Developing an Integrated Marketing Communication Plan: SSP Group

This report presents an integrated marketing communication (IMC) plan for SSP Group plc, a British multinational corporation specializing in branded catering services. It begins by outlining various marketing channels, both traditional and digital, that SSP Group can leverage to promote its products and services, enhance its customer base, and improve its market position. The report then discusses key communication objectives, such as increasing brand awareness, changing consumer attitudes, and driving sales. It emphasizes the importance of selecting and integrating appropriate communication channels to achieve these objectives. Furthermore, the report details a comprehensive marketing plan tailored to SSP Group's operations, focusing on strategies to enhance demand and uplift the organization's image. Finally, the evaluation of the marketing communication plan considers communication strategy, content attractiveness, and channel choice to ensure the attainment of desired goals. This IMC plan aims to provide SSP Group with a roadmap for effective marketing communication to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Running Head: IMC
SSP Group plc
Integrated Marketing Communications

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
P1 Types of marketing channels......................................................................................................2
P2 Communication Objectives........................................................................................................4
P3 Selection and Integration of communication channels...............................................................5
P4 Marketing communication plan..................................................................................................6
P5 Evaluation of marketing communication plan...........................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Integrated marketing communication channels are effective as well as necessary elements for
every organization. These channels help organization to accomplish its tasks in an effective
manner through which desired goals and objectives could easily be attained. Primary motive of
using these channels is to promote organizational products and services as well as to spread
awareness amongst the target audience with relevance to the organizational products and
services. In this report, marketing communication plan will be discussed with regards to the
operations of SSP Group plc with the motive of promoting organizational products and services
(Armstrong, et. al., 2015). SSP Group plc is a British multinational corporation headquartered in
London. Its main operations are providing branded catering services. Along with the branded
catering service, organization also holds retail units at more than 125 airports and 270 railway
stations across the globe. Company act as concessionaire and it is listed on the London Stock
Exchange and it is one of the constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. This business was established
as a division of SAS Group in the name of SAS Catering in 1961. Further, its name was changed
to Select Service Partner and acquired by Compass Group in May 1993 for £72 million.
In this report integrated marketing communication channels will be discussed with regards to the
promotion of organizational products and services in the target market. The first part of the
report will focus over the usage of different types of marketing channels so that organizational
desired goals and objectives could be attained. Further, the report will focus over various
communication objectives in relevance with the current organizational situation. With regards to
the organizational situation, justifications will be given for selecting and integrating chosen
communication channels. Next part of the report will discuss a marketing plan in relevance with
meeting with the organizational communication objectives so that the products and services
could easily be promoted. The marketing plan is an effective element for enhancing the demand
for organizational products and services in the target market along with the upliftment of
organizational image. This will help the organization to gain competitive advantage in the
marketplace. The last part of the report will discuss marketing communication plan with regards
to the communication strategy, attractive and creative content and channel choice so that
appropriate goals could be attained.

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P1 Types of marketing channels
Communication is the process of transferring and sharing information from one party to another.
This is mostly used by every individual to share specific information as well as by companies to
spread awareness amongst the public with relevance to their products and services. In this
scenario, marketing communication will be discussed in relevance with SSP Group plc’s
operations. Company is willing to expand its business by promoting its existing as well as new
products and services in the target markets. With the help of this, different types of target
markets will be approached through which demand for the existing products and services will be
enhanced which will ultimately help the organization to gain competitive advantage (Armstrong,
et. al., 2012). Marketing communication is the platform which includes both traditional as well
as digital media platforms. Role of these communication methods is to approach to the target
audience along with building appropriate relationship between organization and customers.
Amongst these communication methods, two way communication measures play vital role as
these have effective role in communicating with the target audience. Goal of marketing
communication is to cover all aspects such as advertising, promotion, sales, social media, online
communication, etc. (Assaf, Barros & Sellers-Rubio, 2011).
Purpose of marketing communication is to create brand awareness amongst the target audience
with respect to the organizational demands and wants. This is necessary with respect to the
attainment of desired goals and objectives. Marketing communication operates on AIDA model
with following objectives:
 A: This is mainly done to attract the customers as well as to bring attention of customers
towards the organization and its products.
 I: This stands for interest of the customers, products are promoted amongst the target
audience as per their requirements to build their interest (Dibb, 2010).
 D: It stands for desire and its major purpose is to convince customers for consuming the
particular product or service by explaining them the benefits through which customer’s
needs could easily be satisfied.
 A: It denotes to action taken by the organization for approaching to the target audience or
to the existing as well as potential customers with regards to the purchasing.

