Integrated Marketing Communication

Company Introduction : Asian Paints is India’s largest paint company and Asia’s third largest paint company, with a turnover of Rs 77.06 billion. The group has an enviable reputation in the corporate world for professionalism, fast track growth, and building shareholder equity. Asian Paints operates in 17 countries and has 24 paint manufacturing facilities in the world servicing consumers in over 65 countries. Besides Asian Paints, the group operates around the world through its subsidiaries Berger International Limited, Apco Coatings, SCIB Paints and Taubmans.

Vision : Asian Paints aims to become one of the top five Decorative coatings companies world-wide by leveraging its expertise in the higher growth emerging markets. Simultaneously, the company intends to build long term value in the Industrial coatings business through alliances with established global partners.

Long Term Communication Objective : Communication objectives are as follows

1. To create awareness about eco friendly paint.

2. Differentiation of Asian Paint’s products from competition.

3. Facilitating a stronger consumer brand connection.

4. Enhancing the Brand Equity.

5. Increasing the market share.

Strategic Plan : Strategic plan for each element of marketing communication mix are as follows

1. Product : The company should offer the wide range of products in order to satisfy the need of the consumer. Refers to the benefits of buying a product.Quality,features,design,packaging and range of products

o Acrylic Putty : Used to make the surface smooth and even.

o Primers : Both interior and exterior primers are essential for the substrate preparation and to prevent the wall from efflorescence and to enhance the adhesion.

o Interior Paints : Interior paints with different sheen is important as some customers like low gloss and few customers like high gloss products.

o Exterior Paints : Exterior products with good durability.

o Metal surface and wood surface coatings.

o Automotive coatings

o Floor Coatings

o Protective Coatings

o Road Markings

o Powder Coating

o Glowing Paints for Kids room

Asian Paints different product Brands : Ace & Apex Apcolite ,Apex ,Apex Ultima, Asian Premium Gloss Enamel, Royale Play,Tractor Emulsion Utsav etc

Many International brands have started their business in India.Key Brands

– Jotun Paints

– Sherwin Williams

– Nippon Paints

Asian Paint should include the following products in their SKU in order to meet the global competitions.

o High gloss products in water based segment.They can match the products offered by Sherwin Williams in India.

o Roof Paints which will lower the surface temperature.This type of product will be very successful in most parts of India where temperature is very high during summer.

o Low VOC paints which will be eco friendly.

2. Price : Company is having excellent presence in both the markets – Mass market and Niche market.Company is having various price range products to cater the customers from all segments.

Asian Paints Decoprime – Rs. 110 / Litre

Asian Paints Premium Emulsion – Rs. 201/Litre

Asian Paints Apex Ultima – Rs. 275 / Litre

Asian Paints Royal Luxury Emulsion- Rs. 370 / Litre

Asian Eco friendly Emulsion – Rs. 400 / lItre.Consumers who are concern about environment, will be willing to pay little extra for the greater cause.

Different Pricing Strategies based on the business situations.

• Competition – basing prices on those of the competition • Penetration – making price low while new just to get some business • Bundle – putting the product/service with another item and bundling the prices • Psychological – making the price say something about the quality of your product

3. Place : Simply refers to how & where we are going to sell the product to the consumer. Currently selling the products through dealers. Company has a huge network of dealers and retail outlets which can be use to sell this new eco friendly paint product line.

o Dealers – 27000
o Retail Outlets – 3000
o Colorworld network through 18000 dealers

Apart from dealers and retail outlets, Asian Paints should also sell their products through following channels.

o HomeTown
o Big Bazaar

4. Promotion : : A successful product or service means nothing unless the benefit of that product/service can be communicated to the Target Market.

o Company should convey the message to target audience why Eco friendly paint is need of the present and future.

o Advertisement through television,news paper,FM Radio, Internet,Magazines, Horadings etc

o Promotion of products through coating shows.

o Promotion by offering home solution services.

o Unique way of communicating with consumer by the recently launched the happy painting guide.

