The assignment requires you to develop a new integrated marketing communication campaign for a brand. You are required to prepare a ‘pitch’, proposing an integrated marketing communications campaign as if you are part of an agency’s account team pitching for a client’s business, utilising at least two Marketing Communications tools (of course you could use more than 2 tools if needed).
The objective is to win the business by illustrating a compelling, original, integrated, and effective marketing communication plan for a product or service of your choice.
The Company is HSBC and the product is Saving Accounts.
This campaign is targeting at consumers in the UK market. You are required to devise an original promotional campaign and support the creative strategy with a clearly argued marketing rationale. For re-positioning or refreshing an existing brand, for re-energising an old brand, etc. The potential budget and all other variables are left open. But please ensure that the scenario is plausible. Keep everything in proportion and always refer it back to the literature. One good thing to do is to bear in mind the integrated theme of the course- you don’t have to rely on just one media channel. You can, of course, choose a media plan to suit your campaign strategy, using any media and any form of promotional communication you choose.
Your report must outline the five main areas of:
• A review of the chosen product/brand’s current positioning: discuss its competitive positioning and differential appeal.
• Marketing communications objectives: based upon the analysis above, identify this campaign’s marketing communication objectives and justify your rationales.
• Target audience: describe and justify your chosen target segment(s) in terms of their behaviour, attitude and lifestyle.
• Literature review: critically discuss the concept of IMC and the tools (e.g. advertising, PR, direct marketing, exhibitions, etc) of your choice. You need to include at least 2 different tools for this IMC campaign. The discussion needs to be firmly based on existing literature. Models and frameworks could be employed to help demonstrate your point in support of your arguments.
• Creative strategy: discuss how the two tools (or more) of your choice are going to be integrated during your campaign. Describe your creative idea, strategy and media, and how you intend to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, appropriate to the two tools that you are focusing on.
The word limit is 3000 words (Times New Roman 12 font, using 1.5 line spacing). This includes an abstract of no more than 150 words. Please try to retain yourself within the word limit and state the total word counts in the cover page. If you exceed the word limit you will be penalised by receiving a lower grade. You are allowed to include a reasonable amount of relevant supporting material in the appendix (which are not included in the word count). All material should be properly referenced according to the Harvard system of referencing used in most academic journals.
Fill, C. (2013) Marketing Communications: brands, experiences and participation, 6th edition, Pearson Education Ltd.
Supplementary reading
Baines, P., Fill, C., and Page, K., 2008. Marketing. Oxford University Press.
Belch, George, E. and Belch, Michael, A., 2012. Advertising and Promotion. An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, Global edition. 10th edition, McGraw-Hill.
Blowfield, M., & Murray, A., 2008. Corporate Responsibility. A Critical Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Caywood, C. L. (2012) The handbook of strategic public relations and integrated communications, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill
Cornelissen, J., 2004. Corporate Communications. Theory and Practice, Sage.
Crane, A. & Matten, D., 2007. Business Ethics: A European Perspective (second edition), Oxford University Press.
Egan, John, 2007. Marketing Communications. London: Thomson Learning.
Jobber, D., 2007. Principles and Practice of Marketing, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.
Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2008) Cite them right: the essential guide to referencing and plagiarism. Newcastle upon Tyne: Pear Tree Books.
Pickton, D. & Broderick, A., 2005. Integrated Marketing Communications, (second edition) FT Prentice Hall.
Shimp, T. A., 2007. Integrated Marketing Communications in Advertising and Promotion, 7th Edition. Mason: Thomson South-Western.
JOURNALS
Journal of Marketing
European Journal of Marketing
Harvard Business Review
Journal of Marketing Research
Journals of Consumer Research
Journal of Business Research
International Journal of Market Research
Journal of Advertising Research
Journal of Advertising
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Journal of Marketing Communications
Journal of Marketing Management
Journal of Retailing
Corporate Reputation Review
International Journal of Corporate Communications
International Journal of Advertising
International Marketing Review
PRESS
Campaign
Marketing
Marketing Business
Marketing Week
PR Week