Integrated Marketing Communication City of West Chicago, Seneca Park Zoo and Raging Waves - Essay Example

? Integrated Marketing Communication – of West Chicago, Seneca Park Zoo and Raging Waves Table of Contents 0 Introduction 3 2.0 Reasons for choosing the specific campaigns 3 3.0 City of West Chicago IMC Campaign 4 3.1. Target Audience 4 3.2 Marketing Objectives 4 3.3 Communication Objectives 4 3.4 Campaign Idea 5 3.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea 5 3.6 Sales/ communication results 5 4.0 Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign 6 4.1. Target Audience 6 4.2 Marketing Objectives 6 4.3 Communication Objectives 6 4.4 Campaign Idea 7 4.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea 7 4.6 Sales/ communication results 7 5.0 Raging Waves IMC Campaign 8 5.1. Target Audience 8 5.2 Marketing Objectives 8 5.3 Communication Objectives 8 5.4 Campaign Idea 9 5.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea 9 5.6 Sales/ communication results 9 6.0 Presentation and analysis of similarities and differences of the three campaigns 10 7.0 Conclusion 11 8.0 Recommendations 11 References 12 1.0 Introduction Current paper focuses on the practical implications and the requirements of integrated marketing communications (IMC), a concept that has been characterized as ‘the process of using promotional tools in a unified way to create synergy’ (Egan 2007, 338). Reference is also made to the needs and the effectiveness of marketing communications tools, which have been characterized as ‘the channels that send messages from the business to its customers and vice-versa’ (Smith, Berry and Pulford 1999, 14). Three different marketing campaigns have been chosen in order to highlight the terms of success of IMC in the context of the modern market: a) the City of West Chicago campaign, know as the ‘This is West Chicago’ campaign, b) the Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign and c) Raging Waves IMC Campaign. The above campaigns are critically examined and evaluated by referring to the marketing communication tools involved, as these tools have been chosen in accordance with the objectives and objectives and the key idea of each marketing campaign. 2.0 Reasons for choosing the specific campaigns The specific campaigns were chosen because of the following reasons: a) they have similar objectives, referring especially to the need for increasing the awareness of the public on the services offered by the organizations involved; at this point, it should be noted that the second and the third marketing campaigns refer to organizations operating in the same industry, i.e. the entertainment industry, b) they use similar marketing communication tools, as analyzed below; this means that through these campaigns, the effectiveness of specific marketing communication tools within different market conditions can be tested and evaluated (Koekemoer & Bird 2004) and c) all these marketing campaigns had performed well, meaning that they have achieved the targets set by their planners. 3.0 City of West Chicago IMC Campaign 3.1. Target Audience The target audience in the specific campaign would incorporate the following categories of people: a) the residents of the city, b) the visitors of the city; the term visitors refer to those visiting the city for tourism purposes but also those visiting the city for work or in the context of specific social obligations, as for example for family reasons and c) the potential investors; meaning those who would be potentially interested in investing on the city. 3.2 Marketing Objectives The marketing objectives of the specific campaigns could be described as follows: a) to increase the satisfaction of city’s residents regarding the assets of their city, b) to increase the value of the assets of the city (by developing the assets of the cities through the funds of potential investors, the value of the city’s assets will be increased, leading to the increase of the power of the city as an important economic centre), c) to increase the income of the city from tourism; by improving the assets and the facilities of the city (using private funds) more tourists are expected to visit the city, supporting the development of the city’s economy (City of West Chicago, IMC Campaign). 3.3 Communication Objectives The specific campaign has two key communication objectives: a) to improve the communication between the local authorities and the resident, b) to develop a channel of communication between the local authorities and potential investors. 3.4 Campaign Idea The campaign has been entitled as ‘this is West Chicago’ and is based on the following idea: emphasis is given on the assets of the city as key elements of the city’s life; i.e. the assets of the city are considered as tools for developing the city, an initiative which would have the active support of the residents. 3.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea In the context of the specific marketing campaign, a wide range of IMC tools have been used. These tools have been considered as the most effective in conveying the campaign idea – as presented above. The IMC tools engaged in the specific campaign have been the following ones: direct mail, newsletters, brochures, event promotion, radio advertising, advertisements through the press, media relations and website design’ (City of West Chicago, IMC Campaign). The above tools have conveyed the campaign idea in the following way: a) by highlighting the advantages of the city as a commercial and social centre, b) by highlighting the key city parts/ views (assets, monuments, markets and so on) and c) by emphasizing on the potentials of the city not just as a place of work but also of entertainment and leisure. 3.6 Sales/ communication results The use of the above marketing campaign has significantly benefited the City of West Chicago; indeed, through the website of the above authority the following facts are revealed: a) the city’s facilities have been improved – two library programs are currently in progress, b) employment in the city has been efficiently supported – a recruitment program addressing the citizens is currently in progress indicating the advances of the city in the particular sector, c) the businesses across the city are also supported – a program entitled as ‘local shop support’, which is currently in progress, is indicatively of the effectiveness of the city’s campaign and d) the city has been also involved in a series of important social activities (for example: art classes and a traffic safety-related campaign) (City of West Chicago, IMC Campaign). The above facts indicate the availability of funds for the promotion of community projects. 