Marketing and Brand Management Training Journal Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications

1. This chapter helps to define the true nature of the IMC (integrated marketing communication) program. Communication, as one of the most important means to transmit, receive, and process information consists of several components: a sender (who sells and manufactures products), message encoding using transmission devices, message decoding, a receiver (who buys products), and feedback. In its turn, IMC is regarded as a coordination of the above-mentioned tools to maximize the desirable impact on customers. Taking into account current conditions and technological development, it is necessary to underline the role of information technologies and their immediate impact on human lives and the decision-making process.
2. To comprehend the essence of the IMC process, it is necessary to understand how the process of communication works. Then, the process of how communications become an integrated marketing program is described. In its turn, the IMC process consists of several important steps, which are also properly described. Finally, the connection of IMC to the operations on a global level needs to be evaluated, because it is a significant factor in the development of another program called globally integrated marketing communications.
3. This chapter presents a clear explanation of the process. It is the source with all the necessary basics about the IMC process and a helpful guide on how the process of communication undergoes considerable changes and takes higher levels, where more attention is paid to significant cultural diversities and human demands all over the world. This chapter helps to realize that the process of IMC is not a simple combination of steps but the process that touches upon interests and necessities.

Corporate Image and Brand Management

1. This chapter is dedicated to the ideas on a corporate image and properly organized brand management. It becomes evident that the effectiveness of marketing communications considerably depends on a properly defined corporate image. With the help of a corporate image, any company gets a chance to demonstrate what they stand for and why they prefer the chosen product. The main components of a successful corporate image are products, staff, access to retail outlets, proper servicing, and captivating advertising and publicity. Corporate images are also closely connected to brand names and logos; this is why brand management needs to be evaluated as well. A brand name is a powerful tool to develop the necessary strength in the marketplace because the success of a brand attracts more customers.
2. To learn the material on the necessary level, it is obligatory to investigate brand names and evaluate the role of a corporative image. A corporate image contains a certain number of intangible or invisible elements, and it becomes important to forecast what may attract customers and what may encourage them to use this product. With the help of illustrative examples, the reader gets an idea of how to create the necessary image and meet the necessary demands.
3. The chapter under discussion is interesting in many ways. First, it shows how corporate logos may look like. People are fond of provocative images and slogans, and it is better to learn how to prove to the customer that the chosen product is successful. It is not enough to create and introduce a brand; it is also important to develop a history and involve people. It is very exciting not only to comprehend how to create a brand but also how to change it with time to meet new customers’ demands and maintain leading positions.

Buyer Behaviors

1. The third chapter is devoted to buyer behaviors and decision-making processes. Any integrated marketing communications program needs to develop methods to make people buy a product or use a service. Two types of buyer behaviors are discussed: business-to-business and consumer. Different values and attitudes are inherent to these two types, this is why it is necessary to discover what factors may influence customer’s decisions first, and then, make use of the messages to convince. Consumers may accept information in many different ways, and the analysis of their behavior becomes an urgent topic all the time.
2. The material of this chapter is explained in a clear and illustrative way. Such trends like age, gender, and individualism are taken into consideration that allows the reader to evaluate all inside and outside source influence the development of the events. People prefer different styles of life, and this chapter teaches how to accept human interests and use these interests to promote a product. To succeed in marketing and advertising, it becomes important to use consider even family relations and events, which may encourage a person to use the offered service.
3. Understanding buyer behaviors helps to improve the IMC processes in many ways. Though some people still prefer to isolate themselves from life challenges, problems, and pressure and cocoon, they cannot avoid and neglect all those products and services, which fulfill this life. This chapter discovers how significant the decision-making process of a customer may become for the IMC process, and those, who want to succeed in marketing, have to remember about this point and use it.

Promotions Opportunity Analysis

1. The title of this article informs the reader that its main subject is the promotions opportunity analysis as one more important element of an IMC process. This analysis has several important parts, which, in their turns, have several components: communication market analysis (target market, customer, competitive, etc. analyses), communication objectives establishment, communication budget (payout planning, percentage of sales, and tasks), promotional strategy development (fitting company’s images, messages, and themes), and elaboration of promotional tools (what is planned and what is available). Each step plays a very important role in the promotions opportunity analysis. Nowadays, people are so perplexed with a variety of services, so it becomes crucial to succeed in this analysis and discover the necessary things to attract people.
2. With the help of this chapter, the reader can realize what concrete steps need to be taken. Such issues like social class, incomes, and even psychographic variables have to be examined. A step-by-step guide demonstrates what order should be used and what outcomes should be expected. Students answer the questions throughout the whole chapter to get a clear picture of how the promotions opportunity analysis affects marketing and consumers’ involvement.
3. What I like about this chapter is not only a theoretical framework but also the ability to see how the analysis under consideration should be used in practices. Very often, it is not enough to learn theory to use it in life, this is why the authors present a good opportunity to answer the questions and to train gained knowledge using exercises and different situations. Real-life examples help to evaluate how effective the offered analysis can be.

