Integrated Marketing Plan - Essay Example

?Integrated Marketing Plan The integrated marketing communication plan will outline communications strategies that will be used to create awareness of the product (TOMS). The integrated communication tools that will be used to reach the target audience (sports people and the general population) include online marketing and brand advertising. The plan will be implemented within a period of 12 months since the launch of the product. The integrated marketing communication plan offers an outline of the communication strategies, tactics, and objectives necessary for the effective launch of integrated marketing. The plan also outlines the communication tools required for the launch of the product. The main marketing objective is to increase market share by 30% by the end of the plan implementation using appropriate communication tools such as online marketing, brand advertising, telemarketing, tradeshows, and direct mail. The company also wants to increase the purchase of its products by sports people and the general population. The communication objectives include; (a) making the product known to the target audience by the end of plan implementation; the objective is to reach approximately 25% of the target audience; and (b) to increase the number of target audience purchasing the products through the internet by 30% by the end of plan implementation. The company also wants to increase the target audience’s visits to its stores by 10% by the end of plan implementation. The objectives will be met through the use of appropriate communication tools. The company faces several issues and challenges. Other competitors such as Nike and Adidas have already reached the target audiences. The international footwear market is highly fragmented and competitive with numerous smaller players and a few key players. It is estimated that only a few of the companies such as Nike and Adidas are able to reach the 1 billion U.S. dollar barrier (Packaged Facts 2009, p71). This indicates that reaching the target audiences will pose a great challenge to the company because of the stiff competition from the other footwear companies. SWOT analysis of the company includes the following. The main strength of the company is the already established brand. The quality of its products is also exceptional. The target audience (the general population) lies within the ages of 6 to 50 years and this means that once they (the group between the ages of 6 to 25 years) have bought a product from the company, they will most likely buy it in the future. Thus, this will is a great strength for the company because it will develop a long-term relationship with the company. The greatest weakness for the company is that it is still new in the market and the products it is launching are entirely new. Notions about the quality of the product may affect its penetration into the market. The rapidly changing tastes of the shoe buyers present a great opportunity for the company to become more innovative. Products that look trendy attract the consumers. For the company, it indicates that performance and comfort of the products need to be improved (Gray 2012, par. 4). Though the economic recession has adversely affected most of the industries, it seems to be a positive impact for the footwear industry. The economic recession has affected the consumer trends and they are purchasing what they require to survive. Items such as diapers, groceries, shoes, and medicine top the list of what the consumers are buying (Rosenbloom 2009, par. 1). Stiff competition from other footwear companies such as Nike and Adidas is a major threat to the company (Packaged Facts 2009, p71). The name of the product is TOMS and it was introduced into the company at the start of the year. The aim of the company is to introduce the product to the sports audience and the general population. The selected target audience is the sports people and the general population. The demand for footwear products is driven by demographics and fashion (Gray 2012, par. 2). The global footwear consumption is dependent on consumer income levels and population. The target audience is characterized by low buying frequencies, changing perception about luxury, and increased emphasis on the product features and cost. These factors have been linked to the consumer’s decision to purchase in the footwear market. Athletic footwear demand has increased due to the growing desire by the consumer to maintain active lifestyles. In general, the profile of the target audience has varying consumer preferences and tastes (Jose 2012, par. 4). The international athletic footwear market is faced by intense competition; the main companies competing include Asics Corporation, Puma AG, Nike, and Adidas AG. Apart from the top players, the rest of the market is mainly composed of a few players possessing limited revenue generation abilities. Most of the players operate in the niche market section. The leaders in the footwear market have created a “strong buttress of technological sophistication and global production efficiencies that virtually outdistance competition from small and mid-size players” (Jose 2012, par. 5). The athletic shoe segment comprises of 30 percent of the footwear sales; the segment is highly concentrated and the largest companies have dominated a large proportion of the segment. Two key players dominate this section and they are Nike and Adidas. They have made sponsorship contracts with famous athletes and they have edged out their competitors by their economies of scale in marketing and distribution (Gray 2012, par. 3). The athletic footwear industry market is mature and very competitive. The key leaders (such as Reebok and Nike) in the industry are well established. Other long-time competitors such as K-Swiss and Saucony have