1
Role of Marketing in Learning Programs
Sandra Flores
AET/552
May 3, 2021
Instructor Jennings
2
Role of Marketing in Learning Programs
According to Shrimp et al (2013) “IMC is the coordination of the promotional mix
elements (advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing, and
online marketing/social media) with each other and with the other elements of the brands’
marketing mix (product, place, price) such that all elements speak with one voice.” In other
words, the main objective of Integrated Marketing Communications is to influence customer
behavior.
Caffarella et al (2013) stated “Marketing is “the function of . . . [an organization] whose
goal is to plan, price, promote, and distribute the organization’s programs and products by
keeping in constant touch with the organization’s various constituencies, uncovering their needs
and expectations for the organization and themselves, and building a program of communication
to not only express the organization’s purpose and goals but also their mutually beneficial . . .
products.” In essence marketing is used to persuade, inform and provide reminders about an
organizations’ service and/or products.
In an article by Dahl et al (2015) Integrated Marketing Communications was examined
from a social marketing viewpoint identifying how IMC has worked well in a commercial setting
for marketing but has not faired as well in social marketing campaigns. Social marketing that is
focused on changing behaviors and it’s outcome has more levels when addressing campaign
marketing whereas in commercial marketing there is a product or service outcome identified that
is ‘well-defined.’
3
Integrated Marketing Communication is goal directed and it is assembled to deliver a
message to a target audience based on the objectives of IMC: Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Brand
Image, Market Expansion, Persuasion and Educating Customers.
Importance of Marketing in Organizational Success
Sharing one voice and providing messaging that is consistent to customers is essential to
success in a marketing campaign. According to Hillyer (2019) “traditional marketing –
‘disruptive’ vs content marketing ‘non-disruptive’ marketing may contribute to successful
marketing for an organization. He continues to state that disruptive traditional marketing is that
where advertisement marketing is placed in a mass media outlet such as a commercial when
viewing television whereby the consumer may not be interested in the promotional ad. Whereby
content marketing is non-disruptive marketing because the advertisements are trying to make the
brand a part of the content of whatever the consumer is viewing (i.e. Twitter or Facebook).
Marketing that targets audiences in a more subtle non disruptive platform appears to this author
to be at least one important way in which marketing could be viewed as success in an
organization. A silo approach to marketing cannot be an affective mode of IMC all departments
in an organization must identify ways to market to the consumer as more of a holistic approach.
Providing a mix of ingredients approach, similar to when baking a cake would be a good visual
example as to how IMC would be successful in an organization. The elements of IMC:
1. Publicity-mass communication for a product
2. Advertising-paid form of non-personal presentation of ideas or goods
3. Sales Promotion-set of marketing ideas to boost sales
4. Sponsorship-sponsored event to create a brand image
5. Personal Setting
4
6. Public Relations-goodwill between a company and its public
7. Packaging-provides meaning about the brand
8. Direct Marketing-B2C
All the elements would contribute to the importance of marketing in organizational success.
Additionally, IMC can reach larger portions of the targeted audience, bring in more revenue and
build brand recognition.
Examples of Organizations that use IMC
The Always brand created a hashtag #LikeAGirl campaign in 2014 that launched an
empowering marketing platform targeting an audience of pre-pubescent girls utilizing research
about self-esteem. The campaign not only impacted the audience but won awards as well for the
messaging of empowerment. The target demographic was an example of the elements and
objectives of IMC working succinctly impacting a powerful message in a marketing campaign.
Another example of an organizations’ use of IMC is Dominos AnyWare campaign. The
“AnyWare” campaign was designed to help people order food in more convenient ways.
Dominos marketing campaign brought awareness to the various platforms of new technology to
consumers utilizing a mass media campaign through television ads yet providing opportunities
for the consume to access pizza via their smart phones, watches, etc creating a a ccolonsistent
communication message throughout their campaign.
Lastly, Coca-cola is an example of IMC creating a single voice message along with
building a relationship with the consumer. This author recalls the song “I’d like to teach the
world to sing. . .” Coca-cola campaign whereby consumer of the product were on a commercial
singing a song that transmitted the message of peace while consuming a coke. The success of
5
Coca-cola’s advertisements have only evolved over the years utilizing their cans to be a part of
the consumer’s daily lives.
Conclusion
According to Shrimp et al (2013) “Inherent in the definition of integrated marketing
communications are several critical features, which are interdependent and listed in no particular
order of importance:
1. Start with the customer or prospect.
2. Use any form of relevant contact or touch point.
3. Speak with a single voice.
4. Build relationships.
5. Affect behavior.
In essence a successful marketing communication platform must eventually connect with
the consumer on some emotional identification in order to find success in its marketing
campaign. The messaging of Integrated Marketing Communications is to provide a consistent
messaging to the consumer in a single voice utilizing all elements of IMC.
6
References
Caffarella, R. S., & Daffron, S. R. (2013). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical
guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Dahl, Stephan & Eagle, Lynne & Low, David. (2015). Integrated marketing communications and
social marketing. Journal of Social Marketing. 5. 226-240. 10.1108/JSOCM-07-20120031.
Hillyer, C. [Hillyer]. (2019, November 30). Integrated marketing communications [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J51ncHP_BrY
Shimp, T. A., & Andrews, J. C. (2013). Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated
marketing communications (9th ed.). Boston: MA: Cengage.