Integrated Marketing Communication

Teaching Plan (2015-2016)

Integrated Marketing Communication
School of Business Management, NMIMS
Trim: --IV, 2015-16
Instructor: Dr. Hufrish Majra
Email Id: hufrish.majra@nmims.edu
Introduction:

To effectively plan, implement and evaluate advertising and promotional

programs requires an understanding of the overall marketing process, consumer
behaviour, communications theory and the media of advertising and promotion.
This course examines the various factors that must be considered in planning,
developing and implementing advertising and promotional campaigns and
programs. Attention will also be given to the environment in which advertising
and promotion operates and promotional decisions are made.

Objectives:
The course will provide students with an understanding of the importance of integrated
marketing communication (IMC). In particular, students will advance their knowledge of
how all communication elements are integrated to achieve communication objectives
and enhance brand equity.
The primary objectives of the course are to provide:
1. The evolution of IMC, how if differs from traditional media advertising and its role
in the marketing program of a company or organization.
2. Devising IMC programs as well as determining the budget for advertising and
other IMC tools.
3. Understand the role of consumer behavior in the development of IMC programs.
4. The importance of various promotional tools and the role they play in the IMC
program.
5. Measuring the effectiveness of IMC tools as well as the overall IMC program.

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Evaluation Criteria:
Item
1
2
3
4

Assessment
Task
Assignment
(Individual )
Quiz
Final Project
Presentation
(Group)
Final Exam

Length

Points

Due Day

1000 words
each
Individual
20 min

10
10
30

A week after
announcement
As per schedule
Trimester end

2 hrs

50

Trimester end

Assignment 1 : Advertising Critique:

The learning activities are designed to encourage students to analyze and

understand the advertising strategies behind various communications
Students will be required to select ONE advertisement in this assignment and
then will complete an advertising critique stating the success or failure of the ad
in the background of its Product Life Cycle at this stage based on statistics and
your analysis.
Please make power point presentations for this Assignment in class lasting not
more than 10 min.

Contribution in Class:
Each student should be prepared to offer views and explanations on the subject being
studied. You need to articulate your thoughts and focus on how well you can apply your
knowledge to different situations. Cases will be circulated at the beginning of the
trimester to the students and discussion dates will be given in advance.
Group project:

The project will enhance the students ability to analyse, develop and present
their own IMC plan.
Students will be required to research, analyse and develop an IMC plan and then
marshal their own thoughts and ideas and communicate them via an oral
presentation.

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The presentation is the students promotional plan (prepared in groups of 2 to 4)

presented to the class.
Students will be assessed on presentation style, use of relevant theory, concepts,
ideas and ability to present a cogent and convincing pitch.
This is the students opportunity to sell their campaign to the audience.
All presentations will be held at the end of the trimester and be no more than 20
minutes in duration.

In groups of 3 to 4 people, students are to select a product/service currently advertised

and promoted in India, which would benefit from a whole new IMC plan. Students are to
approach this task as if they are an advertising agency. They are to analyse the existing
campaign in terms of the principles of IMC learnt in class and, in doing so, highlight the
shortcomings or weaknesses of the campaign. The analysis of the present campaign
should include an analysis of the target market, positioning as well as elements of the
marketing communication mix in delivering the message and media choices.
Students are then to develop a new IMC strategy for this product/service and present
the creative strategy, media strategy, campaign schedule and evaluation procedures to
the audience. The students will need to convince the class of what is wrong with the old
campaign (and why) and the rationale for adopting the new campaign they have
created. This is more than a presentation, it is a campaign PITCH! The presentation
should be on PowerPoint and students must hand in a copy of their PowerPoint slides
and any other supporting material (e.g. advertisements) at the end of their presentation.
Status reports ( four in number) will have to be submitted in soft copy to the instructor at
the sessions specified .
Marking criteria is as follows:
Criteria: ( Total -30 marks):

Identification of problems/issues with current campaign

Rationale to support change of campaign strategy
(10 points)
New Creative Strategy presentation
New Media Strategy presentation
(10 Points)
Campaign Schedule presentation
Campaign Evaluation
Overall quality of campaign pitch
(10 Points)

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Session Details:
Session
1

Content
An Introduction to IMC

Learning Objectives:
Understand the concepts of IMC, the benefits and the obstacles
while using IMC
Identify the various tools of IMC
Essential Readings
Chapter 1

2&3

The Role of IMC in the Marketing Process

Market Segmentation and Positioning
Learning Objectives:
Understand the marketing process and the role of advertising and
promotion in the integrated marketing program

Essential Readings
Chapter 2

Articles
Integrated Marketing Communications- Robert Dolan
(HBSP)

