Integrated Marketing Communication Planning

Introduction

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) planning is the systematic process of coordinating an organisation’s messages, media, people, technologies and promotional activities so that they work towards shared communication and marketing outcomes. It is more than choosing advertisements or posting on social media. Effective IMC connects organisational objectives with audience insight, brand positioning, creative expression, media selection, timing, budgeting, implementation and evaluation.

Modern audiences encounter brands through many touchpoints: search engines, websites, retail staff, packaging, customer service, influencers, email, public relations, events, mobile applications and social platforms. Each contact can strengthen or weaken the brand relationship. Consequently, communication planning must manage both what the organisation deliberately communicates and what stakeholders infer from their experiences.

This chapter presents a practical planning process suitable for campaigns in commercial, public-sector and non-profit settings. It focuses on situation and stakeholder analysis, SMART objectives, audience selection, strategy formulation, budgeting, scheduling, coordination and evaluation.

Learning objectives

By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Explain the purpose and principles of integrated marketing communication.
2. Conduct a situation analysis using appropriate internal and external frameworks.
3. Identify and prioritise relevant stakeholders and audience segments.
4. Formulate SMART communication objectives and suitable performance indicators.
5. Develop a coherent communication strategy and message architecture.
6. Select communication tools, channels and contact points for particular audiences.
7. Prepare a practical budget and campaign schedule.
8. Coordinate implementation across departments and external partners.
9. Evaluate campaign outputs, outcomes and longer-term effects.
10. Recognise ethical, legal and governance issues in integrated communication.

1. The meaning and scope of IMC

Integrated marketing communication is the planned coordination of communication activities to deliver a consistent, complementary and credible brand meaning across relevant touchpoints. Integration does not mean that every message must be identical. A television advertisement, salesperson and customer-service agent may use different language and formats, but they should express compatible brand values and support the same strategic purpose.

Four dimensions are especially important:

• Consistency: messages do not contradict one another.
• Complementarity: different tools perform different but mutually reinforcing roles.
• Continuity: communication develops over time rather than appearing as disconnected bursts.
• Coordination: people, agencies, channels, data and budgets are managed as a system.

The traditional promotional mix includes advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing. Contemporary IMC also includes content marketing, social media, influencer communication, search marketing, experiential marketing, mobile communication, customer relationship management and internal communication.

A useful distinction is between paid, owned, earned and shared media. Paid media is purchased exposure, such as display advertising. Owned media is controlled by the organisation, such as its website or email list. Earned media results from independent coverage, reviews or recommendations. Shared media refers to content distributed or discussed through social networks and communities. A strong campaign usually combines these categories rather than relying on one channel.

IMC is also an organisational discipline. Marketing, sales, public relations, customer service, product management, legal teams and senior leadership may all influence the customer’s perception. Integration therefore requires shared objectives, agreed responsibilities, common information and processes for approving and adapting communication.

2. The planning logic: from analysis to learning

A campaign plan should create a logical chain:

Situation → insight → objective → audience → strategy → tactics → resources → implementation → measurement → learning

A weakness at an earlier stage often creates problems later. For example, selecting social media tactics before understanding the audience may produce high activity but little behavioural impact. Similarly, an objective such as “increase awareness” is incomplete unless the planner specifies whose awareness, by how much, by when and how it will be measured.

The RACE planning sequence

The RACE framework provides a practical digital and integrated planning structure:

• Reach: create exposure among relevant prospects and stakeholders.
• Act: encourage interaction, enquiry, content consumption or trial.
• Convert: move people towards purchase, registration, donation or another desired action.
• Engage: build retention, advocacy and ongoing relationship value.

RACE should not be treated as a rigid, linear funnel. Existing customers may enter directly at the engagement stage, and public relations may influence all stages. Nevertheless, the sequence helps planners connect channel activity to audience behaviour.

The hierarchy-of-effects perspective

Communication may contribute to a progression from cognitive responses to affective responses and then behaviour:

Think → feel → do

For a new product, the campaign may first build knowledge, then preference, and finally trial. For a familiar service with a trust problem, the key task may be reassurance rather than awareness. The model is useful diagnostically, but real consumer behaviour is not always sequential. People may purchase impulsively, learn through use, or form attitudes after action. Planners should therefore use the model as a guide rather than an assumption about every customer.

3. Situation analysis

Situation analysis establishes the evidence base for planning. It should identify the organisation’s current position, the problem or opportunity, relevant market forces, stakeholder expectations and available resources.

