MK 612: Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) - 3 Credits

Course Structure

Desirable Prerequisites:

None

Faculty: Dr. Vijay Vancheswar

E-mail: [email protected] (or) [email protected]

Objectives:

The growing competition witnessed in the recent past in the field of Marketing has been
further accentuated by the increasing cost of mass media and advertising channels in the
press, print and audio visual medium. Marketing professionals are therefore seeking cost-
effective options and means for promoting the sale of their products and services through
an integrated marketing approach. Innovation and creativity play a key role in this. The
advent of new age media has added to the challenge that marketers and advertisers face.
Besides Advertising, marketing professionals need to be conscious of the scope and impact
of Direct and Internet Marketing, Sales Promotion, Publicity, Corporate Communications and
Relationship Management. An integrated perspective on these subjects can enable
marketing professionals use innovative and creative approaches to obtain cost- effective
solutions.

This course will highlight the significance of an integrated approach to the marketing
support function that spans the areas of advertising, sales promotion, stakeholder
relationship, personal communications as well as direct and new age media options.

The course will benefit aspiring marketing professionals and students of management who
want to take up challenging roles in the area of marketing that call for ideation, planning
and implementation of effective marketing support initiatives targetted at customers and
other key stakeholders of the organisation.

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

 appreciate the relevance and significance of an integrated marketing communications

programme derived from an overall corporate and marketing perspective
 understand the basic concepts, approaches and techniques that are relevant and
available to diverse industries when managing a marketing and sales promotional
campaign including the use of new age media
 evaluate and measure the effectiveness of a marketing communications strategy
 understand and comprehend the role of corporate communications as an effective
stakeholder and reputation management tool
 Understand the dynamics and importance of marketing ethics as a key ingredient in
an integrated marketing communications programme
Pedagogy:

The course will adopt a participative and case based method of instruction to promote
original and independent thinking by the students. This will be integrated with inputs in the
classroom on the key topics relating to the components of an IMC programme. These inputs
are expected to find relevant applications in real life situations faced by today’s marketing
professionals.
Class lectures will focus on strengthening the understanding of basic concepts and emerging
trends in the subjects covered in the course. Students will be expected to come prepared by
reading the assigned articles and cases in advance as this will form an important part of the
evaluation and assessment process.
Inputs from practicing professionals in the function will also add value to the learning by
exposing students to the actual challenges faced by organisations and solutions that address
the demands of IMC. The course will consist of 20 sessions of one hour and 30 minutes each
per class.**

Evaluation Criteria (%):

Components Relative Weight ( percentages)

Class Participation/Case Analysis 10

and Presentations

Quizzes, business update 20

reviews and exercises

Mid –term 20

Group Projects 20

End-term Examination 30

Reading Material:

Text book(s):

1.Marketing Communication, Principles and Practice by Richard J.Varey, Routledge, , 2002

2.Sales Promotion: How to create, implement and integrate campaigns that really work by
Roddy Mullin, Kogan Page Limited, 5th edition, 2010
Other Readings:

1) International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications- www.ijimc.com

Session Topic(s) Reading

No.

1-2 Introduction to IMC-Philosophy Class introductions, Syllabus overview,

& concepts group formation and briefing on group
(friday, and individual assignments
sept. 19; The marketing communication
sat, ideology Nature, importance of IMC, what it
sept.20) means, why important, benefits of IMC,
challenges Marketing mix as Social
Communicator-beyond 4 Ps [chp. 13,pp
(249-266), chp. 7 ,pp 125-147] (19th)

Article Review : Integrated Marketing

Communications:Creativity,Consistency
and Effective Resource Allocation-HBS

Marketing and Ethics, UV 5276,Darden,

Univ. of Virginia, 7 caselets-all group
exercise (20th)- groups assigned

Caselet7: Pharmaceutical Advertising: A

conversation or a scam? ( all group
case-Friday Sept 26)

3-4 The Brand Communicator, Caselet7: Pharmaceutical Advertising: A

Media Options, Marketing conversation or a scam? ( all group
(friday, Ethics and Internal Marketing common case)
sept.26;
sat, Communicative nature of Brands, Cognitive response to marketing
sept.27) connecting brand design with interventions, how a brand mediate
marketing communication communication with consumers, brand
personality and their social significance,
culture, brands and consumers,
perceptual mapping

Selecting Media for communicating:

understanding range of media options,
comparing media suitability, sensitivity
to dynamics of media with a focus on
central marketing communication
objectives. Internal marketing: its
 relevance to IMC and branding, role and
importance of ethics in brand building
and marketing strategy formulation-
[chp. 9(pp 165-189), chp.11(pp.212-
228)- (26th)

group7:Article Review: How and why to

build an Internal Marketing campaign?
(HBS)

All group common case: discussions &

deliberations -Southwest Airlines 1993
(Abridged update)HBS:9-395-025

CASE, group 1: PSI INDIA: Will Balbir

Pasha help fight AIDS (A) thr’ innovative
use of marketing comm.?.-HBS( 27th)

