by Tim Entwisle

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

An integrated communications marketing plan makes all aspects of an organisation's communications work together. This combines the obvious advertising, promotions, public relations and marketing components aimed at customers with other less obvious communications tools directed at all stakeholders.

The goal is to create and maintain a consistent brand and message and use them in all communications to leverage marketing efforts. Thus all communications are used to help market the organisation's products or services.

Method

How does this work? To be effective your marketing must:

a. capture the consumer's attention from your competitors;
b. motivate the consumer to purchase; and
c. emphasise brand so that the consumer only purchases your product or service.

Your brand is how your organisation, products or services are recognised and, with your key messages, how your organisation is perceived. Your brand symbolises, and should represent, your unique selling proposition.

To leverage your marketing, every opportunity should be used to promote and emphasise your brand. This supports your marketing and promotes sales. The better your brand is recognised the easier it is to sell your product or service.

Small to medium businesses should start using a plan as a way of building their business.

A simple plan will cost you nothing above what you pay now but leverages your existing activities. Once the plan is developed you need to start assessing how much you should spend at the next step.

Here are the key steps in making a plan:

1. Develop a business plan

You first need a business plan to provide the foundation for your communications. You need to define your business and what it sells before you can start telling everyone about it.

2. Set objectives

Objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound).

3. Determine your stakeholders

The stakeholders are persons or organisations that have a legitimate interest in your organisation. All stakeholder groups need to be considered.

4. Review existing communications

This involves reviewing everything you do that interacts with people, your stakeholders. In a large organisation this is a communications audit. Have a look at the list of possible communications tools.

5. Assess your branding/image/identity

Is your businesses image and branding truly reflecting what you do and how you do it? Are you portraying yourself properly? If not improve it, now!

6. Key messages

Develop some key messages and slogans. Develop the facts or ideas that you want to convey.

7. Budget

Once you have a basic plan you need to start looking at your marketing budget for the future.

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