Integrated Marketing Communication Essay: A Study On Ford Motors.

Selection of the Topic and Case Scenario

Discuss about the Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign.

The experience I have gathered during the IMC campaign provided me an insightful knowledge regarding the integrated market communication. When we conduct any particular study, it is necessary for us to receive the relevant information regarding the underlying concept (Higgins, 2011). However, I can contemplate that the period during conducting such study makes me find my self-potentiality and self-conscience. During this IMC campaign, the first task for me was to find a relevant topic on the mentioned subject matter. I preferred the topic Integrated Marketing Communication. This Integrated Marketing Communication is a procedure that is focusing on diversified communicational process and messages that are interlinked. I had to concentrate on the entire promotional tools and in-depth analysis of the concept (Hickson, 2011). After selecting the topic, it was my responsibility to select the proper case scenario where this integrated communication process has been undertaken. However, it was quite essential for me to undertake the justified methodology that can be fruitful enough to describe the conceptual process.

The study was classified into two major sections, such as documentation and presentation. However, in order to conduct the proper research on the underlying issues, I have gone through many researches related to the subject matter. I have noticed that in order to conduct the entire research study, I needed to gather the fruitful information as much as possible. Therefore, I selected Ford Motors and started collecting the information about the communication process associated with the internal and external scenario of the company.  However during such campaign I learnt about the missions and values of the company by gathering relevant information about the company background. It is noticed that the slogan of the company is Bold Move. At the initial stage I started collecting more information about the company from their official websites. I came across the fact that the company has been dealing with almost 927,531 employees and has been earning almost $2 billion per year. However, during this research process, I have used the updated journal articles, which contained the information regarding the management communication process undertaken in Ford.

However, while developing an IMC campaign, I have experienced several sequential procedures. At the first stage, I have found that the company has focused on the target customers at the initial stage.  I have learnt that while undertaking the proper integrated communication process, it is essential to understand the target audience or customers. The recognition of their needs and demands helps the business design for communicating with the internal and the external stakeholders. The demographic feature of the customers was much preferable for structuring the promotional activities of the product or services. It was quite promising journey for me. I could gather knowledge about the business promotional services. It was quite interesting for me to associate myself with a business process, which can be helpful enough for my future. I could learn about the different communication processes that are useful for the business activities. In fact, it was quite challenging for me to derive the ideas about the different communication procedure that can attract more customers towards the offered products or services.

Sequential Procedures in Developing an IMC Campaign

While conducting the IMC campaign, I came across several conceptual and insightful ideas about integrated market communication. The gathered information from the secondary sources are providing the in-depth analysis of the integrated communication process. Reviewing the first article, I came across the fact that the proper packaging system can create the impact on customers’ mind. It is to be indicated that the business companies ensure the value added service through the proper packaging system. I have learnt that the role of distribution has to be remarkable enough to travel the product safety. In fact, I have also observed that the companies try to identify the basic needs and preferences at the initial stages. Accordingly, these companies design the products to attract more customers and participate in the competitive scenario. However, the article points out that in order to make the packaging systems become more expensive. The material costs, machinery costs, and other implementation costs are involved during such effective packaging systems. Therefore, it is important to prepare the budget at the initial stage. During such research process, I have thus learnt to prepare a budget with proper planning of integrated marketing communication system. I have noted that the structured planning is essential for each of the business process. In this article, it has been mentioned that one of the US manufacturing companies spent almost $17 billion for the advertising campaigns.

I have also observed that the evaluation of the packaging system involves several factors, such as visible, emotionally appealing, informative, and workable. While purchasing any product or customers, people expect these specific features more specifically. As per my recognition, I can infer that by the term visibility, the customers generally refers how frequent the products or services are available. In case of Ford Motors, it can be specified that the company has acquired many other car companies like Jaguar and Mazda. Therefore, the customers of these cars would specifically look for the similar feature and the frequent availability. The measurement of such visibility is generally perceptual and it also shows several differences. The attitudes towards accepting the package is needed to be noticed to determine the next step of the promotional activities (Twedt, 1968).

The next criterion is information, which provides the knowledge and features of the products or service. I have found that many of the companies add more exaggerated contents in the propaganda of the promotional activities. However, it is a general strategy of the business companies to attract more customers towards the offered products or services. Nonetheless, the customers prefer to derive more knowledge about the products and compare them with the other similar products available in the market. The third aspect is emotional appeals, which involves texture, colour, illustrations, packaging materials, shape, and typology (Twedt, 1968). While conducting such campaigns, I have noticed that customers usually get attracted towards the products by judging such emotionally appealing features. Mostly, Ford Motors have been paying the attention towards the colour and structures to provide the customers well-designed cars and other automobile services.