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There are different types of marketing channels are available through which SSP Group could
easily promote its products and services in target market through which customer base of the
organization will be enhanced through which market position of the organization will also be
improved. In terms of promoting and spreading awareness regarding products and services,
organization needs to form an effective combination of marketing channels. Both traditional as
well as contemporary form of marketing channels will be used by SSP Group’s marketing team
(González‐Benito, Martos‐Partal & Fustinoni‐Venturini, 2014). Primary objective behind
adaptation of these marketing mediums will be increasing customer base, enhancing market
share as well as to build appropriate relationship with the customers. This is the most appropriate
strategy for retaining customers as well as for gaining competitive advantage in the market.
Traditional forms of marketing channels include database/direct marketing, personal selling,
advertising, sales promotion, public relations and sponsorships. These mediums will help the
organization to reach to those groups of individuals which are not much aware of the traditional
forms of marketing. Apart from this, primary aim of traditional marketing tools is approaching to
the people aged more than 45 as they are not much aware about the digital media platforms.
Along with the old age group people, traditional marketing tools also helps organization to
approach to all age group of people as these mediums have developed a distinctive place in
individuals’ lives such as television, radio, newspaper, etc.
These mediums are effective enough to promote products and services so that by developing
attractive offers to bring attention of target audience towards organization as well as towards its
products and services. Along with the traditional forms of marketing channels, latest marketing
channels will also be used such as digital marketing strategies, social media platforms, email
marketing, advertisement through television, radio, etc. (Hollensen, 2015). With the help of these
mediums, organization will be able to promote its services amongst the target audience which
will ultimately lead to increase demand. Thus, SSP Group will be able to tie up with more brands
which will increase product offering of the organization and with the help of this, large number
of customers will be targeted. Communication methods are useful in relevance with enhancing
organizational goals and objectives (Huang & Sarigöllü, 2014).

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P2 Communication Objectives
Communication is a primary element for every organization and with every communication tool,
organization has several objectives. Amongst these communication tools, primary objectives are
spreading awareness amongst the target audience, projecting an image amongst the potential and
existing customers. Objectives for marketing communication are for long term goals and under
this, marketing campaigns are created so that value for the brand could be enhanced by passing
time. Primary objectives for marketing communication with regards to the SSP Group’s
operations are attracting other brands and customers towards their services. In terms of different
situational contexts in organization, role of a leader and manager’s functions plays vital role
(Luan & Sudhir, 2010).
Primary communication objectives for SSP Group are to establish a unique connection with the
customers so that expected outcomes could be attained. As SSP group is engaged in providing
catering services in trains, airports, etc., thus, it is required for the organization to develop
appropriate relationship with the suppliers. This helps the organization to serve quality food to its
customers. Apart from this, it is also necessary for the purpose of desired goals and objectives. In
relation with this, it is necessary for the organization to enhance its performance along with
increasing sales, revenues, profitability, etc.
In terms designing communication objectives as per organizational operations, role of a leader
and functions of a manager plays vital role. Leader is responsible for creating new systems along
with institutionalising the new and advanced approaches with regards to the attainment of
organizational desired goals and objectives. Whereas, function of a manager in this process is to
plan, organise, control and lead the work of its subordinates and employees with the aim of
attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Marketing communication is an element
through which companies stay connected with their potential as well as existing consumers.
Using this tool, organization could easily transfer information, spread awareness amongst target
audience. Primarily, communication vehicles include newsletter, websites, emails, etc. (Martos-
Partal & González-Benito, 2011).
Objectives of marketing communication are as follows:

