Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

• The study guide focuses on Marketing Communications, particularly Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), its relation to marketing, advertising, media channels, advertising agencies, the communication process, message reception, consumer behavior, and strategies to influence consumers.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

• IMC is a strategic approach to deliver a consistent and unified message to consumers across various channels.
• An integrated model impacts media selection and recognizes asymmetric communication where information flows differently based on the channel and audience.
• IMC is related to marketing as it's a key component of the overall marketing strategy, ensuring all communications align with marketing goals.
• Advertising is a paid form of communication used to promote products, services, or ideas.

Types of Media Channels

• Understanding the different types of media channels is critical in marketing.
• Examples of media channels include: television, radio, print (newspapers, magazines), outdoor (billboards), and digital (social media, websites, email).

Advertising Agencies

• Advertising agencies are companies that specialize in creating advertising for clients.
• Types of agencies include: full-service (handles all aspects of advertising), creative (focuses on creative development), media buying (specializes in purchasing media space), and digital (focuses on online advertising).
• Major agency roles include: account management (liaison between agency and client), creative director (oversees creative team), art director (responsible for visual elements), copywriter (writes advertising copy), media planner (develops media strategy), and media buyer (purchases media space).

Communication Process

• The communication process explains how advertising works.
• Parts of a traditional communication model include: sender, message, channel, receiver, and feedback. Noise can interfere with the communication.
• A modern communication model acknowledges the dynamic and interactive nature of communication, accounting for factors like social media, word-of-mouth, and user-generated content.

Message Reception

• Factors that enhance message reception include: attention-grabbing creative, clear and concise messaging, relevance to the audience, and repetition.
• Ideal models and theories that explain how advertising works include: the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and the Hierarchy of Effects model.

Message, Source, and Situational Effects

• Understanding the broad effects of Message, Source and Situational effects
• Message Effects: Relates to how the message is perceived by the consumers
• Source Effects: Focuses on the credibility/attractiveness of the source delivering the message. Example: celebrity endorsement
• Situational Effects: Considers the context/environment in which the message is received. Example: time of day, location

Consumer Behavior

• Consumer behavior is the study of how people make decisions when buying, using, or disposing of goods, services, ideas, or experiences.
• Advertisers use consumer behavior insights to create targeted and effective campaigns.

Internal Influencers of Consumer Behavior

• Internal influencers of consumer behavior include:
  • Motivation: Understanding consumer needs and desires.
  • Perception: How consumers interpret information.
  • Learning: How consumers acquire knowledge and experience.
  • Attitudes: Consumers' evaluations of products or brands.
  • Personality: Individual traits that influence behavior
• Marcom capitalizes on these through personalized messaging, appealing to emotions, and creating positive brand associations

External Influencers of Consumer Behavior

• External influencers of consumer behavior include:
  • Culture: Shared values, beliefs, and customs.
  • Social Class: Hierarchical divisions in society.
  • Reference Groups: Groups that influence an individual's attitudes or behavior.
  • Family: Family roles and influences on purchasing decisions.
• Marcom capitalizes on these through cultural references, social proof, and family-oriented advertising

Strategies to Influence Consumers

• Strategies to influence consumers through internal means:
  • Appealing to their emotions (e.g., happiness, fear).
  • Using psychological triggers (e.g., scarcity, authority).
  • Creating a sense of belonging.
• Strategies to influence consumers through external means:
  • Utilizing social proof (e.g., testimonials, reviews).
  • Leveraging influencer marketing.
  • Creating a sense of community around a brand.