Integrated Marketing Communication- Newman Brother at the Coffin Work - Essay Example

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION- NEWMAN BROTHER AT THE COFFIN WORK By Table of content Concepts and techniques of integrated marketing communication 3 Importance of marketing communication 3 Organizational background 5 Situational analysis 5 Organizational analysis 5 SWOT analysis 6 Objective setting 7 Communications objectives 7 Marketing objectives 8 Target audience 8 Positioning and message strategies 9 Method and media strategies 9 Media relations 10 Actualizing the organization with the market 10 Use of technology 11 Special events 11 Social awareness 12 Communication budget 12 Implementation 13 Measurement, evaluation, and control 13 Bibliography 14 Concepts and techniques of integrated marketing communication Communication is an important aspect of business. Through communication, an organization communicates with its customers. It creates and strengthens relationships and allows different people to learn about a product or service. Development of communication has affected the way people communicate and thus changing the type of messaging strategy. When organizations develop a product or service, they must communicate the benefits and values they are offering to both potential and current customers. The integrated marketing communications (IMC) develop by American Association of Advertising (4A’s) provides an approach for delivery of messages to buyers. IMC is an approach improvised to achieve the objectives of a marketing campaign through the use of different promotional methods (Belch 2012, p. 52). IMC strategy is also designed to provide maximum and consistency maximum communication impact. The main objective of IMC is to create a seamless experience for the target audience across different aspects of the marketing mix. Importance of marketing communication Before the emergence of the integrated marketing communications, mass communication dominated the marketing sector. However, mass communication was not a reliable form of marketing because the information was delivered to a large segment of the population. Advertisers advertised their goods and services with little regard to diverse tastes, values, and needs of the consumers. Mass communication was regarded as an uninformative and costly approach because there was a lack of tools to measure the result in terms of sales (Tuckwell 2013, p. 16). Today, integrated marketing communications is one of the most effective ways to deliver the message to consumers. Nowadays, the organization sets budget for activities such as consumer promotion, advertising, public relations, branding, and consumer promotions. Additionally, the marketing process is viewed as a two-way communication process. Organization and companies ensure that they get feedback from their consumers. Integrated marketing communications have led to a shift from the mass adverting to the adoption of multiple forms of communication. There is also a growing popularity of specialization and market segmentations. Consumers are segmented based on their needs, tastes, and preferences (Sharpe 2015, p. 32). The integrated marketing communication consists of different promotional tools which include search engine optimization tactics, blogs, webinars, and banner advertisements. The traditional marketing communications such as billboards, magazines, and newspapers are also used to persuade the target audience. Thus, marketers are very instrumental in deciding on the appropriate combination both digital and traditional to deliver messages to the target audience in order to build a strong brand-consumer relationship. With the flooding of advertisements both online and offline, marketers need to prioritize the needs of the consumers and wants to ensure that their messages are not overlooked (Keillor 2007, p. 36). There are different benefits accrued to integrated marketing communications. First, IMC enables the marketers to effectively and clearly communicate their brand’s story and messages to various channels of communication hence creating brand awareness. Second, IMC is cost effective because consumers interact with brands across various interfaces and forums (Narasimha 2010, p. 52). Using different touch points, consumers spend more time on mobile devices and computer, thus getting an exposure to different types of brand. Third, IMC creates a competitive advantage, especially for companies which seek to boost their profits and sales. The business entity consolidates its image and nurtures its relationship through the instant exchange of messages. IMC is also very instrumental in creating unified purchasing experiences. As a result, customers become loyal to the business entity. Integrates marketing communication also facilitates instant delivery of goods and services. The business entity also gets instant feedback from the consumers (Waller 2012, p. 64). Organizational background New Brothers organization was established by two brothers, Alfred Newman and Edwin in 1882. They were originally referred to as the brass founders and specialized in carbonate furniture development. When the company moved to Fleet Street, it began to specialize in the production of the coffin furniture. As a result of competition and their failure to modernize, they were considered outdated and forced out of the business in 1998 (Chitty 2011, p. 52). In relation to this company, the project aims at developing an appropriate integrated marketing communication technique and coming up with ways of promoting both local and international tourists in New Brothers organization. Situational analysis Organizational analysis Consequently, the way information about an organization or brand helps in establishing the brand in the minds of the consumers or potential customers. Nowadays, consumers seek to connect with business via phones and computers. Businesses are now online as business operations are contacted through social media such as Facebook. Organizations have changed the way they reach their customers. Organizations have also realized the need to change some of the promotional strategies to make sure that they meet the needs of their target audience (Chaffey 2009, p. 26). SWOT analysis Based on SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, weakness, and threats) analysis, the situation of Newman brother at the coffin work will be analyzed in order to invoke the appropriate integrated marketing communications for this organization. Strengths Newman Brothers Company produces high-quality coffin fittings in silver and nickel plated, solid brass, and stamped electro-brass. The quality of their products made them outstanding among other companies. Additionally, the company