Week V
Fit Relative To Your Competition (Chapter 11)
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PurposeThis section analyzes the competitive landscape and positions the company or product in relation to its competitors. It identifies the unique advantages and differentiators that set the brand apart and highlights how the IMC plan will leverage these strengths to gain a competitive edge.
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Ideas/tips to considerReview your SWOT analysis, particularly the “O” and “T” sections. You’ve identified your competitors in your creative brief already, now you need to connect the SWOT analysis to your new specialty menu item. Using the process from your text, think about: What is it about the brand, company or service that might bear upon what is said to the target audience? There are at least six broad questions that a manager should answer (see Table 11.1 in page 232 in our Percy text). Review the questions posed by Percy and then create the Marketing Background Questions table for your specialty item. |
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YOUR Tasks to completeCreate a Marketing Background Questions Table and add to section 8 of your plan. Answer each question (details are found starting on page 232 in Percy text) in relation to your new specialty item for Starbucks.
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Attracting your Target Audience (Chapter 12)
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PurposeThis section delves deeper into strategies and tactics specifically designed to attract and engage the target audience. It may include tactics such as content marketing, social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, events, or other initiatives tailored to capture the attention and interest of the intended audience.
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Ideas/tips to considerOnce you have your market, it is time to focus more on whom it is that should be addressed with marketing communications. “When thinking about the target audience, one must look beyond traditional demographic considerations. While they are perhaps the most familiar way of thinking about the target audience, demographics more properly define a target market, not a target audience. This is a critical distinction. While demographics can provide a useful description of a market for a brand, you must look within that group for a target audience. It must be selected in terms of brand buyer groups because they provide the best indication of attitude toward a brand. It is also important to ‘think ahead’. What type of person will be important to the future of the business? In this IMC stage of the planning process there are four quadrants that should be addressed (see Table 12.1)” (Percy, p 266). Review this week’s discussion to get ideas.
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YOUR Tasks to completeCreate a table similar to Table 12.1 Key Questions in Target Audience Selection (Percy, pp. 251-252) and place it here.
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Marketing Channels and Tactics (Chapter 13)
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PurposeThis section provides an overview of the various marketing channels and tactics that will be utilized to implement the IMC plan. It may include a mix of online and offline channels, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, social media, content marketing, events, and more. The selection of channels and tactics should align with the target audience’s preferences and behaviors.
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Ideas/tips to considerNow that you know your target audience and buyers it is time to take your creative ideas and deliver them to your channels – Below are ideas and options to select from along with examples (for pumpkin latte) for each. Discuss how Wilson and Till’s idea of fixed versus mobile (Percy, p. 129) and how it is important for IMC media selection for Starbucks to help you prepare for below? What about the target audience are they fixed or mobile? You already gave examples (in week 3) and shared a fixed and mobile example of a product and a person – how can you integrate these thoughts below? Example (Starbucks Pumpkin Latte)The following channels and tactics are to increase awareness and website traffic for the Starbucks Pumpkin Latte promotion, will employ several effective strategies. a. Advertising:
b. Social Media:
c. Public Relations (See Chapter 7):
d. Point-of-Sale:
e. Digital Marketing:
f. Email Marketing:
g. Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
h. Cross-Promotion:
i. Contests and Giveaways:
j. Content Marketing:
k. Event Marketing:
By implementing these strategies, Starbucks can increase awareness and drive significant traffic to its website, thereby boosting the promotion and sales of the Pumpkin Latte during the fall season.
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YOUR Tasks to complete
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Monitoring and Evaluation (Chapter 13)
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PurposeThis section outlines the methods and metrics that will be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the IMC plan. It includes regular tracking of key performance indicators, analysis of campaign results, customer feedback, and any necessary adjustments or optimizations based on the data collected.
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Ideas/tips to considerRegularly monitoring the campaign’s performance is important to measure along with customer feedback. Share how you plan to measure your campaign for each channel that you plan to use. Based on your channels you selected for section 10, come up with 1 or more metrics to measure and monitor the success of your campaign. Chapter 13 will give many ideas to consider. Example (if applicable)f. Email Marketing:
Metric ideas: Email open rate % % of Clicks within the email Number of clicks to provided “URL’s” For example, you could use Constant Contact to gather the results of these metrics
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YOUR Tasks to completeEstablish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for at least 1 (minimal performance) of your channels that you selected in section 10. Provide the metric(s) and an expected target range for success.
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12. Conclusion
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PurposeThe conclusion section provides a summary of the IMC plan, recapping the key points and highlighting the anticipated outcomes. It may also include any recommendations or next steps to be taken to further enhance the marketing efforts and achieve the desired results.
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Ideas/tips to considerThe conclusion paragraphs (mostly likely two) should not include any new information or research, but is to summarize and recap what you’ve already presented. Example (if applicable) Integrated marketing communications is the key to successfully building and maintaining relationships and increasing brand awareness. IMC ensures the message from the company is reliable and thus improves relationships with the target market. IMC is a necessity for Starbucks. In order to improve their brand image, the Pumpkin Latte helps to unify their marketing efforts and communicate in a shared, integrated brand voice. The Pumpkin Latte campaign is designed to promote Starbucks… It is essential to the success of Starbucks to continue innovative practices that improve their brand image in the eyes of their target market to communicate a consistent message and continue to growth and improvement of their brand equity. |
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YOUR Tasks to complete
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