IMC Comprehensive Project

The purpose of the IMC comprehensive project is to have each student (or student teams) develop an
integrated marketing communications plan for a product or service as they proceed through the course.
The text is built around a detailed model of the IMC planning process that is presented in Figure 1-4 that
can be used as a framework for this plan. Students can update their plan as each chapter and topic area is
covered. This will encourage the students to apply the course material and develop an appreciation for the
process a product manager, account executive or marketing communications manager goes though in
developing a promotional plan. The project will also help students gain an appreciation for the various
sources of information available that can be used as part of the promotional planning process. By the end
of the course each student (or team) should have a detailed notebook containing the plan for his/her
product or service that can be turned in for evaluation.

Specific assignments for the IMC project will be presented with each chapter.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 1

The assignment for Chapter 1 is to familiarize yourself with the IMC planning process presented in
Figure 1-4. Students should study the IMC planning model so they can gain some insight as to what will
be involved in developing the IMC project. Each student or team should choose a national, regional or
local brand a product or service for which they will be developing their IMC plan. You should submit
your choice to the instructor with a brief statement as to why you have chosen this particular brand. Your
instructor should approve your choice before you begin working on the project.

Milestone to be completed before July 4th 2002

At this point each student or team should have a specific brand of product or service approved by the
instructor for which they will be developing their IMC plan.

The first specific assignment for the project is as follows:

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 2

Analyze the marketing situation analysis for the product or service you have chosen. You can use the
marketing and promotions process model shown in Figure 2-1 as well as some of the factors shown in
Figure 1-5 from Chapter 1 as a guideline to conducting your situation analysis. Important areas to address
at this stage of the IMC planning process include the marketing strategy and plan for the product/service,
the relevant competition and the marketing program that will be used in terms of various marketing mix
variables, and an analysis of the environmental factors and how they will impact the marketing and
promotion of your brand.

Based on your situation analysis, describe how the market for your product/service can be segmented.
What segmentation strategy do you plan to use? Which segments will be targeted and why? How will you
position your product/service in the segments you have chosen?

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 3

Your assignment at this stage of the project is to determine how you will organize your company for
advertising and promotion. You must develop an internal organization chart and specify whether you are
going to use a centralized or decentralized system and whether you will use an in-house agency or hire an
outside agency. If you decide to hire an outside agency you should specify what type of criteria you will
use for selecting an agency. Do you plan on using a full service agency or a creative boutique? What type
of agency compensation system do you plan to use and why? How will you evaluate the performance of

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the agency? Attention should also be given as to whether you will be using any specialized marketing
communication services such as direct-response agencies, sales promotion agencies and public relations
firms. Would you prefer to use a large agency that has all of these integrated services capabilities.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 4

Describe the consumer decision process for your product/service. Explain what factors would motivate
this purchase, the search process, what attributes might be important at the alternative evaluation stage,
the degree of problem solving, etc. What external factors might influence consumers’ decision making
process for this product or service such as culture, subculture, social class and reference group. What are
the implications of your consumer behavior analysis for the development of your IMC plan?

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 5

Use the information from this chapter to analyze how consumers in the target audience for your product
or service will respond to various elements of your IMC program such as advertising, sales promotion,
direct marketing or your web site. How would you classify the product or service you chose with respect
to the classification used by the Foote, Cone & Belding planning model presented in Figure 5-8? What
are the implications of this classification for planning your advertising and promotional program for this
brand? Which of the response hierarchy models discussed in the chapter is most applicable for this
product or service? Specify the various stages in the response process through which consumers will have
to pass before purchasing your product or service.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 6

Use the persuasion matrix shown in Figure 6-1 of the text as a framework for analyzing basic
communication decisions for your IMC plan. Discuss some of the options you are considering for the
three major communications variables of source, message, and channel or medium. Who will be the
source or communicator for your advertising campaign and what is the rationale for this choice? What
type of message are you considering using for your campaign? Will any of the message structures or
types of appeals discussed in the chapter be relevant to your campaign? Analyze the various channels that
might be used to communicate with your target audience. You should analyze the various source,
message and channels factors with respect to how they will impact the stages of the response hierarchy
consumers will move through as they learn about your product and hopefully purchase it.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 7

Specify the objectives for your IMC program. Describe how your objectives have evolved from the
marketing and promotional situation analysis you conducted for your product or service. Explain whether
you are using sales or communication objectives and the rationale for your choice. Do your objectives
satisfy the criteria specified by the DAGMAR model. Which promotional mix element will be used as the
source of the “big idea” around which your IMC program will be developed? Why have you chosen to
lead with this marketing communication tool? How will other promotional mix tools be used to help you
achieve your IMC objectives?

Establish an IMC budget. Explain the basis for this budget amount. Having established the budget, it is
now necessary to start thinking about the allocation decisions to follow (though this will become more
clear after the subsequent IMC mix chapters are discussed.)

