Teaching Integrated Marketing Communication

Question: Discuss about the Teaching Integrated Marketing Communication. Answer: Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyze the case study namely Cadbury Picnic- Rebuilding the Brand. In this case, Cadbury has implemented a marketing communication plan in order to rebuild the 58 years old brand Picnic. The previous marketing campaign for this product was Deliciously Ugly. Thereafter, Picnic, its not Picnic was the marketing campaign implemented by Cadbury in order to communicate with the consumers. This report will evaluate the implemented marketing communication plan and will identify the key issues of the same (Chitty 2011). Moreover, this report will consist of efficient recommendations in order to mitigate the potential issues of this communication plan. Here, two academic articles will be evaluated in order to give theoretical justification of the marketing movement. Case Summary According to the case study, Australian consumers consume 4.7 kg confectionery annually. Therefore, it can be said that confectionary market of Australia is one of the popular snack food in Australian market. In this market scenario, Cadbury Pty Ltd has 47 per cent market share in chocolate confectionary market. The case study emphasizes the oldest brand of Cadbury namely Picnic and its marketing communication strategy. Previously, the company was conducting marketing communication with the tag line of Deliciously Ugly. However, during the five years span of 2000 to 2008, the brand losses its sales and eventually declined by the target market (Chitty 2011). Three market forces such as competition, distribution channel and changing trend of snacks products influenced the reason behind this sales fall. In order to rebrand the product, Cadbury has implemented a new marketing communication strategy with the tag line Picnic, its not Picnic. This marketing communication was focused to build an emotional attachment with the targeted consumers. Here, Cadbury encourages the consumers to make their own television advertisements while having Picnic. The product was difficult to consume, as this is not an on the go kind of chocolate stick. This marketing communication was initiated in order to encourage the consumers to try it. They would consume the product while a commercial conversation. This marketing movement was initiated in order to promote personal experience of the consumers. The potential threat of this marketing communication was consumers may not entertain the companys approach of making own advertisement. Thus, the company could have face difficulties due to lack of commercial contents. Key Communication Issue The previous marketing communication of Cadbury was Deliciously Ugly, which was proven to be successful in competitive market. However, the changing trend of snack products has led Picnic to the declining stage of product life cycle. The key issue has been emphasized in this case study is increasing market competition. During this period, Snicker was the biggest competitor of Cadbury Picnic. Marketing communication is a process of communicating with the consumers with relevant information (Dahl, Eagle and Low 2015). The major issue with Picnic that it was not an on the go chocolate bar. People may face difficulties to have Picnic while they are walking or attending a business conference. However, quality and flavor of the product was not at all an issue for the consumers. In this situation, it was difficult for Cadbury to maintain sustainable profitability for the product. Other Communication Issues According to the case study, there were many challenges that have prevented Picnic from conducting sustainable business. The first issue was it is not an on the go chocolate bar and consumers faces messy issues while consuming the product. The ingredients were used in this product makes it sticky and unmanageable. Consumers may like the taste and quality of the product, as it was much better than other products. In order to gain competitive advantage, it is highly important to maintain the product quality (Hollensen 2015). However, the products key features prevented a regular purchase. The second issue of the marketing communication was promotional activities. Here, the company had implemented a low pricing strategy in order to retain new and existing consumers (Samu and Wymer 2014). However, providing random promotional offers were tend the consumers to purchase the product at low price. In this era of competitiveness, confectionary industry gives combo purchase offers, which is a globally acknowledge communication strategy. However, Cadbury was not able to provide such promotional offers sue to the previous agreement with Schweppes. In order to overcome the potential challenges, the company has implemented the next marketing communication strategy, which is known as Picnic, its not Picnic. This marketing campaign was focused to encourage the consumers to make their own commercial advertisement. Here, there was a potential threat, which may have led the company towards shortfall of commercial advertisement (Petersen, Kushwaha and Kumar 2015). Linking with Lecture Topic In lecture topics, the move to the digital platform is the most relevant discussion with this case study. In this case, Cadbury has faced a set of potential issues with its primary marketing communication strategy (Luxton, Reid and Mavondo 2015). Therefore, the company has implemented the new marketing communication strategy in order to communicate with the target market. The transition of marketing communication from traditional to digital process shows that it directly relevant with the lecture topic Digital and Social Media, Chapter three and four. Here, the use of digital marketing has been emphasized. The goal of Cadbury was to encourage the consumers to make their own TV advertisement while having a Cadbury Picnic chocolate bar. In this case, the potential issues were promotional activities, market competition and trend of confectionary products. Therefore, the marketing movement of the company was initiated in order to reach to the consumers with innovative strategy. Here, the consumers need to have a computer with webcam and a piece of Picnic bar. In this manner, they would be able to share their personal experience, when they are having Picnic chocolate. The consumers will be able to create web link of the TV advertisement and can post the link onto the social media website in order to attract audience (Berthon, Pitt and Watson 2015). Therefore, it directly linked with the lecture topic, which discusses about the digital marketing through social media platform. The concept illustrated