Internal analysis

Internal analysis considers factors within the organisation’s influence, including:

• brand purpose, reputation and positioning;
• product quality, price and availability;
• sales performance and customer data;
• communication history and previous results;
• employee capabilities and culture;
• budgets, technology and channel access;
• relationships with distributors, agencies and partners.

A campaign cannot compensate indefinitely for poor product performance, unreliable delivery or harmful customer service. Communication planning should therefore identify operational issues that may undermine the promise being made.

External analysis

External analysis examines customers, competitors, intermediaries, regulators, technology, culture and the wider environment. Useful sources include market research, social listening, search behaviour, sales data, customer complaints, competitor audits, industry reports and stakeholder interviews. Secondary data can provide breadth, while primary research can investigate specific attitudes, motivations and barriers.

The PESTLE framework examines political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental forces. For example, privacy regulation may affect audience targeting; inflation may change price sensitivity; and increased concern about sustainability may alter expectations of brand claims.

The five-forces perspective can help assess competitive pressure from existing rivals, new entrants, substitutes, suppliers and buyers. It is not a communication model, but it can reveal why a brand needs differentiation, reassurance, advocacy or stronger trade communication.

SWOT and TOWS

A SWOT analysis classifies evidence as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are generally internal; opportunities and threats are generally external. A useful SWOT statement is specific and evidence-based. “Good brand” is weak analysis, whereas “unaided awareness among urban adults is 18%, compared with the leading competitor’s 34%” is more actionable.

TOWS extends SWOT by generating strategic responses:

• SO: use strengths to exploit opportunities.
• WO: overcome weaknesses by using opportunities.
• ST: use strengths to reduce exposure to threats.
• WT: minimise weaknesses and avoid threats.

Problem and opportunity statements

The analysis should conclude with a concise statement. A communication problem concerns a gap that communication may influence, such as low awareness, misunderstanding, weak perceived value or lack of trust. A marketing problem may instead involve distribution, pricing or product performance and may not be solved through communication alone.

A strong statement identifies the affected audience, current condition, desired condition and likely barrier. For example: “Among first-year college students in the metropolitan area, awareness of the low-cost evening bus pass is low, and uncertainty about eligibility prevents trial, despite sufficient route availability.” This statement suggests both an awareness task and an information task.

4. Stakeholder and audience analysis

A stakeholder is any person or group that can affect, or is affected by, the organisation or campaign. Stakeholders may include customers, prospects, employees, retailers, suppliers, investors, regulators, journalists, community groups, partners and advocacy organisations.

A stakeholder map commonly assesses two dimensions: power and interest. High-power, high-interest stakeholders require close management. High-power but low-interest stakeholders should be kept satisfied. Low-power but high-interest groups should be kept informed and listened to. Low-power, low-interest groups require monitoring rather than intensive communication. These categories should not be used to silence less powerful communities; ethical practice requires attention to affected groups even when they cannot influence organisational decisions.

From market to audience

The total market is rarely a single communication audience. Segmentation may use:

• demographic variables such as age, income or occupation;
• geographic variables such as region or urbanity;
• psychographic variables such as values, identity and lifestyle;
• behavioural variables such as usage, loyalty, purchase occasion or response;
• needs, barriers and desired benefits.

A useful segment is identifiable, sufficiently large or strategically important, reachable, meaningfully different and compatible with organisational resources. A target audience is the selected group for primary communication effort. A secondary audience may influence the primary audience or enable the behaviour, such as parents, retailers, healthcare professionals or community leaders.

Audience personas can make research more usable by describing a representative individual’s context, motivations, barriers, media habits and decision process. Personas must be based on evidence and should not become stereotypes. The planner should also consider accessibility, language, disability, digital exclusion and cultural differences.

Insight development

An insight is not simply a demographic fact. It explains a meaningful tension or motivation that can guide strategy. A useful insight often connects:

1. what people do;
2. what they think or feel;
3. why the behaviour matters;
4. what barrier or tension communication can address.

For example, “students use expensive food-delivery services late at night” is an observation. “Students value convenience but feel guilty about spending; a predictable low-cost option can make convenience feel responsible” is closer to a strategic insight.

5. Setting communication objectives

Communication objectives describe the change that communication is expected to produce. They should be distinguished from business objectives. A business objective may be to increase revenue; communication may contribute by improving awareness, consideration, preference, enquiries, adoption or retention.

