Discussion Board 12

• Consider the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC).  Select any company you like and do some investigating about their use of IMC in developing and executing their promotional strategies.  Look for evidence through their media and messages. 
• What evidence leads you to conclude they are or are not successfully practicing an IMC approach?  Be specific and connect the evidence to the discussion of IMC in the chapter.
• Is there evidence that the firm practices internal marketing?  If so, please share what you found that leads you to this conclusion.  If not, speculate on how internal marketing would be of value to the organization.
• For this or any firm, what are the major advantages of taking an IMC approach?  What are the downsides of not practicing IMC?

I chose Starbucks as one of my favorite companies. I found an article that I will quote that articulates my thoughts perfecty: "Visually, the Starbucks brand is undeniable. Travel to any major city around the world, and quite a few less major ones, and you’ll see the familiar Starbucks face peering at you from coffee cups held by passersby. You’ll identify a place to get the coffee you love in an airport, or wandering down some strange new street (https://www.waxmarketing.com/imc-campaign-of-the-month-starbucks-well-everything/)." 

I know from talking directly to friends of mine who currently or have worked for starbucks that they do have an internal marketing strategy, usually through a "secret menu" which can involve different recipes that only baristas know or have made for each other (at least thats what I was told it started out as). They also get perks such as free coffee to take home and 30% discount off of beverages they order. 

IMC is always advantageous because its all about the best forms of communication and making sure that all things going out about the company is on the same page. A downside to not using it is that miscommunications can occur easily, at foodlion there were always problems involving confusion about pricing and what items were ment to be put where because there was very poor communication.

• Think of a situation you’ve experienced in which some communication process you were involved in did not go as well as it might have.  Any kind of communication will work for the example – it doesn’t have to be marketing communications.  Using the Communication Process Model (Exhibit 12.6) and accompanying discussion as a guide, systematically retrace the steps of that communication experience through the elements of the model and identify (a) where the problems occurred and (b) what could have been done differently at each problem step to make the communication experience better.

I can give an example that happened to my mother just the other day involving our car insurance (and technically me because I am part of the plan). After my younger sister was dropped from the car insurance plan there were lots of miscommunication errors between the insurance and my mother involving pricing, wether or not she would be covered over the next month or how much was owed or not owed. After everything was finally settled they informed my mom that despite her not owing anything and the matter was solved, she would still be getting something in the mail saying her bill was past due. Granted they warned her and told her to completely ignore it, but the fact that it was still going on and there were miscommunications at every step shows a clear issue with their communication processes. 

• Consider a major purchase you have made recently.  Review the AIDA model (Exhibit 12.7) and accompanying discussion.
• Think back on the process that led up to your purchase and reconstruct the types of promotion that you experienced during each stage of the AIDA model.  Which of the promotional forms was most effective in your situation, and why?

• As you reconstruct this purchase experience and the promotional messages you received during it, what other promotion mix elements that you did not experience at the time might have been effective in convincing you to make the purchase?  At what stage of the AIDA model would they have been helpful, and in what ways do you believe they might have impacted your decision process?

I legitimately cannot remember the last "major" purchase I made other than when I picked which apartment I would be living in.  The most successful promotional form was awareness. My roommate was researching apartment options and this new apartment complex (still being built) had already been added to a database where prospective clients. This prompted us to go in person where we were then given brochures and a tour as well as hearing actual testimonials from people who lived in other apartment complexes run by the same company (action). In all honesty I feel like the apartment complex has done a decent job of hitting all areas, they are present in apartment databases (awareness), have excellent web presence (interest), have plenty of information to give out through brochures and promotions in person (desire and action).