in this lecture topic is the process of utilizing the digital platform in order to influence mass audience. In order to influence mass audience, it is highly important to identify the most efficient online platform. Here, the company has selected television and social media as the most appropriate social media platform (Gong and Tsai 2016). Through these digital platforms, the company has given opportunity to the consumers to share their personal experience while having Picnic chocolate. Academic Article Links The purpose of this journal article is to examine the integrated marketing communication. Moreover, this journal article emphasizes the concept of integrated marketing communication and process of social media marketing (Dahl, Eagle and Low 2015). On the other hand, the given case study of Cadbury shows that the company has utilized digital marketing strategy using television and social media website. The aim of the company was to communicate with the consumers of Picnic chocolate in order to build an emotional attachment with the consumers (Kim 2016). Therefore, it can be said that the theoretical framework of this journal article is relevant with the given case study of Cadbury. The purpose of this journal article is to investigate the impact of various messages that can be sent via marketing communication. Here, the importance of efficient information has been evaluated (Samu and Wymer 2014). In case of Cadbury, the company has pass on the information about the product called Picnic. The company has highlighted the main attribute of the product in order to influence buying behavior of the consumers. In case of Cadbury, the company was facing issues about the products attributes (Fedorko et al. 2015). Consumers were found it difficult to consume Picnic chocolate bar due to its unmanageable attribute. Therefore, the company has simply pass on a message concerning the difficulties that consumers may face while having Picnic. The company has communicate with the consumers by stating that it is difficult to consume Picnic while working, but it would be fun to try it. Therefore, it can be said that this journal article and its findings are relevant with the given case study of Cadbury. Decisions Required The case study shows that market competition is the key issue of Picnic. Therefore, the company has taken the approach of changing the marketing communication strategy. The newly formed marketing communication strategy was for attracting the consumers towards the brand. The strategy was efficient, as it was a big success for the company (Segal and Giacobbe 2015). However, the company would improve the strategy by giving the opportunity to the consumers to make customized advertisement without tampering its originality. For example, the company would incorporate efficient auto customization through which consumers can record high quality video for the television advertisement. The decision of telecasting the advertisement on television was good. However, the company would have focus on the video quality in order to improve the brand image. In order to entertain all the consumers, the company has planned to telecast one advertisement for once. It helps the company to avoid repetitive telecasting of digitalized content. Here, the company would allow the consumers to share the video post through social media website (Bandyopadhyay 2016). However, the company has only given the opportunity to share the link of television advertisement through social media website. Allowing the consumers to post the video through their social media account would help the company to engage word-of-mouth marketing strategy, which is an efficient marketing communication strategy (Jrvinen, Tllmen and Karjaluoto 2015). In this manner, the company would be able to dominate competitors like Snicker and would gain competitive advantages in an efficient manner. Proposed Solutions In order to solve the potential issues of Cadbury, it would be beneficial to communicate with the consumers directly. Here, the company should conduct outdoor campaign with the current marketing communication campaign. The outdoor marketing communication would help the company to increase sales volume within short time span (Van Huyssteen, Strydom and Rudansky-Kloppers 2015). Moreover, the company should deliver a clear message to the consumers in order to emphasize key attributes of the product called Picnic. When it comes to the issue of market competition, the company should conduct efficient promotional offers. However, the company should not provide frequent offer of low pricing benefit (Raval 2016). The company should take step against the legal barrier for which the company is unable to provide combo offers. In this manner, the company would be able to introduce efficient promotional offers and at the same time, the company would be able to maintain profitability as well. The major problem faced by Cadbury was poor communication with the consumers. The previous communication strategy was repetitive and therefore, consumers are no more interested to buy the product. It is highly important to mention the cause behind which consumers should buy the product (Wu 2016). Therefore, the company should focus on the information or message of the marketing communication strategy. The company has given opportunity to the consumers to share the link of TV advertisement through social media platform (Sozinova and Fokina 2015). Here, the company should allow the consumers to share the video that they have created through the companys website. It would help the company to gain advantage continuously from the commercial videos effortlessly. Conclusion While concluding, it can be said that this case study is a good example of transaction from traditional marketing communication to contemporary marketing communication process. Apart from that, the use of digital platform in marketing communication has been emphasized in this case study. Apart from that, this case study shows that how marketers can enhance emotional attachment with the consumers in order to rebuild a particular brand. This marketing communication strategy was not just to make commercial advertisement. It was also for increasing sales of the product during the campaign. Therefore, it can be said that this case study shows the way in which communication with the consumers can be enhanced. Bibliography Bandyopadhyay, S., 2016. A Case Study of Teaching Integrated Marketing Communication Using an Innovative Group Internship Project.International Journal for Innovation Education and Research,3(2) Berthon, P., Pitt, L.F. and Watson, R.T., 2015. 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