UNIT 5

Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the application of consistent brand messaging
across both traditional and non-traditional marketing channels and using different
promotional methods to reinforce each other.

Integrated marketing communication refers to integrating all the methods of brand promotion
to promote a particular product or service among target customers. In integrated marketing
communication, all aspects of marketing communication work together for increased sales
and maximum cost effectiveness
Chronology of events by Vodafone :
• 1992 Entered India with Max Group
• 2000 Acquired Essar
• 2001 Introduced Orange Hi Campaign
• 2003 Introduced Pug “Cheeka”
• 2005 Turned “Pink”
• 2007 Acquired by Vodafone Re-branding
• 2009 Introduced Zoozoos
• 2011 Vodafone 3G campaign
• 2013 Vodafone Delights Campaign
In 2003 introduced ‘Cheeka’ the Vodafone pug with a campaign

2005 Turned “Pink”

2007 Acquired by Vodafone Re-branding

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2009 Introduced Zoozoos

Zoozoos

VODAFONE DELIGHTS emotional response associated with receiving special gifts.

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‘CLEAN UP DRIVE’

REBRANDING IN 2005
SPONSORING EVENTS LIKE YATCH RACING AND OTHER SPORTS EVENTS

Vodafone kick-started ‘Happy to Help’, in Kerala, to help bring relief to commuters during
heavy rains

Painted walls & POP displays

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Marketing Logistics is defined as a process involving the planning, execution, and control
of the movement of goods, services, and information from their origin (manufacturers) to
the point of consumption (consumers). It encompasses a series of interconnected activities
that streamline processes like storage, transportation, inventory management, and
information flow. The primary goal is to ensure that the right products reach the customers
at the right time. Marketing Logistics is also referred to as Distribution Logistics. The goal
is to ensure that customers receive their desired products in a manner while also saving
costs for the company.

Role of Integrated Marketing Communication :

1. Constant Brand Communication: IMC makes ensuring that a single brand message is
communicated over all channels of communication, supporting the maintenance of the
brand's identity and core values at different touchpoints.
2. Improved Consumer Participation: IMC helps businesses engage consumers more
successfully by combining marketing initiatives, which builds stronger bonds and
relationships.
3. Efficient Resource Allocation: By coordinating marketing initiatives, reducing effort
duplication, and optimizing the impact of each campaign, IMC makes it possible to allocate
resources efficiently.
4. Better ROI: IMC may increase marketing campaigns' efficacy and therefore their return
on investment and overall cost-efficiency by aligning marketing channels in a synergistic
way.
5. Enhanced Brand Loyalty: IMC's consistent and well-coordinated communication
fosters consumer trust and loyalty, which promotes advocacy and repeat business.
6. Flexibility in Changing Markets: By incorporating real-time data and insights into
communication plans, integrated marketing communications (IMC) helps businesses to
adjust to changing customer preferences and market trends.
7. Competitive Advantage: Organizations that successfully integrate IMC stand out from
the competition by offering a smooth and engaging brand experience that appeals to
customers.
Components of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
1. Advertising: Advertising is the paid marketing of goods, services, or brand messaging
across a range of media, including print, radio, television, internet platforms, and outdoor
billboards. Strategic design is used in advertisements to draw in viewers, raise awareness,
and sway their opinions.
2. Public Relations (PR): Its main goals are to manage and shape the public's opinion of a
brand through effective relationship-building and communication strategies. To improve a
brand's credibility and reputation, this includes influencer relationships, events,
sponsorships, press releases, and media relations.
3. Direct Marketing: Using media like email, direct mail, telemarketing, and SMS, direct
marketing is communicating directly with specific customers or target populations. With
this individualized strategy, marketers may reach out to customers directly with customized
offers, promotions, or messaging, encouraging a more prompt and personalized reaction.
4. Sales Promotion: Using transient incentives like discounts, coupons, competitions,
samples, or loyalty programs, sales promotion strategies aim to boost sales right away or
foster customer involvement. These promotions are frequently utilized to draw in new
clients or boost revenues during particular times.
5. Virtual Marketing: Virtual/Digital marketing reaches and interacts with customers
through online platforms and channels including social media, websites, mobile

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applications, and search engines. This include techniques to improve brand awareness,
create leads, and drive traffic online, including as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social
media marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO).
6. Content Advertising: To draw in and hold on to a well-defined audience, content
marketers create and disseminate valuable, pertinent, and consistent information. This
material is intended to inform, entertain, or inspire customers while discreetly advertising
the business. It can come in a variety of formats, including articles, blogs, videos,
infographics, and podcasts.
7. Social Media Marketing : Social media marketing is connecting and interacting with
customers via the use of social media platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram,
Facebook, and Twitter. Social media is a tool that brands utilize to distribute content,
engage with followers, create communities, and show off their personalities and beliefs in
order to humanize their business.
8. Partnerships and Sponsorships: In order to broaden their audience, increase brand
awareness, and establish their reputation, brands frequently work with other brands,
companies, or individuals through partnerships and sponsorships. This might be
contributing to co-branded campaigns, supporting events as a sponsor, or teaming up with
influencers to promote goods or services.
9. Internal Communication: Internal communication makes sure that messages are
consistent and aligned at all organizational levels, including with employees. Workers are
vital in fulfilling the brand promise to consumers and are frequently seen as brand
ambassadors. To keep staff members informed and involved, internal communication
initiatives could include town hall meetings, newsletters, intranet updates, and employee
training.
10. Combined Digital Tools and Technologies: Brands frequently use a variety of digital
tools and technologies to improve marketing efforts across many channels, measure
performance metrics, and simplify communication procedures in order to successfully
implement IMC strategies. To manage and assess the success of marketing efforts, this may
involve the use of social media management tools, analytics software, marketing
automation platforms, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

IMC process models

 The IMC Planning Model: This model outlines the six key steps in developing an
IMC plan, including situation analysis, objectives, strategy, tactics, budget, and
evaluation.
 The Brand Touchpoint Wheel: This model outlines the various touchpoints where a
brand interacts with customers, including advertising, PR, social media, events, and
more. It emphasizes the importance of consistency across all touchpoints to create a
strong brand image.
 The Customer Journey Model: This model maps the customer's journey from
awareness to purchase and beyond, identifying key touchpoints where marketing
communications can be most effective.

