Marketing Communication and Consumer Behavior Research Study

This report presents a research study assessing the impact of integrated marketing communication (IMC) on consumer impulsive buying behavior. The study aims to identify the role of IMC in influencing consumer decisions, exploring the needs of IMC in organizations, its influence on buying behavior, and recommended actions for enhancing IMC processes. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both primary data through experimental surveys with marketing managers and secondary data analysis of behavioral lab materials. The study incorporates the Pavlovian theory, Psychoanalytic theory by Freud, and the Nicosia model to understand consumer psychology and buying patterns. Findings will be based on the Nicosia model and qualitative interviews, with limitations including potential response bias and time constraints. The research forecasts developments in consumer buying behavior and market trends within IMC networking.

Running head: MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
Aim..............................................................................................................................................2
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................2
Research Questions......................................................................................................................2
Research hypothesis.....................................................................................................................3
2. Significance of the proposed research.........................................................................................3
3. Literature Review........................................................................................................................3
4. Research methodology.................................................................................................................4
5. Timeframe....................................................................................................................................5
6. The major theories.......................................................................................................................6
7. Findings and analysis...................................................................................................................7
8. Research Limitation and implication...........................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Topic: Assessing the impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer impulsive
buying behavior
1. Introduction
Integrated marketing communication initiatives are undertaken by organizations aiming
at making the target audience aware of the different product and service offerings. Luxton, Reid
and Mavondo (2015) stated that the integrated marketing communication helps an organization
in persuading the customers to make a buy of the propositions. The influential role that is played
by the integrated marketing communication initiatives on consumer impulsive buying
behavior are depicted through the researches that was undertaken earlier.
Aim
The aim of undertaking the research is to assess the influential role of IMC on customer
impulsive buying behavior.
Research Objectives
 To assess the need of an IMC in organizations
 To examine the influential role played by the IMC in consumer buying behavior
 To identify the recommended actions that might be undertaken by organizations for
enhancing the IMC processes
Research Questions
 What are the needs of IMC in an organization?
 How does the IMC influence consumer buying behavior?

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 What are the recommended actions that might be undertaken by the organization for
enhancing the IMC process?
Research hypothesis
HP- IMC has a positive impact on the impulsive consumer behavior
HO- IMC has a negative impact on the impulsive consumer behavior
2. Significance of the proposed research
The research will be contributing to the identification of the impulsive buying behavior of
the customers and the manner in which the organizations utilize the IMC in order to influence
consumer decision making in this context. IMC works as a efficient tool for the organizational
efforts of marketing the products and services as per the choice of the customers. The proposed
research will be assessing the different vulnerabilities of the customers due to the major
differences in the perceived and actual products and services offered by the organizations
through IMC.
3. Literature Review
Keller (2016) stated in a research that the IMC initiatives that are undertaken by the
organizations helps the same in influencing the impulsive customer behavior. Yi and Gong
(2013) added that in the research that the growth of digital technologies has supported the
organizational concerns of influencing the impulsive buying behavior through discounts, offers
and flash sales. Therefore, from the past researches it is found that the integrated marketing
communication initiatives that are undertaken by the organizations have helped the same in

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identifying the preferences of the customers. It has helped organizations in utilizing different
provocative tools to influence impulsive decision making of the consumers (Liang, Ma & Qi,
2013). A research undertaken by Ots and Nyilasy (2015) portrayed that perceived value of the
proposition acts as a strong predictor, which drives the attention of the customers towards
impulsive buying. The different changes that are undertaken by the organizations are dependent
on the identification of the market trends and the needs of the customers (Vivek, Beatty &
Morgan, 2012).
4. Research methodology
The independent variable for the research is IMC and the dependent variable is
impulsive customer buying behavior. The research will undertake different steps to evaluate the
cause and effect relationship between the two variables in order to achieve a favorable outcome.
The research philosophy for the research will be positivism, which will enumerate the existence
of reality through the scientifically proven procedure. In this relation, the study will be focused
on identifying different scientifically proven theories and models related to human psychology
for judging the impact of IMC on the impulsive buying behavior of the customers. The research
approach will be deductive as the study will be deducing data from different sources in order to
examine the different ways in which the IMC affects impulsive buying behavior of the
consumers. The research will be utilizing Explanatory research design, which will be helping
the researcher in understanding the cause -effect relationship between IMC and the impulsive
consumer decision making.
The data for the research will be collected through the utilization of both primary and
secondary sources. Primary data collection will be undertaken through the conduction of

