All English writing

In a highly dynamic and complex environment, brand marketing is arduous but crucial to any enterprise which seeks to succeed in the global market place. How does a brand overcome numerous challenges to become rooted in the minds of the target audiences, and how is strong brand equity built? A new marketing concept, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), emerged in the 1990s to answer this question. The theory highlights “integration” by harmonizing various marketing messages to create “synergy” for a brand and is based on an outside-in database to build relationships with target audiences to advance brand value.

This study applies IMC to brand marketing, using BenQ as a case study. In a comprehensive probe into BenQ’s brand marketing, most of IMC’s important concepts are incorporated in the analytical framework of this research. The first element is that IMC depends on cross-functional design with support from the top and senior managers. The second element, outside-in databases are at the center of IMC and act as an engine for the sequential various marketing communication activities. A company should establish its integrated database and statistically analyze the database regularly to determine market trends.

Following on an understanding of target audiences, obtained from the database, multiple marketing communication tools (the third element) should support brand marketing in a coherent and synergistic way. Messages and activities must follow principles of consistency, integration, clarity, systematization, economics, and concentration. The fourth element shows that IMC’s target audiences are not confined just to customers, prospects or end customers but include all selected target audience groups. Differences among these target audiences must be considered. The fifth element emphasizes that a successful brand is nothing more than a special relationship underpinned by two-way communications. These five elements of IMC must be considered interactively, without focusing on an individual factor in isolation. A successful integrated marketing communications program is a circular system.

Results in this study indicate that BenQ reflects IMC concepts on brand marketing. BenQ’s Marcom team is a cross-functional design with support from the top and senior managers to undertake brand marketing. With clear outside-in thought, BenQ integrates various marketing communication tools to solicit actively target audiences’ data for inclusion in a database, and to mold a brand image consistent with the brand mission. Efforts made to understand comprehensive target audiences through distinct channels lead to mutual relationships between BenQ and target audiences.

Some disadvantages as follows arise when IMC is applied to brand marketing. Many data concerning target audiences are dispersed in various databases of BenQ without an integrated linkage. BenQ does not regularly analyze or utilize a database for brand marketing, but sometimes relies on purchasing data from external sources. In addition, marketing communication tools are not typically derived from a database and the data in the database are not very detailed. Also, the tracking of post-purchase results and responses could be reinforced. The evaluation of performances can be more tightly connected to BenQ’s core mission in brand marketing. Removing these gaps between what BenQ has done, and the ideal IMC framework, will yield great brand equity.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..2
List of Exhibit……………………………………………………………………...6
1.Introduction………………………………..........................................................7
1.1 The background and motives of this research……………………………….7
1.2 This research’s goals and questions………………………………………….9
1.3 The contributions of this research……………………………………………9
1.4The general introduction to BenQ…………………………………………...10
2. Review of related literature………………………………………………..13
2.1 Brand marketing…………………………………………………………….13
2.1.1 Brand marketing……………………………………………………..13
2.1.2 The importance of brand marketing…………………………………13
2.1.3 The process of brand marketing……………………………………..15
2.1.4 The ultimate goal of brand marketing: brand equity………………...16
2.2 The concepts of “Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)”…………17
2.2.1 The definitions of IMC……………………………………………...17
2.2.2 The recent evolvement of IMC……………………………………...18
2.2.3 Traits of IMC………………………………………………………...20
2.2.4 Conditions for the successful IMC…………………………………..21
2.2.5 The essential executive elements for IMC…………………………..22
2.2.6 Benefits of IMC……………………………………………………...24
2.3 The relationship between IMC and brand marketing……………………….25
3. Research methodology………………………………………………………28
3.1 Research methodology……………………………………………………...28
3.1.1 The overview of research methodology……………………………..28
3.1.2 Persons to interview…………………………………………………29
3.1.3 Questionnaires……………………………………………………….29
3.1.4 The scope of this research…………………………………………...30
3.2 The analytical framework for the case study……………………………….30
3.2.1 The overview of analytical framework on the case study…………...30
3.2.2 The descriptions of this analytical framework………………………31
3.3 The research procedures…………………………………………………….43
4. The descriptions of this research results………………………………..45
4.1 Marcom team is a cross-functional design with support from the top……...45
4.2 Outside-in thought: BenQ likes to hear from consumers…………………...47
4.3 Diverse marketing communication tools are interactively utilized…………49
4.4 The scope of target audiences is extensive………………………………….51
4.5 Relationships-building is the hinge for BenQ’s brand marketing…………..53
5. The comparison and analysis of this research results……………….56
5.1 A good environment exists for IMC’s application to brand marketing……..56
5.2 BenQ has outside-in thought but lacks an integrated database system……..59
5.3 Diverse marketing communication tools are interactively used……………63
5.4 BenQ makes efforts to understand different target audiences’ demands…...66
5.5 Relationships-building is the core of brand marketing for BenQ…………..67
5.6 It still requires more efforts for BenQ to complete a circular system………71
6. Conclusions and Suggestions……………………………………………...73
7. References……………………………………………………………………...83
8. The appendix…………………………………………………………………..88

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