Week two takeaway

Week two discussions centered around the individual elements of IMC that are comprised of advertising, promotion, new media, personal selling, and direct marketing. All these elements have advantages and disadvantages and should be evaluated for their effectiveness within the overall marketing campaign. We are constantly reminded about the importance of brand attitude and brand awareness as the communication objectives for advertising. The role of advertising is more of a long-term strategic plan to build positive brand associations in the minds of consumers over time. On the other hand, promotions are a more tactical short-term element of IMC that can help generate repeat purchases, initiate new product trial, and reinforce brand identity. The new media element is also an important consideration with the evolution of the Internet and mobile marketing technologies. Sponsorships, event marketing, and packaging can all play a critical role in communicating emotional and psychological benefits to the consumer along with building positive brand image. Trade shows and fairs have shown to be an important part of B2B marketing although their effectiveness has been a topic of debate. Personal selling has the advantage of two-way interaction with the consumer, but can also be expensive and present challenges for maintaining a consistent message. Finally, direct marketing is a more precisely targeted interactive form of communication that has an accountable system to track overall effectiveness. Consumer databases can also help to identify opportunities through increased knowledge of consumer behavior habits and tendencies. Through these class discussions I have gained a greater understanding of how I need to communicate to the target market through a variety of IMC elements, what the objectives of each element are, and how the elements come together to form a consistent message.