Introduction
Integrated marketing communications is a process by which all components of communication regarding marketing are integrated into a single unit that is deemed to work effectively. The vital role played by the concept of integrated marketing communications is the enabling of plans to run as per organizational expectations. Appropriateness of marketing communications plan for a particular product within the Coca-Cola Company highly depends on the extent to which emphasis on marketing strategies has been placed.
The situational analysis provides the operational baseline for the Coca-Cola Zero product, critically considering the product’s microenvironment, market and internal market (PESTEL, 5 Forces & SWOT). Consumer and communication mix analysis is also very vital in spelling the organizational operations scope, which entails the segmentation, targeting, positioning, as well as an analysis of the competitors. The best marketing plan for a particular product is one that incorporates clearly defined Marketing objectives and marketing communications objectives that possess a direct link to organizational situational analysis in all realms (Kapferer, 2008.
However, the effectiveness of Coca-Cola Zero’s marketing plan is highly defined by the Communication mix strategies that have been put into place. This encompasses the different communication mix components including relevance to DMU in terms of message strategy and media strategy.
Moreover, the validity of the integrated marketing projects for the product is identified via the Implementation processes, which are inclusive of monitoring and effectiveness of the marketing communications plan (Mike, et al., 2005). The discussion in this report provides a detailed critical evaluation of a marketing communications plan of Coca-Cola zero (coke zero) and the overall appropriateness of the plan.
Situational Analysis
The Coca-Coca Zero drink as a product from the Coca-Cola Company has an enticing situational analysis, which provides a rationale for the effectiveness in the marketing plans that are put into place. Marketing communication plans play a pivotal responsibility in support of the Coca-Cola Zero’s mission strategies for growth as well as the set objectives.
The company’s market environment is very competitive and as such, marketing is carried out in order to increase product awareness to the target organization consumers (Kurtz, et al., 2009). The porter’s five forces could be used to analyze the situation under which the company operates.
Primarily, there is a significant level of rivalry among competing firms, with companies such as Pepsi cola being the main threat. Secondly, the company’s good performance and market opportunity has attracted new entrants who pose a threat to the future profitability of the company. Thirdly, given that there are just a few suppliers yet there several firms competing for the supplies, the suppliers tend to have a high bargaining power, thus Coca-Cola has to devise strategies that will make it being the most influential player in the market in regards to sourcing of supplies.
Fourthly, buyers tend to have a high bargaining power due to the fact that they can easily switch from Coca-Cola products to other competing products in the market. However, through marketing, the company will interact with a vast number of consumers, thus identifying consumer needs. This will directly contribute into the achievement of the anticipated manufacturing and supplier objectives. Lastly, the company faces competition in the market due to availability of substitute products, which have the same chance of being selected by customers.
Maximum use of available and newly invented marketing objectives will help the company achieve its marketing objectives. At the same time, the promotion strategies that have been used by the company have been successful (Martin, 2008). The figure below summarizes the porter’s five forces influencing the company.
The external environment in which Coke Zero is subjected to is very volatile due to the rising rate of competition. In the urge for the company to sustain its performance in the market, competitive strategies are occasionally applied in a bid to enhance competitive advantage.
Additionally, the products that the company deals with require rapid innovational changes, since the world today is very dynamic in terms of technological advancements. Similarly, there is a rising demand for such products due to the emphasis on effective product use by the current world.
More advancement is required everyday in the industries to enhance appropriate Customer Relationship Management strategies. However, the Company’s mission is to develop a suitable relationship with the immediate society, who is the target consumer for their products (Katz, 2010).
SWOT analysis demonstrates Coca-Cola Zero product as one among the best products of Coca-Cola company. The fact that Coke Zero Company has a wide range of beverages in operation is deemed as strength since their customers are always pleased to choose among a variety (Coca-Cola Company, 2006). Secondly, the establishment of selling bases in a variety of countries is also as strength because they can sell a large number of products to the customers and make a lot of profits. The Coke Zero Logo is very attracting and appealing to the clientele due to the nature of its construction in terms of colour and foundation.
However, the fact that they have dealt with the same brand for quite a long time is a weakness since the use of the same products for a long period leads to boredom in many cases, therefore needs to be made strength by regular changing of brand.
Moreover, the fact that there are other companies that sell such similar products to the coca-cola company brings out the aspect of competition that the company faces. This is considered as a threat to the company’s success, lest they design strategies that may help overcome this challenge. Nevertheless, the company has a very great opportunity to exploit since they have customer bases that can enable them gain many customers, thus they are in a very ample position to establish them (Gilligan. and Wilson, 2009).
