Integrated Marketing Communication Plan NameCourse TitleDateIntegrated Marketing Communication PlanLux body wash is one of the cleaning products from Unilever Company, a giant company dealing with fast moving consumer goods. The company prides itself on large volumes of sales and giving value to consumers of its products. Initially, Lux was launched as a soap bar, but due to changing consumer preferences, its body wash was produced (Shetty, 2015). By being a new product, an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) plan needs to be employed to create its awareness and improve its sales (Cooney, 2016). It involves, identifying its target market, a SWOT analysis, and IMC tools it will employ.
Body wash is an essential toiletry. However, most people view it as a luxury. Hence, it is usually associated with social class. Therefore, the main target for lux body wash is the middle and upper class.
Thus, measures should be put in place such as lower pricing to attract all classes of people (Cooney, 2016). Furthermore, it is also produced in a range of fragrances based on different people’s lifestyles and preferences to widen the target market. The strengths of lux body wash include, it has several variants such as fruit extracts, almond oil, orchid extracts and milk cream. Moreover, it has a strong brand image, a dynamic continuous innovation, and brand rejuvenation and has a high value for money that is, high quality for a relatively lower price (Shetty, 2015). Its weaknesses include, it is positioned as a beauty product thus it’s hard to convince men to buy it. Also, the product has a high tear rate, and it is soggy (Shetty, 2015). Additionally, its replenishment in semi-urban or rural areas is high thus faces stock-out problems. It has various opportunities such as a growing market, and a high potential for extension in fragrances and variants catering to the beauty sector such as herbal and natural (Shetty, 2015).
Its threats are the ever-changing technology, which makes existing products obsolete, and competition in new markets.IMC tools to be used in the plan include advertising, direct marketing, and brand image (Cooney, 2016). Furthermore, a cognitive approach is to be used in all the tools to persuade consumers more. In advertising, all vital advertising channels will be used such as television, newspaper, internet, and radio (Kitchen, & Tourky, 2015). For instance, in television, it should be aired during shows with high ratings to reach a bigger audience.
Such will be done regularly, such as during morning shows, afternoon, evening and late night hours. Furthermore, advertising should be unique, for instance, it can portray that doctors recommending lux body wash. The same campaign should be employed in all advertising channels.In direct marketing, door to door method can be used. It will reach a lot of people including the ones that are not in touch with the media (Kitchen, & Tourky, 2015).
Furthermore, it is easier to convince people face to face as the benefits of the product can be elaborated more and in a deeper manner. The salespeople will be selected carefully as they are needed to have high convincing skills and look presentable. Additionally, they will be paid by the commission to motivate them to sell more.The branding of the product should be in a manner that is in coherence with the marketing campaign (Kim, Kim, & Marshall, 2016). Furthermore, it should be attracting enough to pull new consumers and also keep old clients.
Appearance is an essential factor to promote the selling of the product. The label will also show the different ingredients used to portray transparency. Additionally, it will show how the body wash can be used and the different benefits of each of the variants. For instance, the picture below shows how lux body wash is brightly branded to attract consumers. Moreover, different variants have different colors making it easier for the consumer to distinguish them. For instance the purple one is branded with captivating words that is, “magical spell”.
It creates the illusion that after using it, the user will experience a magical experience. Additionally, it states that the user will stay refreshed for about eight hours and also retain its scent. Also, the pink one has a different branding with the words, “soft touch, “for noticeably soft skin” and is a moisturizer that causes the skin to glow. Its special ingredients are also specified which are skin silk essence and rose water. Similarly, the white one is labeled “white impress” and has the ability to make the skin radiant and smooth.
In conclusion, an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) plan assesses the strategic functions of various communication disciplines such as advertising, direct marketing and branding and puts them together to offer transparency, reliability, and full communication influence. It uses multiple combinations of traditional and non-traditional techniques to promote a commodity or service.ReferencesCooney, R.
L. (2016). Integrated Marketing Communications. http://www.
cooneyclasses.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMC-Process-and-Plan-Overview.pdfKim, J., Kim, J.
E., & Marshall, R. (2016). Are two arguments always better than one? Persuasion knowledge moderating the effect of integrated marketing communications. European Journal of Marketing, 50(7/8), 1399-1425.Kitchen, P. J.
, & Tourky, M. (2015). Integrated Marketing Communications: A Contextual International Advertising Approach. In Integrated Communications in the Postmodern Era (pp.
19-48). Palgrave Macmillan, London.Shetty, N.
(2015). CONSUMER RECALL TOWARDS POSM FOR LUX AND DOVE BODY WASH WITH RESPECT TO VISIBILITIES EXECUTED IN STORES. Sansmaran Research Journal, 5(2), 46-50.
