Kaplans Integrated Marketing Communication - Case Study Example

Kaplan’s Integrated Marketing Communication (Student Name) (Course No.) (Lecturer) (University) (Date) Executive Summary The project focused on the analysis of Kaplan Business School’s Integrated Marketing Communication (ICM). ICM plays a critical in ensuring that the institution communicates effectively and efficiently by the potential clients on the products and services that its offers. Kaplan is focused on ensuring that reaches millions of people globally through various promotional and advertising tools that form the base of its IMC. The advertising tools used by both include the printed and online media. The printed media include the magazines, newspapers, posters, and billboards raised in differed places strategically to ensure accessibility by most potential customers. Kaplan’s Integrated Marketing Communication Introduction Kaplan Business School uses Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), which recognizes the added-value within organizational comprehensive plan (Ciletti, 2011, 245). The IMC shelters advertising, promotion, direct marketing, media, and public relations. Kaplan supports millions of students globally achieve their educational careers and goals which makes it stand as one of the Australia’s prominent providers of global business skills and qualifications. The purpose of the Kaplan is to ensure provision of holistic business education that integrates the real world practise and the technical knowhow. Moreover, it is the aim of Kaplan to provide the graduates with the necessary skills that conform to the changing business environment required to manage, lead, and prosper with the current fast-paced and highly competitive environment. Kaplan has adequate strategies of providing the students with the necessary tools that assist them to success and become fully-fledged career professionals (Kaplan Business School-Australia, 2016). Besides, its career services and career central focus on maximizing the level of students’ exposure to an array of networks, job placements, internship, and employment opportunities. Current review and analysis of the Kaplan Business School Advertising Tools To ensure the effectiveness of the IMC within KBS, the institution incorporates various marketing tools including advertising; public relations activities, direct marketing, online marketing, and promotion of the brands to ensure similar information reach the wider audience. The more effectively an organization promotes the brand, the more demand it would create for its products and services within the market. Advertising is one of the most operational tools used by the institution considering its effectiveness in the preferment of the brand (Management Study Guide, 2016). Through advertisement, the institution has been able to reach widespread audience within the shortest possible period. Both the printed and online advertisement platforms assist the end users of Kaplan’s products and services to believe in organizational brand. Advertising denotes any form of paid non-personal statement on organizational products, services, and idea as identified by the management. KBS utilizes the concept of aggressive advertisement in promoting its products and services; therefore, the institutions views advertising as its important tool since it caters for the mass consumer markets. Kaplan emphases on international, national, and local advertising to safeguard the message influence a wider scope. In its advertisements, Kaplan introduced various themes and concepts to attract the attentions of the potential clients and majorly focused on the electronic media and out of home advertising, which assist in building the brand image and creating awareness (Belch & Belch, 2001, 72). Kaplan uses printed magazines which paly important role in its advertising tools as it concentrates directly towards the targeted audiences. Moreover, Kaplan issues dissimilar genres to cater for the different target segments of the public as they are customer-oriented. Generally, most youths and scholars find it appropriate to purchase the magazines where they extract education related articles. The magazines often have the ability of presenting detailed information and excite the readers especially with the eye-catching visual communication (Self, Wymer, & Henley, 2001, 134). Through the magazines, newspapers, and brochures, Kaplan informs and alerts the potential customers on its products and services and publicizes the features of its services. Moreover, the print media frequently published by Kaplan constantly assist in reminding the audiences on the existence of the services, presence, and influence. Furthermore, the institution uses posters and billboards as well to reach voluminous clients. Through the on-premise business signage, the institution illustrates its adverts. The on-premise business signage’s are mounted on the buildings with the aim of making distinct image allowing for the potential clients to be aware of the institutional products that in turn surges the brands image and level of awareness. Moreover, the institution also uses out of home advertising often seen by the potential clients when they are heading to their destinations. Kaplan usually places these forms of adverts at the bus shelters, train stations, and areas where potential customers are likely to congregate. Trivial displays and classified ads within the local newspapers and