Integrated Marketing Communication: A Tesco Case Study Analysis

This case study explores Tesco's integrated marketing communications (IMC) strategies, focusing on the use of social media platforms to enhance customer engagement and brand awareness. It highlights how Tesco leverages various promotional tools, including social media, to deliver targeted messages and build relationships with customers. The study also addresses the challenges and issues Tesco faces in social media marketing, such as the need for skilled employees and effective communication strategies. Furthermore, it discusses the potential outcomes of utilizing social media marketing, including strengthening the customer base and gaining valuable customer feedback. The analysis emphasizes the importance of aligning IMC strategies with marketing mix components to deliver value to customers and maintain a competitive position in the marketplace. Desklib offers similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

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Marketing management (Integrated Marketing Communication): A Case Study of Tesco
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Table of contents
Integrated marketing communications.......................................................................................2
Social media marketing as integrated marketing communication tool for Tesco......................4
Challenges and issues in social media marketing as integrated communication tool................5
Possible outcomes through the consideration of social media marketing..................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Integrated marketing communications
Figure: IMC (Belch et al. 2014)
With the advancement of technology and communication, it has been understood that
the integrated marketing communications or IMC enables the use of different marketing and
communication channels for marketing the products and services of Tesco properly and fulfill
the needs and requirements of the customers too largely. The integrated marketing
communications has ensured that the messages and communication procedures are linked
together by integrating the various promotional tools and ensuring that the right messages and
information about the products are delivered to the customers, which has been possible with
the involvement of social media platforms (Belch et al. 2014). This has allowed the
customers to become aware of the kinds of products and services delivered. The social media
platforms are used by Tesco to form close relationships with the clients and make them more
associated with the brand across its whole product portfolio. The IMCs have been further
facilitated with the support of Arena Quantum, which has introduced a social media
campaign to promote the products (Andrews and Shimp 2017).

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Figure: Procedures for IMC (Andrews and Shimp 2017)
The success of a business depends upon its reach to the different market segments
comprising of the clients and it has been made possible at Tesco with the help of proper
traditional marketing techniques, advertisements and promotions and with the involvement of
social media platforms. The IMC has been aligned with the strategies implemented along
with combining the various marketing mix components to ensure that proper value is
delivered to the customers along with management of share messages between the
individuals, the business and the staffs working there (Mulhern 2013). The IMC used by
Tesco has enabled brand development and exposure of products and services to the customers
for influencing their buying behaviors too and the brand has been positioned well too. The
use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc. has raised customer awareness
along with gaining a competitive position too. Tesco has posted updates consistently related
to the brand and its products and the new and innovative products have also been promoted
here, which has created a positive perception of the brand among the customers. The positive
reviews and feedbacks posted by the clients further promoted the brand through word of
mouth promotions and Tesco has gained a sustainable position within the marketplace too
(Hubinová 2015). Likes and comments are viewed by other people, who also get influenced

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before making a purchasing decision in the end. The news feeds and Twitter posts made by
Tesco have further improved the marketing communications and the right messages and
information about the products have been delivered to the customers for influencing their
buying behaviors.
Social media marketing as integrated marketing communication tool for Tesco
Social media is a tool for companies and organizations in terms of reaching to large
mass of audience. Same is true even for Tesco. For communicating with the customers, Tesco
personnel make use of social media. This is in terms of enhancing the trafficking of the
audience towards the brand image. Uploading the specific information on the social
networking sites helps the personnel in influencing the purchasing decision of the buyers. The
response of the customers towards the advertised products enables Tesco to identify the
customer behaviour towards the products and services (Tesco.com 2018). Celebrity
endorsements for the brands generates interest among the brands regarding availing the

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services. For example, if Adam Goodes is hired for advertising the breakfast cereals, the
parents can be lured for buying a packet of kelloggs cornflakes for the children’s physical and
mental growth and development. This aspect can be correlated with the aspects of “interest
and desire” components of AIDA Model.
Challenges and issues in social media marketing as integrated communication tool
One of the major issues, which Tesco encounters in social media advertisements is the
lack of skilled and efficient employees. This is one of the major challenges, as it deprives the
customers of the basic product related information. Even though celebs like Adam Goodes
are hired, lack of proper communication and advertising strategies disrupts the parameter of
Public Relations. In most of the advertisements, it is seen that advertisements contains high
ornamental language, which the customers fail to understand. However, Tesco’s tagline,
“Every Little helps” is simple, which helps the customers to understand their marketing
strategy (Tesco.com 2018).
Figure: Tesco Tagline
(Source: Tesco.com
2018)
Possible outcomes
through the consideration of social media marketing
Social media is a tool for strengthening the customer base for companies and
organizations. The same is true for Tesco. The option of ratings for the products and services
make the personnel aware of the customer approaches towards the levied products and
services. Five star ratings indicates high involvement of the customers towards the products.

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Feedbacks and survey forms on the social media indicates the awareness of the customers and
the staffs regarding the products and services. The response of the customers assist the staffs
to think of innovative marketing and communication strategies.

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References
Andrews, J.C. and Shimp, T.A., 2017. Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of
integrated marketing communications. Nelson Education.
Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G.F. and Powell, I., 2014. Advertising: An integrated
marketing communication perspective. McGraw-Hill Education.
Hubinová, J., 2015. Self-Promotion of Individuals Via Social Media-A Useful Tool to Sell
Oneself as a Product Trademark. MARKETING IDENTIT, p.378.
Mulhern, F., 2013. Integrated marketing communications: From media channels to digital
connectivity. In The Evolution of Integrated Marketing Communications (pp. 19-36).
Routledge.
Tesco.com (2018). Every Little Helps. Available at: https://www.tesco.com [Accessed on 19th
September 2018]