Assignment

UPS is the world's largest package delivery service. Its core business, however, has been small package transportation and delivery. UPS has recently expanded into new services including customized supply chain, information, and financial product solutions.

The challenge facing UPS is to reposition the company into a new market space that it now calls synchronizedcommerce, using a comprehensive IMC program. The program includes a new logo, a retail presence created by its 3,300 UPS Stores, the "What Can Brown Do For You?" advertising campaign, a comprehensive website, and many other promotional, personal selling, and public relations elements.

This video illustrates the use of an integrated marketing communications (IMC), positioning, and global marketing strategy and provides a good complement to Chapter 1 (discussion), Chapter 2 (global and symbols), Chapter 8 (brand strategy, contextual cues via logo and color), Chapter 9 (repositioning), Chapter 10 (brand personality), Chapter 14 (recognition), Chapter 17 (Internet as part of multi-channel strategy), and Chapter 19 (organizational segmentation).

Please post in the Dropbox your answers to the following discussion questions. See the Video Case Study section in Course Home for guidelines on grading.

1: What led UPS to pursue an integrated marketing communications approach? What was the promotional objective as it repositioned itself in the synchronized commerce marketspace?

2: Why was it logical for UPS to have four different marketing approaches?

3: How important is a brand recall rate of 97% to 98% for UPS? What challenges does such a brand recall rate present to competitors?