectives that the company seeks to achieve. Section three looks at the segment
and the target market that the company seeks to serve while using its internet service brand. Most
importantly, the IMC will focus on the small business owners as the primary market. Section 4
looks at the creative idea concerning the creative message behind the strategy. Section 5

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considers the positioning strategies that would help make customers’ consumer more flavoured
soya milk brand from the company. Section six of the report looks at the best communication
strategy and the media mix. While on the other hand, section 7 – 9 looks at the budget, timeline,
and the evaluation metrics.
3. Communication objectives
For a company that seeks to create a market awareness regarding the flavoured soya milk, there
would be the need to design marketing objectives that depends on a SMART framework. For example,
Fifield (2008) explains in his study that such a marketing objective must show specific, measurable,
realistic, and timebound objectives. In this case, therefore, the company will use the following
objectives;
a. To increase the level of market awareness among households in Australia by 20% by 2020
b. Increase the volume of sales of flavoured soya milk from the current 2 million sachet to 3 million
sachets y 2020
c. Increase the market share from the current 34% to 45% by 2020
4. Segments and the Target markets
In today marketing, companies are now appreciating the importance of segmenting their
markets to assist them identify groups of customers with similar behaviours and those that are likely to
increase their demand when marketed in the right manner. The objective of segmenting the market just
as Fifield (2007) explains is to design the correct marketing plan that would help create a market
awareness among these groups. Furthermore, Ainsworth (2013) explains that this is always an
audience and not product focused in order to communicate and deliver the message.
Therefore, this report provides that the company start by knowing its target market before
selling the flavoured soya milk. The marketing department can use the above to subdivide the market

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into appropriate subgroups that are easier to manage. This report recommends that the marketing
department answer the following five questions to help come up with the best strategy.
a. Who are the consumer market in Australia? The answer to this question is that the company
seek to sell its flavoured soya milk to teenagers.
b. Where is the location of the market? Currently, Lion Company sells to customers located
throughout Australian market.
c. What is the interest of the consumers? The teenagers are interested in consuming milk full of
vitamins
Therefore, having answered the above questions, this IMC recommends that the marketing
department apply demographic segmentation strategy. The strategy will assist in dividing the
customers into structured. For example, the marketing of flavoured soya milk is meant for teenagers
aged between 13 – 19 years of all gender.
The second segmentation strategy will be based on geographic. Currently, the company offers
its products to most of regions in Australia. Therefore, the best strategy would be a country geographic
strategy. Behavioural strategy in the marketing will consider information that the company has collected
on the benefits of consuming flavoured soya milk among teenagers. According to Brink (2015), is that
consumers always seek to buy products at the best prices and those that gives them the value for their
money.
5. Targeting strategy
The objective to evaluate the market segment as explained above is to select a specific market
where to sell flavoured soya milk. Therefore, the marketing department will select teenagers as the
correct market choice. Besides, the company will select the target market by making a choice of
whether the company seeks to the focus on all teenagers or only few teenagers. Jimenez-Castillo

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(2013) categorizes marketing strategies into four generic strategies; undifferentiated marketing,
differentiated, concentrated, and customized.
This marketing IMC recommends that the company adopt the use of differentiated market
targeting strategy. For example, Melton (2011) explains that when a market has several potential
target segments where a company can serve well while at the same time increasing the level of
profitability, then the company can use marketing mixes. The strategy to target only customers aged
between 13 -19, will help the company come up with mixed marketing mixes in order to appeal to this
group. Most importantly, a differentiated marketing strategy will make it easier to exploit a strategy that
targets specific group. Currently, several brands now develop in order to serve each of the segment. This
has become one of the most used targeting strategy for companies that seek to increase profits, market
share, and sales volume. They will try to purchase soya milk because of its positive effect to their bodies.
In overall, customers will purchase products that provide them with benefits.
6. 4. Creative Idea
The creative idea regarding the IMC is that it must achieve the attributes, design, and the
portability aspect of a product. Additionally, the IMC plan will benefit teenage customers if they
continue buying from Lion Company. Customers remain important to a company in terms of how they
make decisions in order to purchase a product.
7. Positioning strategy
Positioning strategies refers to personality statements that companies use when they want to
declare the value to their customers. OTS (2015I) advices that when a company comes up with the
right positioning strategy, it becomes easier to create a positive impression in the minds of customers.
At the same time, customers depend on positioning in order to become loyal towards the company
products. For instance, like engaging and relating with companies they already understand that
companies also understand them at a more personal level. Companies that create strong brands make