5-6 Identity, Image and Relevance and role of image, identity

Reputation; Advertising as and reputation in IMC, distinguishing
(sat. Communicating marketing and marketing
&Communication Strategies PR;contemporary use and dynamics
oct.4 ; and Objectives advertising in many forms and role of
creativity in marketing communications
friday, Role of identity, image , strategy- use of Foote, Clone and
advertising and in communication Blending grid
oct10)
objectives and strategies in an
integrated IMC programme Marketing objectives vs. marketing
communications objectives- [chp. 10( pp
192-210), chp. 14 (268-285), chp.
15(287-301)]

group 6: Article Review: Marketing

Promotions, Marta Worsinska-HBS (4th)

CASE, group 2: BOSCH in India-

Marketing Comm. and identity
challenges-IIMB(HBR) (10th)
 7-8 Sales Promotion Nature, importance of sales promotion,
focus on customers and its importance,
(sat.oct The marketing purpose behind promotional mix, integrating sales
sales promotion promotion with the marketing strategy
11;friday and objectives, matching customer
expectations, overview of case study to
Oct.24)
follow ( chps. 1-2)

What Sales Promotion can do? Overview

Sales Promotion & Creativity
to consumer promotion, trade promotion
Types , usage and applications and sales force promotion; using sales
promotion effectively, use of creativity in
sales promotions ( chps. 3-4, 5-6)

Group 5:Article Review: Welcome to

the New World of Merchandising-
HBR(11th)

CASE, group 3: Creative Advertising

and Promotions: Sunday
Communications-HK University(HBP)
(24th)
 Types of off the shelf offers-usage for
different sectors; joint promotions,
9-10 Various types of Promotions; referral, charity and loyalty promotions,
Integrating Direct marketing phantom partnerships, price , premium
(sat into Sales Promotions, and prize promotions (25th) [cps. 8-8 ;
oct.25; challenges in diverse markets 10-15]
esp-rural
friday CASE, group 4: Arvind Eye care
nov7) System: focus on role and challenges of
Promotions for rural environment-IIMB-
HBR (7th)

Essentials of DM; why people respond

11-12 and why they don’t?; success factors,
Direct Response for effective
differences in media planning for direct
returns on DM: Attracting New
(sat.nov response campaigns, formats of DM,
Customers and Media Planning
8;friday using media audience research and
for Direct Response
response [ class lectures & presentation
nov 14) & readings]

Group 4: Article Review: The Secrets

and Science of Direct –Mail Marketing-
HBP Newsletter ( 8th)

CASE, group 5: Slanket: responding to

Snuggle’s Market Entry-HBS (14th)
 Managing Personal 8thgroup 2)
Communication; What
Stakeholder Relations is and group 3: Planning and managing
Does? What Corporate Personal Communications e Article
13-14 Communication includes? discussions and highlights (groups):
The Power of Talk: Who gets heard and
(sat nov IMC in a specific industry Why ?-HBR
15; context ( consumer durable
friday case) group 2Article Review: Responsiveness:
nov 28) The Key to an Effective Corporate
Communication Effort: (HBP) (15th)

[Readings, class lecture]

Industry specific case of IMC( consumer

durable sector-advt., personal selling)
( 28th) ** [guest lecture]

Industry specific Case (consumer

15-16
durable-events, sponsorship, DM
IMC in a specific industry (29th)** [guest lecture]
(sat nov context contd…
29; ( consumer durable case) CASE, group 6: Metabical-Positioning
Friday
and Communications Strategy for a new
dec 5)
weight loss drug with a focus on
Promotional and Direct Marketing
strategies-HBS- groups to also present
examples from different sectors and
channels( 5 min per group) (dec 5th)

group 1:Article Review: What’s your

Social Media strategy? (HBR) ( 5th)

Framework/methodology for evaluating

the effectiveness of an IMC initiative
17-18 Corporate communication in CASE, group 7: A Bomb in your
the context of crisis and media pocket? Crisis Leadership at Nokia
(sat dec management India(A)
6; friday
Part (B) of case to be distributed in class
dec 12) after presentation and discussions
(dec 6th)

All group common case: discussions &

deliberations-Domino’s Pizza: media
crisis, role play-President Patrick Doyle-
for You Tube rejoinder; VP, corp.comm,
An Overview to specific sector
Tim McIntyre’s response; pluses and
practices of IMC
minuses of use of various media
options: television, internet, print advt,
written statement (dec 6th)

Real life IMC cases industry specific,

focus of FMCG sector(12th) ** [guest
lecture]

19-20 Group Project on IMC across Presentations and Review ( 20-25 min
diverse sectors per group)
(sat dec
13; 2 Learnings and Take-away, interactions,
sessions) conclusions and summary (dec13)

** Guest lecturers from industry practioners will constitute upto 20% of the overall
sessions