magazines might be a good way of reaching the latent customers. Colossal amounts of people often pursue modest classifieds especially during the weekends. If an institution slips the classified within the appropriate category and ensuring that, it runs on frequent basis, then it would probably experience the response that is strong enough to ensure at least the achievement of the targeted customers. Similar rule is applicable to the small display ads to the classifieds (Pushparanjan, 2009, 77). As a result, Kaplan ensures its ads are easy for its prospective clients to learn what it offers; uses broader set of ads; running the ads within the appropriate publications, and ensuring proper analysis of the market trends. Moreover, Kaplan created its newsletter considering the nature of the services that it provides as an effective method of reaching its target. Most importantly, the institution blended its advertising and informational text that reminds the customers of its logo and identity within the highly competitive market. SWOT Analysis Strength KBS uses superior technology that makes it better to offer specific needs of customers in a manner that other competitors cannot imitate. When offered a prospect, customers are loyal to KBS. Therefore, as an alternative of focusing on all customers, KBS would have to target novel customers to propagate their businesses. KBS enjoys strong brand name, which also forms the base of its strength. As a result, the brand name gives KBS the opportunity to charge higher prices for its services since consumers place additional value within the brand. KBS enjoys a strong management, which assists in reaching organizational potential through utilizing its strengths while eliminating the weaknesses. Weaknesses KBS lacks proprietary technology and patents which can hurt the aptitude of the organization to contend effectively with fellow competitors. Online marketing is perilous to ensure that organization displays and sells its merchandises. However, the organization has a weak online presence that could result in opportunity loss for KBS. Moreover, the organization has a weak customer service likely to hurt KBS’ reputation and causes the customers to concentrate on the competitors that they consider more respondent. KBS also has a weak cost structure, which reflects higher costs of services offered against that of the competitors. Opportunities KBS enjoys online marketing, which offers it the ability to expand greatly. Hence, KBS could market its services and products to a wider audience for the relatively little expense. The new-fangled markets permit the organization to inflate some of its operations to ensure diversification of its portfolio products and services. Through focusing on international markets, KBS enjoys the opportunity of expanding its business operations to increase the sales. Threat The key hazard affecting KBS is the bad economy that could decrease the number of budding customers. International competitors influencing the performance of the institution are many and difficult to combat since the competitors could have several competitive advantage that offers them the required edge over KBS. Intense completion could result into decline of organizational profits considering the ability of the competitors to entice the consumers away with quality. Current review and analysis of the Kaplan Business School Promotion Tools Promotion is an aspect of marketing involving the delivery of the institution, messages of the services, and brand to the targeted customers. Kaplan uses diverse tools to aid in the provision of paid and unpaid methods of promotion. Each tool plays a critical role in contributing to various ways of reaching the consumers and achieving the objectives of the communication (Villarreal, 2010, 110). One of the persuasive implements used by the business is outmoded media. The traditional mass media promotional technique rests as a noticeable marketing tool. The method includes utilizing the paid messages designed and presented in different methods to ensure organizational messages reach the required market targets. Presentation methods are television networks, the radio stations, magazines, and newspapers (Blakeman, 2007, 193). Moreover, Kaplan has been using the media to undertake various campaigns including the billboards, directories, and point-of-purchase displays. However, televisions, social media, and newspapers remain to be popular within the institution. Kaplan correspondingly uses digital technology as a promotional tool. Through internet and mobile technology, the institution hosts several digital and interactive promotional tools. Likewise, the institution similarly uses online and e-mail marketing that are mutual essentials of the promotional movements. With the rising level of technology, most organizations are integrating technology in their services and processes in a bid to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services offered. The institution also uses the social media and blogs, which offer additional interactive tools, which Kaplan uses in reaching the consumers directly (Blakeman, 2009, 70). Improvement of applications used in most mobile devices help in electrical communication. Social media also consent the institution to communicate virtually with the impending patrons. Kaplan also uses public relations tools to ensure effective communication and delivery of customer focused services. Promotional tools have