Building Brand Identity with Integrated Marketing Communication
2.1 Building Brand Identity with Integrated Marketing Communication
According to Keller (1998 in (Kapferer, 2008, p. 10), Brand is a series of mental associations held by consumers, which formed the perceived values of a product or service. These associations need to be unique (exclusive), strong and positive (desirable). In addition, the brand is not just the name of a product or service that distinguishes it from other similar products or services, but also offers value derived from past experience (Percy, 2008, p. 33).
To be able to convey the value of a product, it takes a channel called marketing communications. Ideally, an integrated marketing communications should be conducted in integrated ways or more commonly known as IMC. IMC is all the contacts that occurred between the brand and the market. That definition makes IMC activities not just in the form of advertising and promotion, but also everything else: like packaging, business cards, Sponsorships, store signs, until the outer design on the trucks transporting the product. There for IMC is crucial in building a successful brand. Brand management must coordinate all aspects of brand communication to ensure consistent messages (Percy, 2008, p. 33).
Percy classified these IMC ’s activities into four components, namely traditional advertising, traditional promotion, direct marketing, and new media & other options as shown in the picture below.
New Media &
Marketing
Other Options
Image 2.1 the IMC Components
The role of traditional advertising in IMC is to make consumers turn his thoughts to the brand advertised. This can be achieved by increasing brand awareness in the target audience and building a positive attitude towards the brand (Percy, 2008, p. 82). This type of advertising consists of four parts, namely consumer-oriented brand, retail, B2B, and Corporate Image Advertising.
Promotion is generally defined as any form of direct purchase incentive, reward, or promise offered to the target audience aimed to make a purchase or a specific action favorable. Traditionally, the promotion consists of three types, namely the consumer, retail, and trade promotion. In IMC, the promotion does not stand or walk on their own, but also have to take into account the 'timing'. According to Rossiter and Percy (1997), the message of the campaign should
be integrated into a decision process related to the target audience. This suggests that the promotion can help in decision making, the use of the actual purchase of products or services, even after the purchase (Percy, 2008, p. 103).
Direct marketing, as well as marketing channels, not just a way of conveying a message, but also a specific type that is similar to the advertising and promotion. In direct marketing, the message is delivered with the aim of getting an answer as soon as possible, and is a part of the interactive process, with specific targets, with an accountable system, and everything is driven by a database (Percy, 2008, p. 166).
If advertising and promotion is the traditional way of delivering the message, then the new media and the other options is an alternative way in IMC. Although the overall budget amount is relatively small compared to advertising and promotion, but the development is quiet significant (Percy, 2008, p. 146). The new media is made up of Internet and mobile marketing, while the other option consists of Sponsorships, Event Marketing, Product Placement, Packaging, Trade Shows and Fairs, Personal Selling, Public Relations, and Buzz Marketing.