The Development of a 3-year IMC Plan for 3M Hellas

Indicative

Findings

Continuous Process

1. Awareness, corporate & product associations

• Same survey on an annual basis – ideally on February or March

2. Online Media

• Use of Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Google Website Optimizer, Facebook Ads Report, Google Alerts

Timeline:

1st Scenario

3. Traditional Media

• Tracking of all the references that are made for 3M Hellas on broadcast and printed media
• Pre-test or post-tests of the commercials e.g. day-after recall tests

4. CSR Campaign

• Specific section in the annual survey for the effectiveness of the CSR campaign

Maintenance

Budget & ROI:

2nd Scenario

Situation Analysis:

Quantitative Research

Findings

Key

Performance

Indicators

Research

Objectives

Structure

of the

IMC Plan

Strategies

1. To delve into the underlying consumers’ perceptions and associations made regarding the corporate brand of 3M Hellas

2. To examine the relative importance that consumers impose on a corporate brand name

3. To perceive the way that consumers conceive and pick among the various communication tools

4. To provide feasible guidelines to 3M Hellas, that shall rejuvenate and increase the awareness of its corporate brand, through a 360° IMC plan

In order to do so, Qualitative & Quantitative Research was implemented

Timeline:

2nd Scenario

Situation Analysis:

Qualitative Research

Findings

The Development of a 3-year

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

for the Corporate Brand of 3M Hellas

Quotes

Alexakis Giorgos Fasoula Elena Samaras Thanasis

Supervisor: Indounas Kostis, Assistant Professor

Athens, January 17, 2014

Situation Analysis

SWOT

Objectives

Strategies

Tactics

Timeline

Budget & ROI

Maintenance

Conclusion

Budget & ROI:

1st Scenario

Corporate Image Strategy

1. Corporate name strategy

• The corporate name will be accompanying every promotional activity
• Positive brand attitude through emotional marketing techniques

2. Positioning strategy

• Top quality tied with innovation
• " . Quality for every single need.”

Conclusion

Summary of the research methodology & execution

Situation Analysis -

Summary

Tactics

Quantitative Research

Questionnaires:

Qualitative Research

Focus Groups:

CSR campaign

• “Quality in Education”
• Scientific equipment to schools and contribution to the development of labs
• Enlightenment to young students about various aspects of science & innovation
• Donation - part of the profits from sales (2% recommended)
• School visits and demonstration of practical aspects of science
• Foster a new generation of scientists
• Informative material and gifts will be handled to students
• Facilitate the associations with products and promote a quality image

Population of the study: General population – Men and women over 18 years old

Sample size: 200 persons that were randomly selected

Sampling Frame: Individuals in crowded suburbs, shopping malls and cafeterias in areas such as Chalandri, Marousi, Kifisia, Psichiko, Holargos

& Ermou Street, in Athens

Data Collection Period: Approximately 15 days (5 -19 of October, 2013)

Sample size: 3 focus groups of 7 people each = 21 persons

Diversity: 13 men – 8 women

Average Age: 34 years old

Background: Marketing, Logistics, Accounting, IT, Economics etc.

Average Duration: 1 hour & 20 minutes

Introduction

Brand Image Strategy

Research methods reached to similar conclusions:

• The majority of the consumers is unaware of 3M and its product offerings
• The respondents have a vague image for the firm and make poor associations with the company and its brands
• Cognizant of the company are mainly those between 26 - 65 years old, with a high family income (above 2.000 euros) who have acquired a high level of education (university degree, technical college or postgraduate diploma)
• The brands of the company are more well-known than the company itself
• The respondents needed a “reminder” in order to relate the company to their consuming habits
• The surveyed are rather interested in the name of the manufacturing company when purchasing either a consumer or an industrial product
• The participants’ primary concern is quality, a characteristic that they can associate 3M with
• The communication tools that receive the wide acceptance of the participants - for either consumer or industrial products - are mostly the internet, word-of-mouth and broadcast media.