was among the three best manufacturers company in Britain. Thus, it was at the centre of trade. The location of the company also gave it a competitive advantage. It is located at the heart of the Birmingham community. Additionally, the structure of the building and quality makes the company one of the most outstanding companies (Fill 2009, p. 41). It was planned to facilitate all the production activities, for instance, the courtyard where the materials came in, and a place where all the waste and toxic material were removed. Weaknesses Although the company thrived for several years, it faced different challenges which resulted in its closure. Newman brother at the coffin work specialized in a specific mode of production. The company was forced out of the market because of its inability to modernize. The current generation required more advanced services and equipment. Use of technology was highly promoted, but owners of the company were not willing to adopt to change. The weakness eventually led to the closure of the business. Additionally, the company does not have a marketing department to market their products (Dahlen, Lange, & Smith 2010, p. 23). Most tourists do not know about Newman brother at the coffin work. They also depend on the social media which cannot be effective if other forms of communication are not integrated. Opportunities Reestablishment of Newman brother acted is a great opportunity for the company. £ 1million grant was set aside for the restoration of the company by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Additionally, the Birmingham City Council gave £2m funds that were to be used to rescue the building. The main purpose was to establish it so that it may be an arts venue and a heritage attraction. Newman brother also receives volunteers from different parts of the country. Thus, they spend considerable cash on employment (Scott 2010, p. 91). Threats Newman Brother Company turned from a manufacturing company to a museum. The production aspect of the company diminished. Organizations who decided to revive the company did it aiming at making it a museum. Thus, the company has faced a major threat because of the development of technology. The adoption of new technology in its activities seems impossible, resulting in the total extinction of the business entity (Applegate 2005, p. 45). Objective setting Communications objectives Our main objective is to revive Newman Brother Company as a manufacturer company and make it a tourist heritage attraction. The goods that the company manufactures were so unique and of high quality, hence something needs to be done to bring the product on board. We will use all the aspects of communication such as advertising, sales promotion, social media, online communications, personal selling, and direct selling (Saxen 2009, p.341). However, we will rely heavily on public relations and social media networks to increase the brand presence (Fill 2011, p. 48). The other objectives will be: Support for Newman brother at the coffin work as a heritage attraction Increasing tourism attraction To influence and change customers beliefs and attitudes To create more awareness To build and maintain the image of the organization Integrated communication strategies will be very instrumental in helping us achieve our objectives. Through the use of IMC plan, we intend to increase 89 percent awareness. The communication strategy will also aim at increasing the brand loyalty through an increase in the market share. The AIDA’s (attention, interest, desire, and action) model will also be useful in the achievement of our objectives (Behm 2009, p.152). First, we will create awareness and attention about Newman brother and the products they offer such as a tourist’s attraction sector. If a potential consumer is not aware of the product they cannot purchase it, hence, creating awareness is very vital (Hackley 2005, p. 32). Second, once the consumer becomes aware of the product or service, we will get the interested parties and persuade them that the Newman brother products are the best in the market and a place where tourists should always visit. Ultimately, the potential consumer will purchase the product, and he or she will be at the action stage. Additionally, through the creation of awareness there will be a tourist attraction in the area (Anthonissen 2008, p. 32). Marketing objectives Increase tourists’ attraction by 20 percent by the end of the year. Achieve sales of Newman brother products 1,400,000 by the end of the year Market share of the furniture increase By 15 percent in Birmingham Achieve a net profit of 10 percent by the end of the year Target audience Our primary target audience will be both local and international tourists. As a result, they will create publicity about the products we offer and encourage more tourists to visit Newman brother at the coffin work. Positioning and message strategies In coming up with the message strategies, we will consider the Unique Selling Point (USP) of our product. Through determining the Unique Selling Point, we will know the message that will work best for our target audience. The unique selling point consists of the specific benefits that the consumer will consider (Koekemoer 2011, p. 47). Our objectives will also guide us in determining the message strategy we will use for our audience. One of our unique selling points, we will use in strategizing our product is the existence of Newman Brother for a long period. That means they still have the experience to produce quality furniture which lasts long. Additionally, tourists will get access to coffin work which was present a century ago (Pickton& Broderick 2011, p. 41). Additionally, there are different types of appeals that can be used to advertise a product. Some of the common appeals included fear appeal, emotional, humorous, and rational appeal. In our case, we will use humor appeal so that we can reach a wide audience. Humor also enables the customers to remember vividly a product (Emery 2012, p. 63). Through the appeal, we will also attract the attention of many. Market positioning is also an important factor. The brand image will be very instrumental in distinguishing it from other companies’ products and tourist attraction areas (Shin 2013, p. 12). Method and media strategies Although there are different media strategies which a company can use, a company has to identify a specific media strategy to ensure that the message rich the target audience. The communication mix is a perfect mode of communication which facilitates the passage of information from one party to another. The communication mix consists of sales promotion, publicity, public relations, direct marketing and personal selling (Dahlen & Lange 2008, p. 24). Advertising