INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (IMC) PLAN

PROJECT EXPECTATIONS

In this course, your major deliverable will be a full integrated marketing communications plan. Groups of no more than 4 students will be formed.

The project will be completed in 3 major installments. You will be evaluated based on your ability to manage a project team and collect, interpret and apply information based on the IMC planning concepts covered.

You will also be evaluated on your professional presentation of well-founded and creative ideas.

Part 1 - (See FOL for Part 1 Rubric)

An IMC plan deals exclusively with communication. We assume price, product and distribution methods are set (we cannot influence).

However, our case study does not come with a prepared marketing plan so your first step is to go back to the fundaments of Marketing Strategy and complete a partial Marketing Plan.

You will use the information in the case as well as your own research to conduct a detailed situation analysis.

This plan is to be written as a business document, with attention to proper formatting, spelling, grammar and use of APA citations.

Refer to Chapter 2 in our textbook as well as Figure 2.8 (Pg. 48) as your general guide. However, we will not be completing an exhaustive marketing plan here.

Components of Marketing Plan Required for Part 1 Submission:

Background

Company Profile

Market Analysis

Brand Analysis

Current Target Market Analysis

Competitor Analysis

Provide a comparison of the client's brand to major direct and/or indirect competitors. Discuss competitors in terms of:

Target audiences

Promotion vehicles used (if available)

Slogan and/or positioning

Brand strengths/weaknesses

USP (if applicable)

Opportunity Identification

Based on your market and competitive analysis, discuss the points of parity and possible areas where our brand can stand out. Identify what is/are our client's most viable areas of opportunity from a positioning perspective. Hint: this should form the basis of your positioning.

Target Audience

Identify your primary and secondary target audiences as appropriate. Apply segmentation as appropriate (specify geographic, demographic, psychographic, benefit and/or usage segmentation).

Objectives

Marketing objectives (if known)

Communications objectives

Part 2 - (See FOL for Part 2 Rubric)

NOTE: You will not be allowed to complete this part if you have not completed Part 1.

Part 2 is the creation of a creative brief to reflect the overall brand positioning, the communications objectives and the overall creative strategy that will guide the implementation of individual campaigns that will follow in all marketing communications media and/or channels.

Creative Brief Components Required for Part 2:

Market Information (Summarized from your Part 1 Submission)

Company background

Competitive Analysis

Opportunity Identification

Target audience identification

Current Brand Positioning

Overall Marketing Communications Objectives (based on opportunity)

Positioning Strategy Statement

Creative Objectives

Creative Strategy

Creative Concept Board

(For details on completion of Part 2, see Part 2 Checklist on FOL)

Part 3 - (See FOL for Part 3 Rubric)

NOTE: You will not be allowed to complete this part if you have not completed Part 2.

Presentation slides are due by midnight, the night before your presentation (to the FOL drop box). Presentations will be scheduled during Week 12,13 and 14

This Part is a presentation of the full IMC plan, but for only one of your Target audiences. You are not required to use all media if not appropriate for your client's needs, but for any you choose not to use, you must explain why.

Do not forget to integrate the media already being used by the client (if known) and discuss whether you would recommend keeping it in its existing format or changing. Also, don't forget to indicate which target audience you are addressing with this overall plan.

You are required to dress in professional attire to the best of your budget. I expect that you will all come as professionally dressed as possible, but the minimum would be a dress shirt and dress pants or skirt, with appropriate professional footwear.

Finally, remember . . . this is a pitch presentation whereby you are trying to convince the client (me) to hire your agency. Presentations will not exceed 20 minutes + 5 minutes Q & A. Presentations will be halted at the 20 minute mark.

All team members MUST present relatively equal parts. If professor observes unequal participation in the presentation, or unpreparedness by any individual student, that student's mark may be reduced at the discretion of the professor.

Attachment:- Assignment Overview.rar