Implementation Plan : Company should create a new logo and brand identity for eco friendly

Paint product.

New Logo :Asian Paints Eco friendly paint.

o With this new logo,company will be able to convey to the target audience that it has great concern about the environment.

o This is a self regulatory company. Even though there is no VOC ( volatile organic content ) limit for the paint product.

o Company will convey to the target audience that how the high VOC paint is harmful to the consumer and environment. It contributes in the global warming.

o This is the best engineered product which is having greater application properties and maintenance free and durable products.

o Strong Slogan : Lets save the environment together.This will be having great appeal to the consumer.

Brand Ambassador for Eco friendly Paint Products : Mr. Rahul Bose will be the right choice for the brand ambassador of this product. He is notable for his social activism.

Consumer Participation in the Communication Model : Following exercise will ensure that Consumer participates in the communication model.

o Online Feedback Interactivity

o Trained painters to provide the painting guide

o Suggestion Box at each outlets

o 24 x 7 call center ( Toll free service )

o Through PR

o Encouraging customer to participate in contest and reward with prizes.

o Educating customers by providing them the details like product benefits etc

o Providing regular training to dealers and distributors

o Replying to their feedback and querries within 24 hrs time limit

o Loyalty points on every purchase

Consumer participation in the communication model will help the company to engineer better products and provide better services and differentiate them from their competitions.

Touch Points of Communicaiton : Touch point of communication is every single way we interact with the company.

o Asian Paints Brand Elements

o Asian Paints Website

o Newpaper

o Magazines

o Distributors

o Dealers

o Painter

o Contractors

o Real State Developers

o Coating Shows

o The Happy Painting Guide Booklet

o Employees of Asian Paints

o Existing satisfied consumers/customers

o Hoardings

o Company Bus

o Uniform

o Television

o Radio

o Exhibitions

o Corporate Social Responsibility

o Stakeholders

o Bags

o Pens

o Key chains

o Tissue Paper Holder

o Mugs

o Facebook

o Tweeter

o You Tube

o Linkdin

o Cinema Ads

o Products

o Color Centres

o Call Centre

o Brand Ambassador – Mr. Saif Ali Khan

All above touch points of communication will help to create synergy and thus Brand Identity.

One Message – One Voice : One Message – One Voice is a mantra of Integrated Marketing Communication.

One Message – One Voice can be implemented as follows.

o Unique company logo at each distribution centres

o Product packaging

o Through Touch Points

o By Advertisement

o Through Brand Ambassador

o Training program for staff

It is used to build faster brands.

Integration of Marketing Communications : Following integration of marketing communication is essential for this Asian Paints new products – Eco friendly paint

o Advertising : Paid form of communication. Newspaper,TV,Hoardings,Radio.Advertising using environment themes.

o Sales Promotion : Direct inducement to lure a customer to try or buy

o Direct Marketing : Company markets directly to consumer.Made contacts through email,Fax,phone call etc. This helps in creating direct relationship.Explaining the consumer about benefits of products.

o Public Relations & Publicity : Unpaid use of media by creating media relationships.To get media coverage through article.Media will highlight the importance of eco friendly product.

Partners in the Communication Plan : Follwing partners will take active participation in the communication plan to provide the synergy.

o Dealers

o Retail outlets

o Media

o Sales Staff

o Radio

o R & D team

o Marketing Team

o Supply Chain

o Consumer

o PR

Evaluation of Results : Evaluation of results on regular basis will help the company to engineer better products and provide services which will differentiate them from competitions and will help them to create a Brand Identity.

Consumers and customers feedback will be taken on regular basis after each purchase and records will be maintained at customer data base.

Questionnaire will be designed considering the marketing communication mix.Based on the feedback from consumer/customer and their analysis will help company to find out the most effective communication tools,

Bibliography

• Prof. Rajeev Chawla’s class notes

• Principles of Advertising and IMC by Tom Duncan

• Marketing Management by Philip Kotler

• http://www.asianpaints.com/