Advertising Management

1. This chapter discusses the ideas of advertising management, the main functions of advertising, and the directions, which need to be taken by a company. An IMC process is more than simple promotions and tactics; it is the communication that happens between departments, then between sellers and customers, and finally, between customers. The role of advertising agencies is described as well, and the process of its choosing is important. Many points need to be considered: size, creativity, productivity, interests’ conflict, media purchasing capabilities, and client relations. The success of the advertising campaign promotes the success of the IMC process because any advertising program is consistent with everything that has an impact on a customer.
2. The methods to grasp information of this chapter are various indeed. The reader can learn the material and, at the same time, check the level of his/her understanding: answering questions, evaluating situations, and effectiveness of the already existed advertisements. To comprehend the material deeper, it is possible to choose an ad agency and evaluate it by the terms, described in the chapter. Instead of simple marks, it is possible to explain why this or that point is appropriate/ inappropriate for the chosen agency. Only constant training and use of the material help to become a professional in advertising.
3. I find this article rather educative and informative because it provides the reader with a clear system of how an agency needs to be chosen. It is not enough to find one agency and use its services because of its famous name. Many other points have to be considered, and this chapter informs about them in a clear and captivating way. Advertising management is a complex system, and this chapter helps to take the first necessary steps properly.

Advertising Design: Theoretical Frameworks and Types of Appeals

1. This chapter explores several effective advertising theories, which are necessary for those, who aim at creating design advertisements. Such issues like the hierarchy of effects model (awareness, conviction, purchase, and liking), visual and verbal images, and means-end chain (customers’ benefits, personal values, and product attributes) are integrated into advertisements within a certain period, and this periodicity influence the message. The variety of advertising appeals may confuse many sellers, this is why it is obligatory to define the main appeals and use them to improve personal advertisement. The point is that such appeals like fear, sex, emotions, music, and humor may be successfully used in one ad and become a complete failure in another advertisement.
2. As in previous chapters, the material of this chapter is learned using examples of the already existed advertisements. It is not easy to comprehend the introduced theory and learn that music, sexuality, or fear influence advertisements. However, when the time to practice comes, many difficulties may appear. This is why the idea to learn the material using examples and to analyze what kind of music or what volume of sexuality is better to use.
3. One of the most captivating points in this chapter is the attention to each appeal that may be used in advertisements. From the very beginning, it is not very difficult to remember what appeals and why are better to use. However, when it is necessary to pick out the one and prove that it is the best idea, many doubts and misunderstandings appear. This is why the authors of this book focus on each detail and present enough examples to explain the pros and cons of each appeal that is possible for advertisements.

Advertising Design: Message Strategies and Executional Frameworks

1. Cognitive, affective, and conative message strategies turn out to be the center of this chapter. Each of these strategies has its sense and impact on Executional frameworks and leverage points. A cognitive strategy is responsible for the reliable presentation of information to consumers; affective strategy aims to call upon consumers’ feelings and emotions and direct them to products, and conative strategy is connected to consumer behavior. Another part of the chapter is devoted to executional frameworks and effective advertising designs. An execution framework is that very manner according to which ad appeals (fear, music, or sexuality) are presented.
2. To comprehend how advertising design should be arranged, the authors suggest admitting the basic principles: what the duality of an ad is, what visual consistency is chosen, and when simplicity may win the reader. It becomes evident that properly chosen execution frameworks provide sellers with a chance to present a captivating story to the customer. This chapter teaches that even though creativity is usually appreciated, it is still very important to know the limits and be careful in order not to frighten off the customer.
3. This chapter turns out to be very interesting for me due to the already got background about an ICM process and the appeals, which are possible to use in advertisements. A proper combination of strategies makes the process of advertisement effective, and it is very important to keep to a certain order, to realize the outcomes of the used appeals, and to comprehend what is expected from an advertisement. This article is a unique guide to follow to meet the demands of advertisement demands.

Works Cited

Clow, Kenneth, E., and Baak, Donald. Integrated Advertising Promotion, and Marketing Communications. River Grove, IL: Pearson Education, 2010.

Questions to Answer

1. What are you learning?
2. How are you learning it?
3. What do you like about the chapter and why?