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experimental survey with 7 marketing managers from 5 companies. Simple random sampling
will be undertaken during the research study. The experimental research will be helping the
researcher in analyzing the cause and effect relation between the role of IMC in influencing
impulsive buying behaviour among the customers. The responses during the interview will be
collected and analyzed through the utilization of Correlation, regression and other excel
applications. On the other hand, the research will also undertake a secondary analysis through the
assessment of different materials available at BEHAVIORAL LAB in order to identify the
customer behaviour and the driving force behind impulsive buying. The major aim of
undertaking the research is dependent on the assessment of the efficiency of IMC (Integrated
Marketing Communication) in creating an impression on the minds of the customers. Therefore,
the mixed methods will be assisting to identify the cause and effect while delineating the impact
of the IMC on the impulsive buying behaviour of customers.
5. Timeframe
Task Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Week
7
Week
8
Week
9
Selection of topic
and search for
justification
Constructing
literature
Selecting
appropriate

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methods
Data collection
Data analysis and
representation
Reviewing the
outcomes
Conclusions and
recommendations
Submitting draft
of the project
Printing and final
submission
Table 1: Table showing the timeframe of the entire research
(Source: As created by author)
6. The major theories
The research will be undertaken through an evaluation of the Pavlovian theory, which
aims at understanding the impulsive psychology of a consumer while making a buy of the
product. The evaluation of the Pavlovian theory in the research will be helping to identify the
manner in which the IMC influence and provoke a customer to make a buy of the product or
service proposed by the organization. On the other hand, the research will also focus on the
utilization of Psychoanalytic theory by Freud, which aimed at understanding the motivation that

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is gained by the customers unconsciously while making a buying decision. Jaakkola and
Alexander (2014) stated that organizations utilize the Psychoanalytic theory while assessing the
buying behavior of the customers. The theory will be helping the researcher in understanding the
complex psychological networks of the customer behavior. It will help the researcher in
identifying the impact of IMC on the buying behavior of the customers. The research will also
enumerate the Nicosia model in order to assess the manner in which the marketing
communication initiatives that are undertaken by the organization influence consumer buying
behavior. The implementation of the model in the research will be helping the indentify the
influence of the IMC on the impulsive buyer’s decision making process.
Figure 1: Nicosia model

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(Source: Jasmand, Blazevic & De Ruyter, 2012)
7. Findings and analysis
The findings of the research will be dependent on the utilization of Nicosia model for
assessing the impulsive decision making of the customers. On the other hand, the enumeration of
the psychoanalytic theory and Pavlovian theory will be helping to strengthen the research
findings related to the study of customer’s impulsive behavior. The utilization of semi structured
qualitative interviews with the managers will be helping to identify the essence of IMC in
marketing activities.
8. Research Limitation and implication
Implications of the research
The research will be forecasting the different developments in the customer buying
behavior settings. On the other hand, the research will study the customer preferences and market
trends in the IMC networking. The research will be identifying the different complex trends of
impulsive consumer decision making.
Limitations of the research
The research is limited to the biased responses that might be provided by the samples,
which might affect the objective of an unbiased outcome. The researcher will be utilizing
different Excel applications in order to calculate the data and interpret the same. However, the
biased responses might affect the outcome of the study. On the other hand, the vastness of the
research is limited by the time that will be provided to the researcher.

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References
Jaakkola, E., & Alexander, M. (2014). The role of customer engagement behavior in value co-
creation: a service system perspective. Journal of service research, 17(3), 247-261.
Jasmand, C., Blazevic, V., & De Ruyter, K. (2012). Generating sales while providing service: A
study of customer service representatives' ambidextrous behavior. Journal of
Marketing, 76(1), 20-37.
Keller, K. L. (2016). Unlocking the power of integrated marketing communications: How
integrated is your IMC program?. Journal of Advertising, 45(3), 286-301.
Liang, D., Ma, Z., & Qi, L. (2013). Service quality and customer switching behavior in China's
mobile phone service sector. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1161-1167.
Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability
and brand performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), 37-46.
Ots, M., & Nyilasy, G. (2015). Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC): Why Does It
Fail?: An Analysis of Practitioner Mental Models Exposes Barriers of IMC
Implementation. Journal of Advertising Research, 55(2), 132-145.
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer
relationships beyond purchase. Journal of marketing theory and practice, 20(2), 122-146.
Yi, Y., & Gong, T. (2013). Customer value co-creation behavior: Scale development and
validation. Journal of Business Research, 66(9), 1279-1284.