Introduction
Modern market is highly competitive and to survive companies should create a positive image of their brand. There are some different ways of positive image creation; still, one of the most effective ones remains the integrated marketing communications. The development of the technologies made it possible to use the Internet as the additional way of coordination of promotion efforts. Taking the Coca-Cola Company we are going to discuss it as the example of the company that managed to build and maintain positive brand image by using a broad range of integrated marketing communication tools.
Before shifting to the Coca-Cola Company example of a positive image building by means of integrated marketing communications tools, it is necessary to give the definition to the integrated marketing communications and state its role in a brand positive image creation. Peter, J.P. and Donnelly, J.H. (2004) give such definition to integrated marketing communications, they state that “the goal of integrated marketing communications is to develop marketing communications programs that coordinate and integrate all elements of promotion – advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, and publicity – so that the organization presents a consistent message” (p.113). In fact, integrated marketing communication tools are aimed to manage the sources of the company’s brand with existing and potential consumers of the company’s products. It should be mentioned that it is easy to understand the main idea of the integrated marketing communications, even though it is not so easy to implement its tools in life (Peter and Donnelly 2004, p.113).
Main body
Integrated marketing communications play a prominent role in positive brand image creation as people usually consider the company through the products it produces; at the same time, people are influenced by television, Internet and other kinds of mass media and already know the products without buying them. The integrated marketing communications help the brand company to deliver the message to the consumer about its products and leave a positive image by means of mass-media advertising, cable TV, DVDs, direct mail, the Internet, podcasts, or special-interest magazines. Moreover, the brand company may turn to specialists and they will provide advertising campaigns, sales promotion, or communication with public as well as will use other methods to create a positive image of the company (Pride, Hughes and Kapoor 2009, p.426). Coming out of the information mentioned above, it may be concluded that the integrated marketing communication is the main method of a positive brand image creation as it “influences or directly affects the behavior of the selected audience” (Kitchen and Pelsmacker 2004, p.7).
The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world known brands that uses integrated marketing communications as the method of its positive image creation. Discussing the problem closer, the main integrated marketing communication tolls will be discussed to illustrate how Coca-Cola uses them in practice. There are two directions of integrated marketing communication tools which are used by the Coca-Cola Company, the first one is the creation of a positive image of the brand and the second on is “to get the message out about beverages” (Kurtz 2008, p.488). This stage is important as without knowing what customers value and how they understand the company’s image today, it will be impossible to improve the company’s brand tomorrow.
Using media advertising, the Coca-Cola Company usually tries to stress the values people take care of, such as friends and family. Remembering the advertising campaigns of the Coca-Cola, people usually remember the family that drinks Coca-Cola together, or friends who spend time in the company of the Coca-Cola. Remembering the slogans of the Company, such as Always Coca-Cola, Taste it all, Play Red Hot Summer, Enjoy, Life tastes good, Make It Real, Live on the Coke Side of Life and Open Happiness, it may be concluded that the brand name associates with positive moments in people’s life. Moreover, the Christmas advertising campaign appeared in 1931 and this image of the Christmas drink remains in people’s mind till now (The Coca-Cola Company). The mentioned image of positive, friendly and family drink of the Coca-Cola brand was created by means of integrated marketing communications on different levels.
The Coca-Cola Company used the other tool of integrated marketing communication for positive brand image creation, such as sponsorship. According to Guy Masterman and Emma H. Wood (2006) the use of sponsorship and events as an integrated marketing communication tool is not new, still, it is very powerful and influential one. The Coca-Cola Company was the sponsor at the first modern Olympic Games which took place in Athens in 1896, in Amsterdam in 1928, at the 2002 Winter Games at Salt Lake City and some other events which were extremely popular in the society (Masterman, G and Wood 2006, p.235).
Modern world is too fast and busy and there are people who do not watch TV because they have no time for this. Still, they want to be aware of the cinematography novelty and they watch films when they have time. The Coca-Cola perfectly decided the problem of influence on these consumers via the use of Coca-Cola beverages in the film industry. The Coca-Cola Company pays film companies for placing its products in the scenes where they are suitable. The Coca-Cola Company establishes the following aim in the media advertising, “Our goal: to become as critical to your marketing as you are to ours” (Mitchell 2003, p.29).
The Coca-Cola Company usually uses sales promotion, such as discount, the offers like two bottles on the price of one, piggy-back promotion, the price-pack deal, price deal in specific supermarkets, loss leader promotion, and contests/sweepstakes/games. The consumers like different kinds of sales promotion and willingly take part in the offers. One of the main secrets of the Coca-Cola Company is the perfect collaboration and mix of the integrated marketing communication tools that placed the company on the high level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Coca-Cola Company is one of the most world known brands that managed to create a positive brand image by means of using integrated marketing communication tools. Looking on the existing market situation and considering from the personal experience, it is possible to say that the Coca Company managed to create a positive brand image successfully. The Coca-Cola Company was able to develop such communication program that easily coordinated and integrated the all elements of marketing promotion. Thinking on the beverages, people usually think of the Coca-Cola. The main integrated marketing communication tools used by the Coca-Cola Company are ads, public relations, sponsorships and the sales promotion. The perfect mix of different tools and implementation it in life is one of the main secrets of the company success.
References
Kitchen, PJ & Pelsmacker, P 2004, Integrated marketing communications: a primer, Routledge, Oxford.
Kurtz, DL 2008, Contemporary Marketing, Cengage Learning, Stamford.
Masterman, G & Wood EH 2006, Innovative marketing communications: strategies for the events industry, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
Mitchell, A 2003, Coca-Cola spearheads a marketing revolution, Marketing Week, vol. 26, issue 34, pp. 28-29.
Peter, JP & Donnelly, JH 2004, Marketing management: knowledge and skills, McGrow-Hill, New York.
Pride, WM, Hughes, RJ, & Kapoor, JR 2009, Business, Cengage Learning, Stamford.
The Coca-Cola Company, 2010, Official site, Web.