To plan an integrated marketing communication (IMC) campaign, follow these steps:

1. Define your target audience: Identify the specific group of people you want to reach
with your campaign.
2. Set campaign objectives: Determine what you want to achieve with your campaign,
such as increasing brand awareness or driving sales.

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 3. Develop a message: Create a clear, consistent message that will be communicated
through all of your marketing channels.
4. Choose marketing channels: Select the channels that will be most effective in
reaching your target audiences, such as social media, email marketing, or events.
5. Create a schedule: Plan when and how often each message will be communicated
through each channel.
6. Allocate budget: Determine how much money you will spend on each channel and
overall campaign.
7. Monitor and Measure: Regularly measure the effectiveness of your campaign by
monitoring key performance indicators such as website traffic, engagement, and
conversion rate.
8. Adjust and Optimize: Based on the measurements, adjust and optimize your campaign
for better results.
It's important to remember that IMC is an ongoing process, so you should always be looking
for ways to improve and optimize your campaign.
The Brand Touchpoint Wheel

The Brand Touchpoint Wheel is a framework to view a snapshot of what all points exist
where the customer/consumer will come in contact with the brand, and be in a position to
create an impression of the brand. For any brand manager, it is important to know what all
possible touchpoints are around, (be it the ones he intentionally created or the unintentional
ones), so that he can map his response to as many situations as possible.

The representation below is of the Brand Touchpoint Wheel covering the life span of brand
interaction with the consumer:
As you can see, the three different segments in the life cycle: pre-purchase, purchase and
post-purchase behavior are being talked about in this layout:
Pre-Purchase Experience:
It could be said that pre-purchase touchpoints are largely in control of the brand manager,
because these are all the marketing and sales promotions campaign that the organization runs,
and the brand manager can toothcomb through them, to deliver the best possible initial
impact of the brand with the customer. All kinds of marketing campaigns, through all
channels, from mass media like TV to direct mailers, come under this category. The PR of
the firm, its public statements, publicly available information, websites etc also are included
under Pre-Purchase.

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Purchase Experience:
The second segment is when the customer gets to the shop to buy the product, be it a kirana
store or a supermarket. The kind of visibility that a brand enjoys in a store, where its different
SKUs are placed, how easily they can be found, whether there are Point-of-Purchase banners
or standees around etc., help improving the purchase experience of the shopper. P&G’s A.G.
Lafley talked about the purchase phase as the FMOT – First Moment of Truth, because this is
the first time the offering is being evaluated by the customer. The retailers and distributors
also play roles in improving the FMOT, because they are the ones who help with the
arrangement of products on shelves for maximum visibility.
Post-Purchase Experience:
And the last section of the wheel refers to the Second Moment of Truth (SMOT), when the
consumer uses the product. The consumer has specific needs to be fulfilled and usually likes
it when the product exceeds expectations. Whether the product can match the already inflated
expectations is what defines the result of the post-purchase experience. It answers the most
important question for a company – will the product be purchased again?
Consumer feedbacks, Service requests, Response time to complaints etc also comprise the
post-purchase section. Usually, the higher-involvement a product is, the longer it is in the
post-purchase period before the repurchase decision is made.
The Brand Touchpoint Wheel, hence summarizes all the points of interaction where a
customer can be intentionally/unintentionally influenced. It aids strategists to plan in advance
for the same.

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What is Advertising Channel?
Advertising channel is a medium used by a company to advertise their products and inform
the customers about some promotion. The number of advertising channels has grown many
folds with the advent of internet technology to embellish traditional media advertising. As a
result, television, radio, and print advertising are now used in connection with technology-
based advertising like e-mails and websites, blogs etc. Marketers choose their advertising
channel depending on the budgets they have at their disposal and on which will provide the
most effective and efficient adverting for their company.

Social Media and Mobile is gaining wide acceptance now these days with lots of
advertisements published through this medium. Other common examples of such channels
are Websites, Direct Mail, Emails, Radio, TV and print ads.

Sales Promotion

Meaning and Definitions

Robert C. and Scott A. has define the term sales promotion as ― Sales promotion consists of
a diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short term, designed to stimulate quicker and/or
greater purchase of particular products / services by consumers or trade.

Philip Kotler has define the sales promotion as ― Those marketing activities other than
personnel selling, advertising, and publicity that stimulate consumer purchasing and dealer
effectiveness, such as display, shows, demonstrations, expositions, and various other non-
current selling efforts, not in ordinary routine.

It is the part of marketing communication. Sales promotion can help to introduce new product
in market. Through the sales promotion product and their firm can attract customers, keep
consumer satisfied, increase sales during off season, increase in advertisement, and also can
face competition. It can offer to consumers to encourage them to buy goods and services.
Some examples of popular sales promotions activities which include :

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o Discount Coupon,
o Free Gifts,
o Buy-one-get –one-free
o Merchandising,
o Vouchers and Coupon,
o Seasonal Discount,
o Exchange Offer
o After sales Service
o Gifts on Special occasion
o Free Sample
o Guarantee and Warrantee
o Free Demonstration
o Credit Facilities

What is Event Marketing?

Event marketing is a marketing technique that advertises a brand, service or product through
the facilitation of events or experiences. These events may take place in-person or virtually
and offer a much more engaging way for potential customers to interact with a brand and its
representatives.
As well as being a marketing technique itself, event marketing is also a term that is used to
describe the way that an event is marketed to attract attendees and promote the experience.

Why is Event Marketing Important?

