Question

1. What is integrated marketing communication (IMC) how does it connect to the organization’s marketing strategy? How do IMC tools support the sales process?

2. What factors should you consider when selecting marketing communication methods to execute the strategy?

3.    How does integrated supply chain management support an effective distribution strategy?

Answer 1

1:- Integrated marketing communication is a strategy on communication which is  aimed at unifying different marketing methods such as mass marketing, direct marketing, one-to-one marketing in the most effective way.This integrates all promotional tools together and aim for the end objectives for the organization sales and revenue generation along with customer value proposition. The primary function of IMC is to persuade, remind their target customers about the unique features of the product and linked to gether the various promotional communications. Promotion plays a vital role in organizations effort to market their products and services. The brands core image and their messging is perfectly blended and reinforced in each marketing communication channels work together as a single unit rather than the isolation.IMC wraps communication and make the customers to go through the various stages of buying process. Thus it directly helps sales process by creating the need and proper evaluation of their brand by customers and convincing them to buy the products.

2:The major factors to be considered while selecting marketing communication methods are

• Selection of target customers, market segmenation
• Communicating the values to the customers
• Promotional mix required for marketing the products
• Nature or charecteristics of products and value of the products
• External factors such as competition, socio economic and cultural factors

3:Integrated supplychain management helps in reducing the supply demand gap and effectively integrates operations and sales demand requirement. This reduces the effort in supplychain desining and ensure the order fulfilment on time . The major elements supportin in integrated supplychain are the effective communication between various business process activities such as production, sales forecasting, actual demand from sales team and logistics integration. The co ordination and collaboration with vendors/suppliers also plays a key role in integrated supplychain management which ensure the inventory stocks and create a seamless flow of goods and services in various channels which includes manufacturing and finished goods. Service level agreement has to be effectively intergated in supplychain which ensure the customer satisfaction and chosing the right mode of shipment based on the criticality and service level features. It also looks in to cost effective methods of direct sourcing, vendor evaluation, opitimizing the storage space, chosing the right logistics providers, consolidation of shipment, effective route management for last mile distribution etc. Thus Integrated supplychain properly integrates the various business process and generate proper value to the whole activities.