struggled for years to keep their brands running. This environment has made it difficult for other competitors to enter the market. The key leaders in the market have been using economies of scales to outdo their competitors. This indicates that new entrants into the market have to compete in all levels like high-product quality, efficient production, and reasonable pricing; achieving this is difficult if the new company lacks resources of an established company (Enderle et al. 2000, p1) Branding is a basic method that differentiates one market from the other. In the commodity market, the consumer perceives all products as general, that is, they have the same features and quality. If a brand is added to the product, the customer is able to perceive the differences in image and attributes associated between one product and another (Berry, Pulford, and Smith 1999, p239). Branding also serves the function of reassuring the consumer about the product. Thus, brand advertising assures the consumer that the brand is relevant, effective, and current (Hackley 2005, p34). In this case, the brand of the product (shoes) is set to attract majority of the target audience. The brand is very simple and the messaging very attractive. The brand name is TOMS and the messaging is “141.” 141 mean that if a consumer buys a pair of shoe, another pair of shoe of the same size will be donated to poor people. This strategy is meant to attract more consumers. Some of the communication tools to be used include online marketing, brand advertising, telemarketing, tradeshows, and direct mail. However, the most important communication tools for this case are online marketing, and brand advertising. Online marketing continues to grow at a rapid rate in both its integration and sophistication with other marketing communications as more marketers embrace online opportunity. Online marketing entails identification, anticipation, and satisfaction of consumer needs online. This indicates that the company has to keep close to the consumers, creating relationships with them and maintaining their happiness online. It is worth noting that online marketing incorporates both offline and online activities as needed by the market. This is because shoppers need to browse online and buy the products offline (Smith and Taylor 2004, p620). In this case, the company will use online marketing as a communication tool. It will advertise its products online through social media and other online media. For a brand to become salient, the consumer must have for the brand the following; awareness, some degree of interest, assurance (that is, service and quality), consistency, habituated choosing, acceptance, and familiarity. When launching a new brand, informational and publicizing is the next communication task. The main purpose for brand advertising is to increase sales and maintain distinctiveness. It is important to note that advertising links the product “with a brand by providing the means to communicate, even create, the right added values, to make the brand name more appealing and plausible, and relevant to the apprehending consumer” (Varey 2002, p159). The brand will be extensively advertised in the television, newspapers, website, magazines, and internet advertisements. The plan implementation period is as shown in the following table. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Launch of the product Online marketing Brand advertising 1. Television 2. Newspapers 3. Website 4. Magazines 5. Internet advertisements The budget has been dedicated to online marketing and brand advertising. Online marketing will constitute 40 percent of the budget and brand advertising, 60 percent of the budget. This is because majority of the target audience use media such as the internet, television, newspapers, and magazines. With this form of budget, majority of the target market will be aware of the product (TOMS). In conclusion, the integrated marketing communication plan integrates the communication strategies, tactics, and objectives necessary for the effective launch of TOMS. Effective launch of the product is dependent on the communication tools used. The appropriate communication tools for this product (TOMS) are online marketing and brand advertising. Online marketing entails the use of internet to market the products. On the other hand, brand advertising entails the use of various advertising techniques to make the product known to the target audience. It is important to note that brand advertising serves to increase sales and maintain distinctiveness. References Berry, C., Pulford, A. & Smith, P. R. (1999) Strategic marketing communications: New ways to build and integrate communications, Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Publishers. Enderle, K., Hirsch, D., Micka, L., Saving, B., Shah, S. & Szerwinski, T. (2000) Analysis of Nike, Inc. [online]. Available from: [Accessed 1 Feb.2012]. Gray, J. W. (2012) Industry analysis: Shoe [online], Individual Investors. Available from: [Accessed 1 Feb. 2012]. Hackley, C. E. (2005) Advertising and promotion: Communicating brands, London, UK: SAGE. Jose, S. (2012) Global footwear sales to reach US$195.6 billion by 2015, according to a new industry report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., PRWeb [online], 13 January. Available from: [Accessed 1 Feb. 2012]. Packaged Facts. (2009) The global footwear market: Athletic and non-athletic shoes, Rockville Pike, MD: Packaged Facts. Rosenbloom, S. (2009) A not-so-guilty pleasure, The New York Times [online], 5 November. Available from: [Accessed 1 Feb. 2012]. Smith, P. R. & Taylor, J. (2004) Marketing communications: An integrated approach, Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Publishers. Varey, R. J. (2002) Marketing communication: Principles and practice, London, UK: Routledge. Read More