Objectives should follow the SMART principle:

• Specific: identifies the audience and intended change.
• Measurable: includes an indicator and measurement method.
• Achievable: realistic given resources and market conditions.
• Relevant: linked to organisational and customer priorities.
• Time-bound: specifies a deadline or campaign period.

A useful objective structure is:

“Among [defined audience], increase or decrease [measurable outcome] from [baseline] to [target] by [date], using [measurement method].”

Example: “Among final-year vocational students in City X, increase aided awareness of the organisation’s internship service from 42% to 60% by 30 September, measured through pre- and post-campaign surveys.”

Objective levels and indicators

Objectives may be organised as follows:

Reach and impressions are not equivalent. Reach is the number of distinct people exposed; impressions are the total exposures. If 10,000 distinct people each see an advertisement twice, reach is 10,000 and impressions are 20,000. Average frequency is calculated as:

The calculation assumes reach and impressions refer to the same audience, period and media definition. In the example, average frequency is 20,000 ÷ 10,000 = 2 exposures per reached person.

Cost per thousand impressions is:

CPM is a media-efficiency measure, not a measure of persuasion or profitability. Media cost and impressions must use compatible currency and exposure definitions. If media cost is $4,000 and impressions are 500,000, CPM = ($4,000 ÷ 500,000) × 1,000 = $8.

Objectives should avoid claiming that communication alone causes outcomes when product, price, distribution or external events also matter. Evaluation designs should therefore distinguish contribution from definitive causation.

6. Formulating communication strategy

Strategy defines the broad approach for achieving objectives before individual executions are designed. It answers four questions:

1. Who must be influenced?
2. What change is required?
3. What should the audience believe, feel or do?
4. Why should the audience accept the message?

Positioning and value proposition

Positioning is the intended place a brand occupies in the minds of a selected audience relative to alternatives. A positioning statement may include the target audience, frame of reference, relevant benefit, reason to believe and distinctive value.

A value proposition is a clear statement of the benefit offered and the reason it is valuable. It should be meaningful to the audience, credible for the organisation and differentiated from competitors. Claims must be supported by evidence. A communication plan should not confuse a slogan with a strategy: a slogan is an expression; strategy explains the choice and intended effect.

Message architecture

A message architecture organises communication around a central promise:

• Core promise: the main benefit or change.
• Supporting reasons: evidence, features or proof.
• Tone: the emotional and relational manner.
• Call to action: the next step required.
• Mandatories: legal, brand or accessibility requirements.

Different channels may adapt the execution while preserving the strategic meaning. For instance, a long-form video can explain evidence, while a point-of-sale message can provide a short reminder and call to action.

Push, pull and profile strategies

A push strategy communicates through intermediaries such as distributors, retailers or sales teams. A pull strategy creates end-user demand so that customers seek the product from intermediaries. A profile strategy builds reputation and legitimacy among broader stakeholders. Most integrated campaigns combine these approaches.

Channel selection

Channel choice should follow audience behaviour, communication task, message complexity, credibility, reach, cost, timing, targeting capability and measurement quality. A channel is not inherently effective; effectiveness depends on fit.

The planner should map the customer journey and identify moments that matter. Communication should not stop at acquisition: onboarding, usage support, complaint handling and renewal are part of the brand experience.

7. Budgeting and resource allocation

A budget translates strategy into affordable action. It should include media, creative development, production, research, technology, events, staff time, agency fees, contingency and evaluation. Omitting hidden costs produces unrealistic plans.

Common budgeting methods include:

• Objective-and-task: define objectives, list required tasks, estimate each cost and total the budget. This is strategically defensible.
• Affordable method: spend what the organisation believes it can afford. This is simple but may ignore communication requirements.
• Percentage of sales: allocate a fixed percentage of current or forecast sales. It is easy to administer but can reduce spending when communication is most needed.
• Competitive parity: use competitor spending or share of voice as a reference. It may encourage realism but does not establish whether competitor spending is effective.
• Marginal or return-based allocation: increase spending while expected incremental value justifies the additional cost. This requires reliable data and assumptions.

A practical budget table might be:

The contingency calculation assumes that 10% is applied to the subtotal: $52,000 × 0.10 = $5,200. The total is $57,200. Contingency is not a substitute for careful estimation; it provides controlled flexibility for price changes, unexpected production requirements or tactical opportunities.

Where appropriate, managers may assess return on investment:

ROI is expressed as a ratio or percentage. “Incremental” means the additional return plausibly associated with the activity, not total sales that would have occurred anyway. If incremental contribution is $75,000 and incremental investment is $50,000, ROI = ($75,000 − $50,000) ÷ $50,000 = 0.5, or 50%. Reliable ROI requires a defensible estimate of the counterfactual outcome and should not be inferred from clicks alone.