4 &5

Revisiting the IMC construct : A Revised definition and four

pillars Jerry Kliatchko, International Journal of Advertising
( WARC)
Organizing for Advertising and Promotion: The Role of
Advertising Agencies and Other Marketing Communication
Organizations
Learning Objectives:
To understand how companies organize for advertising and other aspects
of integrated marketing communications

Guest Session
Essential Readings
Chapter 3
Status Report 1 : Review of Marketing Plan to be submitted
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Perspectives on Consumer Behavior: Implications for

Integrated Marketing Communications
Learning Objectives:
Understand the concept of consumer behavior and its importance in
devising communications
Identify the cultural , social , personal and psychological factors that
influence decision-making
Essential Readings
Chapter 4

Understanding the Communication Process &

Communication Theory: Source , Message and Channel
Learning Objectives:
To understand the basic elements of the communications process
and the role of communications in marketing.
To study the major variables in the communications system and how
they influence consumers processing of promotional messages
Case: Union Bank of India: Celebrating the unsung heroes behind
Indias champions (WARC)
Essential Readings
Chapter 5 & 6
Status Report 2 : Promotional Program situational analysis to be
submitted

Establishing Objectives for the IMC Program &

Budgeting for Advertising and Promotion
Learning Objectives:
To recognize the importance and value of setting specific objectives
for advertising and promotion.

To understand the role of objectives in the IMC planning process

and the relationship of promotional objectives to marketing
objectives
Essential Readings
Chapter 7
Case 1: Cannon EOS- World of EOS.
(Source: WARC)

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Advertising Strategy. Planning, Development, Implementation and

Evaluation
Learning Objectives :
The importance of strategy in creating the campaign
Devising the best possible advertising strategy for the brand
Case: Pizza Hut Cheesy 7 : The Guru (WARC)
Essential Readings
Chapter 8&9

Submission : Assignment 1
9

Media Planning and Strategy

Learning Objectives :
To know how a media plan is developed.
To know what constitutes media objectives
Essential Readings
Chapter 10
Class Exercise
Status Report 3 : Integrated Marketing Communications Program to
be submitted

10 & 11

Evaluation of Media: TV, Radio and Print

To examine the structure of the television, radio and print industries
and the role of each medium in the advertising program.
To examine the advantages and limitations of television and radio as
advertising media
Learning Objectives:
Learn what a creative brief is and how it can be prepared
Tips on creating and executing effective ads
Essential Readings
Chapter 9

12

Digital Media and Advertising

Article : Digital and social advertising effectiveness for business:
Evaluating role and ROI of emerging media and comparing with traditional
offline media for developing Asian economies Sweta Agrawal and Aarti
Bharadwaj ( WARC)

Learning Objectives :
Understand what digital media is, its evolution, role and scope.
Building brands through the digital space

Guest Session
13& 14

Rural Advertising in India

Learning Objectives :
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15

16

17

Understand the need, scope and challenges of rural advertising.

Understand the potential for rural marketing in India.

Case: Mediker Anti-Lice Treatment. The journey from lice negative to life
positive in rural India - Allen Eric, Siddhartha Loiwal, Aditya Save and
Monaz Todywalla ( WARC)
Direct Marketing
Learning Objectives:
Understand the different media for direct marketing
Discuss the various tools of direct marketing
Essential Readings
Chapter 14
Sales Promotion
Learning Objectives
Understand its role, scope and techniques
The role of innovative promotional schemes in India
Case1: Lee Jeans The New
(Source: WARC)
Essential Readings
Chapter 16
The Growth and Role of PR in an organization
Learning Objectives:
Understand the various PR tools to achieve marketing/brand
objectives
Deliberate on the use of PR in brand building
Essential Readings
Chapter 17
Status Report 4 :IMC Program Effectiveness to be submitted

18

Measuring IMC Performance

Learning Objectives:
Measuring Communication Effectiveness
Conducting Research to measure communication effectiveness
Essential Readings
Chapter 18

Quiz
19 & 20

Final Project Presentations

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Text Book References:

Belch, Belch & Purani: Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing
Communications Perspective, 9/e (SIE).
Schultz & Schultz: IMC: The Next Generation. Five Steps for Delivering Value and
Measuring Returns Using Marketing Communications

Other Reference Material can be availed from the below sources:

Recommended Academic Journals:
Journal of Advertising Research
International Journal of Advertising
Journal of Advertising
Journal of Marketing Communications
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Journal of Retailing
Psychology & Marketing

Signature

Prepared by Faculty

Signature

Recommended by Area
Chairperson /Prog Chairperson

Signature
Approved By Dean SBM

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