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IMC MODEL

IMC builds the relationships that build brands.

(Duncan, 2002).

It is impossible to talk about IMC without talking aboutbrand. That is because brand building relies on creationand nurturing of profitable relationships to meetobjectives, which is the goal of all IMC processes. IMCdevises strategies to use MCs to create and build brand for

individual audiology practices. IMC has importantcharacteristics (Figure 1), the discussion of whichconstitutes the body of this and other articles in the four-part IMC series.

IMC is:

continuous and circular, with no beginning or end aslong as the practice is alive.

data-driven, using information collection andfeedback from Customer Relationship Management(CRM) technology to develop messages and dialogwith target markets.

customer-centric, focusing on target market needsand wants rather than on specific products andtechnologies.

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strategic, creating a consistent meaning in allmessages and dialog.

nurturing, growing customers by finding new waysto increase their satisfaction.

profitable, focusing on lucrative relationships tomake them more worthwhile.

integrated, ensuring that all messages and allpersonnel work together to speak with one voice.

accountable, viewing marketing expenditures asshort and long-term investments to meet objectives(MROI) rather than expenses to be minimized (Etzelet al., 2004).

independentof any specific marketing mix,recognizing that each practice is unique.

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Figure 1. IMC process is circular and data driven, usingdatabase information to link consistent and continuouslyrefined messaging and dialog with target markets in anaccountable manner. IMC can use any mix of MCcomponents (center box), depending on the audiologypractice.

The Database

The nature of the relationship-building process betweenaudiologist and patient lends itself to the database-drivenIMC process. This IMC step was covered in detail in a

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preceding paper(www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1630) that described the architecture and

application of CRM software to audiology practices(Hosford-Dunn, 2006).

A good database management system serves as apractices lifeblood. Without such modern technology that

encompasses a comprehensive memory for detail, thepractice cannot stay focused on customers and becomecustomer-centric in the true meaning of the term. Asaudiologists come to know their patients, their lifestyles,family, and friends, they acquire much valuableinformation that can be stored in a CRM database forfuture use. Capturing and using this highly individualizeddata in a secure, structured framework is beneficial for

both the patient and the practice. Measures ofaccountability and performance are readily availableusing CRM software. Such measures are part of thedatabase-driven aspect of the IMC process.

Targeting Markets

If Id asked my customers what they wanted they wouldhave said a faster horse. Henry Ford

Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a

target no one else can see.

http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1630http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1630http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1630http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1630

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Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes from The Week, August 26,

2006.In the true nature of a circular process, new products are

not created and then sold to waiting markets; ironically,the opposite is true. Markets create products, but often donot realize needs or recognize wants until productsappear. This puts a completely different spin on the ideaof targeting markets. Products do not find markets,markets find products. It is our job to make those productsappealing in the first place.

In audiology, we often consider our market to beeveryone with hearing loss, roughly 34 million people inthe United States (Ahlman, 2006). However, a marketconsists of people who not only exhibit a need, but also anactive readiness to expend resources to satisfy that need.

Thus, in the present audiology reality, we represent aproduct to a considerably smaller segment, consisting atpresent of some portion of the 20% of people with hearingloss who are interested in doing something about it. Thatis not so bad, considering that there are only about 12,000audiologists in the United States and 6 million peoplewith hearing loss who are seeking and obtaining

evaluations and amplification. Hypothetically, ifaudiology captures just half of that market segment andfits them successfully with binaural amplification at anaverage retail price of $1,600/aid, every 4.6 years(Kochkin, 2005), that translates to about $350,000 in

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annual revenues plus diagnostic income per practitioner.Such estimates suggest that we can look forward to abetter return on investment for time and dollars spent on

audiology training and education than most audiologistspresently realize (Smriga, 2006), especially if we canexpand our penetration of existing and potential marketsegments.

Data-Driven Messages for Building Brand Awareness

Ironically, audiologys low profile enables excellent

opportunities for defining its brand. Hearing aids,

digital hearing aids, and even hearing aid dealers are

generic terms denoting commodities rather than uniqueproducts in the publics perception. Trying to differentiatethis terminology to consumers is extremely difficult and

expensive. The same is not the case, however, withAudiologist and Doctor of Audiology as long as wetarget our markets with care (c.f., Foltner & Mansfield,2006). Used properly, these words carve out a brand forour profession and go a long way toward buildingawareness in markets that value professional expertise,university training, reimbursable services, and ethical

behavior. In addition, our tiny aggregate makes us ararity, which offers up another branding opportunity; onlyabout 12,000 people in the United States can presentthemselves in print or any other media as audiologists,and a smaller subset can present themselves as Doctors of

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Audiology. We now have the seeds of our professionalmessage, but how do we differentiate ourselves from oneanother in the markets mind?