4.0 Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign 4.1. Target Audience The target audience of the above marketing campaign would include: a) local people, i.e. people living in the regions surrounding the park, b) tourists who are likely to visit the Park during their travel in the particular area, c) people who would be informed on the particular campaign through the media or the Internet could be also a target audience at the level that these people could financially support the fundraising activities involved. 4.2 Marketing Objectives The specific campaign aimed to support the fundraising efforts of the local zoo; these fundraising schemes are developed annually; the above campaign aims to support the fundraising initiatives of the local zoo in 2008. The attraction of more visitors to the zoo has been also attempted in the context of the specific campaign aiming to secure the profitability of the specific unit in the long term (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). 4.3 Communication Objectives Through the specific campaign the following communication objectives have been set: a) the improvement of the view of locals and visitors on the zoo, as an area of recreation not just for children but for people of all ages, b) the support of cooperation among people in the local community, c) the enhancement of similar activities, as key tools for supporting the development of such sites. 4.4 Campaign Idea The idea on which the above campaign has been based is reflected in the following phrase: ‘party with a purpose’ (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign), a phrase which can be interpreted as follows: ‘one can entertain and promote a good purpose at the same time’ (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). 4.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea The campaign idea, as described above, has been conveyed through the following IMC tools: ‘direct marketing, posters and event promotions’ (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). Moreover, in order for the effectiveness of the campaign to be secured, the target market has been segmented using the following criteria: ‘geographic, demographic and psychographic’ (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). In accordance with the above, the specific campaign has not been based on Internet; rather efforts are made so that the specific fundraising effort to be promoted within the local community. The specific strategy could be justified since its effectiveness has been secured through the market segmentation. 4.6 Sales/ communication results In accordance with a report published by the planners of the particular project, the above campaign has been quite successful – a total of 600 individuals were present in the fundraising event promoted through the campaign; the above outcome has been a unique achievement, as noted by the initiators of the campaign (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). Moreover, it is noted that the level of the funds raised during the above event has been higher compared to the targets set by the planners of the campaign – in this way, all financial and educational needs of the particular site have been fully covered (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign). 5.0 Raging Waves IMC Campaign 5.1. Target Audience The target audience of the specific campaign would incorporate: a) families living in the regions surrounding the Park and b) tourists who wish to explore the views of the particular region. 5.2 Marketing Objectives The objectives of the specific campaign can be characterized as follows: a) to increase the number of visitors of the park supporting its profitability which has been reduced because of the recent crisis, b) to become a popular place of entertainment especially for those families that cannot afford another form of entertainment. 5.3 Communication Objectives The above campaign aims to achieve the following communication objective: to improve the communication between the organization and its customers; the achievement of this objective would result to the increase of the organization’s customer base, i.e. the increase of its profitability. On the other hand, communication, as an element of marketing is not related to the financial conditions of the targeted market but it is rather related to the social conditions and ethics of this market (Doole & Lowe 2008). In the case of the above campaign, the achievement of communication objectives would be feasible even within the current economic conditions, which are rather adverse for activities such as entertainment. In the long term, the continuous improvement of communication between the organization and the public could help towards the increase of the organization’s customer even if the turbulences in the global economy are still in progress. 5.4 Campaign Idea The idea on which the specific campaign has been based is the following one: the particular Park could become an ideal place for ‘one-day vacations’ - ‘a ‘day-cation’ option’ (Raging Waves IMC Campaign) in accordance with the campaign. 5.5 How IMC tools were used for conveying the idea A series of IMC tools were used in order to convey the campaign idea. These tools included: ‘media relations, new website, google adwords campaign, electronic newsletters, blog creation and social network optimization’ (Raging Waves IMC Campaign). It is made clear that in the specific campaign particular emphasis has been given on the use of Internet as a tool of communication with potential customers. It is assumed that the customers of the above organization tend to use the Internet in order to make their choices in terms of entertainment. The IMC tools involved in this campaign are fully aligned with the campaign idea: the latter emphasizes on the low price of services of the particular Park. These tools also are based on the Internet the access to which is feasible for most consumers – due to its extremely low cost compared to other communication tools, for example the phone but also the mail. 5.6 Sales/ communication results The effectiveness of the above campaign is reflected in the current performance of the particular site. As noted in the organization’s website, ‘in 2010 the Raging Waves was voted as the largest of Chicago waterparks’ (Raging Waves 2011). The development of the site is still in progress – as proved through the sponsorship opportunities planned for the period May to September 2011 (Raging Waves 2011). 