Objectives & Targeted Increase

• The actions must be consistent & relevant with the suggested corporate theme & with the firm's core values
• The aim is to promote 3M as an authority brand via a 360° IMC plan & to deliver a unique brand promise & holistic experience at all customer touchpoints
• The figures & data were collected from various sources (television channels, radio stations, extensive personal communication with multiple advertising agencies, etc)
• The annual budget allocation & timeline is structured in a way that shall increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the plan
• The ROI was calculated in a measure that complies with our research objectives; to increase the awareness and familiarity of 3M Hellas

3M has managed to build strong brands of which people are aware and sometimes consider them the leaders in their category

However, the firm lacks of effective communication of its corporate brand

For each action we embarked on particular estimations that signify the number of individual viewers, readers or participants that shall come across with the 3M brand

Positioning Strategy

Tactics

1. TVC:

• Adaptation of the current corporate video that was broadcasted in the US
• The video should promote 3M as an authority brand, portray the firm’s numerous individual products as well as the central theme that ties the company with quality with innovation (“3M Innovation. Quality for every single need”)
• It will approximately last 23” & be broadcasted on prime time, in channels such as SKAI and ALPHA TV

Time: October to January of year 1 and for ten days per month, in April, September and December of year 2 and for ten days per month and in year 3, the TVC will be broadcasted for twelve days in April and for ten days in September and December

Cost: 2nd scenario - Adaptation 12.000 euros, Execution (Total) - 332.440 euros

Corporate

Image

Strategy:

Tactics

9. CSR Training

• 3M salesmen must be informed about the promotion implemented in some product categories
• The 3M team which will visit the schools should be aware of presentation details, the experiments and the games
• Specification of the exact gifts & equipment that will be delivered to schools

10. CSR Stickers

• Stickers added to certain consumer products, informing that a small amount of the potential purchase will be devoted to providing equipment to schools

SWOT

Analysis

Internal Marketing

6. Creation of An E-shop

• The creation of an e-shop should constitute a top priority of the company as it will facilitate the purchases of the audience

7. Outdoor signs or stickers

• Placement of signs or even stickers with the 3M’s logo outside particular key-stores that market the 3M products

8. Electronic Catalogs

• Shall include all the brands of 3M, DIY advice, useful information and tips
• They will be sent via email to the customer database of the firm and to its employees

2. Radio Advertisements:

• Advertisements of 15"
• Broadcasted on prime time at the most popular Greek stations (Real fm, SKAI fm, NovaSport fm)

Time: 20 days in years 1 and 2 (November and April) and 25 days in year 3 (April)

Cost: Creation - 300 euros, Execution - 8.000 euros, 8.000 euros and 10.000 euros (1st scenario), 8.000 euros for every year (2nd scenario)

3. YouTube Channel and Ads:

• The channel will include the TVC and the advertisements of the individual brands of 3M
• The TVC will be also utilized as a teaser (in-stream YouTube ads)

Time: October, November and December of year 1 and March, November and December of year 2

Cost: 1.000 euros, 1.800 euros, 1.000 euros (1st scenario), 1.600 euros, 1.000 euros and 1.000 euros (2nd scenario)

Time: 14 days in September and November and 7 days in year 1, 14 days in May and 7 days in November of year 2, 14 days in March and May and 7 days in November of year 3

Cost: Creation - 400 euros, Execution - 5.000 euros, 3.000 euros and 5.000 euros (1st scenario), 5.000 euros for every year (2nd scenario)

4. Banner Campaign:

• Ιn distinctive websites (eg. naftemporiki.gr)

5. Metropolitan Railway Advertisements:

• Advertisements placed inside the wagons of the railways in the form of 14 days or 28 days deal
• The proposed theme is a depiction of the firm’s logo, tagline and strategic brands

Corporate Name Tactics

Time: September of year 2 - 14 days (1st scenario), November of year 1 and October of years 2 and 3 - 28 days (2nd scenario)

Cost: Creation - 6.000 euros for the 2nd year (1st scenario), 12.000 euros, 9.000 euros and 9.000 euros (2nd scenario), Execution - 10.000 euros for the 2nd year (1st senario), 20.000 euros, 15.000 euros and 15.000 euros (2nd scenario)

