Integrated marketing communication is a concept under which a company coordinates and integrates its many communication channels to deliver a consistent, clear and a compelling message about the organization and its products. The integrated marketing communication strategy (IMC) is concerned with the bringing together and incorporating all the marketing communication avenues, tools, functions and sources within a company into a faultless course that minimizes cost and at the same time yielding an impact on the consumers (McDonald & Wilson, 2011). Based on the scenario, AirWays has an IMC plan that falls within the limited budget for advertisement and communication. As per the plan, IMC strategy of the company will compass both non-traditional and traditional advertising channels as discussed in this paper.
For an effective integrated marketing communication plan, there is need to single out the company’s major competitors and their communication and advertising channels (McDonald and Wilson, 2011). This plan targets business class, high class customers and medium class customers as its target market. Highlighted below are the elements of AirWays’ IMC plan.
Headline: Basically, the headline is essential in attracting the customers’ attention as well as in evoking the customer’s interest. For AirWays, the headline will be “ Your Care, Our concern”. This is appropriate for the company’s improved services and efficient communication with its customers.
Sub-headline: Just like the headline, sub-headline is critical I attracting the customer’s attention. The company’s sub-headline therefore will be “AirWays’ is with you in your all journeys.”
Brand Positioning Statement: The AirWays’ positioning statement will be: Your Airline partner that offers an exceptional highest quality service which is responsive to customer’s needs in a way which is most efficient, timely, effective and safe.
Artwork: Duncan (2005) points out that textured and computer drawn images are referred as artwork that will eventually capture and attract the target market’s attention. For AirWays, computer animations and software will be used in creating successful and real images on the television commercials. The original art has the capability of presenting service and product in a unique way and attract clients towards the service or product and eventually make successful the advertisement.
Sponsorship: For effective advertising and to advertise AirWays services, the company will use sponsorship as an effective advertising tool. AirWays will sponsor core events like awards, charities, sports, health care as well as sponsorship of educational awareness campaigns to boost the popularity of its products and services (Sutherland, 2009).
Layout: According to Duncan (2005), the advertising layout produces and creates successful advertising for both electronic and print media. For AirWays plan, a creative and specific design, background and logo of the advertisements will be candidly organized on the internet. This will make helpful for both electronic media and print media. In particular, to enhance attractiveness, the company will effectively balance the use of bright colours in its advertisement layout.
Traditional and non-traditional channels
AirWays will make use of both non-traditional and traditional channels effective advertising under its integrated marketing communication plan. The channels that will be used are made up of the following.
Radio and Television
AirWays will allocate 45% of the company’s advertising budget for the broadcast media. The company will offer attractive and effective commercials on the television that captures all the company’s improved services as well as for customer relationship management (Kotler and Lane, 2006). Equally, the radio will be employed for advertising and is effective channels since the company will majorly have it used to reach the people who are on road.
Print media
AirWays will specifically use magazines, pamphlets, and newspapers that are distributed either weekly, monthly or on a daily basis (Sutherland, 2009). In particular, these will be significant in reminding the company’s customers about AirWays and its improved services. Besides, the media will be effective in establishing good customer relationships.
Direct mails
Direct mails will form the company’s non-traditional advertising method. It will enable the company to make direct interaction with its customers through online computer services, salespersons, mails, and fax as well as through the company’s dealers (Duncan, 2005). In addition, AirWays will send brochures and cards to its customers simply to establish healthy advertising and working relationships.
The website and the internet
AirWays will allocate some of communication and advertising budget in establishing a healthy website and internet that it will use to advertise its services. To effectively reach a larger customer base, it will use social networking sites such as twitter, Facebook and MySpace. These are effective in the present era. In particular, these sites form effective advertising channels due to the advancements in technology as well as the increased popularity of the sites and the internet (Percy and Elliot, 2005). AirWays’ websites will also be effective in providing rich knowledge on the company’s improved services to customers.
Generally, from the discussion, a summary can be made that AirWays’ has definitely improved its service provision and aims to advertise the newly established services under its low communication and advertising budget. Thus, the IMC is prepared with the aim of making lowest cost advertising budget. The plan must constitute subheadings, headings, sponsorship, artwork and layout for effective communication and advertising.
Reference
Duncan, T. (2005). Principles Of Advertising And Imc. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Kotler, P. and Lane, K. K. (2006). Marketing Management. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
McDonald, M. and Wilson, H. (2011). Marketing Plans: How to Prepare Them, How to Use Them. USA: John Wiley and Sons.
Percy, L. & Elliot, R. (2005). Strategic Advertising Management. UK: Oxford University Press.
Sutherland, M. (2009). Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. Australia: Allen & Unwin.