8. Scheduling and coordination

Scheduling specifies what happens, when, by whom and with which dependencies. An integrated schedule should include research, approvals, production, media booking, launch, optimisation, community management, sales enablement and evaluation.

A campaign may use:

• Always-on activity: continuous search, website, service and community communication.
• Burst activity: concentrated spending around a launch or seasonal opportunity.
• Pulsing: a continuous base level with periodic increases.
• Sequential phases: awareness, explanation, trial, conversion and retention stages.

A simple planning matrix is useful:

A responsibility assignment matrix can clarify accountability. The campaign manager should have one clearly accountable role, while relevant departments may be responsible for tasks, consulted before decisions and informed after decisions. Version control, approval deadlines, crisis procedures and escalation routes are particularly important when many channels and agencies are involved.

9. Measurement, optimisation and learning

Evaluation should be designed before implementation. A measurement framework links each objective to an indicator, data source, timing and decision rule.

Digital metrics such as clicks, views and engagement rate are useful operational indicators but can be misleading when isolated. A high click-through rate may result from curiosity without purchase; high engagement may reflect controversy; and low visible interaction does not necessarily mean low influence.

Testing may compare alternative headlines, calls to action, landing pages or audience groups. A/B testing is most informative when one important element is varied while other conditions are kept sufficiently similar. Results should be interpreted with attention to sample size, duration, seasonality, delivery differences and statistical uncertainty. Where randomised testing is not possible, planners may use pre/post comparisons, matched markets, time-series analysis or triangulation from several data sources.

At the end of a campaign, evaluation should ask:

1. What was delivered?
2. Who was reached?
3. What changed in knowledge, attitude or behaviour?
4. What contribution can reasonably be attributed to the campaign?
5. What should be continued, changed or stopped?

10. Ethics, regulation and governance

Integrated communication must respect consumer autonomy, dignity, privacy and safety. Key responsibilities include:

• obtaining valid permission for direct communication where required;
• collecting, storing and using personal data lawfully and transparently;
• providing clear identification of advertising, sponsorship and paid influence;
• substantiating claims, especially health, environmental, financial and performance claims;
• avoiding deceptive omissions, fabricated reviews and manipulative dark patterns;
• making communication accessible to people with disabilities;
• avoiding discriminatory targeting or exclusion;
• protecting children and other vulnerable audiences;
• establishing procedures for complaints, misinformation and crisis response.

Data-driven personalisation creates a tension between relevance and surveillance. Organisations should apply data minimisation, purpose limitation, access controls and retention rules. Artificial intelligence can assist with audience analysis, content variation, sentiment classification and media optimisation, but generated material requires human review. AI outputs may reproduce bias, invent evidence, infringe copyright or disclose confidential information. Governance should define approved data, human accountability, disclosure standards, testing and audit procedures.

Sustainability claims require particular care. A vague statement such as “eco-friendly” may mislead if it does not explain the relevant product attribute, evidence and boundaries. Ethical integration means that organisational behaviour must support the communication promise.

11. Illustrative case: GreenCup refill campaign

Background

GreenCup is an illustrative fictional café chain operating near colleges. It introduces a reusable-cup programme offering a small discount to customers who bring or borrow a reusable cup. The business wants to reduce single-use packaging while increasing weekday morning visits.

Problem

Research indicates that students support waste reduction in principle but believe reusable cups are inconvenient, easy to forget and difficult to clean. Awareness of the programme is 25%, and staff explain the scheme inconsistently. The communication problem is therefore not simply low awareness; it is uncertainty about convenience and procedure.

Analysis

The primary audience is students who purchase takeaway drinks at least twice weekly. Secondary audiences are café staff, campus sustainability officers and student societies. A SWOT review identifies GreenCup’s visible campus locations and existing loyalty app as strengths; inconsistent staff explanation as a weakness; student sustainability initiatives as an opportunity; and competing cafés as a threat.

The insight is: “Students want their routine to feel environmentally responsible, but a benefit that adds effort is easily abandoned.” The strategic implication is to make the desired behaviour appear simple, immediate and socially normal.

Objectives

For a 12-week pilot, GreenCup sets three objectives:

1. Increase awareness of the programme among student customers from 25% to 60% by week 12.
2. Generate 2,400 reusable-cup transactions during the pilot, measured through point-of-sale codes.
3. Achieve at least 75% correct understanding of how to borrow, return and clean cups in a post-campaign survey.