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 Increase awareness: Increasing brand awareness is not the only marketing objectives but
it mainly carries priority amongst the overall marketing objectives. Increasing awareness
is crucial and necessary almost for every company as it helps them to enhance the
demand for their product as well as to establish an effective brand image in the target
market (Keegan & Rowley, 2017). It is also necessary for the purpose of spreading
awareness amongst the target audience so that goals and objectives could easily be
accomplished. In relevance with SSP Group, it is required for increasing awareness so
that customer base could be enhanced along with gaining a decent image in the target
market (Morritt & Weinstein, 2012).
 Change attitude: Changing consumers’ attitudes of the consumers is necessary with
regards to the improvement of organizational image in the target market. With regards to
this, it is required for the organization to develop appropriate perceptions of the
organization amongst the consumers so that competitive advantage could be attained
(Richards, et. al., 2012).
 Increasing sales: Communicating with the consumers keeps them active in relation with
the new happenings of the business. Apart from this, it also helps the organization to
highlight key features of its products and services through which target customers could
stay connected with company’s activities. Business activities include product launches,
sales, expansion, as well as introduction of new products. Main objective of this form of
marketing communication is to spread awareness amongst the target audience to make
them realise that they are crucial part of organization and its operations (Wedel &
Kamakura, 2012).
 Brand awareness: Each message which is shared by the organization amongst its
consumers helps the organization to build or to establish an effective brand image in the
customer’s mind. Brand awareness could be promoted through consistent messaging to
the target audience. Along with this, appropriate media techniques will be used so that
strong brand identity could be established in the target market (Bhupathi, 2016).
SSP Group plc is a multinational corporation engaged in providing catering services at airports
and railways stations. It operates a vast portfolio of small brands and amongst them, most of the
brands are locally specific and some of those brands are Starbucks, Le Train Bleu, Le Grand

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Comptoir, Upper Crust, Burger King, Walter, and Caffe Ritazza. With regards to improving
organizational image in the target market along with gaining positive outcomes, it is necessary to
enhance organizational image as well as to enhance organizational image in the target market
(Belch, et. al., 2014).
P3 Selection and Integration of communication channels
SSP Group is required to adopt appropriate and effective mediums of communication through
which organization could easily promote its products in the target market. This will help the
organization to gain positive outcomes along with enhancing demand for their products and
services. Ultimately, organization will be able to set up an effective position in the target market
through which market share of the organization would also be enhanced in the marketplace. In
order to run an organization well, managers and leaders play vital role as they are the appropriate
as well as responsible person to communicate organisational objectives with the employees and
employees’ expectations to the management of organization so that desired goals and objectives
could be attained along with the fulfilment of employees’ needs and wants (Ots & Nyilasy,
2015).
Communication plays significant role in enhancing organizational performance as it helps the
organization to deal with the day to day or big challenges and issues in an effective manner. For
example, until employees would not know expectations of organization from them, they will not
be able to gain desired outcomes as per the organization. Thus, it is necessary for both
organizations as well as for employees. Organization is required to share their views, opinions,
and expectations which needs to be attained to the employees while, employees are required to
ask for the necessary resources, safe workplace environment as well as for all those things which
will be required for the accomplishment of tasks in an effective manner along with the
attainment of organizational desired goals and objectives (Caywood, 2016).
Forward and backward type of communication
Communication flows forward, backward, as well as sideways in an organization. This flow is
known as communication and the medium through which communication flows is known as
communication channels. For example, top level management forms policies, rules and
regulations for the whole organization to consider it while performing the assigned tasks on

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behalf of the organization. Those policies, rules and regulations are conveyed to the middle level
management which further communicated to the lower level management and employees and
workers. The flow of information can be top to bottom level or vice versa and it is very crucial to
direct the employee towards the same path to walk upon in relevance with the attainment of
desired goals and objectives. Flow of communication could be done through various mediums
such as face-to-face, email as well as through interdepartmental memos (Kim, Kim & Marshall,
2016).
With regards to improving organizational and employees’ productivity, it is essential for the
organization to select an appropriate or mixture of effective communication channels. From the
various mediums of communication channel, managers need to analyse effectiveness and
efficiency of each available communication medium for the betterment of organization.
Some of the available options as communication channels are:
 Video conferencing, fax machines,
 Digital mediums and traditional forms.
Trending mediums of communication are:
 Social media platforms
 Internal communication systems such as internal chat system, messaging application
which could be customised as per organizational requirements (Keller, 2016).
Social media
Social media mediums of communication are also effective in relation with staying connected
with the target audience as well as existing and potential customers. These platforms are
effective in today’s business environment. With the help of these platforms, customers could
share their feedback, opinion and valuable experience with the company’s services on social
media platforms. Although, there will be both negative as well as positive comments but
negative comments will provide organization a relative opportunity to adopt appropriate
measures to eliminate the negative feedback by improving the services whereas, positive
comments by customers will help the organization to gain more customers (Karjaluoto,
Mustonen & Ulkuniemi, 2015).