6.0 Presentation and analysis of similarities and differences of the three campaigns The three campaigns presented above have certain similarities, but also differences. Their most important similarity is the fact that all of them are based on IMC tools in order for their objectives to be achieved. At the next level, the second and the third campaigns (Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign, Raging Waves IMC Campaign) refer to activities of the same sector: entertainment and recreation. On the other hand, certain of the IMC tools used in the above campaigns are the same – referring especially to the use of event promotion, direct mail and posters – which were common in the City of West Chicago Campaign and the Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign. On the other hand, similar online IMC tools were used in the City of West Chicago campaign and the Raging Waves IMC Campaign – referring to the use of e-mail and website. Regarding the above, the following issues should be made clear: in the City of West Chicago IMC Campaign the high range of IMC tools involved reveals the high level of funds available for the realization of the relevant project. On the other hand, in the other two campaigns, the lack of sufficient funds for the realization of the campaigns is clear: in the Raging Waves IMC Campaign, Internet has been mostly used for the supporting the campaign – limiting the relevant cost while in the Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign, the event promotion and the direct mail have been mostly used for achieving the marketing objectives. However, the differentiation in funds has not particularly affected the effectiveness of the relevant projects – as proved in the analysis above. Another fact revealed through this paper is that the support towards campaigns developed by the local authorities can be extremely high – compared to the campaigns aiming to support specific activities or units. 7.0 Conclusion In accordance with the issues discussed above, the development of IMC can have different forms in accordance with the idea on which the relevant campaign but also on the resources used in the activities involved. One of the most important findings of this paper is the fact that the level of effectiveness of IMC is not depended on the funds or the technology employed. In fact, in the case of the Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ IMC Campaign, the targets set were achieved without investing high amount of money; through posters and direct mail the marketing objective was achieved – an outcome which is not always guaranteed in marketing campaigns fully supported in terms of funds and of technology required. Moreover, it has been made clear that the planners of marketing campaigns can choose different approaches in order to achieve one of more marketing objectives; their decision, if it is proved wrong, cannot be negatively criticized since the level of performance of such campaigns is highly depended on the market conditions (Egan 2007); for example in the case of Raging Waves IMC Campaign, a higher level of success could be possibly expected; the fact that in the context of the above campaign an extensive use of Internet – related tools was made, did not result to the full achievement of the marketing objectives. In this context, suggestions could be possibly made so that the effectiveness of IMC tools to be secured – as possible. 8.0 Recommendations The effectiveness of the campaigns presented above, could be improved by alternating the methodologies and the activities involved, as follows: a) emphasis should be given on the promotion of cooperation for the achievement of marketing objectives (Baker et al. 2007), b) initiatives should be highly enhanced and supported as potential sources of effective solutions – especially in cases that emergent issues need to be addressed (Fill 2006), c) the use of specific IMC tools, like sponsorships and event promotion would be further increased, having the power to engage a high number of people in the development of a campaign, thus, to increase the chances for the campaign’s success (Shimp 2008), d) innovative communication tools – apart from the existing ones – are always welcomed (Schultz, Tannenbaum, & Lauterborn, 1993) contributing to the update of traditional IMC schemes, which are offered ignored by the target market. References Baker, M., & Hart, S. (2007) The Marketing Book. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann City of West Chicago. IMC Campaign. Web. Available from City of West Chicago. Official Website. < http://www.westchicago.org/> Doole, I., Lowe, R. (2008) International marketing strategy: analysis, development and implementation. Belmont: Cengage Learning Egan, J. (2007). Marketing communications. Belmont: Cengage Learning Fill, C. (2006) Simply marketing communications. Essex: Pearson Education Koekemoer, L. & Bird, S. (2004). Marketing Communications. Lansdowne: Juta and Company Seneca Park Zoo ‘Zoobilation’ Campaign. Web. Available from Seneca Park Zoo. Official Website. < http://www.senecaparkzoo.org/> Raging Waves. IMC Campaign. Web. Available from Raging Waves. Official Website. < http://www.ragingwaves.com/index.php> Schultz, D., Tannenbaum, S. & Lauterborn, R. (1993) Integrated marketing communications. Illinois: McGraw-Hill Professional Shimp, T. 2008). Advertising Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications. Belmont: Cengage Learning Smith, P., Berry, C. & Pulford, A. (1999) Strategic marketing communications: new ways to build and integrate communications. London: Kogan Page Publishers Read More