Event marketing is a very important marketing approach for many organisations because it
allows them to speak and interact with potential customers directly, which increases the
likelihood of conversion. Events are also a great way to stand out from competitors and
generate press coverage which can increase brand awareness and improve brand reputation.
At a time when so many things are accessible instantly and anywhere, event marketing is
making a comeback as customers seek the novelty of an in-person (or virtual) event that
offers a unique experience unavailable anywhere else. Brands need to consider offering
events as a marketing strategy to capitalise on this interest and also to create opportunities for
networking and potential business partnerships, as well as increased sales.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Willem Stanton: ―Public relation activities typically are designed to build or maintain a
favourable image for an organization and a favourable relationship with the organization‘s
various public‘s. These publics may be customers, stockholders, employee, unions,
environmentalist, the government, and people in local community, or some others groups in
society‘.

Philip kilter: ―A public is any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on a
company‘s ability to achieve its objects. Public relation (generally written as PR) involves a
variety of programmes designed to promote and /or protect a company‘s image or its
individual product.
FEATURES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
 Public relation is a continuous process. If the companies product is already create its
brand image and reputation in the market then company can maintain the existing image.
 Companies’ public relation can build or improve its corporate image. Mass media has
plying important role to promote product and its firm.

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 Good maintained public relation can removing misunderstanding and or bad impression.
 Public relation activities can generate positive attitude of people toward the company and
its product.
 Varies formal and informal groups are involve in public relation which include
employees, customers, suppliers and middlemen, mass media, government, service
agencies, shareholders. Good relations with these groups are extent maximum possible
cooperation and contribution for the success of the business and also assist during bad
time.
 The public relation is useful for society. It has social significance. It has more social
significance compare to means of marketing communication.
 Public relation increase credit of the company. Many companies can provide assistance in
relief operations during earthquake, flood, draught to highlight its company name and
social contribution in mass media.

Businesses use a variety of methods to attract publicity. Following are the methods of public
relation.
Press Conferences:-The particular company may want to launch a new product, for their
publication they are inviting journalists to companies‘ presentation, where they are given
information related product. Sometimes company provides free products and services for
conference members to try out.
News Paper:- the favourable articles in news paper create an image of the business and its
product. The people take more interest in reading news stories as well as news paper stories
are attention getting and timely. Public relation officer need to maintain good relations with
journalist and with editors of news papers for getting more favourable coverage to the
company.
Events: - The events may include exhibitions, seminars, workshop, conferences, sports
sponsorships, competition and contest, medical camps, cultural sponsorships. For example:
the Pepsi, Sony, DLF, Sahara, kingfisher has sponsored the world cup. There kinds of events
are generating high degree of popularity against the public. Donation: - Collecting small
contribution from varies ways.
Sponsorship: - The sponsorship is popular in sports world. Which have some examples like
DLF is the sponsor to the T 20 cricket world cup. McDonald are sponsor to hockey world cup
etc.
Company visits:- companies like Cadbury India LTD, Baler, Parley-G and Jaguar cars have
allow members of public to visit there manufacturing and research plants as part of their
public relation activities .
Speeches:- speeches are mostly used for the public relation. The benefit of speeches is to
create a good impression on various groups of people. Basically speeches are related to
companies products its function , services , policies, which is presented by experts, general
managers, directors etc of the companies.
Publications: - the publications are also widely used for public relations. These publications
basically for the shareholders, customers, employees, traders, publics to create effective
image of the products in their mind. The publications includes articles, annual reports,
broachers, magazines, audio-visual materials, pamphlets, posters etc. in this way company
can provide information of its products related policies and services.

INTERNET MARKETING / ONLINE MARKETING

- INTERNET MARKETING

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Internet actually began in the early 1960s in USA, where the U. S. Department of Defence
Saw it as a means of Super Computer Communication for researchers and military facilities
across the country. Until its commercial explosion in 1990s, it remained relatively obscure
network of linked computers used by academics, military researchers, and scientists around
the world to send and received files, mails, and find or retrieve information from data base.
At present, internet, the fastest growing medium in history, offers incredible opportunities for
a wide range of the people in business. As internet explore information and interaction across
vast distances, business men in order to attain this gain, they gave birth to ― Computer
Networks. Computers in a network are linked in such a manner that data, in the form of
electronic bits, flow between them.

Types of internet marketing

There are different types of internet marketing with which marketer can give details and
market their products or services.
I. Web Banner
These are small rectangular graphic images which have call to action i.e. click here. These
banners are placed on the high traffic websites like Rediff. Com, Times of India.com etc, in
order to provides high opportunity Banners are linked to the advertisers home page in order
to transfer the surfer more information at the click of a mouse.
II. Sponsorship
In this case, an entire website is sponsored by an advertiser. These sites are normally service
based & get high traffic because of their utility value.
III. Pop-up windows
A pop-up window delivers the advertisement in a new window on top of the site content.
When you visit any homepage, a secondary window automatically pops up continuously
rotating advertisements of sponsors.
IV. Internet movies
Indian companies may take the job of making films for advertising on line. The companies
are spending very heavily for advertising on the internet. Recently, the mobile giant BMW
commissioned well-known film makers of Hollywood to show its vehicles and the film was
exhibited in India to a select few.
V. Online boom
Online shopping is emerging as latest form marketing in India. With a PC and mobile- user,
India has become one of the biggest markets for on-line products.
VI. Website sponsorship
In this case, an entire web-site is sponsored by an advertiser. These sites are generally
services based and get high traffic because of their utility value.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing (SMM) is the use of social media platforms to connect with your
audience to build your brand, increase sales, drive website traffic, and more. This involves
publishing high-quality content on your social media profiles, listening to and engaging your
followers, analyzing your results, and running social media advertisements. There are a host
of options when it comes to the best social channels for your social media marketing. There is
also a range of social media management tools that will help your business get the most out
of its social media presence. We’ll unpack all of these things in this guide.
The evolution of social media marketing and management

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In the early days of social media marketing, marketers treated the platforms available like
billboards — just another outlet for advertising. Businesses simply broadcast their message to
followers, hoping to drive traffic to their websites and, ultimately, sales.
But social media has become increasingly crowded, and simply showing up is no longer
enough. Now, standing out means more than just publishing — it requires creating value for
and meaningfully engaging with audiences.
There are a host of tools and tactics at your disposal to make this easy — and rewarding, too.
For example, a business concerned about what people say about its brand would monitor
social media conversations and respond to relevant mentions (social listening and
engagement).