2 different scenarios are going to be presented:

One, with the budget restriction of 30.000 euros &

One, with the restriction of 200.000 euros

Budget

Determination

Timeline - 2nd Scenario

1. Facebook Page “3M Hellas”:

• Emphasis on content marketing; short, frequent posts & competitions Demonstrate the 8 product categories of the firm, its historical background & the latest global news.
• DIY advice & an apparent link to 3M’s website should also be included - based on the US initiative “Sparticl”

Strengths

Time: February of year 1 - Update on a regular basis

Cost: -

• Large, well-established multinational
• Ample range of products
• Consumers relate 3M to high quality
• 3M is considered an expert in every product category that operates
• The majority is aware of company’s logo
• Innovation Company
• Strategic, popular brands & transformational products
• Technologically advanced platforms

1. 3M should revise its positioning & tie innovation with quality ("3M Innovation. Quality for every single need")

2. The corporate brand should be regarded as a unique entity in the organization instead of a peripheral activity

3. Integrated marketing communications must be addressed to all stakeholders either directly or indirectly

4. All marketing efforts should focus on a consistent theme

CSR Tactics

(2nd scenario)

8

guidelines

in a

nutshell:

3. Radio advertisements:

• Will provide the consumers with a “reminder” of the campaign & the 3M corporate name
• The ads will last 15” & will be broadcasted on prime time at some of the most popular Greek stations (eg Real fm, SKAI radio and NovaSport fm)

4. Metropolitan Railway Advertisements:

• Poster placements inside the wagons of the metropolitan railway (14 or 28 days deal)

1. Facebook page and ads:

• Separate Facebook page under the theme “Quality for every single need”
• This will enable the company to promote future campaigns with different sub-themes & the consumers to tie the firm with quality
• The participants will be asked to recommend (via likes and shares) from a list of schools the one that they believe lacks of rudimentary equipment

2. YouTube ads and videos:

• In-stream YouTube ads to inform the viewers & to demonstrate several videos of the actual visits to schools

Time: October of years 2 and 3 - 20 days/month

Cost: Creation - 300 euros, Execution - 8.000 euros for the 2nd year and 16.000 euros for the 3rd year

Time: Facebook page - September of year 2, Facebook ads - October and December in years 2 and 3

Cost: 500 euros for the 2nd year and 1.000 euros for the 3rd year

Weaknesses

3. Collaboration with Universities

• Speeches from 3M professionals held in classes
• Visits from business schools could be arranged in 3M premises

4. B2B Sales Promotion – Banded Packs

• Specific consumer brands of the firm, such as Scotch-Brite, distributed along with the B2B products in a banded pack

5. Training of the Salesforce; Personal Selling – Cross selling

• Salesmen acquire adequate knowledge of the company’s offerings in the form of emails, catalogs &presentations
• Make special discounts to those clients that decide to purchase products from numerous categories (cross-selling potential)

• Low levels of awareness & familiarity
• Insufficient logo
• Confusion with 3E
• Consumers cannot associate 3M with its brands
• Lack of corporate communications activities
• Respondents do not put much emphasis on innovation
• The consumers cannot name a 3M product unaided
• The industrial brands cannot be recalled as easily as the consumer ones
• A significant portion of the public considers 3M a Greek company
• 3Μ salesmen are not fully aware of the wide product range of the company

Time: October of years 2 and 3 for 28 days

Cost: Creation - 3.000 euros (each year), Execution - 5.000 euros (each year)

Time: September to January in year 2, April to May in year 3 and November to January of the same year

Cost: Video production - 25.000 euros, YouTube ads - 1.000 euros for the 2nd year and 1.200 euros for the 3rd year

5. Ubiquity in numerous contact points is essential

6. The marketing communication objectives should be well – specified & measurable

7. Emphasis must not be given on short-term outcomes but on longer-term equity and image sustainability

8. Periodical measurement instruments should be precisely coordinated and serve as a balance mechanism

Time: 3 months on year 1 (March, April, May), 4 months on year 2 (March, June, October and November) & 3 months on year 3 (March, May, October)