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customers recognize and identify them easily. Furthermore, companies also depend on strong brands in
order to create and strengthen their relationships, and trust any new service launched by the company.
The current marketing plan suggest for Lion Company to market its flavoured soya milk through the
following positioning strategies.
7.1. Benefit positioning strategy
The department should recruit and train sales representatives. The training should focus on
ways that they can communicate different benefits to the parents of teenagers. Brand positioning
require that a company communicate different unique benefits that associates flavoured soya milk. For
example, the department will create a standardized message for representative to read to the target
customers regarding the benefits of consuming soya milk. Most importantly, the company will use this
strategy as the best approach to highlight the powerful benefits of drinking soya milk among teenagers
such as the need for vegetable proteins, consumption of no lactose, less allergy, no insulin causing
diabetes.
7.2. Celebrity-driven positioning strategy
The marketing department will approach and talk to celebrities from Australia. Their role will be
to act as ambassadors and spokespeople for the company brand. They will be called upon whether the
company seeks to introduce the brand in the market (Fifield, 2008). This strategy will become popular
to introduce the flavoured soya milk to other areas in Australia where Lion Company as not penetrated.
Just as explained by OTS (2015), the goal is to ensure that consumers identify as well as recognize
brands manufactured by the company. However, Ainsworth (2013) maintains that while the approach
might seem expensive to undertake by any marketer, one thing that stands out is how consumers show
their allegiance and following for celebrities. This comes from customers who love reading that their
celebrities write about, their characters, personality, behaviours, and what such people stand for in the
society. The marketing department will make contract with some of the Australian celebrities such as

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Kylie Minogue, Liam Hemsworth, Keith urban, or Naomi Watts. This will form the best way to shape
teenagers in following the leads of their celebrities.
7.3. Value and price positioning
Management will adopt the use of value and prices charged on soya milk as two way to position
the product. For example, the company will use a high-end technique. Such a technique can make the
marketing depart to start exploiting the psychology of customers that soya milk offered in the market is
premium. Second, the marketing manager will ensure that the company cements the milk as one that
offers high nutritional value to its customers that what competitors are selling. Consequently, customers
will find the reason to treat premium priced products as those that offer high value.
7.4. Quality positioning strategy
Lion Company has succeed in processing and distributing flavoured soya milk that contain high
value. The company does this in all its products offered across Australian market. Based on this
foundation, this plan recommends that management increase the level of quality. Besides, the
marketing department through different communication strategies will pass the message concerning the
commitment of a company in ensuring that it does not compromise on quality.
8. Communications Strategy and media mix
8.1. Advertising
Advertising should become part of the promotion, which is also one part of the communication
mix. Besides, the company should not treat advertising as an isolated strategy that can occur alone.
Development of a successful advertising campaign will require that the company follow the following
procedures; pre-campaign phase, strategic decision, tactical execution, campaign implementation, and a
campaign follow-through (Momany & Alshboul, 2016).
Pre-campaign period demands that the company assesses the market condition. Doing this
would be one way of understanding the competitive field. For example, the initial analysis should be in a

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position to examine a number of competitive offerings that relates to the market trends, the media
choices, and usage pattern.
The company will also establish advertising objectives. Apart from the overall formulated
communication objectives, marketing department must also ensure that they formulate advertising
objectives such as;
a. Offer support to personal selling program
b. Improve relationship with dealers
c. Improve attitudes of consumers
d. Create awareness in a market
The company will use different media mix to achieve the above objectives. For example, the
company can opt to use prints that has pictures, logo, and colour of soya milk. Second, the company can
create a standardized message to be aired in different local broadcasting houses. Some of the
nationwide broadcasting televisions could include ABC, SBS, Seven west Media, and Prime Media Group.
Billboard as a mix, can also play a key role of relaying information. The company can hire GOA Billboards
Pty Ltd in order to design and place a picture soya milk associated benefits. This strategy will help create
a visual picture for those passing along business roads.
8.2. Public relations
Public relations officers at the company will assist in the early stages of launching soya milks in
Australia. Furthermore, they will also assist in the positioning and repositioning of the product after they
will have reached maturing stage.
Media mix under public relations include; publications, special events, sponsorships, news
sories, lobbying, and public service activities. The company should use publications such as articles,
newsletters, and magazines in order to influence teenagers. The company should also think about
important special events (Milligan, 2012). For example, the department need to organize and support

