Guide | Integrated Marketing
Communications Practice Questions
2026/2027
, What is marketing? Creating value to satisfy customers, which drives growth for a business
- business philosophy: determining wants and needs of target markets and
satisfying those needs better than the competition
- financial success depends on marketing (high demand = high profit), sales (focus
on seller) advertising, promotion and branding
SWOT analysis a situational analysis in which a company assesses its strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats
Elements of a strategic Plan GOSTM
Goal: reason for existence
Objective: measurable standard for success
Strategies: plan of action; initiatives
Tactics: tools for the day to day
Measures: KPIs for tactics
Marketing Objectives retention, acquisition, awareness, STP, MPlans
Marketing Mix - The 4 P's Goal: to get a positive response from target market. Customer > market perspective
Product: Raw materials, Capital equipment, Services and supplies, and consumer
goods, Personal brands, ideas, places, and organizations
Place: how products get to consumers, distributors, wholesalers, and
manufacturers, and retailers
Price: Internal (company) and external (environmental) impacting price -
Cast,value,and competition price based
Promotion - Elements that go into IMC and all the different types of marketing
(email, social media, PR etc.)
SIVA Updates 4ps
*Solution = offer a solution to a pain point, not a
product
• Information = describe your solution
• Value = value-based pricing
• Access = expand consumption opportunities
Marketing Context (3Cs) All marketing decisions have to consider the implications from a consumer,
company and competitive perspective
Marketing Strategy (STP) Three core marketing strategy decisions involve: Dividing the market for a
product/service into segments; Deciding which segment(s) to target; and Deciding
how those targets should think or feel about the product/service
SEGMENTATION, TARGET, POSITIONING
Marketing Tactics - Product and service (solution) decisions are at the core; channels (access - a push
factor) and communications (info - a pull factor) are critical go-to-market demand
generators; and price (value) captures demand and drives revenue
Integrated Marketing Communications Build relationships through strong communication
programs - around a coherent identity - to increase
customer lifetime value, which lowers risk = cost effective
comes from organizational alignment - taking anyone who interacts with a company
and making sure they are on the same page about solving a customer's problem
Retain customers, make them feel loyal to the brand - turn them into an advocate,
customers attract other customers
hope to evoke attitude change