Strategy and execution

The central promise is “Your usual coffee, less waste, no extra hassle.” The campaign combines:

• short social videos demonstrating borrowing and returning;
• point-of-sale prompts and cup labels;
• QR codes linking to a simple process page;
• student-society partnerships and campus demonstrations;
• staff scripts and brief training;
• app reminders during weekday mornings;
• earned media through the campus sustainability office.

The campaign uses paid social media for targeted reach, owned channels for explanation, staff interaction for reassurance, and events for trial. The same promise is adapted to each context rather than copied mechanically.

Budget and schedule

The pilot budget is $18,000: $2,000 for research and training, $4,000 for production, $7,000 for paid media, $3,000 for campus activation and $2,000 for evaluation. Weeks 1–2 establish the baseline and train staff; weeks 3–4 produce and test materials; weeks 5–10 run the campaign; weeks 11–12 evaluate and report.

Outcome and learning

At the end of the illustrative pilot, awareness reaches 58%, reusable-cup transactions total 2,650 and 82% of surveyed participants correctly explain the process. However, return rates are lower in two locations because collection points are poorly marked. The campaign therefore meets or nearly meets its communication objectives but also reveals an operational barrier. The next plan should improve signage and collection design rather than simply increase media spending.

Learning points

The case demonstrates that integration requires more than multiple channels. It requires a shared insight, consistent promise, trained employees, operational support, measurable objectives and feedback between communication and service design. It also shows why behaviour should be evaluated beyond exposure and engagement.

Challenges and limitations

IMC planning involves uncertainty. Consumer attention is fragmented, media algorithms change, competitors respond and external events can alter sentiment. Attribution is difficult because several contacts may influence a decision and some effects emerge slowly. Research samples may be incomplete, dashboards may privilege easily counted activity, and organisational departments may compete for ownership.

Frameworks such as SWOT, RACE and the hierarchy of effects simplify reality. They are useful for disciplined thinking but should not replace judgement, evidence or local cultural knowledge. Planning can also become excessively process-driven, delaying action in fast-moving environments. The appropriate response is not to abandon planning but to use staged decisions, test-and-learn methods, clear governance and regular review.

Best-practice checklist

Before approving an IMC plan, confirm that:

• the situation is supported by current evidence;
• the communication problem is distinguished from product or operational problems;
• stakeholders and primary and secondary audiences are identified;
• the insight is specific and actionable;
• objectives are SMART and linked to business or social outcomes;
• the central promise is credible and differentiated;
• channels are selected for audience and task fit;
• paid, owned, earned and shared activity is coordinated;
• the budget includes production, people, technology and evaluation;
• the schedule identifies owners, dependencies and approval points;
• measurement includes outcomes, not only outputs;
• privacy, accessibility, disclosure and claim substantiation are addressed;
• learning will be documented and used in the next planning cycle.

Chapter Summary

Integrated marketing communication planning coordinates messages, channels, people, technologies and experiences around shared objectives. The process begins with internal and external situation analysis and a clearly defined communication problem. Stakeholder mapping and evidence-based segmentation help planners select priority audiences and develop useful insights. SMART objectives specify the intended change, target, measure and time frame.

Strategy then establishes positioning, value proposition, message architecture, channel roles and the desired customer journey. Budgeting may use objective-and-task, affordable, percentage-of-sales, competitive-parity or return-based approaches, although the objective-and-task method is usually the most strategically transparent. Scheduling and responsibility matrices coordinate phases, owners, approvals and dependencies. Evaluation should link outputs to cognitive, affective, behavioural, relationship and business outcomes, while recognising the limits of attribution.

Effective IMC is both creative and managerial. It requires consistent meaning without mechanical repetition, operational delivery that supports the promise, ethical use of data, accessible communication, credible claims and continuous learning. The most successful plans integrate communication with the wider customer experience rather than treating promotion as an isolated activity.

Key Terms

Integrated marketing communication: Coordinated management of communication activities and touchpoints to achieve shared objectives.

Stakeholder: A person or group that can affect, or is affected by, an organisation or campaign.

Situation analysis: Systematic assessment of internal capabilities and external conditions relevant to planning.

SWOT: Framework classifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

TOWS: Strategic extension of SWOT that generates responses from combinations of internal and external factors.

Segmentation: Division of a broad market into groups with meaningful similarities.

Target audience: Priority group selected for communication effort.

Insight: Evidence-based explanation of a meaningful audience motivation, tension or barrier.