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exhibitions, contests, and conferences. Those in attendance might include teenagers or their parents.
Sponsorships also bring a group of people together. Hence, the company can promote soya milk brand
by sponsoring football events. Those that come for such events will meet with different company
managers or brand ambassadors.
8.3. Direct marketing
This approach will help the company deviate from the use of intermediaries when it comes to
selling of the brand. This implies that the company through different media mix will be in direct contact
with the target groups. The fact that the target group will be teenagers, the best way for communicating
to them could be through internet, shopping, and TV Shopping.
Internet is now changing how companies communicate with its target market. The internet has
led to revolution of social media platforms. Thanks to the availability of internet to a greater percentage
of people owning smart phones. Teenagers have also become part of the internet mandra when it
comes to accessing of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Currently, Lion
Company has running accounts with the above accounts. Therefore, this IMC recommends that the
company communication department create messages and share with those in the friend list and
advertising. Besides, the company can contract other third parties that have experience in internet
marketing. The advantage of taking this strategy would help in achieving the following media mix;
a. Social media marketing (SMM)
b. Search engine optimization (SEO)
c. Pay-per-click (PPC)
d. Search engine marketing (SEM)
e. Email marketing

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8.4. Personal selling
The company should recruit and train sales representatives. The training need to focus on
strategic planning and ways that they can start thinking like the strategists. Within the current marketing
environment, sales people need to rise above the notion of wring orders at the counter. However, not
that they need to arm themselves with market intelligence in terms of special focus in understanding
the activities of competitors.
The company will need to come up with clear inference of equipping the entire sales
representative with techniques of competitive strategies. For example, the trained group must
understand how to counter-strategies to their senior management. This implies that they will have to
plan and accommodate some critical components.
For rationale in having, a team with broader role is because of understanding that they are
always in the forefront of actions. Every sharp sales person at the company will need to notice some
changes in customer buying behaviours and identify a surge in a competitor’s activity. In overall,
therefore, this IMC suggest that the sales team should behave just like the general manager of Lion
Company. Furthermore, they should ensure they act like a marketing director.
9. Budget

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MARKETING BUDGET PLAN
Projected
Subtotal to
date:
$
518,990.
00
CAMPAIGN TYPE QTY PROJECTED COST PER UNIT PROJECTED SUBTOTAL
National Marketing SUBTOTAL $ 500
Banner Ads 10 $ 50.00 $ 500.00
Local Marketing SUBTOTAL $ 86,000
Newspaper 1000 $ 6.00 $ 6,000.00
In-Store Marketing 200 $ 70.00 $ 14,000.00
POP 1000 $ 66.00 $ 66,000.00
Public Relations SUBTOTAL $ 14,550
Public Events 5 $ 500.00 $ 2,500.00
Sponsorships 6 $ 600.00 $ 3,600.00
Press Releases 3 $ 650.00 $ 1,950.00
Webinars 5 $ 100.00 $ 500.00
Conferences 5 $ 600.00 $ 3,000.00
Client Events 6 $ 500.00 $ 3,000.00
$ -
Content Marketing SUBTOTAL $ 6,000
Sponsored Content 10 $ 200.00 $ 2,000.00
Landing Page 10 $ 200.00 $ 2,000.00
White Papers / ebooks 10 $ 200.00 $ 2,000.00
$ -
Social Media SUBTOTAL $ 18,300
Twitter 30 $ 100.00 $ 3,000.00
Facebook 30 $ 100.00 $ 3,000.00
Pinterest 30 $ 101.00 $ 3,030.00
Instagram 30 $ 102.00 $ 3,060.00
Google+ 30 $ 103.00 $ 3,090.00
LinkedIn 30 $ 104.00 $ 3,120.00
Online SUBTOTAL $ 2,720
Blog 50 $ 10.00 $ 500.00
Website 1 $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00

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Mobile App 1 $ 20.00 $ 20.00
Mobile Alerts 20 $ 10.00 $ 200.00
Email Newsletter 1000 $ 1.00 $ 1,000.00
Advertising SUBTOTAL $ 25,000
Online 10 $ 1,000.00 $ 10,000.00
Print 10 $ 200.00 $ 2,000.00
Outdoor 10 $ 300.00 $ 3,000.00
Radio 10 $ 500.00 $ 5,000.00
Television 10 $ 500.00 $ 5,000.00
Web SUBTOTAL $ 14,200
Development 12 $ 100.00 $ 1,200.00
Pay-Per-Click Marketing 1000 $ 1.00 $ 1,000.00
SEO 12 $ 1,000.00 $ 12,000.00
Market Research SUBTOTAL $ 600
Surveys 3 $ 100.00 $ 300.00
Impact Studies 3 $ 100.00 $ 300.00
$ -
Sales Campaigns SUBTOTAL $ 30,120
Campaign A 12 $ 500.00 $ 6,000.00
Campaign B 12 $ 501.00 $ 6,012.00
Campaign C 12 $ 502.00 $ 6,024.00
Campaign D 12 $ 503.00 $ 6,036.00
Campaign E 12 $ 504.00 $ 6,048.00
$ -
Other SUBTOTAL 321,000
Premiums 1000 $ 100.00 $ 100,000.00
Corporate Branding 1000 $ 200.00 $ 200,000.00
Business Cards 1000 $ 10.00 $ 10,000.00
Signage 1000 $ 11.00 $ 11,000.00

