IMC tools: The Marketing Communications Mix

Case Study: IMC tools Name Institution Introduction The concept of Integrated Marketing Communications emerged in the 1980s and has since advanced into a powerful tool for management all over the world. Business organizations are looking for tools which facilitate consistence and integration for coordination of their processes. Therefore the concept of IMC revolves around the process of information management regarding a service or product that will influence customer loyalty. Each market situation requires a unique IMC approach due to the varying strategic marketing communication needs of an organization (Villarreal, 2010). This makes IMC a strategic process where marketing instruments are used to complement each other for effective communication. The benefit of this process is to nurture a consistent positive brand image, with unique massages for accurate and consistent marketing. The Marketing Communications Mix An IMC consists of four elements of the marketing mix. Each element aims to increase company awareness and push for more sales by sending concise and consistent messages that are intended to convert prospects into customers. When preparing for an IMC plan, the management should consider the 6Ms (Clayton, 2012). IMC aims to get to target markets and create awareness about an organization’s products and services and often involves various tools such as advertisement, sales promotions, direct and interactive marketing, personal selling, and publicity. Marketing demands an implementation of communication tools which can influence the success of an IMC plan. He IMC tools which constitute the promotional mix include advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations and personal selling (Villarreal, 2010). Businesses endeavor to generate leads and turn prospects into customers. Those that have adequate marketing resources are accessible to an array of options including print and electronic media, direct mail, and telemarketing among many other forms of marketing. Choosing the appropriate tools and identifying the right messages to the right market segment is usually challenging and it calls for integration of the channels of market outreach. However, small business ventures may not have adequate financial muzzle to adopt many promotional elements(Clayton, 2012). This cluster of enterprises may opt to adopt one or two affordable tools like creating a website and print advertisements as they may not see the need to employ an integrated marketing strategy. It requires business operators to interrogate their customer requirements through informed purchase trends to create successful IMC strategies. This can be through knowing their requirements, their perceptions of the business activity, and whether they appreciate the benefits of the business enterprise. In most cases, each business enterprise has a cluster of customers who have knowledge of the products they want. This calls for the enterprise to employ communication strategies that appeal to the relevant cluster by providing consistent and convincing messages (Clayton, 2012). To achieve this, the messages should be relayed through a combination of appropriate channels to realize maximum benefits. IMC for a Candy Bar Business Sweet &Tasty is a gourmet confectionary based in the outskirts of New Orleans town, with a purpose of creating lucrative chocolates for a select target market. The opportunities that informed the introduction of an IMC plan in the confectionery were to enable the management to come up with an implementable budget informed by the market (Villarreal, 2010). The venture also intended to clearly define their target market and establish a brand personality as well as design a website to increase their customer numbers through online presence. The market for Sweet &Tasty is quite huge as the company specializes in diverse confections that come in chocolates of all kinds of tastes and forms for all seasons and occasions. To sample a few, recipe list read from Mexican spices cocoa, dark truffles, Bellagio sipping chocolate and Nutella among a long list of delicacies. The business concept is appreciated by many town residents and even first timers visiting the shop get to experience the excitement. There are a variety of marketing opportunities for Sweet & Tasty under various clusters ranging from corporate enterprises, womenfolk, and tourists. Othe...