close relationship with public relations, which is unpaid method of communicating with the customers, and presented through the media exposure. The commonly used public relations tools used by the institution include press releases, reports, press conferences, and press releases of which some are used in a proactive manner to promote the services offered while others are used in addressing the negative publicity and events (Hutchison, Macy, & Allen, 2010, 122). Kaplan also sponsors some of the events and communal activities, which are promotional opportunities. KBS acquired much of its public favour through active involvement in the local events. Through the local fairs, school functions, and non-profit events, Kaplan often uses such opportunities in improving organizational rapport and goodwill with the local communities. Evaluation of the Kaplan Business School IMC programme Kaplan’s IMC ensures that it carefully integrates and coordinates numerous communication channels. The IMC components used by the organization include media advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and internet marketing, which ensure clear, compelling, and consistent deliverance of messages about the products and services provided. Figure 1: Tools of IMC: The Promotional Mix The institution’s advertising involves creation of themes and concepts that aim at selling institutional products and services through the electronic media and out of home advertising. The objective of most organizational adverts is to assist in constructing brand images and awareness creation. The frequently used media of advertisement comprise both the print media and social media. Point of sales materials such as potters and stickers displayed in different locations play important role in ensuring the institution meet its target market (Mekonnen, 2012, 15). Television designates a common commercial intermediate of advertisement used by the organization. Outdoor advertisement is likewise common within the institution and includes the billboards found at crossroads and buildings. Kaplan undertakes direct marketing in several ways including partnering with other institutions and sponsoring some communal activities. Through such activities, Kaplan forces out other competitors and maintain its competitive advantage. Interactive marketing encompasses the utilization of the internet in endorsing the services (Završnik & Jerman, 2009, 72). Kaplan has a website and social media platforms, which are quite easy to navigate through; therefore, the platforms allow customers to be interactive. Sales promotion is an activity within the institution that it uses to boost the sales especially for the magazines, articles, and other related scholarly materials. Recommendations Although the institution has several strategies of ensuring the quality of its IMC, it is critical to focus on the future trends, which involves competitive advantage, brand equity, and site targeted campaigns (Kinney & Ireland, 2015, 140). The institution could use several tools as competitive edge against the major competitors. Competitive advantage denotes the ability of the institution to deliver services and products of loftier value as compared to the adversaries. The institution needs to focus on its efforts to ensure that all the communication elements create a single and powerful brand equity through speaking one voice. The single brand message is critical in provision of competitive advantage (Kitchen & Burgmann, 2010, 104). IMC strategies are important to the institutions strategic brand management as it assists in strengthening the existing interface between the organization strategic brand identity and the brand equity of the targeted market (Kohl, 2000, 45). Through such strategies, the institution would be able measures its level of brand awareness and image within its different offerings. Conclusion The report focused on the analysis of IMC of Kaplan and offered various recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of IMC. Kaplan uses various advertising and promotional tools to ensure that reaches the desired number of potential clients. The IMC tools by Kaplan include advertising, direct marketing, interactive marketing, sales promotion, public relations, and personal selling of which each play a critical role in ensuring the achievement of the required competitive advantage. The institution also has several social media platforms for efficiency in communication. However, there is to focus much on developing its competitive edge through provisions of quality services and brand equity. References Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2001). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Blakeman, R. (2007). Integrated marketing communication: Creative strategy from idea to implementation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Blakeman, R. (2009). The bare bones introduction to integrated marketing communication. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Ciletti, D. (2011). Integrated Marketing Communication. Encyclopedia of Sports Management and Marketing, 7(3), 241-248. Hutchison, T. W., Macy, A., & Allen, P. (2010). Record label marketing. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. Kaplan Business School-Australia. (2016). Retrieved May 21, 2016, from www.kbs.edu.au/ Kinney, L., & Ireland, J. (2015). Brand Spokes-Characters as Twitter Marketing Tools. 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