Page 462 - Foundations of Marketing

Integrated Marketing Communications | Chapter 15 429

Organizations like Taco Bell employ a variety of promotional methods to communicate with
their target markets. Sometimes the messages are planned in advance, or, as was the case
of Taco Bell, they may be a response to a dramatic change in the marketing environment.
Providing information to customers and other stakeholders is vital to initiating and developing
long-term relationships with them.
This chapter looks at the general dimensions of promotion. First, we discuss the nature of
integrated marketing communications. Next, we analyze the meaning and process of commu-
nication. We then define and examine the role of promotion and explore some of the reasons
promotion is used. We consider major promotional methods and the factors that influence
marketers’ decisions to use particular methods. Next, we explain the positive and negative
effects of personal and electronic word-of-mouth communication. Finally, we examine criti-
cisms and benefits of promotion.

THE NATURE OF INTEGRATED LO 1 . Describe the nature
of integrated marketing
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS communications.

Integrated marketing communications refers to the coordination of promotion and other
marketing efforts to ensure maximum informational and persuasive impact on customers.
Coordinating multiple marketing tools to produce this synergistic effect requires a marketer to
employ a broad perspective. A major goal of integrated marketing communications is to send
a consistent message to customers. For instance, Tic Tac developed the integrated marketing
campaign “Shake It Up” to create a more modern image for its brand. The company devel-
oped a 300 -foot billboard in Times Square that viewers could scan with their mobile cameras.
Those with the Tic Tac Viewr app on their phones would see a photo of themselves within the
2
billboard that could then be uploaded to Facebook or Twitter.
integrated marketing
Because various units both inside and outside most companies have traditionally planned
communications Coordination
and implemented promotional efforts, customers have not always received consistent mes- of promotion and other mar-
sages. Integrated marketing communications allow an organization to coordinate and manage keting efforts for maximum
its promotional efforts to transmit consistent messages. Integrated marketing communica- informational and persuasive
tions also enable synchronization of promotion elements and can improve the efficiency and impact

Managing Promotional Efforts
AP Images/Diane Bondareff stomach remedy of Nathan’s
Pepto-Bismol is the official
Famous Fourth of July
International Hot Dog Eating
Contest as one of its many
promotional activities.

Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.