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CAMPAIGN TYPE PROJECTED
SUBTOTAL %
National Marketing $500.00 0%
Local Marketing $86,000.00 17%
Public Relations $14,550.00 3%
Content Marketing $6,000.00 1%
Social Media $18,300.00 4%
Online $2,720.00 1%
Advertising $25,000.00 5%
Web $14,200.00 3%
Market Research $600.00 0%
Sales Campaigns $30,120.00 6%
Other $321,000.00 62%
$518,990.00
500
0% 8600
0
17%
1455
0
3%6000
1%
1830
0
4%
2720
1%
2500
0
5%
1420
0
3%
600
0%
3012
0
6%
3210
00
62%
National Marketing
Local Marketing
Public Relations
Content Marketing
Social Media
Online
Advertising
Web
Market Research
Sales Campaigns
Other

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10. Timeline
Action/Tool Objective Target Timing Responsibility Detail
Integration
Progress
National
marketing
Increase
awareness
Parents November,
5th 2017
Marketing
department
pending
Local marketing Increase
awareness
November
5th 2017 –
June 30th
2018
pending
Public relations Increase
awareness
parents November
5th 2017
pending
Content
marketing
Increase
awareness
teenager November
15th 2017 –
April 20th
2018
pending
Social media Increase
awareness
teenager November
15th 2017 –
March 20th
2018
pending
Online Increase
awareness
teenager November
15th 2017 –
March 20th
2018
pending
advertising Increase
awareness
teenager December
10th 2017
pending
web Increase
awareness
teenager January
15th 2017 –
April 20th
2018
pending
Market research Increase
awareness
teenager November,
5th 2017
pending
Sales campaign Increase
awareness
teenager November
5th 2017 –
June 30th
2018
pending

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11. Evaluation
This IMC plan recommend that the marketing department take the responsibility of a
control process. This strategy will help in ascertaining the implementation of the program. The
evaluation also understand the achievement of objectives. For example, the first process would
involve setting up benchmarks as standard variables in terms of measurable and observable
indicators. The company will evaluate the effectiveness of IMC program by looking at the
process measures, the return on investment, and new measures. Besides, it is critical to
understand that the IMC will go through three phases of evaluations.
The first phase will cover strategic development. This stage will involve conducting
planning. Just as indicated in the rest of the paper, this section involved defining the marketing
problems, defining the product, and the target group. The second stage of evaluation should
involve developing the actual campaign. During this stage, the process will involve pretesting
and in-market testing. Furthermore, the stage will require refining the message and channels
before and after the marketing department has implemented the marketing activity.
The last stage is the evaluation state. This will come as a post-campaign evaluation. The
company will evaluate the campaign against the objectives established above and returns on
investment. For example, this process will involve making comparison between the benchmark
and the results after two years. The procedure will assist in identification of any form of
deviation.
It will be the responsibility of the mid-level management to identify the actual
performance against the set measures. While doing this, management will ask a number of
questions such as what, why, and what occurred. The key measures to use at this stage will
include profitability level, the marketing cost, and the sales volume of soya milk. In addition, the

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evaluation process will consider designing appropriate corrective measures against the
deviations.
12. Conclusion
The current report focused on IMC plan of Lion Company in Australia, The Company
specializes in processing and delivery of food and beverages to customers distributed throughout
Australia. Some of the products that the company distributes includes Beer, wine, spirits,
yogurts, cheese, soya products, and flavoured soya milks. The communication objectives
presented in the report involves increasing the level of market awareness among households in
Australia by 20% by 2020, to increase the volume of sales of flavoured soya milk from the current 2
million sachet to 3 million sachets y 2020, and to increase the market share from the current 34% to
45% by 2020. The major target group included teenagers aged 13 – 19 years across Australian
geographical area. The report provides that Lion Company adopt four positioning strategies. The four
strategies will include benefit positioning, celebrity-driven positioning, value and price, and quality
positioning strategies. Be marketing department must ensure that the company implements the
communication mix in terms of public relations, direct marketing, and advertising.

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