A business that wants to understand how it’s performing on social media would analyze its
reach, engagement, and sales on social media with an analytics tool. A business that wants to
reach a specific audience at scale would run highly targeted social media ads.

All these areas make up modern social media management

What Is Telemarketing?
Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers over the
telephone, Internet, or fax. Telemarketing may either be carried out by telemarketers or
increasingly by automated telephone calls or "robocalls." Telemarketing is oftentimes part of
a company's marketing plan or campaign.

The intrusive nature of telemarketing, as well as reports of scams and fraud perpetrated over
the telephone, has spurred a growing backlash against this direct marketing practice.
Telemarketing may also be referred to as "telesales" or "inside sales."

What Is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile marketing is any advertising activity that promotes products and services via mobile
devices, such as tablets and smartphones. It makes use of features of modern mobile
technology, including location services, to tailor marketing campaigns based on an
individual's location.

How Mobile Marketing Works ?

Mobile marketing may include promotions sent through SMS text messaging, MMS
multimedia messaging, downloaded apps using push notifications, in-app or in-game
marketing, mobile websites, or using a mobile device to scan QR codes. Proximity systems
and location-based services can alert users based on geographic location or proximity to a
service provider. Mobile advertising targets audiences not so much by demographics but by
behaviors; for instance, mobile advertisers may target certain users of one app in hopes their
interest may translate to similar products or other applications.

One notable behavior in the mobile marketing space is "snacking," when mobile device users
check in to media or messaging for brief periods. Seeking instant gratification equates to
more points of contact for marketers.

In mobile marketing, the device makes a difference; users of smartphones and iPad tablets
may react differently to mobile marketing. For instance, consider how a higher resolution

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device with a larger screen may be more useful for high-end visual advertising compared to a
smaller device.

WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING

Word-of-mouth marketing is the conveyance of information about a company or product

from person to person, often naturally during a conversation rather than through official
promotional materials. If a company is implementing this strategy successfully, it means that
many people are talking about the business among themselves and encouraging each other to
support it. For example, a colleague may tell you about a nearby restaurant they enjoyed and
insist you visit it yourself.

Word of mouth can also refer to the reputation a company has built for itself. If a consumer
can look at authentic positive reviews of a new bed-and-breakfast, for example, they may be
more willing to try it. For another example, if users of a new smartwatch post images and
testimonials on social media, the followers of those users may be likely to buy that brand
when looking for a smartwatch of their own.

WHAT IS DIRECT MARKETING?

Direct marketing is a marketing technique that enables marketers to reach their target
audience without relying on intermediaries like retailers, wholesalers, or newspapers.

Direct marketing uses one-to-one communication to reach potential customers. It delivers

marketing messages in a personal and relevant way, often through emails, phone calls, or text
messages. Direct marketing aims to get the customer to buy, inquire about, or subscribe to a
product or service.

Direct marketing is an effective tool for businesses to reach their target audience promptly
and maintain brand awareness. It also allows companies to gather feedback from the market
about the effectiveness of their products and services.

Examples:

 Targeted direct mail campaigns: Companies send direct mailers to people who have
previously expressed interest in their product or service. The company ships them either
by post or by email, depending on the recipient's preference.
 Targeted digital advertising: Companies use targeted digital ads to reach specific
audiences with targeted messages about their product or service.
 Email marketing: Companies send emails that contain valuable information or discounts
for their products and services. Algorithms can tailor these emails to reach a specific
demographic or be part of the company's general email campaign.

What is Database Marketing?

Database Marketing is a type of direct marketing that uses customer information to make
personalized marketing messages for both existing and potential customers. It includes
gathering, arranging, and examining consumer data to better communicate with customers,

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personalize marketing efforts, opt for the ideal ways to send messages and suggest specific
products or services when they're most needed. The goal of database marketing is to move
away from general marketing strategies and towards more customized ones based on
individual customer details.

A methodical strategy for gathering, combining, and processing customer data is database
marketing. Database marketing, often known as customer relationship management, is a type
of direct marketing. The business gathers and stores data from both current and potential
clients in its database. Businesses can better understand and market to potential customers
thanks to the process of gathering this data, which could result in more potential sales.

Database marketing is a personalized marketing strategy that leverages a database of current

and potential customers to promote goods and services while achieving personalization
objectives. Database marketing, also known as customer relationship management, gathers
information on prospects in order to create customized messages that cater to their wants and
needs. The database includes a variety of information, including demographic information
and past purchases.

Marketers in database marketing use the information gathered for the following purposes:

 Get to know your customers better,

 Choosing the right markets for particular marketing campaigns (through customer
segmentation),

 Provide the customers with expert offers by comparing the value of the customer to
the company.

Marketers are able to learn more about potential clients because of this. Using this type of
data, one can quickly determine the most effective strategy for reaching various customers.
Database marketing is not just gathering client information. The ability to comprehend
consumer behavior is essential to database marketing. The solutions offered are tailored to the
consumer once marketers get a handle on consumer behavior. Tutorials, videos, and
specialized goods or services are examples of solutions.

Famous Examples of Database Marketing

Database marketing examples include e-commerce apps that utilize transaction history data to
more quickly and properly evaluate customer service calls or e-commerce apps that use
transaction data to predict when a client will place an order. There are apps that index grocery
delivery services.

But one can find actual instances of database marketing on LinkedIn, Amazon, and
Facebook.

Facebook
One of the best examples of database marketing is how Facebook segments user data.
Facebook divides user data into categories based on geography, first and last names, phone
numbers, email, date of birth, gender, and interests to provide a tailored experience.

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Additionally, marketers and advertisers who utilize Facebook to display their ads can benefit
greatly from this Facebook-specific database. Facebook currently has information on over 2
billion users, roughly. It fosters a connection of trust with the thought leader and increases his
affinity for your business. It can also be applied to upcoming marketing campaigns.

