Objectives for the IMC Plan

Value of Objectives

CommunicationsCommunications

Planning and Decision Making

Planning and Decision Making

Measurement and Evaluation of ResultsMeasurement and

Evaluation of Results

Planning and Decision Making

Planning and Decision Making

CommunicationsCommunicationsObjectivesObjectives

Marketing Versus Communications Objectives

Vs.Vs.

Marketing ObjectivesMarketing Objectives

•Generally stated in the firm’s marketing plan

•Achieved through the overall marketing plan

•Quantifiable, such as sales, market share, ROI

•To be accomplished in a given period of time

•Must be realistic and attainable to be effective

•Generally stated in the firm’s marketing plan

•Achieved through the overall marketing plan

•Quantifiable, such as sales, market share, ROI

•To be accomplished in a given period of time

•Must be realistic and attainable to be effective

Communications Objectives

Communications Objectives

•Derived from the overall marketing plan

•More narrow than marketing objectives

•Based on particular communications tasks

•Designed to deliver appropriate messages

•Focused on a specific target audience

•Derived from the overall marketing plan

•More narrow than marketing objectives

•Based on particular communications tasks

•Designed to deliver appropriate messages

•Focused on a specific target audience

Problems with Using Sales as A Communications Objective

TheEconomy

TheEconomyDistributionDistribution TechnologyTechnology Price PolicyPrice Policy

PromotionPromotion CompetitionCompetition ProductQualityProductQuality

Price PolicyPrice PolicyTechnologyTechnologyDistributionDistribution

ProductQualityProductQualityCompetitionCompetitionPromotionPromotion

$ALE$$ALE$

Problems with Using Sales as a Communications Objective

Carryover effect of advertisingMany experts believe the effects of

advertising can occur over an extended period.

Money spent on advertising does not necessarily have an immediate impact on sales.

Problems with Using Sales as a Communications Objective

Sales objectives offer little guidance to those planning and developing the Promotional Program.

The creative and media people working on the account need direction:Nature of the message the company hopes

to communicate.The intended audience.The particular effect or response sought.

When Are Sales Objectives Appropriate?

Sales objectives are useful if: Other marketing or environmental factors

are not influencing sales.Carryover effect is not occurring.Managers involved do not require guidance.

Setting sales objectives appears appropriate in the case of direct-response advertising.

Direct Response Ads Seek Sales

Communication Objectives

Statements of what the communications will accomplish.

Three levels of communication objectives, depending upon the decision at hand:Overall IMC plan Individual IMC tools Individual elements of a communication tool

Communication Objectives

Communication objectives should be based: On the particular communication tasks

required to deliver the appropriate messages to the specific target audience.

At a relevant point within the target market’s purchase decision-making process and consumption experience.

The DAGMAR Approach

Define

Advertising

Goals for

Measuring

Advertising

Results

The DAGMAR Approach

Recognition that communication effects are the logical basis for advertising goals and objectives against which success or failure should be measured.

The DAGMAR Approach

An advertising goal is a communication task that is specific and measurable.

The communication task has four stages:AwarenessComprehensionConvictionAction

DAGMAR Definition of Objectives

Specified Time Period

Specified Time Period

Concrete, Measurable

Tasks

Concrete, Measurable

Tasks

Target AudienceTarget Audience

Benchmark and Degree of

Change Sought

Benchmark and Degree of

Change SoughtObjectivesObjectives

Pyramid of Communications Effects

20% TrialConative

40% LikingAffective

90% AwarenessCognitive

5% Use

70% Knowledge

25% Preference

90% Awareness

70% Knowledge

40% Liking

25% Preference

20% Trial

Many Ads Seek Communication Objectives

Setting Objectives Using the Communications Effects Pyramid

Figure 4-5

Image ads can have a strong effect on preference

R&P Perspective

Objectives Related to behaviour or communicationObjectives Related to behaviour or communication

Behavioural Objectives

The link between attitude toward the brand (communication objective) and sales (marketing objective).

Must have a clear behavioural objective for each target audience.

Options for Behavioural Objectives

1. Trial Consumer’s first purchase of focal

brand. Brand trial objectives Retrial objectives Brand-switching objectives Category trial objectives

Options for Behavioural Objectives

2. Repeat Purchase A consumer’s continued purchase of a

focal brand within a specified time period.

Repeat-purchase objectives

Options for Behavioural Objective

3. Purchase-Related Behaviour An action taken by consumers which

will lead to a higher probability of purchasing the brand.

Consumer seeks some amount of information about, or experience with, the brand.

Purchase-related behaviour objectives

Options for Behavioural Objectives

4. Repeat Consumption The continued consumption of a brand

once purchased. Repeat-consumption objectives

Options for Communication Objectives

Can be viewed as a universal framework for:A specific communication One print ad or

television commercialA specific campaign Advertising or

sponsorshipA complete IMC program All promotional

tools

Options for Communication Objectives

1. Category need• Whether the target audience feels the

need to purchase within the actual product category.

2. Brand awareness

3. Brand attitude

4. Brand purchase intention

5. Brand purchase facilitation

Questions You are in a meeting to discuss plans for a new advertising and

promotional program for your company. The vice president of marketing opens the meeting by stating there is only one objective for the new campaign—to increase sales. How would you respond to this statement?

Discuss three situations where sales are an appropriate measure of the effects of advertising or other marketing communications element.

You are the advertising manager for an established brand of laundry detergent and have just fought hard to have the promotional budget for the brand increased by 10 percent. You have just received a report for the latest quarter that shows sales did not change despite the increase in advertising spending. The marketing vice president is concerned about the

lack of increase in sales and wants you to explain the problem. How might you respond?