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Marketing Communication Strategies
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Marketing Communication StrategiesSOSTAC Reference
Introduction
What are Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and MACROMS
According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, integrated marketing
communications (IMC) are “an approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign
through a well-coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to reinforce
each other”. The idea is to combine all four-primary media (advertising, direct marketing, PR, and
sales promotion) to provide a holistic (i.e. complete / all-inclusive) and integrated (i.e. combined/
unified / joined) approach.
Note: MARCOMS is an abbreviation for marketing communications.
MARCOMS overall are central to Porter’s (1980) generic cost-differentiation focus strategies
framework and refer to four central types of media: advertising, direct marketing, public relations
(PR), and sales promotions. There are two layers to explore in using these four media in MARCOMS
strategy relating to what the company wants to say and execution (i.e. how they want to say it).
, (Source: Douglas C. West, John Ford, Essam Ibrahim ‘Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive
Advantage’)
Note: MARCOMS can be used in marketing strategy either singularly or holistically / all-inclusively
(i.e. IMC).
MARCOMS and Cost
Can MARCOMS be used to reduce costs? The answer is largely no for the short-term, buy yes when a
longer perspective is taken.
Note: the basic profit formula is Profit= (price - cost) * volume.
How do MARCOMS fit in terms of a cost in the formula? In the short-run, a company can spend
money on MARCOMS to help justify a price increase or increase volume, but this will only add to
costs. In the medium to long-term, MARCOMS can support price through brand preference and
provide some competitive protection for a brand. Furthermore, increased volume can be
encouraged by pointing out new uses for the brand or by targeting new markets. Successful
MARCOMS can lead to higher sales and in turn economies of scale. MARCOMS can also directly
reduce costs through replacing (or increasing the efficiency) of an organisation’s routes to markets &
in reducing market research costs. For example, a company with a large salesforce and or call centre
may find that MARCOMS can create an environment where they can reduce the number of staff
required. Customers can manage their accounts and track orders (CMR – customer managed
relationship), fill out surveys, customise products, and find answers to their questions via advertising
and direct marketing and the web.
(Source: Douglas C. West, John Ford, Essam Ibrahim ‘Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive
Advantage’)
MARCOMS and Differentiation
Differentiation is central to spending on MARCOMS. MARCOMS provides organisations with the
possibility of establishing their position with the market and asserting their distinctiveness. At heart
all organisations, regardless of if they’re for-profit or not-for profit, seek to establish a point of
difference.
(Source: Douglas C. West, John Ford, Essam Ibrahim ‘Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive
Advantage’)
Push vs Pull MARCOMS
• Push is when a message is placed in order to influence members of an audience e.g. a TV
commercial.
• Pull is when the audience pulls information towards themselves e.g. ‘Googling’.
(Source: Douglas C. West, John Ford, Essam Ibrahim ‘Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive
Advantage’)
MARCOMS Strategic Process
The MARCOMS strategic process can be seen in the figure below.
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