1. Class, please select an advertisement to which you have recently been exposed. It can be in any paid communications medium, such as TV, radio, newspaper, or magazine.
The ad that you select should be one to which others in the class can easily relate, such as Verizon's old "Can you hear me now?" ad or the Aflac ad (with the white duck that squawks, "AFFFFLAAAAAAAC!").
Evaluate the ad from a consumer perspective. Answer the following questions, demonstrating application of our text:
1. Why do you feel the ad was created in the first place? There was a reason -- what do you suppose it was?
2. What is the MESSAGE that the ad is attempting to communicate?
3. What do you see as this ad's major strengths or weaknesses?
4. Do you think the ad was a success? Why or why not? How would the company know if the ad were successful?
2. Thanks for those three ads. Each communicates a message that the marketer is hoping will resonate with the target market!
Class, when one looks at different ads -- whether for Barnes & Noble, Mountain Dew, Progressive, Kleenex, or any other product or service -- they are all structured in a couple of different ways.
Since we are talking about the communication of a MESSAGE, enjoy the attached ad. There are no words spoken -- odd! What do you notice about how this ad is structured? What is the ad trying to do? Do they use humor or sex? Did you expect the ending? How effective was the ad? What was the ad's MESSAGE?
Which of the three purposes of advertising does this ad accomplish -- informing/educating, convincing/persuading, or reminding?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDIgL4NQbNA
Several questions above... please analyze the ad and respond to all of the questions. Thanks!
3. How would you go about assessing the effectiveness of a company's entire IMC campaign?
4. Class, take a look at sales promotion. Coupons are part of this promotional venue. Rebates, too. We also see contests. Should a company offer a rebate when it is introducing a new product? Pretend for a minute that you are a marketing manage for a new Korean import car that we will call the 2016 Lancel 4000, manufactured by Kyosuma Corporation. Intended to compete with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the car is comparably equipped... and recently received a great rating from a consumer magazine that does independent testing.
To spur sales, should Kyosuma use a rebate when the car enters the market to spur sales? Why or why not? Defend your stance.
5. Allow me to add to what you have shared, whether from our text, a website, or your personal perceptions...
The concept behind IMC is a 'choreography' in which the company manages its overall promotional effort to ensure the communication of "one, clear, consistent" MESSAGE to its stakeholders. This is the purpose of your IMC Plan on which you are working!
Yeah... one, clear, consistent MESSAGE! That message must be 'rememberable" and easy to recall! The marketer uses advertising, public relations, direct marketing, sales promotion, and personal selling - as appropriate - to communicate that MESSAGE!
Why is IMC important in the 21st century?
Companies that don't manage their promotional approach via an INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS effort will find that their message will become easily FRAGMENTED. For this reason, if one's company is not embracing IMC and their competition IS embracing an integrated marketing communications approach, the competition will likely come out ahead as their MESSAGE will resonate better with their stakeholders. Your competition will move ahead because they do the better job of ensuring that "one, clear, consistent" message.
Yes, you want to have that "one, clear, consistent" message for your IMC Plan -- it is part of your IMC Plan's measurement. In addition, you want to measure how effectively it is remembered by your target market after your IMC Plan has been executed.
Now, as you look at companies, in general, who or what are those company's stakeholders?