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 8

You should be ready to begin developing the advertising component of the IMC plan for your product or
service. Develop a copy platform that contains the basic creative strategy for your advertising campaign.
You can use the copy platform outline shown in Exhibit 10-8 as a guideline. What is the advertising

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campaign theme you have chosen for your product or service? Are you using any of the approaches
discussed in the chapter such as unique selling proposition, brand image, inherent drama or positioning as
the basis for your major selling idea?

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 9

In the previous assignment you were asked to develop a creative platform that specified your campaign
theme and major selling idea. Your assignment for this chapter is to specify the advertising appeal and
execution style that will be used to implement your ad campaign. Specify whether you plan on using a
rational or emotional appeal or a combination of the two. What specific type of advertising execution
technique will be used to present your appeal? Provide some rationale for the creative appeal and
execution approach you plan to use. What specific tactical elements will be important in developing your
print and broadcast messages? Will your creative approach satisfy the guidelines discussed at the end of
Chapter 9?

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 10

At this stage, present the specific media objectives. Include a profile of the target audience(s) from
Simmons and/or MRI as well as their media usage profiles. Without specifically naming media (this will
be done in following chapters) develop a broad media schedule. Also explain what creative aspects and
mood must be taken into consideration.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 11

Analyze the role of television and radio in the media plan for your product or service. Your analysis
should focus on how TV and/or radio can be used to reach the target audience and help achieve your
media objectives. What are the advantages of using TV and/or radio? What percentage of your media
budget will be devoted to broadcast media? Do you plan on using both network and cable programs as
part of your TV media schedule? What specific network and cable programs will be use in your media
schedule and why? Discuss how radio might be used as part of your media plan.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 12

Analyze the role of magazines and newspapers in the media plan for your product or service. Your
analysis should focus on how magazines and newspapers can be used to reach the target audience and
help achieve your media objectives. What percentage of your media budget will be devoted to magazines
and newspapers? What class of magazines and specific publications do you plan to use and why? If you
plan to use newspaper advertising what are some of the factors you need to consider in making effective
use of this medium? You should consult a source such as Standard Rate and Data Service to get rate
information on the magazines or newspaper you plan to use. You might also consider contacting some of
the publishers to request media kits on their magazines.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 13

Include a variety of support media in your media plan. The absolute and relative costs of these should be
shown and a rationale for their inclusion should be provided.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 14

Explain whether the product could be marketed through direct response media. If not explain why not. If
so, include in the plan the direct media to be used, the cost, budget allocation for their inclusion should be
provided.

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IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 15
Develop the Internet strategy. Describe what the website will look like (or design one), and which
advertising and promotions forms will be employed. Will the site include e-commerce and public
relations sections?.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 16

Discuss how you will use sales promotion as part of the integrated marketing communications plan for
your product or service. You should specify the consumer and trade-oriented sales promotion objectives
for your product or service and discuss how specific sales promotion tools discussed in the chapter may
be used as part of your integrated marketing communications program. You should also discuss how you
will coordinate sales promotion with your advertising campaign giving attention to areas such budgeting,
ad and promotional theme coordination, and media support and timing.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 17

Develop a public relations plan as part of the overall program. Describe what the objectives of this
program are, how the program will be implemented and how it will be evaluated for effectiveness.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 18

Describe the role that personal selling will play in the IMC plan. Explain which of the other elements of
the promotional mix will be used to support salespersons’ efforts. Describe in detail what these tools will
be.

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 19

In your plan you identified a variety of promotional tools which might be employed. Explain which
measures of effectiveness would be employed. Report whether they would be used at the pretest or
posttest phase, and whether they would employ lab or field methodologies.
IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 20
Analyze the potential for your product or service in international markets giving attention to the various
forces in the international environment and how they would apply. If you feel that your product or service
can be marketed internationally, develop a plan for doing so. Will you use a global advertising campaign
or a localized approach. You should address the various decision areas for international advertising
including organization, agency selection, creative strategy, and media selection. How might other
promotional mix elements such as sales promotion, personal selling and public relations be used in
marketing your product or service in foreign markets?

IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 21

Evaluate the IMC plan you have developed for your product or service from a legal and regulatory
perspective. Prepare a memo that will address any concerns your firm’s legal department might have over
the campaign. Do you feel your integrated marketing communications plan will meet self-regulatory
guidelines of the industry and/or media? Could any of the advertising claims you are making for your
product or service be challenged by a competitor or by a governmental agency? Are there any specific
regulatory issues that might affect other areas of your promotional program such as sales promotion,
direct marketing and the way you plan to use the Internet? If there are any potential problems, indicate
how you will address them.

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IMC Project Assignment for Chapter 22
By now you should have developed a completed integrated marketing communications plan for the
product or service you chose to promote. The final part of your project requires that you evaluate your
IMC plan from a social and ethical perspective. Do you feel you can defend your advertising and
promotional plan from a social and ethical perspective. Are there any potential negative social
consequences of your advertising and promotional plan? Could any particular group find your advertising
offensive or in poor taste?