Consumer Analysis
Consumer analysis represents the scope of a company’s operation and area of product supplies. The primary target of the drink at its inception was and has always been towards young adult males in all countries. The recent years have also seen the product target all kinds of people in the prevailing market. It is being sold in almost every country in the current world today. The positioning of the coke Zero is based on its logo that is so appealing to the users as well as the taste that finds many in need to continue taking it.
The sale of the product has also been officially launched in the major countries of the world, rendering it marketing position viable. At the same time, a wide scope of operation has been established, in more than two hundred countries and in all the five continents. The product’s market segment is wide enough, thus enhancing its growth in all regions (Smith, 2006). The fact that it operates in approximately four hundred countries makes it popular worldwide, hence, every consumer is interested in purchasing the products of the company.
Their well-designed marketing mix also makes it possible for the company to generate a large market for products all over the globe. Owing to the large size of the market available for the company, it becomes possible to overcome the aspect of competition in most instances, thus becoming more successful, despite the challenges that the company faces. Nevertheless, there are other competitors that sell similar products in the same market segments as for Coke Zero, but its company has been able to overcome in many areas and proceeded towards the achievement of the marketing plan objectives (Laric and Lynagh, 2010).
Marketing Objectives
Marketing objectives and marketing communication objectives dictate the aims of a particular corporation, since every organization’s success depends upon the already laid down strategies by the management. A product that has been long operating in the market needs a variety of methods to be involved in order for it to yield profits for the company (Black Enterprise magazine, 1997).
The herein discussed Coca-Cola Zero product has long been sold via the utilization of well laid-down strategies and objectives that have made it successful over the years since its inception. First, the company aims at making Coke Zero the best soft drinks being consumed in the whole world (Hunnicutt, 2007. The company aims at producing and supplying the best ever Coke Zero brand to their esteemed customers in order to expand their markets globally.
Moreover, the company seeks to establish a large customer base in all the countries of its product operation in order to maximize the number of consumers that they have, and at the same time establish a brand with a strong business foundation (Schultz, et al., 1993). Thus, they aim at becoming the largest and the best selling Coke Zero Company for the moving brand that makes a lot of profits with no losses, since no corporation in the world yearns for losses at any instance.
Nevertheless, the marketing mix strategies put in place have not sufficiently assisted in the product’s expansion across the globe. The company aims at recruiting a new team to manage the new products to enhance productivity as well as incorporate new ideas from a young and a dynamic generation (Guinn 2008).
Marketing Communications Objectives
Communication mix
Communication mix is a process that involves communicating to a target audience through a variety of ways about a company’s products or services, with the aim of entising them to buy more products as well as remind them of the continued existence of similar products.
Coca-Cola Zero has been famous for its entising advertising strategies and therefore has been experiencing rapid growth. For instance, one tunes on the television and comes across the term “super-bowl advertising”, a form of sports advertising but will find the company’s profile appearing in the advert. In order to enhance its growth and counteract competition, communication mix is done over a variety of media and under strategic planning techniques (Wysocki and Ferdinand, 2001).
Message strategy
The company has been keen on what to tell the existing and potential customers in regards to its product. In this case, advertisements are designed in such a way that the content delivered to the audinece efficinetly sells the product being advertised.
One important aspect of advertisement may be described through the use of FBC grid which encompases four strategies – informative, affective, habitual and satisfaction. For coke Zero, the company tries to use all the four strategies, with informative and satisfaction being more emphasized.
The Coke Zero producer has put into practice the elements that aim at persuading and informing the audience about the extraordinally nature of their products. Under habitual strategy, repetition is essential in order to maintain a flow in the marketing mix strategies, thus they perform their adverts more repetitively.
On the other hand, too much repetition causes boredom, thus the company measures considerably the amount of advertising as well as the tools that they employ in these strategies. ELM model has also been used in adverting coke Zero, in which case, the information is tailored to present the product appear positive as far as perception of the target consumers is concerned and thus influencing them to change their attitudes to accommodate the product.
Execution strategy
The course of advertising is exellently designed to reach the target customers at the right time and in their easy to access places. Additionally, the marketing mix media have been carefully selected in order to cater for all classes of people, since some of them are so expensive for all to afford.
Simple media that all can access would helps in creating a large customer database, leading to more sales and increased company’s productivity (Blythe, et. al., 2005). As technology advances, the company has adopted the 3D model to advertise, using images of movie stars, sports heroes, and popular singers. Below is an example of advertisement using a popular sports personality.
Implementation
Accomplishment of objectives of a product is very vital for its sustainability and continuity, owing to the requirement for the effectiveness of a marketing communications plan. The rationale for the goal’s accomplishments is enhanced via implementation of best strategies via a collection of measures are put in place to spearhead the activities of the Coke Zero’s sales.