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Digital mediums
Amongst the available options and as per the SSP Group’s aims and objectives, digital mediums
and internal communication methods will be adopted. Primary reason for selecting these
communication mediums is their effectiveness as well as these mediums of communication
provide option to customise it as per the requirements. Hence, organization could easily attain its
goals and objectives of promoting its products and services in the target market (Fill & Turnbull,
2016). Social media mediums of communication provide a speedy platform to share information
amongst the al stakeholders through which information is exchanged within the organization and
its stakeholders within fraction of seconds.
Public relations
It is necessary for the organization to establish reliable image amongst the target audience with
the objective of enhancing organizational performance. With regards to this, organisation needs
to focus over quality of their products along with providing customisation and related options.
These strategies will help the organization to boost up its performance along with developing
reliable brand awareness amongst the target audience.
Advertising
This is another effective medium of marketing and promotion for spreading brand awareness
amongst the target audience. With regards to the advertisement, there are numerous platforms
which could be used for spreading awareness. Along with this, it is necessary for the
organization to choose the advertisement tools wisely in terms of accomplishing the tasks. This
is necessary in relation with the attainment of desired goals and objectives and the major
objective behind adaptation of advertisement tools.
SSP Group is planning to expand its business and in relation with this, it is necessary for the
organization to promote its services and products amongst the new markets. With regards to this,
it is required for the organization to adopt appropriate promotional strategies through which
target audience could be approached. The promotional strategies adopted by the organization
will mainly be used for enhancing awareness of the organizational products (Valos, et. al., 2016).
Social media platforms and other effective digital media platforms will be used by the
organization to communicate with the customers as well as with the employees so that the

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desired goals and objectives could be attained. In relation with this, organization would be able
to develop a reliable position amongst the target audience. This will ultimately help the
organization to enhance the demand of their products and services which will be lead the
organization towards attainment of sustainable growth and development (Shen, et. al., 2016).
Internal communication system
Internal communication systems are necessary for the organization for the objective of
conveying messages from the top level management to different departments of the organization.
When an organization plans to expand its functionalities along with the objective of enhancing
its productivity, certain new and advanced strategies needs to be adopted for the same.
Adaptation of these strategies is the action of top level management, leaders and senior managers
while implementing them along with facing challenges and issues with respect to the
implemented strategies is faced by the employees. In that scenario, organization requires an
effective internal communication system through which every person of the organization could
get appropriate information regarding the application of those strategies along with discussing
the issues and challenges faced by the employees with the objective of attaining desired goals
and objectives.
SSP Group’s primary communication channels will be:
 Traditional Mediums:
 Newspaper
 Magazines
 Board hoardings
 Television
 Radio
 Non-traditional mediums:
 Social media
 Search engines
 Event
 Sponsorship
 Personal relation

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P4 Marketing communication plan
SSP Group is planning to expand its business and in relation with this, it is necessary to increase
product offerings. Along with the product offerings, organization also requires to develop as well
as maintain effective relationship with the suppliers so that the quality of the food could be
maintained. This aspect helps in attainment of customer satisfaction which ultimately helps in the
accomplishment of desired goals such as increasing customer base, customer satisfaction and
reliability over organization and its products. With regards to this, organization has asked its
marketing team to design an effective marketing communication plan along with the above
discussed marketing communication channels so that the desire goals could be attained.
Target audience
Determining target audience is the main attribute of a marketing communication plan. With
regards to the target audience, appropriate mediums are adopted to approach them as well as to
build brand awareness amongst them. This will be done by the segmentation criteria and as per
the products and services of organization. Demands and wants of the target audience will be
analysed along with determining the suitability of organizational products and services. In
accordance to this, appropriate changes will be applied amongst the organizational promotional
and advertisement plan through which desired goals could be attained.
Marketing communication plan is developed for conveying the organizational messages to the
target audience. This is mainly used for promoting organizational products and services amongst
the target audience along with gaining desired goals and objectives. Apart from this, marketing
communication plan is also used for staying connected with the target audience as well as to
approach to other segments of audience. This plan is also effective and beneficial for enhancing
organizational image in the target market along with gaining competitive advantage. Primary
objectives with relevance with the marketing communication plan are to build strong relationship
with the target audience so that the desired goals could be attained along with enhancing the
market share of the organization in the target market. Primary objectives of marketing
communication plan is to attain its communication objectives such as increasing awareness