Amazon
Amazon gathers information about the user's searches, purchases, and wishlist items.
Amazon uses the collected data to try to promote new things to potential customers by
comparing this to what other users have purchased. A recommendation engine is developed
using this technique using consumer behavior.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn makes advantage of database marketing as well. A customer database of almost 660
million businesspeople can be found on LinkedIn.

Database marketing has advanced thanks to LinkedIn's use of databases in a number of

monetization tactics, such as LinkedIn Premium, Talent Solutions, Sales Navigator, and
LinkedIn Ads. The customer base of LinkedIn is used by marketers to perform B2B
marketing and advertising campaigns.

Personal selling is face-to-face selling where one person who is the salesman tries to
convince the customer to buy a product assigned by the company. It is a promotional activity
by which the salesperson uses his or her skills and abilities to persuade people to buy the
product thereby in an attempt to make a sale.

Here, the salesperson tries to highlight the features of the product to convince the customer
that the product will hold benefits in the long term. However, getting a customer to buy a
product is not always the motive behind personal selling, this personal selling is also done to
make the customers aware of new products in the market.

Personal Selling Examples

Personal selling is where businesses use the sales force to sell the product after meeting the
customer face-to-face.

The sellers advertise these products through their skills such as attitude, appearance, and
specialist product knowledge. The salesperson informs and encourages the customer to buy
or at least try the product.

A unique example of personal selling is found in the department stores on the perfume and
cosmetic counters. A customer can get advice on how to apply the product, its specialties and
can try different related products, these all are guided by the personal selling staff present
there. Products with high prices, and with complex features, are often sold using this type of
technique. Examples: Cars and many products that are sold by businesses to other industrial
customers.

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Importance of Personal Selling
The following points explain the importance of personal selling:

1. Two-Way Communication:

This is the best tool for personal selling. Salesmen can provide necessary information to
customers about the company's offer, and also can collect feedback from customers. He can
ask if there are any queries about the product to the salesman present for personal selling.

2. Personal Attention:

Advertising and publicity are among mass communication tools, and thus personal selling is
concentrated and is focused on one individual, this will result in ineffective results.

3. Detail Demonstration:

Television demonstrations are limited; thus, salesmen can provide a detailed demonstration
and can supervise the customer through personal selling.

4. Complementary to other Promotional Tools:

Personal selling supports advertising, sales promotion, and publicity. Personal Selling even
removes the drawbacks of advertising and its sales promotion.

5. Immediate Feedback:

This is the only market promotion technique that provides immediate feedback from the
customers.

What is Catalog Marketing?

Catalogue or Catalog Marketing is form of direct marketing where the seller prepares
catalogs of merchandise or products and sells directly to the customer. The catalogs are
generally in printed form but can also be distributed through online and digital channels like
websites, kiosks or messages. To avoid printing and distribution costs, the catalogs are being
increasingly made available online. Products from various companies or vendors may be
combined into a single catalogue to provide a one shop point for customer looking out for a
particular type of product.

Importance of Catalogue Marketing :

1. Reach
Catalogs are sent to a specific target audience. The sender decides on the demographic
information and recipient list and sends seasonal catalogs accordingly. This helps the
company reach out to specific people who may be interested in the products it is selling.

2. Cost
Catalog marketing is a very cost-effective method of marketing. The cost of designing and
printing the catalog is low and does not require a huge investment.

3. Flexibility

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Catalogs can promote different products and services according to the company’s needs.
Companies can also customize product pages in their catalogs according to the target
audience’s needs.

4. Follow-up
Catalog marketers can follow up with their customers through phone calls, emails, or other
methods of communication. This helps build better relationships and encourages customers to
buy from the company.

WHAT IS TELEMARKETING?
Telemarketing is the direct marketing of goods or services to potential customers over the
telephone, Internet, or fax. Telemarketing may either be carried out by telemarketers or
increasingly by automated telephone calls or "robocalls." Telemarketing is oftentimes part of
a company's marketing plan or campaign.

The intrusive nature of telemarketing, as well as reports of scams and fraud perpetrated over
the telephone, has spurred a growing backlash against this direct marketing practice.
Telemarketing may also be referred to as "telesales" or "inside sales."

ADVANTAGES OF TELEMARKETING
Compared to email marketing, telemarketing is a more personal approach that can facilitate
the connection between the seller and the prospect. This can be especially beneficial for
businesses that sell high-value products or services.
1. Telemarketing allows businesses to reach many potential customers in a short time. This
can be a valuable way to generate leads and sales.
2. Telemarketing can be a relatively low-cost way to market a business. This is especially
true when compared to other marketing channels.
3. It can be used to help clean up and update customer databases. This can be helpful for
businesses that want to ensure they are only marketing to customers interested in their
products or services.
4. Adapt your product or service exactly to the potential customer's needs.
5. This can help your business build relationships and encourage repeat business.

What is Sales Force Management?

Sales Force Management is a comprehensive strategy dealing with management and control
of an organization's sales force to achieve the organizational objectives as well as revenue
increase. Recruit, train, and develop sales representatives; set performance targets; track
progress-sustain ongoing support and motivation-craft strategies for improvement in sales
performance-use data and analytics to hone tactics. Managers who align the efforts of the
sales force with the objectives of the company enhance efficiency, optimize sales processes,
and forge strong relationships with customers. Overall, effective management of the sales
force leads to increased sales volume, profitability, and business success.

Objectives of Sales management

1. Set realistic tactics for sales.

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 People typically want to achieve their best every day, but the reality is that we all have
good and bad days at work. When setting sales targets for your team, ensure you include
an element of flexibility. Realistic targets should be achievable but challenging.

2. Find and choose your team.

Once you have set realistic team goals, find the right people for your team. You must find
motivated and enthusiastic people who like and appreciate your products or services. If
you can find people who are genuinely interested in what they’re selling, this will make
your job much easier. Good salespeople are resilient, empathic, enthusiastic, confident,
and adaptable. A competency-based recruitment framework can increase the effectiveness
of your recruitment process.

3. Educate your salespeople.

Sales training has to be a consistent part of your strategy. If you’re unsure what to train
your team on, look back at the last six months of sales reports and identify trends in
customer buying behaviour and objections. Analyse the behaviours and performance of
individual salespeople and the team. Complete a skills gap analysis. Use this information
to create new sales training to plug competency gaps, overcome customer objections,
model effective behaviours, and close more deals.

