it is a group assignment, at this stage we are PART B
STAGE 1 of IMC Plan. so i will take 2.1 Marketing Objectives and 2.2 Communication Objectives and we
are using 5 gum as our topic
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so you will need to do this. using 5 gum for the research
2.1 Marketing Objectives
� Sales, market share, profit etc. (need to be SMART � specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and
over
a precise timeframe).
� �Marketing objectives are specific to the numeric elements surrounding a company’s “bottom line,” that
is, increases in profit in terms of dollars, units sold, size of profit margin, and so forth.
� In short, these objectives nearly always refer back to the “almighty dollar,” which is one of the most
significant measures of a company’s success.
� Such goals are often easily measured against sales and productivity reports but may vary greatly
depending on product category or seasonality, for example.
� They may be expressed as driving traffic to a retail location, increasing average ticket sales, achieving
annual growth rates, diversifying revenue streams, increasing return on an investment, or achieving
higher
market share.
� With an increased emphasis on online presence and sales these days, companies are also actually
setting
their e-commerce goals under the marketing objective heading�. (Parente & Strausbaugh-Hutchinson
2015)
2.2 Communication Objectives
� Campaign communication objectives include: category need, brand awareness, brand image / attitude
/ preference, brand purchase / action intention. Please note: brand awareness and brand image /
attitude / preference are always communication objectives. (Also need to be SMART � specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic and over a precise timeframe).
o Category Need – Establishing a product category to remove or satisfy a perceived discrepancy
between a current motivational state and a desired motivational state. A new to the world product
such as the iPad in 2010 will always begin with a communication objective of establishing category
need.
o Brand Awareness – Fostering the consumer�s ability to recognise or recall the brand within the
category, in sufficient detail to make a purchase. Recognition is easier to achieve than recall –
consumers asked to think of a brand of frozen peas are more likely to recognise Bird�s Eye�s distinctive
package than to recall the brand. Brand recall is important outside the store; brand recognition is
important inside the store. Brand awareness provides a foundation for brand equity.
o Brand Attitude (brand image / preference) – Helping consumers evaluate the brand�s perceived
ability to meet a currently relevant need. Relevant brand needs may be negatively oriented
(problem removal, problem avoidance, incomplete satisfaction, normal depletion) or positively
oriented (sensory gratification, intellectual stimulation, or social approval). Household cleaning
products often use problem solution; food products, on the other hand, often use sensory-oriented
ads emphasising appetite appeal.
o Brand Purchase Intention – Moving consumers to decide to purchase the brand or take purchaserelated
action. Promotional offers like coupons or two-for-one deals encourage consumers to make
a mental commitment to buy. But many consumers do not have an expressed category need and
may not be in the market when exposed to an ad, so they are unlikely to form buy intentions. In any
given week, only about 20 percent of adults may be planning to buy detergent and only 0.25
percent to buy a car. (Kotler & Keller 2011)
Marketing Communication: The Case of 5 Gum
2.1 Marketing Objectives
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They are primary goals set by the organization to ensure a smooth and effective
promotion of a product or a service in the market segment. In other terms, they refer to strategies
that facilitate the firm to achieve its operational objectives. Five gum product is the case study in
this research paper, and it is a product that has undergone the development cycle for it to thrive
in the market (Armstrong et al., 2015, p.26). It is a sugarless chewing gum produced by a
company known as Wrigley limited. The main goal as to why the product was introduced into
the market was to initiate a different taste of chewing gums. The company uses a slogan by the
title “Stimulate your Senses” to communicate its uniqueness to all potential customers in the
world.
Marketers have an obligation to formulate sound strategies that can make a product
achieve the desired sales units. The marketing department in Wrigley applies the SMART
approach to attain its objectives. That means they have to be specific in what they want to
achieve in both the short and long-term. The gum is accurately composed of 5 calories and other
sweetness additives. Wrigley hopes to make the chewing gum dominate the market by providing
multiple flavors in the market. Examples of the popular available flavors include but not limited
to watermelon, green apple as well as the tropical.
Within the SMART approach, the objectives must be measurable to determine the
progress. Five gum brand has acquired a high market percentage in the sugarless segment. It is
calculated to be 9% of all the gums in its category worldwide. On the other hand, the product has
recorded good sales that match the company’s objectives. Although there was a decrease in 2014
sales, the company normally registers a sales figure of about $262.3 million dollars every year
(Browse Products by Category – ADA Seal Products – Mouth Healthy, 2017).
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According to the manager Mr. Starkey, five gum has been leading in this category for
more than ten years. That means the company objectives are achievable. However, there has
been the low rate of gum consumption among the youths which has affected the number of sales
expected every year. Therefore, marketing tactics are needed to boost the movement of 5 gum
brand in the market (Chaffey, 2015).
When it comes to being realistic in marketing objectives, Wrigley has increased its total
spending from $40 million to $42 million to improve the brand’s awareness and product
development in future. That will help the company achieve its target efficiently and faster.
Finally, the approach requires a company to have a specific timeline on when to achieve its
goals. Five gum brand being launched 2007, the management targeted to have it declared as the
“American hottest gum brand” in the year 2010. The goal was achieved in 2011 that led to
doubling of its annual sales.
2.2 Communication Objectives
These are intended aims that a company can have on a particular product or services to
ensure potential customers acquire satisfaction. The first thing to do is to create awareness of the
product on what it constitutes and also the primary role of its core product (Luxton, Reid &
Mavondo, 2015, p.38). For five gum brand, the sugarless chewing gum components are indicated
on the packaging paper and their nutritional role in the body.
Advertisements on media are the major route to increase its awareness in America as well
as the universe as a whole. Secondly, the company has imparted knowledge on how the five
chewing gum relates with five human being senses. The product is made in a way that it does
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stimulate the body senses differently among different individuals. Therefore, the feeling is
diverse therefore impacting satisfaction to the customers at different levels.
Image projection is also a factor to consider while dealing with communication
objectives. How people view a product dictates whether they will make a purchasing decision or
not. In this case, the five gum is wrapped with a plastic outer cover containing descriptions of the
product either in the inner part or outside depending on the market place. Their well-shaped
cover has rolls of five and three of the chewing gum with different flavors to increase the
customers’ choices in the market. The unique packaging helps consumers learn easily the gums
components and how different it is compared to others in the market.
Based on Luxton et al., (2015), shaping attitudes is another crucial aspect in
communication objectives. It involves enticing customers to derive the desire and want of
purchasing the product (p.38). Wrigley Company reaches out to potential consumers in the
market through its slogan “stimulate your senses.” People buy the five gum product to
experience the relationship it has with the five senses in human beings. As a result, effective
sales are recorded throughout the year, and the primary target is the young generation. Indeed,
marketing and communication objectives require strategic approach to succeed. They are the
main life of the product that determines its course in the market segment. Ultimately, strategic
marketing and communication increase the competitive ability of an organization.
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References
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., and Brennan, R. 2015. Marketing: an introduction.
Pearson Education.
Browse Products by Category – ADA Seal Products – Mouth Healthy. (2017). Mouthhealthy.org.
