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Integrated Marketing Communications 1
MRK 317 Fall 2003
IMC Assignment
Value – 25% of Student’s Total Grade
The objectives of this assignment are to:
a. Develop the different parts of an IMC Plan by stating and applying objectives,
strategies and tactics for each component of the IMC Plan.
b. Prepare a 15-minute verbal IMC Plan Presentation incorporating instructor’s
feedback and your own creative style. (Presentations will be presented in class
during the last two weeks of the semester).
Assignment Overview:
1. You will work on this assignment in pairs.
2. Due Dates: All reports are due on the first class of the week indicated below.
 Product briefing and Group details:
Week of September 22, 2003
 Report 1: Background and Situation Analysis – Week of October 6, 2003
 Report 2: IMC Plan – Week of November 24, 2003
 Presentation: Week of November 24, 2003
3.
Acting as an Integrated Marketing Communications Agency hired by a client,
you are responsible for developing a complete IMC Plan to address their needs..
You will be choosing your own “client” or brand to work on. The brand that you
choose is subject to approval as detailed below.
Assignment Details:
I strongly suggest that each team purchase a folder that will be used to submit the IMC
Plan. I further recommend that all the parts of the assignment be submitted together on
each of the due dates. Working on any plan is a “work in progress” which is constantly
evolving. Therefore, revisions to your IMC Plan are to be expected. Each student is
expected to hand in his or her assignment at the beginning of class on the agreed upon
due dates.
(Please note that page lengths indicated here are approximations only)
Integrated Marketing Communications
MRK317
IMC Plan – Fall 2003
Professors: Marianne Marando & Angela Zigras
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Product briefing and Team details -1 page
Due Week of September 22, 2003
1. Include the names of your team members (2 people per team).
2. Also assign team member responsibilities. Set meeting dates, and record the minutes
of your meetings. All team members must be in the same section of the course, as
presentations will take place during class time.
3. Each team is to choose a product or brand that faces a challenge or an opportunity.
You will be developing an IMC plan to address that challenge or opportunity.
 Examples of opportunities facing a client could be new product launches or
brand repositioning.
 Examples of problems facing a client could be brands facing increased
competition or declining market share.
 Use Marketing Magazine and other media sources to come up with a brand
that could use your help.
4. Summarize the brand that you would like to work on, and the problem or
opportunity facing that brand.
 Include copies of any articles that you used to choose that brand.
5. The choice of product/brand is subject to approval by the Professor.
Integrated Marketing Communications
MRK317
IMC Plan – Fall 2003
Professors: Marianne Marando & Angela Zigras
3
MRK 317
Report 1 – Background and Situation Analysis – 4-5 pages
60 possible marks , totaling 10% of your final Grade.
1. Analyse the marketing situation for the brand you have chosen. Use Figure 1-5 (page
23) of your text as a guideline for conducting a situation analysis. Important areas to
look at include: (30 total marks)
 External factors – consumer behaviour analysis, economic trends, social
trends, cultural trends, technology trends.
 Market Analysis – market size and growth, market segment analysis,
consumer analysis.
 Product analysis – sales volume, market share, marketing communications
activity, current position in market.
 Competitive analysis
 SWOT analysis – after compiling all of the information above, summarize it
by conducting a SWOT analysis.
2. Based on your situation analysis: (30 total marks)
 Describe the segmentation strategy that you plan to use.
 What segments will be targeted and why?
 How will you position your product – Name the type of positioning and how
develop a positioning statement. Provide a rationale.
Report 2 – IMC Plan
100 possible marks, totaling 10% of your final Grade.
Every plan, including an IMC plan has three elements – Objectives, strategies and
tactics.
1. Communication Objectives (Chapter 5) – specify the objectives for your IMC plan.
Include: (10 marks)
1. Target audience
2. Behavioural objectives
3. Communications objectives
2. Proposed budget allocation and rationale. (10 marks)
3. Communication Strategy (Chapter 6) – includes: (15 marks)
1. Campaign theme – main message, “big idea”
2. Key consumer benefit
3. Support claims statement
4. Appeal
5. Source characteristics
Integrated Marketing Communications
MRK317
IMC Plan – Fall 2003
Professors: Marianne Marando & Angela Zigras
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4. Communication Tactics (Chapter 7) – how will the communication be executed (25
marks)
1. Execution style
2. Media Plan (Chapter 8) – including media objectives, media
strategy, specific media choices
3. Media Blocking Chart
5. Specific IMC Programs – your IMC plan should include programs encompassing at
least three of the IMC elements discussed (Advertising, Direct marketing,
Interactive/Internet marketing, Sales Promotion, PR/Publicity, and Sponsorship and
Event Marketing). For each of the three programs include: (20 marks)
1. Objectives
2. Strategy
3. Specific execution tactics, including timing
4. Budget breakdown
6. Evaluation measurement – how are you going to measure the impact of your plan and
evaluate success? (10 marks)
Presentation
50 marks totaling 5% of your final Grade.
The presentation is your opportunity to “sell” your ideas to your client. Marketing
Communications is all about creativity and here is where you get to show off yours! The
quality of your presentation will impact your mark for your IMC plan, above. Your
presentation should be 15 minutes in length and will be followed by a 5-minute question
period. All team members must present. Create mock-ups of all the communication
programs recommended by your team – these may include videos or storyboards of a TV
commercial, tapes of a radio commercial, an example of a website or email campaign,
sketches of print ads etc.
Do not attempt to present your entire IMC plan in the 15 minute time period. Present a
quick overview of the background and situation and an overview of the objectives for
your plan. Spend the bulk of your time detailing your communication strategy and
program execution.
Notes:
Your work MUST be word-processed, in business report style, with cover page, table of
contents, headings, subheadings, etc. Font size should be between 10.5 and 12.0 for the
body of your report.
Your work will be evaluated for originality, creativity, content, organization,
presentation, spelling and grammar.
It goes without saying that copying directly from the textbook will result in NO
MARKS for any area in which this practice occurs.
Integrated Marketing Communications
MRK317
IMC Plan – Fall 2003
Professors: Marianne Marando & Angela Zigras