4. Reward good performance.

Rewarding your sales team for achieving their goals is a highly effective way to motivate
them. If they know you’ll compensate them for results, they’ll be more motivated to do
what it takes to get them. You must understand what motivates your team members and
build fair, equitable, and compelling sales incentives. Alternatively, you could ask them
to pick their rewards.

5. Measure progress on all key metrics.

To measure progress, ensure you track all key metrics related to your team’s
performance. This includes quota attainment, average deal size, close rates, average call
times, and pipeline velocity. This data informs you where your salespeople need more
coaching or other resources to help them succeed.

Sales force Management – Strategic Planning and Goal Setting

Strategic planning and goal setting represent some of the most significant functions
of Sales Force Management. By doing this, certain sales strategies would be
correlated with or presented to the overall objects of the firm. This may be achieved
through a definite and measurable sales target set up, an action plan as well as
implementing resources towards one common objective. Strategic planning ensures
sales teams work towards realizing business goals and adjusting sales efforts to
market changes. By having clear goals, a company may realize sustained growth by
setting up with a strategic approach.

Sales force Management – Compensation

Compensation is a key element that involves structuring and managing the financial
rewards for sales representatives based on their performance. This includes
developing competitive salary packages, commission structures, and bonus
incentives to align with sales targets and organizational goals. Effective
compensation plans help in attracting and retaining top talent, as well as driving

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performance by linking rewards with results. A well-designed compensation strategy
ensures that sales representatives are adequately rewarded for their contributions,
motivating them to achieve higher sales.

Sales force Management - Structure

Probably, one of the key functions in Sales Force Management is recruitment and
selection. This refers to identifying and selecting people who can best fit the
particular sales-force job. Processes involved in this include designing job descriptive
specifications, identifying potential candidates, interviewing, and assessing the
candidates with the organization's requirements and culture. The effective
recruitment of the sales force will make up people who will have qualities and skills
that are required to ensure success. This means that hiring the right talent,
companies can build the foundation necessary to achieve sales objectives.

What is Relationship Marketing?

Relationship marketing is a strategic marketing approach that prioritizes developing

long-lasting relationships with clients to encourage recurring business and nurture
consistent client loyalty. This approach exceeds transactional exchanges and focuses
on developing deep emotional connections with clients via channels like providing
exceptional client service, actively seeking and incorporating client feedback,
establishing loyalty programs, sponsoring events, and interacting with clients on
social media. Relationship marketing focuses on creating long-lasting connections
with customers, as opposed to transactional marketing, which is more concerned
with increasing individual sales. A higher client lifetime value, less money spent on
marketing and promotion, and the development of strong customer loyalty are some
benefits of relationship marketing.

Importance of Relationship Marketing

1. Increased Sales Volume: Effective relationship marketing fosters satisfaction and

leverages it for increased sales. By delivering an exceptional customer experience,
businesses create a conducive environment for upselling and cross-selling. Satisfied
customers are more receptive to exploring additional offerings, leading to a
substantial boost in overall sales volume. It capitalizes on existing customer
relationships and contributes to revenue growth through expanded transactions.

2. Cost-Effective Advertising: Investing in relationship marketing pays off by reducing

the necessity for constant and resource-intensive customer acquisition campaigns.
As satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal, the need for aggressive
marketing to attract new customers diminishes. This shift toward customer retention
significantly lowers advertising costs, permitting firms to allocate resources more
efficiently, whether toward improving products and services or exploring new market
opportunities.

3. Enhanced Profit Margins: Customer satisfaction becomes a powerful tool in

maintaining healthier profit margins. Satisfied customers are generally more
accepting of prices and are willing to pay a fair price for the quality they receive. It
minimizes the need for constant price negotiations and permits firms to command

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prices that reflect the value of their offerings, contributing to increased profitability
and financial sustainability.

4. Building Brand Image: A satisfied customer is a brand ambassador, positively

influencing their social circles. Word-of-mouth recommendations from contented
customers are invaluable in building a strong and positive brand image. This organic
promotion not only enhances credibility but also creates a virtuous cycle where
satisfied customers become advocates, further amplifying the brand's reach and
reputation.

5. Customer Retention Focus: Relationship marketing places a strategic emphasis on

customer retention as a key component of sustained success. Acquiring customers is
just the beginning; maintaining an ongoing relationship by consistently meeting their
needs and providing value ensures repeat business. This focus on customer
satisfaction and loyalty becomes a foundation for long-term success, as businesses
transition from transactional interactions to fostering enduring connections with their
clientele.

6. Competitive Advantage: Cultivating customer loyalty through relationship

marketing offers a distinct competitive advantage. A loyal customer base translates
into a steady revenue stream, as customers prefer the convenience and reliability of
a single source for their needs. This preference reduces the likelihood of customers
exploring alternatives and positions the business as a trusted and preferred choice,
creating a formidable barrier for competitors in the market.

Internal Marketing Definition

Internal marketing means promoting the company's objectives, culture, products, and services
to internal staff and stakeholders. For this reason, it is also called employee marketing.

Internal marketing promotes the company's objectives, culture, products, and services to its
employees and internal stakeholders.

Like external marketing, internal marketing is a way of "selling" your business, but instead of
selling to the general public, you are selling to your employees. The primary purpose of
internal marketing is to improve employee engagement and encourage brand advocacy.

Internal Marketing Definition

Internal marketing means promoting the company's objectives, culture, products, and services
to internal staff and stakeholders. For this reason, it is also called employee marketing.

Internal marketing is a strategic approach aiming to foster a company’s vision, mission, and
values within its workforce. It’s a process designed to align, motivate, and empower
employees, transforming them into active brand advocates.

This approach enhances organizational culture, employee satisfaction, and overall business
performance. In internal marketing, the company treats its employees as internal customers.
The company ensures its employee’s well-being. Hence, an effective internal marketing
strategy depends on the internal customer experience.