Crafting the Message

If the differences do not exist in the patients, they do not

exist in the marketplace. (Staab, 2000).So far, it seems as though it is great to be an audiologist,but individual audiologists and practices must create

market awareness of their unique attributes by strategicmessaging if they hope to build sustainable brands.Building brand awareness is not as easy as it sounds, andthis is where IMC begins to prove its worth by stressingdatabase analysis, message control, and carefulmonitoring of market feedback. To start messagingstrategically, you must analyze your target market as well

as yourself to hone a message that consistently andunambiguously says you and no one else to your

market. What is your product? How does it differ fromother practices products? Can your target market see the

difference? Can you?

Audiologists often answer these questions by falling backon professionalism, highest quality, and caring astheir primary, customer-centric message. In a competitivemarketplace, these intangibles are too generic toconstitute a message that unambiguously represents

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you. It is doubtful that there are any audiologists thatwant to send a message of medium quality. Therefore,

how can consumers compare across professionals if they

all claim to be of the highest quality and who care?At best, it is a zero-sum game. Such superficial messagesmay even backfire. You and your staff in white lab coatsmay prompt consumer associations with laser hairremoval technicians in the mall, portable labs, and nailtechnicians; a We Care slogan can link you to the car

dealer down the street who also Cares if you are not

careful and purposeful in the delivery of your message.

In general, consumers use tangible attributes to decidewhether products differ and intangible attributes to decidehow they differ (Duncan, 2002). For example, Pepsi andCoca-Cola expend vast advertising dollars annually to

capture the top spot in consumers minds. Their tangibleproduct similarities far exceed differences, yet consumersexpress strong preferences for one brand or the other. Thisis largely due to consistent, repetitive, and targetedadvertising messages linking Pepsi and Coke tointangibles, such as lifestyle choices and other emotion-evoking images which appeal to consumers.

The Relevance Factor: What is in it for me?

keep the consumers joy and pleasure front and center

when it comes to positioning [your] brands, developing

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marketing messages and designing [your] products.(Pam Danziger, Unitymarkingonline.com, 2006).Think about the lifestyle choices of your target market

and how you can become part of those choices. Thefollowing questions may help you determine the integrityof your marketing strategy as you consider your targetmarket: Does your message appeal to consumers self

interests? Does your target market consist of older peoplewhose schedules may already be overwhelmed bydoctors appointments? Are there ways you can make

their visit with you different and enjoyable, compared towhat they experience in other offices? Are you targetingworking baby boomers? Are there ways you can makethem feel with it?* Are there ways you can streamlinethe process for these busy folks? Are you targeting luxuryconsumers who insist on experiencing quality? Are

there ways you can give them such experiences? Withinthat segment, do you want to capture the younger, affluentmarket, 52% of whom rank spending money to increasetheir personal enjoyment and pleasure as a top priority?(Table 1). Bottom line: the higher the relevance of yourmessage, the more likely your target market will be tothink about facts presented by your brand (Petty et al.,

1983). Although hearing aids are not included in luxuryitem categories at present, there are good arguments forconsidering them as such: they are expensive, they areselected by only a small percentage of those for whomthey are intended, and they are melding into designer-

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packaged personal communication devices that workseamlessly with other wireless communication devices. Aquick look at Table 1 suggests that our tangible products,

combined with our expertise and relative rarity, make forgood packages to attract luxury consumers.

Table 1. Ranking of a range of motivators that driveluxury consumers in making luxury purchases.(Unitymarketingonline.com, 2006)

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You must do market research and formulate meaningfulanswers to questions of this type to develop your ownmessage. In my case, my target group is narrow and my

message is simple:Celebrating Life with BetterHearing. I seek out patients of all ages who arepassionate about living enthusiastically. The message theyget from my office is that we will do everything in ourabilities and training to help them continue to realize theirpassions. As part of that message, we want to ensure thatevery minute they spend in the office is fun, productive,educational, memorable, and unique. What is yourmessage? How do we get our messages out there to buildawareness?

Building Awareness

Advertising is a common means of building brandawareness. Often referred to as TOMA (top of mindawareness), this component of the marketing mix sends aone-way message to a mass audience. It is especiallyimportant for new practices or locations, which must firstmake target markets aware of their existence, to continuereminding the market of their existence so that they

remain fresh in the paying consumers mind.Too much of todays marketing, is based

onhearing aid technology. Without a program to

make oneself unique in the patients minds, technological

superiority alone no longer guarantees success or even a

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position in the raceIf what you are offering is not

perceived by the patient as having added value, it is

considered a commodity. (Staab, 2000).

