Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications: Waitrose Supermarket - Case Study Example

Integrated marketing communication Waitrose supermarket Integrated marketing communication popularly abbreviated as IMC, is the bringing together and incorporating marketing communication implements, sources, functions and avenues in an organization or company to influence their customers and all targeted end users at a reduced cost. It is a managerial idea where marketing communication aspects such as public relations, advertisements, promotion of sales, and marketing directly are combined to work in unison to achieve the goals of marketing. The idea thus manages relationships of the customers to increase the value of a brand or brands through efforts of communication. In the process, many functional processes work to create relationships profitable to the company or any business. It thus targets the customers and other business stakeholders through well-prepared and controlled messages to influence them through dialogues purposeful to them and data driven encouragements. The combination of all communication tools affects the firms functioning, channels of marketing, the company’s customers and communications in the internal organization as well. (Clow, E. and Back, D., 2007). (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Integrated marketing communication has various components. These are the foundation, advertisement tools, promotion tools, and integration tools. In the foundation, there is the corporate image shown to the outside world to target the customers and other end user of the advertised product and the management of the brand to make it appealing to the target. The company analyses the behavior of the buyer to know their wants and their purchasing capabilities. The company also analysis the opportunities of promotions to know the path they take to influence the customers. (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Advertising tools In the tools for advertising, the company looks at the management of advertising as well as the design put in place. This also incorporates the theoretical framework and all appeal types. Consideration of the strategies of the message is essential as well as how the message is executed after preparation. The company should be at a position to select the best advertising media for their message to achieve the goal it intends. Through proper preparation of the advertisement tools, the company in the process reinforces the image of the company and the brand. (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Promotion tools Promotion tools include trade promotions where the manufacturers reduce their prices for the retailers to offer items with reduced prices to the consumers. This way the consumers are encouraged to buy more of the products since they are at reduced prices. Consumer promotions are other promotion tools where the customer is influenced to stimulate sales. This is through approaches that aim at influencing the consumer to make more sales of the particular product. Personal selling also promotes the product. There is also the existence of the database marketing which utilizes customers who are potential to come up with communications that promote the product as a way of marketing. As a promotion tool also, the company utilizes the management of the customer relations and public relations. Integration tools are things like marketing through the internet where products or services are put online through the internet for the purposes of marketing. The company may also have programs that they are able to integrate marketing and do the evaluation. (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Components of the marketing mix In the contemporary world, the use of internet has changed the business activities in very many ways. For example, the way customers are targeted as well as segmentation and positioning is different from the earlier days when internet did not exist. This thus has changed the process of marketing even if the goal and aim remains the same as that in the earlier days. The businesses still aim at increasing the values of the economy to increase the social values in turn. Kit is also true that businesses still aim at boosting their revenues as they make many profits from the marketed products. Internet has brought more connectedness in marketing other than the earlier perception of broadcasting business products with propositions of value attached. In the modern world, marketing has become a discussion held by the marketers and the customers. Today, incorporation of all marketing tools constitutes the marketing mix. As an element of marketing mix, promotion activities such as advertising through various media services, promotion of sales through trades and sales promotions and other activities such as those in personal selling. Internet marketing is another element in the marketing mix where products are marketed online. Other elements are direct marketing, public relations, database marketing and sponsorship marketing. When a company incorporates all these tools to work together, it increases it competitiveness compared to a company that uses each of the element independently. For a firm to use the integrated marketing communication and gain success, it must have an integrated marketing communication plan complete to achieve harmony between their customers. Before implementation of the integrated marketing communication by a company, the company should have goals to maintain created communication between all its customers and employees. This is achievable by carefully linking all communication forms and the intended messages for them to work in unison. When the tools mix, they work better than in isolation because the same message to the targets always. (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Horizontal and vertical integration In horizontal integration, integration occurs across functions of the business and marketing mix. The departments in an organization team up and are mindful that what they do and decide on sends some information to the customers. It is thus necessary to have a system in marketing information useful in integration in the collection and distribution of message in the different departments. In vertical integration, the objectives of marketing communications support the mission and objectives of the firm in general. There are internal and external integration where in internal integration internal marketing keeps the staff up to date on how advertisements bring new developments to the firm. They also learn of the new partners and standards of the service. In external integration, external partners such as public relations agencies and advertising agencies combine their efforts to pass a message. Advantages of integrated marketing communications Implementation of integrated marketing communication is very beneficial to the organization though its complexity and efforts requirements. Through it, the firm becomes competitive advantageous as compared to other as it also boosts the profits of the firm from the made sales. In doing so, the company saves time and money as it becomes stress free. Consumers are able to communicate around them and progress in the many stages in the process of buying from one end to the other. This way, the organization strengthens its image by developing communication between its customers and continues to take care of such relations. The created relationships fortify loyalty bond in customers such that the firm is sure of them even in stiff competitions. This thus means that the firm has a competitive advantage very powerful that it can maintain its customers even for life. Profit increment comes about due to the effectiveness of the company. This is because the