is one of the most important marketing strategies which can be used to introduce a product to a mass audience. However, in Newman Brother case we will use public relations to create awareness about the existence of the product. There will be various public relations activities that we will use in our case. They include: 1. Media Relations 2. Actualizing the organization with the market 3. Use of the website 4. Social awareness 5. Special events Media relations We will use media relations to ensure that our company gets a wide target audience. Having a good relationship with the media gives an organization an immediate advantage as the media will be ready to cover any information about the organization to the general public. Newman Brother reestablishment is newsworthy activity (Barnes 2007, p. 32). It will easily capture the attention of the viewer’s once a media house publishes the information about the company. Getting air time in the media houses will also be easy with the good media relations. We will send various news releases about the restoration of the company to the renowned media houses (Hughes & Fill 2009, p. 24). Actualizing the organization with the market Through the public relations strategy, we will actualize ourselves with the world, ensuring that we know what is happening in the world to better our services. Through this, we will also identify our competitors and use everything that we will have at our disposal to keep abreast of all the current happenings (Persuit 2013, p.41). Some of the strategies that we will use are the modern forms of communication. Newman Brother went out of business because it did not adopt the modern form of communication. As a result, this will act as a stepping stone for us to ensure that all the activities in the company are modernized. We will customize our systems to have a main target for people in our niche (Orange 2015, p. 56). Additionally, we will create Google alerts and Google trend to ensure that we get a spectrum of information about what is happening in the world focusing on tourism. Use of technology Nowadays, the online platform is the best place to pass information to the target audience. Video campaigns and viral marketing are some of the technological ways we will use to reach a wider audience. Blogging is also one of the most important platforms that we will use to communicate with our target audience. Blogging gives the target audience some of the crucial information that the target audience needs. There will be inclusion of photos of the products we offer and a short description for each item (Zarrella 2009, p. 12). Use of technology will enable us to connect with our audience directly. Special events Through the creation of a special event which will be Newman Brother Company launch, we will directly interact with our clients and it will be an opportunity for us to seek publicity. The launch will be publicized in different ways, such as publishing fliers and posters to invite people for the big event. There will also be creation of a Facebook website page inviting people to take part in the event. We will also use endorsements to ensure that many people will be attracted to the event (Tyagi & Kumar 2004, p.85). The event will also enlighten the general public about the museum. Old furniture will also be displayed during the event to attract more tourists to the event. Both local and international tourism will be encouraged (Blakeman 2014, p. 17). Social awareness The community around Newman Brother Company needs to be aware of the company’s activities. We will assure the general public that the activities we will carry out in our manufacturing process will not affect the environment in which they inhabit. Proper waste management process will always be advocated. The company will also create employment opportunities for the members of the society. The community will also get coupons, such as shirts with the company name and the slogans (Ouwersloot& Duncan 2008, p. 23). Communication budget Our overall projected budget for the establishment of the company will be $2,000,000. However, 20 % ($400,000) will be our IMC budget. Every amount stated acts aim towards achieving the company’s objective Budget Element Percentage of budget Newman Brother Company launch *(Posters and fliers) %80 ($320,000) Coupons %5 ($20,000) Price for Website domain %5($20,000) Evaluation and control %5($20,000) Other IMC Cost %5($20,000) Total 100%($400,000) Table: IMC Budget Implementation The implementation stage is the most crucial stage because all the Integrated Marketing Communication will be put in place. The Newman Brother Company launch will be held on Wednesday 19 August, 2015 to reestablish Newman Brother Company (Brannan 2005, p. 25). Publicity will be done in three months and creation of good media relations. During the three months, the company will also establish good relations with the members of the community. Through interacting with the members of the community the organization will build strong ties. Additionally, the company will enlighten the general public about the products they are introducing and some of the activities that the community can be involved in (Litwin 2009, p. 12). Measurement, evaluation, and control During our evaluation process, we will compare our objectives and the IMC plan that we used in our implantation stage. As stated above at the end of the plan, we will consider whether we created the awareness that we intended to achieve (Egan 2007, p. 32). We will also look at our sales after one year and know if we made the profits we stated earlier. Through media relations, we will access our impact to the society and our organizational image. The organizational image is one of the central areas that we will focus on. The change in customer attitudes and beliefs will be accessed by looking at the number of customers who turned up to purchase our goods (Smith & Taylor 2004, p.251). Lastly, the Newman Brother Company launch event attendance will also help us know whether our publicity is efficient and if not, look for appropriate ways of ensuring that we improve it in our next IMC plan. Evaluation will also be based on the increase in the number of tourists at Newman brother at the coffin work (Holtz 2002, p.63). Bibliography Anthonissen, P.F. ( Ed) 2008 Crisis Communication – practical PR strategies, Kogan Page Ltd. Applegate, E. 2005.Strategic copywriting: how to create effective advertising. Lanham, Md, Rowman& Littlefield. Barnes, R. 2007. Public relations made easy. Irvine, Calif, Entrepreneur Press. Behm, J. 2009. The AIDA model - Wrong spelling in advertisements as an attention-seeking device. München, GRIN Verlag. Belch, M. 2012. 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