Start-up audiology practices face a major advertisingquandary when developing a brand message and building

brand awareness. They can follow the colas lead by

investing precious advertising dollars into raising brandawareness of their unique, but intangible, message. Or,they can advertise a tangible product (hearing aids) toachieve a quicker ROI and try to introduce customers totheir brand message once they are in the door. The formersacrifices cash flow; the latter sacrifices professionalintegrity. Not surprisingly, IMC process argues againstthe latter because it diminishes brand by sending aconflicting and inconsistent message (Come get ahearing aid from somebody in a white coat.). IMC

argues for the slower, long-term brand-building approach,as part of an affordable marketing mix that sends aconsistent message of how the practice is different fromits competitors; namely, how it addresses its target marketneeds and wants better than competitors.

An excellent example of building brand awareness by

way of advertising is demonstrated by the Holiday InnExpress (HIE) hotel chain advertising campaign (Fallon& Senn, 2006). HIE entered the limited-service hotelmarket as an unknown entity with a small advertisingbudget, overshadowed by Marriott and Hampton Inn.

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Deciding to outsmart instead of outspend, HIE

narrowed its market to road warriors, or drive ups,capitalizing on the belief that experienced travelers do not

make reservations, priding themselves on their savvyability to find the best lodging deals. HIE advertisingcreated a Stay Smart brand, linking staying at its hotelsto an intangible feeling of superiority (Staying at a

Holiday Inn Express will not make you smarter, but youwill feel smarter), which quickly differentiated HIE from

its competitors, creating a strong brand and a loyalfollowing. In our profession, we can only hope that weraise our brand awareness to the point that a future HIE adruns along the lines of Wow, are you an audiologist??

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Better yet, you or I can hope to craft our own messages soeffectively that a future HIE ad finishes with, Wow, are

you [your name goes here] the audiologist?! If MarthaStewart can do it, why not one of us?

Controlling Consumer Brand Knowledge

Regarding Martha Stewart, only the most determinedhermit can remain unaware of her brands fluctuations in

goodwill and credibility in recent years. It is a goodillustration of the difference in Public Relations (PR) andMarketing Public Relations (MPR). The former monitorspublic opinion and manages relations between thecompany and its stakeholders, and the latter seeks

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publicity to communicate and increase brand credibility.Both build awareness, but not always with the sameeffect. In the Martha Stewart example, PR worked to gain

control over negative public opinion by minimizingpublicity, while MPR was (and remains) busy controllingthe message through positive, on-message news releases,featured stories, links in mass media, and media kits. Therelative success of MPR depends on the practices relation

with the media, which can be positive or negative,resulting in being in the news or being ignored

PR for audiology practices often takes the form of gooddeeds (associating with local charities, volunteer boards,service club memberships), professional endeavors (stateand national agencies and organizations, educationalwritings, teaching, awards), or expertise (medicolegal,

OSHA programs, industry advisors). A practices successin publicizing its positive PR efforts constitutes its MPR.Thus, working at the local food bank and chairing theLions program for hearing and vision screening generatesmulti-linked PR when your captioned picture makes itinto the local paper (Local Audiologist Works for Food,

Lions, and Children), and can be an even larger MPR

triumph in building brand awareness and credibility whenthe publicized message is strategically controlled ([yourname here] Selflessly Leads Health Professionals in Fight

to Conquer Hunger and Hearing Loss article on page

1). The example is tongue-in-cheek, but effectively

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illustrates the importance of using IMC to craft andcontrol all out-going messages to the practices public byturning PR into MPR whenever possible.

Customers: Acquiring Brand Knowledge

In addition to media publicity, MPR works to involveother stakeholders (yet other target markets) as well:

Being tapped as an expert adds value to your brand.Media look to the practice not only for advertisingrevenue and features, but also for explanations andexpert opinions when preparing investigations andstories.

The local community relies on local businesses fortax revenue, jobs, and boosterism. Participation in

local service clubs, volunteer boards, Better BusinessBureau chapters, Chamber of Commerce, etc., aremeans of spreading your positive brand message.

A positive brand position in the communityinfluences the financial communitys perception of

the practice, thus giving it a financial competitive

advantage. Special interest groups such as the Hearing Loss

Association of America (HLAA, formerly SHHH)can become valuable source of positive word ofmouth brand messaging;

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Competitors can become valuable allies in support ofstate or local legislation favorable to audiologists.