To invest in more distribution channels for the reinstated product, the products company has to recruit more distributors and creating more retail stores at convenient places. More so, for the accomplishment of the goal to maximize profits within the company, it would be important to monitor productivity and performance by encouraging investments in best human resource services (Lamb et al., 2008).
At the same time, it would be essential to ensure easy accessibility of the company’s resources by the target community as a way to build an excellent customer relationship strategy. The effectiveness of a strategy is dependent on the application modes in the product’s organization.
The process that leads to the coordination and integration of all communication plans entails a tactical planning coordination process. Additionally, it requires the organization to redefine its scope of operation as well as that of marketing communication. Moreover, the organizational management must be willing to get involved in tasking activities, which are geared towards applying a marketing plan to its fullest.
Furthermore, it is always crucial to realize the essence if integrating appropriate management strategies as well as finances that facilitate the process of obtaining the required materials that are deemed necessary in effecting the communication plans for the Coke Zero (Smith and Taylor 2004).
Recommendations and conclusion
Coke zero drink has long been operating in the market via the utilization of a strategic marketing plan over the years. The situational analysis indicates a suitable microenvironment and favorable operational forces that have made the product be classified as the best among Coca-Cola products.
Consumer analysis provides a large selling database for the product in over 400 countries worldwide, with the initial launch targeting young adult males. The market segments indicate huge demands for the product. The communication mix utilized entails integrated marketing communications that has a greater selling rationale in the current business environment. The effectiveness of implementation procedures for Coke Zero marketing plan is also a crucial consideration to its success (Hartley and Pickton, 1999).
For effectiveness measures improvement in the implementation of Coke Zero communications plan, a number of recommendations are deemed crucial. Coke Zero’s target is to work towards making its products the best in the market in order to improve its image to its clients. At the same time, appropriate Customer relationship management needs be carefully practiced within the organization to enhance the company’s sustainability (The chattered institute of marketing, 2009).
New marketing strategies should be developed by the company, including the use the currently developed programmes. Electronic marketing is a current trend taken today by Coke Zero organization since it wishes to evaluate their prevailing markets, plan how to overcome all forms of challenges that they are facing.
Thus, the marketing mix should be carefully organized for effectiveness in marketing plans application. The coming years should see the company improve the quality of their Coke Zero brand to boosting their competitive advantage in a dynamic economy by manufacturing competitive products (Business Resource Software, 2010).
List of References
Black Enterprise magazine. 1997. Black Enterprise magazine. NY: Earl G. Graves, Ltd Publishers. Web.
Blythe, J. et al. 2005. Strategic Marketing. London: Select Knowledge Limited.
Business Resource Software. 2010. Marketing Plan. Cambridge University press. Web.
Coca-Cola Company. 2006. The company’s overview. New York Times. Web.
Gilligan, C., and Wilson, R., 2009. Strategic Marketing Planning. MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Guinn T., Allen C., & Semenik, J., 2008. Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion. OH: Cengage Learning.
Hartley, B. and Pickton, D., 1999. Integrated marketing communications requires a new way of thinking. Journal of marketing communications, Vol. 5 pp. 97–106. Routledge book series. Web.
Hunnicutt, D., 2007. Carefully Crafting Your Organization’s Wellness Plan: The Essential Elements That Can Take Your Program From Good To Great. Wellness councils of America. Web.
Kapferer, J., 2008. The new strategic brand management: creating and sustaining brand equity long term. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Katz, H., 2010. The Media Handbook: A Complete Guide to Advertising Media Selection, Planning, Research, and Buying. London: Taylor & Francis.
Kurtz, D. et al. 2009. Contemporary Marketing. OH: Cengage Learning Publisher,
Lamb, C. W. et al., 2008. Essentials of Marketing. OH: Cengage Learning.
Laric, M., and Lynagh, P., 2010. The Role of Integrated Marketing Communications in Sustainability Marketing. Volume 17 Number 1. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas. Web.
Martin, J., 2008. The Most and Least Wired Airlines and Airports. PC World Communications. Web.
Mike, R. et al., 2005. The relationship between Integrated Marketing Communication, market orientation, and brand orientation. Journal of Advertising. Cengage Learning publishers. Web.
Schultz, D. et al., 1993. Integrated marketing communications, Integrated Marketing Communications challenges business to confront a fundamental dilemma in today’s marketing. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional series.
Smith, P. and Taylor, J., 2004. Marketing communications: an integrated approach. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Smith, T., 2006. Dynamic business strategy: the art of planning for success. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
The chattered institute of marketing. 2009. How to achieve an effective marketing mix. United Kingdom. Web.
Wysocki, F. and Ferdinand, F., 2001. Strategic Marketing Management: Building a Foundation for Your Future. University of Florida. Web.