This activity is important because it introduces you to the field of advertising and promotion and its role in the whole marketing process. As a marketing professional, you will need to understand the concept of integrated marketing communications $($IMC$)$ and how it evolved from advertising and promotions in the past few decades. The growing trend toward IMC will illustrate how this integration fits with changes in the consumer, technological, and media environment.

The goal of this activity is to demonstrate your understanding of how various marketing and promotional elements must be coordinated to communicate effectively. You will need to be able to integrate these diverse communication functions rather than having them operate in independent silos.

Read the case and answer the questions that follow.

A nearly century$-$old brand, Charmin relied for years on traditional marketing tools such as good distribution and shelf space, but mostly on strong advertising and consumer promotions to have consumers pull the product through the channels. As a product in a not$-$so$-$exciting product category, often perceived by users as a commodity, it was a difficult task for the firm and ad agency to develop an appeal that truly differentiated the brand. For nearly two decades, the brand used the Mr$.$ Whipple campaign and the tag line $$Please don$$t squeeze the Charmin.$$ The intent, which was successful, was to convince buyers that the product was softer than competing brands and induce them to actually pick up the package in the store. Once in their hand, it was as easy to drop it into their cart as to replace it on the shelf.

After the Mr$.$ Whipple campaign ended, Charmin account managers incorporated very cute and likeable bears as part of the $$Enjoy the go$,$ campaign, which was quite humorous and poked fun at the whole toilet paper experience. The newer campaigns increasingly shifted from solely advertising and consumer promotions to incorporating very active social media, mobile apps, and cause$-$related marketing. One of the mobile apps enables users to find the nearest clean public restroom.

Charmin$$s approach has evolved over the last $90$ years in response to changes in the media options, which have grown and expanded to far more individual methods to reach buyers. Consumers have also changed in their media usage, and traditional TV advertising is used substantially less than in the past. Charmin has strived to be ahead of the curve in the switch to a more integrated set of communications in order to better target consumers, to build a strong brand, and to provide the buyers with the central, fundamental elements of marketing.

$4$a$.$ By $2020,$ media spending is expected to be de$...$

By $2020,$ media spending is expected to be dedicating $45\%$ to digital media allocations. As Charmin increasingly adopts digital media, it is following the trend of shifting from $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_$Blank to $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_$Blank.

Multiple Choice

advertising; promotions

IMC; branding

advertising and promotion; branding

IMC; advertising and promotion

advertising and promotion; IMC