Applying IMC: Unilever's Tools, Techniques, and Media Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Unilever's integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategies. It identifies and evaluates the various tools and techniques employed by Unilever, including advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing, and public relations, to deliver a clear and consistent message about the organization and its products. The report explores convergent tools and techniques for navigating a divergent media environment, such as PPCo, evaluation matrices, and Hit and Highlighting, emphasizing the importance of customer-centric approaches by prioritizing customer experience, establishing feedback channels, and aligning business strategies with customer needs. Furthermore, the report reviews cost-effective tools like search engine advertising, business blogs, social media marketing, and YouTube advertising. It also highlights the necessity for technological expertise across different sectors within Unilever and the establishment of robust channels to empower and respond to customer perspectives through retailers and distributors, as well as maintaining a relevant business network through continuous communication with suppliers and customers via official websites and social media campaigns. The document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and solved assignments for students.

Running head - APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Applying marketing communication
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
The selected organization of this assignment is Unilever.
1. Identifying and evaluating tools and techniques used by Unilever for integrated
marketing communication.
Integrated marketing communication is defined as a process of creating and
integrating the coordinates of any organization through the help of several channels that
would help in delivering a direct and clear message about the goodwill and proper
conducts of the organization and the products that are manufactured by them.1
The tools that are used by Unilever for IMC are advertising, promotion for sales,
direct marketing and public relation2.
With the help advertising, Unilever are able to spread their product reach and also
develop brand image and quality. Unilever uses advertising for promoting the adoption of
their good and services and ideas for the customer.
Unilever initiates promotion for sales of their manufactured products for attracting
much more customer base towards their organization. The organization distributes
coupons, premium offers and even samples for their pre launched products among the
consumers for the spread of their products.
Unilever also conducts public campaigns for promoting their products. With the
help of public relations, Unilever is able to create bond with the customers and know the
exact needs.
1 Saenko, Natalia R., et al. "Research in action integrated marketing communications as the elements of information
and virtualization market relations." International Review of management and marketing 6.1S (2016): 267-272.
2 Chaffey, Dave, and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick. Digital marketing. Pearson UK, 2019.

2APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
2. Creating convergent tools and techniques for using in divergent media environment
The divergence in media is classified as the opposite of convergence in the media.
It deals with the development in media form, through which an organization conducts and
promote its conduct of business3.
The process of selection and evaluation of diverse group in the media
environment is known as Convergent thinking and the tools that used is known as
convergent tools. The tools that Unilever could use are PPCo, Matrix for evaluation, and
Hit and Highlighting.
The PPCo tool is a process that involves technique of 4-step. It helps in the
evaluation and improvement of new ideas. The process is mainly based on the affirmative
judgment principle. PPCo itself stand for Pluses, Potentials, Concern and the overcoming
of concern.
Matrix for evaluation is a process that is demonstrated by the evaluation of
specific areas like marketing, manufacturing and communication.
Hit and Highlight is the tool for developing excellent divergent media. The
process in initiated by starting the identification of right targets in the organization4.
3. Creating tools and techniques used for developing customer-centric environment
3 Chavez, Roberto, et al. "The effect of customer‐centric green supply chain management on operational
performance and customer satisfaction." Business Strategy and the Environment 25.3 (2016): 205-220.
4 Lievesley, Matthew, et al. "How Industrial Design Supports a Customer‐Centric Innovation Approach in a
Technology‐Centric Business Environment." Design Management Journal12.1 (2017): 15-27.

3APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
The techniques that Unilever could use for developing customer-centric environment are
as follows –
a. Making the experience of the customer as the prime priority for the company
b. Implanting a framework that would deal in customer experiences.
c. By monitoring the bond between employees and customers.
d. Engaging employees in creating customer experience.
e. By ensuring that customer experience is included in the business strategy of Unilever.
f. Getting feedback from the customer and shaping the organization according to the
needs of the customer.
4. Reviewing the fit for purpose and cost effective tools and techniques
Unilever could use the following tools and techniques for fit for purpose and cost
effective for integrated marketing
a. By adding advertisement in search engines such as Yahoo and Google
b. By the creation of business blogs and websites that would help in marketing
c. Creating business pages in Facebook and Twitter for marketing.
d. Creating profile in business site like Linkedin
e. Advertisement in YouTube.
5. Selecting and utilizing integrated, cross sector and media divergent marketing
communication to meet client requirement.
a. With the identification of campaigning goals and limitation for marketing, Unilever
could create divergent marketing communication for meeting client requirement.
b. By gaining some insight of the market and the customer needs, Unilever would be able
to develop marketing strategies.

4APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
c. Unilever should be aware of the competition in the market. This would help in
knowing the about the products that is developed by the other customers.
6. Identifying the sectors where technological expert would be required
The need for technological experts in the various sectors of Unilever is required. Right
form human resource management to finance and marketing, technology is required and for
operating those experts are required.
7. Establishing channels to empower and respond to perspective of customers
Unilever needs to establish channels with their retailers and distributors in order
to maintain the perspective that the clients and customers have expected form Unilever.
With the help of supplier and retailers, Unilever would be able to analyze the needs of
their customers from the feedbacks5.
8. Establishing and maintaining business network relevant to convergence marketing
communication.
Continuous communication with the supplier, distributor and retailors with the help of
dedicated pages in the official websites of Unilever. Through social media and public campaign,
it establish network for the customers6.
5 Alreemy, Zyad, et al. "Critical success factors (CSFs) for information technology governance
(ITG)." International Journal of Information Management 36.6 (2016): 907-916.
6 Stoian, Maria‐Cristina, Josep Rialp, and Pavlos Dimitratos. "SME networks and international performance:
Unveiling the significance of foreign market entry mode." Journal of Small Business Management 55.1 (2017): 128-
148.

5APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION

6APPLYING MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Referencing
Alreemy, Zyad, et al. "Critical success factors (CSFs) for information technology governance
(ITG)." International Journal of Information Management 36.6 (2016): 907-916.
Chaffey, Dave, and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick. Digital marketing. Pearson UK, 2019.
Chavez, Roberto, et al. "The effect of customer‐centric green supply chain management on
operational performance and customer satisfaction." Business Strategy and the Environment 25.3
(2016): 205-220.
Lievesley, Matthew, et al. "How Industrial Design Supports a Customer‐Centric Innovation
Approach in a Technology‐Centric Business Environment." Design Management Journal12.1
(2017): 15-27.
Saenko, Natalia R., et al. "Research in action integrated marketing communications as the
elements of information and virtualization market relations." International Review of
management and marketing 6.1S (2016): 267-272.
Stoian, Maria‐Cristina, Josep Rialp, and Pavlos Dimitratos. "SME networks and international
performance: Unveiling the significance of foreign market entry mode." Journal of Small
Business Management 55.1 (2017): 128-148.