SMART objective: Objective that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Positioning: Intended place a brand occupies in the audience’s mind relative to alternatives.

Value proposition: Statement of the benefit offered and why it is valuable and credible.

Message architecture: Organised structure of the core promise, supporting reasons, tone, action and mandatories.

Paid media: Exposure purchased by an organisation.

Owned media: Communication channels controlled by an organisation.

Earned media: Independent attention or coverage generated by organisational activity.

Reach: Number of distinct people exposed to a communication during a specified period.

Impressions: Total number of exposures delivered.

CPM: Cost per thousand impressions.

ROI: Ratio of incremental return after investment to incremental investment.

Attribution: Process of estimating how different contacts or activities contributed to an outcome.

Review Questions

Short Answer Questions

1. What is meant by integrated marketing communication?
2. Distinguish between reach and impressions.
3. What are the five characteristics represented by SMART objectives?
4. Why should a communication problem be distinguished from an operational problem?
5. State two ethical risks associated with data-driven communication.

Long Answer Questions

1. Explain how situation analysis informs audience selection and communication strategy.
2. Compare objective-and-task budgeting with percentage-of-sales budgeting.
3. Discuss how paid, owned, earned and shared media can work together in an integrated campaign.
4. Explain the role of message architecture in maintaining consistency across different channels.
5. Describe a complete process for evaluating an IMC campaign from outputs to business or social outcomes.

Analytical / Application Questions

1. A college service has high awareness but low registration. Apply the hierarchy-of-effects perspective and propose two communication objectives and three suitable tactics.
2. Develop a stakeholder map and an IMC strategy for a local public-health campaign aimed at increasing vaccination appointments among young adults.
3. A campaign has a media cost of $12,000 and delivers 1,500,000 impressions. Calculate its CPM and explain why CPM alone cannot establish campaign effectiveness.

Multiple Choice Questions with Answers

Question 1

Which statement best describes integrated marketing communication?

A. Using only digital advertising to reach consumers

B. Coordinating communication activities and touchpoints around shared objectives

C. Repeating exactly the same message in every medium

D. Allowing each department to communicate independently

Correct Answer: B. Coordinating communication activities and touchpoints around shared objectives

Question 2

In a SWOT analysis, which item is normally classified as an external factor?

A. Employee expertise

B. Brand reputation

C. Competitor entry into the market

D. Available production capacity

Correct Answer: C. Competitor entry into the market

Question 3

Which objective is most clearly SMART?

A. Improve the brand soon

B. Increase social media activity substantially

C. Become the most popular service

D. Increase aided awareness among first-year students from 42% to 60% by 30 September

Correct Answer: D. Increase aided awareness among first-year students from 42% to 60% by 30 September

Question 4

A campaign delivers 500,000 impressions to 100,000 distinct people. What is the average frequency?

A. 0.2

B. 2

C. 5

D. 50

Correct Answer: C. 5

Question 5

If media cost is $4,000 and impressions are 500,000, what is the CPM?

A. $0.80

B. $8

C. $80

D. $125

Correct Answer: B. $8

Question 6

Which budgeting method begins by identifying objectives and estimating the tasks required to achieve them?

A. Objective-and-task

B. Percentage-of-sales

C. Competitive parity

D. Affordable method

Correct Answer: A. Objective-and-task

Question 7

Which is an example of owned media?

A. An independent newspaper review

B. A company-controlled website

C. A competitor’s advertisement

D. Unpaid customer conversation in a public forum

Correct Answer: B. A company-controlled website

Question 8

In the illustrative GreenCup case, the central communication barrier was primarily that students viewed reusable cups as:

A. Too expensive for the organisation to produce

B. Unavailable outside major cities

C. Inconvenient and easy to forget

D. Unrelated to environmental concerns

Correct Answer: C. Inconvenient and easy to forget

Question 9

Why is ROI based on incremental return rather than total sales?

A. Total sales are always unavailable

B. Only additional outcomes plausibly associated with the investment should be assessed

C. Incremental return is always larger than total sales

D. ROI cannot be calculated for communication

Correct Answer: B. Only additional outcomes plausibly associated with the investment should be assessed

Question 10

Which practice is most consistent with ethical integrated communication?

A. Using fabricated reviews to increase trust

B. Hiding paid influencer relationships

C. Collecting all available personal data without explanation

D. Substantiating claims and clearly disclosing sponsored communication

Correct Answer: D. Substantiating claims and clearly disclosing sponsored communication