Startup companies are typically technology-oriented, high growth focused and seeking to disrupt an existing market or to create a new market. Your task is to develop an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan for one of the following startups: a) Pebble Technology’s E-Paper Watch (http://getpebble.com/) or b) Thalmic Labs MYO Armband (http://www.thalmic.com/myo/).
As the IMC Director of your fictitious advertising firm, your task is to develop an IMC plan to present to your chosen startup company to launch their new product in Australia.
OR
2. An alternative project may be negotiated that involves the company you currently work for or the company you want to start up. If you choose this option, internal students will need to negotiate and gain approval with your local lecturer/tutor. External students will need to contact the course coordinator, (Mr Warren Lawson) through the course email administration box at [email protected] .
You are to design a number of communications that are targeted at the most suitable audience. You may make any other assumptions about your chosen startup company that would be necessary to develop your IMC plan, however ensure those assumptions are realistic. It will be important that you show understanding of the target audience, communication objectives, creative strategy and media planning. Your introduction should provide some brief background information about the company and the product.
For Tasks 1 and 2
To develop your IMC plan, you will need to include the following:
• Background information on the target audience segment analysis;
• Develop at least 3-5 communication (advertising) objectives (see chapter 5) – such as developing brand awareness; or promoting product and company knowledge; influencing interest or consumer attitudes; developing the product’s image; or influencing the purchase intention;
• Choose one of the alternative styles of creative advertising (see table 6.1 on page 137) and justify your choice against the target market psychographic profile and your communication objectives;
• Develop a media plan – select the media vehicle(s) you will use to achieve your objectives and creative strategy. Justify your use of specific media based on how this communicates with your target audience.
There are a number of creative ways to reach a target audience segment and you will need to consider the implications of your communication actions very carefully. Think about, and justify, why you have chosen this communication for this particular market (providing market demographics and/or psychographic characteristics) and consider the ethics of the approaches involved!
Write a report detailing your communications plans. You will need to include an executive summary, table of contents, other style characteristics as set out in the attached assessment criteria, introduction, conclusion, reference list and in-text references where appropriate.
Don’t forget, you are an IMC professional and your report should be professionally presented. Also remember that the overall marketing objective for any company is to present a unique, consolidated, integrated image for the client.
Advice:
Students should follow the subsequent report structure:
• Title page;
• Executive summary;
• Table of contents;
• Introduce the background information;
• Provide at least 3-5 communication objectives;
• Creative advertising strategy selection;
• Media Plan;
• Conclusion; and
• Reference list.