Conclusion

IMC is a strategic marketing model for using some or all

aspects of Marketing Communications to build a strong

brand through consistent, interactive communication

between audiology practices and their target markets.

IMC is neutral insofar as MC functions are employed, butthis article has used advertising, PR and MPR examples to

illustrate use of different MC functions to in meeting IMC

strategic goals for targeted markets.

IMC focuses on building brand by creating databases that

continuously monitor and respond to market needs asrelationships are fostered between practices and their

patients. As with all marketing, the goal of IMC is to

maximize profitable transactions; furthermore, IMC is

strategic in searching and selecting premium long-term

relationships to simultaneously build premium brands

while maximizing profitability. Identifying profitable

relationships and building on them is the topic of the next

article in the IMC series.

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Vodafone ZooZoo 3G Campaign - IntegratedMarketing Communication campaignBySushant Kumar

Vodafone is on a roll. They have been the highest gainer in terms of the people who have

decided to port out of their existing operator and switch to Vodafone. But as predicted

earlier, MNP has not been a game changer. Less than 1% of the total subscribers have

decided to switch their operator. But this post is not about MNP, its about the 3Gcampaign featuring Vodafone India's brand ambassadors "The ZooZoo community" and

their hero "Zoo 3G". If the tales of zoozoo weren't enough on television you will still not

miss the ZooZoo 3G avatar. If you fare high on the geek meter (a nerd like me), you'll

catch him on YouTube, Journal websites, Google ads and news portals. If you toil through

the streets like a bus driver or a rickshaw puller, you'll catch him on almost every second

billboard. If you are a frequent flier, you'll not miss on the airport. If you happen to be at

the Delhi airport around this time, you'll see a Zoozoo city out there. Every aesthetically

sound corner for advertising has a Zoozoo banner. And if that's not enough, the

community kids are spreading the most popular form i.e. Word-of-Mouth. The important

thing to note is that the whole campaign is "Integrated". The term IMC (IntegratedMarketing Communications) is literally engraved in all books and research papers on

promotional strategy, but sadly very few practitioners adopt it. Vodafone's 3G -ZooZoo

campaign is an immaculate example of an integrated marketing communication (IMC)

campaign. If CocaCola gave shape to the santa, the future generations will remember

vodafone for zoozoo.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/16001064353292832763http://www.blogger.com/profile/16001064353292832763http://www.domainofhope.com/2011/01/mobile-number-portability-impact-on.htmlhttp://www.domainofhope.com/2011/01/mobile-number-portability-impact-on.htmlhttp://www.domainofhope.com/2011/01/mobile-number-portability-impact-on.htmlhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--80U6ThgetQ/TYfvLlJNtZI/AAAAAAAABPM/T0M3A7PJ6V4/s1600/zoozoo+3g+marketing+communication.gifhttp://www.domainofhope.com/2011/01/mobile-number-portability-impact-on.htmlhttp://www.domainofhope.com/2011/01/mobile-number-portability-impact-on.htmlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001064353292832763

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About ZooZoos

The egg headed white creatures with big ballooned bodies are characters promoted by

Vodafone since the second season of Indian Premier League (IPL). Vodafone had asked

Ogilvy & Mather to create a series of 30 advertisements which could be aired each day

during the IPL Season 2. They are used to promote various value added services of

Vodafone. Although they look animated, they are actually humans in wearing "ZooZoo"

costumes. These ads were created by Ogilvy & Mather, the agency handling Vodafone

advertisements. They were shot by Nirvana Films in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Idea was conceived by Rajiv Rao, the national creative director at Ogilvy India. The

characters were named ZooZoo because Rajiv and his team "wanted something that

sounded cute, lovable and a bit mad like the characters. Rajiv also "wanted to make

real people look as animated as possible".

The character

The Zoozoos are thin small-bodied women covered in layers of fabric. Each facial

expression of the character is made of rubber and pasted on the actors to reduce the

time and cost for shoot. The effect was achieved by a variety of methods including

reducing the footage frame-rates, using the right material for the body suits to ensure a

wrinkle free outer layer when the characters moved, and keeping backgrounds simple in

terms of detailing color (grey). The sets were made larger than life to make the

characters look smaller. The whole of first series was shot in a record time of 10 days.ZooZoo ad campaign also won the PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) glitter

box award for replacing the pug (remember Hutch) with ZooZoo (considered to be a more

humane alternative).

The response by Indian audience was phenomenal. Although experts claim that the ads

did not achieve the target of increasing VAS usage. ZooZoos have become a brand in

themselves with ZooZoo T-shirts and other accessories being sold at retail chains apart

from thousands of visits to their YouTube advertisements and over 2 million fans on

Facebook pages