Reflections on the Articles

On the other hand, it is important for me to mention about the workability of the products and services that the customers will purchase. I have found that in this current time, the modern packages are based on the product containers. However, while purchasing any products or services, customers examine whether the product is workable or not. Therefore, it is much necessary to provide the high quality products in order to retain their customers. By observing all such criteria, it can be inferred that it is useful enough to identify the most preferable factor that can attract more customers. In concerning the IMC campaign undertaken by Ford Motors, information and visibility would be much preferable. If the customers would receive the frequent access to the products or services, it would generate the sense of reliability towards the brand. In concluding the conceptual ideas about this particular article, it will be justified to mention that the packaging strategy is one of the most convenient processes of advertising. Thus, packaging is signified as the biggest of all other advertisement media. Hence, the company requires concentrating on the effective packaging process to generate the customers’ attention.

During this campaign, I have gathered the knowledge about the integrated marketing communication process by reviewing several articles. The second article specifies the contradiction between sales and marketing process. During such period, I have come across a diversified ways of conducting the business and enhance productivity. The collaboration between sales and marketing process has thus become much prominent in several companies. By keeping pace with the upgraded business scenario, the companies started to realise that the company should not waste time in consulting with other co-workers before designing any products (Kotler, Rackham & Krishnaswamy, 2006). Especially, in the manufacturing industries, such realisation has become much prominent. In such time, they feel that the companies should undertake the fruitful strategy that can save such times and money and attract the customers simultaneously. During the sales promotions, it has been noticed that the companies require more sales persons to sale the products to the customers (Kotler, Rackham & Krishnaswamy, 2006). However, the innovative marketing procedures have been focusing on implementing different advertisement strategies that will automatically attract more customers towards acquiring the products and services offered by the company.

I have noticed in this article that many smaller companies do not follow the proper structure of the marketing parameters. In such times, these companies require the skilled marketing persons who can guide well and conduct the business in a structured way. The article shows the different roles of marketing that are usually foreseen in the business functionalities (Kotler, Rackham & Krishnaswamy, 2006). The companies select the most suitable marketing strategies that are justified for the product features. When the companies grow larger, the existing executives try to use the innovative practices to make the most use of the marketing functions. The companies concentrate on the 4P’s of marketing, which signifies people, place, product, and promotions. These factors are essentially needed to be realised in order to derive supports from the customers. Therefore, it is also necessary to recognise the basic needs and demands of the customers. The establishment of the transparent communication would thus be helpful enough in identifying their needs. Reviewing this article, I could also learn about the effectiveness of establishing the interpersonal relationship with the customers. The article identifies the different types of the relationships that can be fruitful for the business purposes.

Overall, the campaign was quite memorable for me. This journey did not only strengthen my will power and interest, it even helped me in recognising my self-potentiality. Gathering the information about the subject matter along with the case scenario was quite difficult for me at the initial stage. However, the supports from my professors, supervisors and friends made this possible more effectively. I have recognised the challenges that the companies usually face while establishing the proper communication channel. I have also identified the different business functionalities that help in increasing the organisational productivity. It has been clear to me that the recognition of the needs of the customers is the prime responsibility of each company. When the companies will be able to satisfy the expectations of the customers, it will reflect on the business growth. The self potentiality is essential for conducting any business research.

The research has been helpful for my future career as well. When I came across several learning related to the integrated marketing communications, I have found the hazards and challenges that are quite frequent. The companies face the hazardous situations in communicating about the different needs of diversified customers. I have also learnt that the establishment of the interpersonal relationship would be much beneficial in such times. When the customers feel the sense of reliability towards the brand, it would create the impact on their minds. Therefore, even when the company launches any new products, the supports form the loyal customers would help in achieving growth. Preferably, the customers seek for extra benefits and the unique approaches that can draw their attention. The comparison between the various ranges of products is always present. Therefore, it is necessary to undertake more innovative approaches or the unique advertisement strategies that will be appreciable enough to gather customers’ responses. However, overall, I can state that the journey of conducting such business research has been much promising for me. It helped me in overcoming the challenges that I may also face in my later professional life (Hedberg, 2009). I shall now illustrate the business scenario in a prominent manner to create a structured plan on integrated marketing communication. The conceptual ideas about such subject matter have helped me in taking the appropriate decision for the business.

References

Hedberg, P. R. (2009). Learning through reflective classroom practice applications to educate the reflective manager. Journal of Management Education, 33(1), 1036.

Hickson, H. (2011). Critical reflection: Reflecting on learning to be reflective. Reflective Practice, 12(6),  829-839.

Higgins, D. (2011). Why reflect? Recognising the link between learning and reflection. Reflective Practice, 12(5), 583-584.

Kotler, P., Rackham, N., & Krishnaswamy, S. (2006). Ending the war between sales and marketing. Harvard Business Review, 84(7/8), 68.

Twedt, D. W. (1968). How much value can be added through packaging?. Journal of Marketing, 32(1), 58-61.