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Human resources are the main component when it comes to internal marketing. This is
because human resources are responsible for the employees. Proper communication makes it
easy for the company to impart adequate training to their staff. Hence, this results in the
employees achieving the desired goals.

Like external marketing, internal marketing is a way of "selling" your business, but instead of
selling to the general public, you are selling to your employees. The primary purpose of
internal marketing is to improve employee engagement and encourage brand advocacy.

Cause-related marketing

Cause-related marketing is an effective way for organisations to support causes that are
important to their customers while simultaneously raising their own public profile. It helps
organisations fulfil their obligations in corporate social responsibility and demonstrates
strong ethics to customers. Understanding this type of marketing and how to use it to increase
brand visibility helps you develop as a marketing professional. In this article, we explore
what cause marketing is, what its primary advantages and disadvantages are and how to build
a marketing campaign around a cause.

Examples of Successful Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns

Some notable examples of successful cause-related marketing campaigns showcase the power
of this strategy in driving business growth and social impact. One such example is TOMS
Shoes’ “One for One” campaign. With every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS Shoes promises
to donate a pair to someone in need. This initiative not only resonates with consumers but has
also made a significant impact on footwear accessibility for those who cannot afford it.

Another remarkable example is the partnership between Starbucks and (RED) to raise
awareness and funds for the fight against AIDS. Through their collaboration, Starbucks not
only boosted its brand image but also contributed to the global efforts to combat the disease.
By purchasing (RED) products at Starbucks, customers can feel a sense of pride and
fulfillment, knowing that their purchase is making a difference in the lives of those affected
by AIDS.

These examples demonstrate how cause-related marketing can be a win-win situation for both
businesses and nonprofit organizations. It allows businesses to connect with socially
conscious consumers, increase brand loyalty, and drive sales, while also supporting important
causes and making a positive impact on society.

What Is Social Marketing?

The term "social marketing" refers to the adoption of commercial, promotional technologies
into programs that are intended to influence the response of target audiences to improve both
the individuals' well-being and the well-being of the community in which they belong.

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It includes concept development, pricing, information exchange, delivery, and market
analysis. Social marketing is developing, putting into action, and managing programs
intended to influence the degree to increase acceptance of social ideas. It is a type of
marketing that is expanding quickly and has a significant potential to lead to decreased
consumption.

Social marketing is a well-planned, long-term strategy that uses marketing strategies to

improve people's lives and the environment. Improves living quality.
It is a sensible method for influencing behavior durably and cost-effectively, combining
principles from commercial marketing with the social sciences.
At times in the name of the concept in the discussion, commercial marketing is done by
firms.
Many charitable organizations employ the concept, including those concerned with health &
welfare, environmental protection, and social action.

Social Marketing Concept Explained

Social marketing, sometimes known as "marketing for good," is a strategy that promotes
positive societal transformation by focusing on influencing individuals' actions or ways of
life rather than just selling an item or service. To refine these strategies further and gain
valuable insights, tools like an Instagram tracker can be incredibly useful. For example,
Snoopreport, an Instagram activity tracker, allows businesses to monitor any public profile
and access detailed reports about what hashtags and posts users like, their new followings and
unfollows, and their thematic interests. Leveraging such tools can help brands identify
trending content and better understand audience preferences, ultimately enhancing the
effectiveness of their social media campaigns. Its emphasis on community engagement is
distinct from commercial marketing, marketing via green or sustainable practices, and
marketing via social media.

Social marketing campaigns can also promote creative and sustainable lifestyle products,
such as personalized canvas prints for wall art, which add aesthetic value while supporting
ethical practices. The goal of such marketing is to modify people's behaviors for the greater
good of society – to the individual's profit and benefit of society as a whole – by using the
concepts of commercial marketing and the social sciences.

It is used by a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and charities, as well as by government

organizations, emergency services, and agencies. Likewise, some examples are highway
safety alliances, policemen, firefighters, and paramedic groups. Social marketers also handle
campaigns for charitable causes of a commercial brand's product or business.

In addition, nonprofit organizations use such marketing to boost their fundraising efforts. It
helps in furthering their organization's mission or effecting societal shifts. Following are the
strategies that can be used for doing social marketing.

#1 - Work Collaboratively
Generally, with low finances, implementing a full social marketing program and not just a
communication effort requires outside resources and experience. Hence, Cooperation and
reciprocity are powerful. See if there is a similar group that regularly addresses the target

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audience. If so, building a strategic relationship for assisting their existing projects helps.
Beyond regular partners, other groups may appeal to a similar target market.

#2 - Internet Marketing
Online marketing helps firms stretch costs. Hence, digital media and new websites have
created numerous new possibilities. However, online is a cheap, ever-changing landscape. So,
ensuring web marketing reaches the target demographic is vital. Also, it should not be used as
a solo method.

#3 - Online Press Release

Posting a story for free on any PR Web and sending bulk emails works well. Developing a
list of prospects to send press releases and creating narrative articles about persons touched
by the campaign and the advantages of behavior change helps spread the word.

#4 - Word Of Mouth
Don't overlook word-of-mouth in healthy communication and marketing. Many individuals
find the company through word-of-mouth. Keeping the target audience talking is vital for
habit change since we all listen to our relatives, friends, and coworkers. The more avenues
one can contact the target audience using social outreach, the more impact a firm has.

#5 - Make Widgets
Widgets are code snippets that users may copy and paste into webpages or blogs. Creating
widgets that partners may publish to backlink the firm helps. Action messages, not simply
data, should be included.

Types
Following are the types of social marketing.

#1 - Not-For-Profit Marketing
It refers to companies that do not seek financial gain but use it as a marketing strategy to
promote a cause. However, a typical example of nonprofit marketing is a campaign to
generate donations and recruit volunteers using direct mail and mass media. Since this is the
case, serving the greater good is the overarching aim, but the organization's primary objective
is to earn money to be competitive with other charitable organizations.