company has the ability to pass a unified message. Today, there are many messages passed by different organization about their products. For a company to capture its audience well through advertising, the message needs consistency, clarity and strength. His way, such message will out do several other commercial messages passed to customers every day in the media. The advertising responsiveness and responses of the mail shot increases due the shared images and mails. Integrated communication thereby increases sales since many avenues are available for customers to get messages about a product using different tools. This arouses the customers and their ultimate goal is to buy the product. Through such integrated marketing communication, the reminders given to customers in time enable them through the purchasing process since the information they get is up to date and are able to make choices easily in the complex world they live. IMC is a credible idea since it consistently gives out messages thereby reducing the process to search as it also tells the brand’s outcome. The messages have impacts as it enlightens and encourages customers. It is thus very reassuring. Things as graphics are shared thereby reducing costs since one graphic can advertise, exhibit and be in the literature of sales. There is also achievement of reduced agency fees since a single agency can work in all communications. (Pickton, D. and Broderick, A., 2004). Though the plan has many advantages, it also has disadvantages, which present themselves as barriers. There is resistance to change as well as variety of audiences who require proper planning to reach. There are companies where different departments separate their data, communication and their heads. This makes the different departments make their decision independently thereby making integrated marketing communication impossible. Waitrose supermarket Waitrose supermarket is located in the United Kingdom. Its main products are foods. These foods are of high quality and the company is known for its good customer services if offers. Due to these attributes, the company is expensive where the majority are middle class. It supplies groceries as well as spirits and wines. It prospective is to open many branches by 2017 and double its revenues. Integrated Marketing Communication Process Model To achieve its success, the supermarket has laid a plan where they use the integrated marketing communication. Many of the elements of marketing mix combine to achieve the ultimate goal of forming relations with customers. The company influenced the customers through the integrated marketing communication to buy their products thereby making many sales, which in turn increases the company’s productivity. The company looks at the management of advertising as well as the design put in place. This also incorporates the theoretical framework and all appeal types. Consideration of the strategies of the message is essential as well as how the execution of messages after preparation. The company should be at a position to select the best advertising media for their message to achieve the goal it intends. Through proper preparation of the advertisement tools, the company in the process reinforces the image of the company and the brand. Promotion tools put in place by the company include trade promotions where the manufacturers reduce their prices for the retailers to offer items with reduced prices to the consumers. This way the consumers are encouraged to buy more of the products since they are at reduced prices. Consumer promotions are other promotion tools where the customer is influenced to stimulate sales. This is through approaches that aim at influencing the consumer to make more sales of the particular product. Personal selling also promotes the product. There is also the existence of the database marketing which utilizes customers who are potential to come up with communications that promote the product as a way of marketing. As a promotion tool also, the company utilizes the management of the customer relations and public relations. Marketing through the internet by the company has led to many sales over the years. They advertise their products online for marketing purposes. For example, there are many advertisements for products they sell. The supermarket also advertises in the television The above advert is from a television directly. Waitrose Supermarkets - Waitrose 25% Off Wines and Champagnes Offers “One of a group of wine glasses is seen being filled from a bottle, as the narrator advises that there is 25% off when buying any 6 bottles from the range of wine and champagne at Waitrose. Screen titles add that the offer runs from 29th October to 4th November.” (Waitrose Supermarkets, 2011). The above advert was taken from online advertisement. Waitrose Supermarkets - Waitrose - Wine Direct “Fruity and easy drinking, our summer barbecue selection perfectly complements sizzling food, so marinade the steaks and fire up the grill!” (The wine magazine international, 2011) The messages in the three ads are very clear and concise. The company utilizes the Integrated Marketing Communication Process Model. Any body that looks at the advertisements gets the intended message directly without much struggle. This is due to the implementation of integrated marketing communication by the supermarket. For the offers, the company has given the dates when functional to remove any confusion the customers might have. This makes the customers to make their decision on buying the drinks on time before the offer period is over. (Strokes, R., 2008). The company thus employees the use of simple models of communication where they send a message well understood by the customers. Their messages reach in time for example before the said offer period is over for the customers to benefit as they also make many sales. The message arrives and taken by the consumers because it is relevant and influences them to buying. Every person will go for a good commodity that said to go at a reduced price. The company shows the understanding of the needs of the audience as well as their interests in the messages sent. For the message to be accurate and relevance, the supermarket has understood the activities of the audiences as well as their emotions. The message by the supermarket has ensured a clever encoding making it pass the noise of other advertisings by competitor stores. The consumers thus correctly interpret it. Conclusion Integrated marketing communication is a plan that is very important for any company in need to make profit from if marketing. This is because together, the different elements in communication work in unison to deliver the intende4d message to the audience. The message interpretation insure that the consumers incline into buying the commodity thereby increasing sales for the firm and hence its productivity and expansion into markets. References Clow, E. and Back, D. (2007). Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications 3rd edition. Pearson Education. pp. 8–12, 96 ISBN 9780131866225. The wine magazine international (2010). Retrieved from www.waitrose.com › Food & drink › Drink › Wine -See search results for this author name Are you an Author? Learn about Author Central Pickton, D. and Broderick, A. (2004). Integrated Marketing Communications. Financial Times: Prentice Hall David Pickton (Author) › Visit Amazon's David Pickton Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author name Are you an Author? Learn about Author Central Strokes, R. (2008). eMarketing: The Essential Guide To Online Marketing. Quirk eMarketing. ISBN 9780620411356.  Waitrose Supermarkets. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.visit4info.com/advert/25-off-any-6-Bottles-of-Wine-at-Waitrose-Waitrose-Supermarkets/6498 Read More