#2 - Marketing For A Social Mission

This partnership between a for-profit and nonprofit company supports a charitable cause or
other similar endeavors. In addition, the sales of the items produced by the commercial
organization contribute to the pro-social motive. However, an equivalent would be something
like sponsorship, when a charitable organization allows a for-profit firm to publicize its
relationship with the charitable organization to improve people's impressions of the for-profit
corporation and the products it sells.

On the other hand, cause-related marketing generates revenue for the charitable organization
as a direct consequence of the products or services sold. Therefore, advancing a social cause
is not the primary purpose of a firm; rather, it is the secondary goal of a company to increase
sales or any other marketing objective.

#3 - Marketing With A Conscience

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A comparison may be made between sponsorship and pro-social outreach. Nevertheless, the
for-profit company aims to improve the public's opinion of its goods and services by
establishing a cooperative partnership with an organization or cause that works to improve
society. so social marketing allows firms to convey how they have a wake conscience for
helping society back.

#4 - Societal Marketing
It is possible to confuse societal with social outreach or marketing, but the two are not the
same. Kotler and his colleagues refer to businesses like this as socially responsible profit-
making companies. However, societal marketing is considered a natural extension of the
fundamental idea behind marketing. For making a profit from the determination and
satisfaction of customer requirements in a manner that protects or enhances the consumer and
society.

Examples of Social Marketing

It is widely used in sectors of health and safety, environmentalism, and social action.

Let us look at the social marketing examples to understand the concept better.

#1 - Anti-Smoking
Many organizations and health institutes utilize such marketing to reduce smoking and
encourage quitting. These activities assist new smokers and help individuals with the habit
quit. Some compelling TV ads portray real-life smokers with lung cancer or tracheostomies.

#2 - Forest Fire Prevention

Many NGOs indulge in wildfire prevention social campaigns. Other tactics include billboards
and signs near campers and fire extinguishing recommendations.

#3 - Recycling
Conventional recycling marketing, such as curbside collection or electronics drop-off
facilities, focuses on teaching. Showcasing reusable things, such as cloth or heavy-duty
plastic bags for shopping, and how to reuse furniture are additional ways social outreach
efforts on recycling operate, along with state-level bottle redemption programs.

#4 - Handicap Accessibility
The effort of such marketing by the American Disability Association promotes disability
inclusion. It helped modify laws and rules to make transportation, housing, and playgrounds
handicap accessible. To build an emotional connection with consumers, firms employ
handicap awareness month, metro and elevator posters, and billboards.

Advantages And Disadvantages

Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of the social marketing concept:

Advantages
 It gives businesses a competitive advantage. Consumers want to purchase goods from
ethical and socially accountable firms. These trends will gain appeal as campaigns
and concerns around social and ecological issues expand.
 A further benefit is the premium pricing. Businesses transform their social and
environmental initiatives into distinct selling factors, enabling them to charge greater
prices.

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  Promotes health awareness and facilitates the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.
 It contributes to green marketing efforts.
 It contributes to eradicating social ills that harm society and people's lives.
Disadvantages
 It is not uncommon for commercial marketing to be conducted under the pretext of
social outreach marketing.
 Creativity may sometimes be problematic since it forces the listener to interpret the
message for themselves, and the interpretation may not be particularly assertive.
 There are occasions when the notion of such marketing is not seen as an adequate
mass communication theory.

What are social marketing campaigns?

Instead of traditional advertising, such campaigns aim to effect positive social change. It
employs marketing strategies to serve social change by educating people about an issue or
cause and encouraging them to take action.

Why social marketing is important?

Social marketers focus on issues relating to society, the environment, and the economy. They
contribute to malnutrition, poverty, lack of resources, inadequate schooling, poor health, and
climate change. Communities use social marketing to influence people's attitudes and actions,
raise awareness, and spread positive messages.

FUTURE OF MARKETING

Marketing, like all other departments in organisations, has seen rapid evolution in the past
decade. COVID has further accelerated many of these trends and led to the birth of a few new
ones.

Some of the biggest changes in Marketing in the past decade have been:

1. The rise of Digital as a cost-effective medium of disseminating your Brand messaging has
been growing slowly but steadily in relevance. Some estimates reveal that while TV
continues to be the lead medium, Digital now attracts upwards of 10% of all Media
Investments.

2. Engagement & not just Advertising: Advertising which conventionally means

communicating your Brand proposition in order to generate demand, has gradually started
being complimented by Engagement, which is Brands participating in conversations that
Consumers are interested in.

3. Influencers as Media: With the rise in media fragmentation & difficulties in reaching out to
niche TGs, Influencers are emerging as key media devices for reaching out to an engaged
target group.

4. Store as Media: Growth of Modern Trade has led to Shelf Ready Packs & Innovative Point
of Buying Elements as a low-cost approach to Brand building rather than conventional mass
media campaigns.

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5. Innovations through pilots instead of research. Given the large number of product
opportunities, many companies are reducing the time of launch by learning through pilots
rather than conventional research

The COVID scenario has accelerated some of these changes or impacted others in
unconventional ways.

A few top observations of these changes were observed during the lockdown and a few that I
expect to stick.

Firstly, the lack of consumer mobility has given a further setback to conventional second-line
media elements like Print, Radio, and Outdoor and all 3 have lost significantly to TV &
Digital.

One of the big benefits to Digital has been the further strengthening of smart TVs, OTT
devices, and Video Streaming platforms. This has only given greater prominence to Digital.

With a massive rise in Digital consumption with consumers under lockdown, and with
limited opportunities for entertainment, the role of engagement has become even stronger.
Platforms such as Instagram, Tic Toc, Facebook, and LinkedIn have seen a never-before
consumer interest and hence a record number of Brands have explored new ways of engaging
with consumers.

With Celebrities & Influencers alike under lockdown, we have seen many mainline
Celebrities turning into influencers with huge interest and participation in Brand campaigns
online.

The role of Store as media may have taken a bit of a back seat with limited shopping missions
however, there has been a huge rise in Direct to Consumer initiatives, E-commerce platforms
like Big Basket, Milk Basket, and deliveries through Dunzo have had a never-seen-before
boom. Ecommerce is now a relevant part of the playbook of every Sales & Marketing
Professional today.

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