Cost: based on CPC (Cost-Per-Click) method - 1.000 euros,1.000 euros and 1.500 euros (1st scenario), 1.000 Euros, 500 euros and 800 euros (2nd scenario)

2. Facebook Ads: promoting the above-mentioned page & the company’s website, providing the audience with a “reminder”

Opportunities

• Capitalize on quality & associate it with innovation
• Invest on internet, broadcast media & wom
• Heavily communicate the corporate name
• Communicate the fact that the strategic brands are used even by those who are not aware of the company
• Provide consumers with a “reminder”
• Promote the wide product range of the company
• No direct competitors
• Inform & educate consumers on the benefits of the products
• Embark on CSR activities

3. Search Engine Optimization: in organic results for choices that represent 3M's positioning (innovation, quality, large sized company)

Time: February of year 1 - Update on a regular basis

Cost: -

5. Banner Campaign:

• In distinctive websites (ex. naftemporiki.gr)
• Promoting 3M's corporate image & social consciousness

Time: November of years 2 and 3 - 14 days for year 2, 21 days for year 3

Cost: Creation - 100 euros, Execution - 4.000 euros

(2nd year) and 6.000 euros (3rd year)

B2B Strategy

Tactics

Threats

• The immense advertising activities of 3E are probably augmenting the confusion with 3M
• Increasingly, large multinationals are promoting their corporate image. 3M may lose ground if it remains inert

Brand

Image

Strategy:

Tactics

1. Informational leaflets to B2B customers

• Pillar brands of each product category, their logos and the website address
• Distribution in B2B stores & end customers through personal selling

Time: Production and print for July and August of years 1-3

Cost: 500 euros/2000 leaflets (each year, both scenarios)

4. Paid-per-click Advertising (Google Adwords Platform, Google AdSense tool, Remarketing Lists in Google Analytics):

• 3M advertisements to those who search for its products & in affiliate-to-Google sites, follow-up with users that have visited 3M website

Time: February, May, September and December in year 1 and March, June, September and December in years 2 and 3 respectively

Cost: Based on CPC method - 1.100 euros, 1.900 euros and 2.000 euros (1st scenario), 2.000 euros, 1.000 euros and 2.050 euros (2nd scenario)

6. Presentations to schools:

• A trained team will visit various high schools, demonstrate scientific achievements & real-life examples
• Use in-house experiments, interactive games & hand out brochures & products

In that way, 3M will penetrate to the families of the students & to the schools' employees

Time: October, November & January of year 2 and February to April & October, November & January of year 3

Cost: 10.000 euros (2nd year) & 12.000 euros (3rd year)

5. “Mobile Innovation Lab” event in The Mall Athens:

• 3M professionals will demonstrate applications of 3M products & make experiments
• An outdoor version of “Sparticl” that shall foster consumer engagement

Time: May and December of year 3

Cost: 8.000 euros (1st scenario, 1 event) and 16.000 euros (2nd scenario, 2 events)

1. Key opinion leaders’ video

• An opinion leader of a product category delivers a positive communication message that adds value to the company
• “Ask the expert” section on company’s website

2. Business Entrepreneurship Contest

• The participants – start-up companies or individual entrepreneurs – will develop a business plan about a product that will be proposed by 3M
• Winners will gain actual support in the implementation of their idea by mentoring provided from 3M executives, working space in the 3M office and a an amount of x euros

Additional Tactics

B2C Strategy

Tactics

1. Sales Promotion – Coupons

• Identify the various pillar 3M offerings
• Mainly addressed to females
• Supermarkets and stores with office solutions

Time: October of years 1 and 3

Cost: 400 euros /2.000 coupons (1st and 3rd year, both scenarios)

Product Association

Tactics

Budget & ROI - 1st Scenario

1. Infographics

• Information about historical facts and 3M products
• Include in the Facebook page, official website and send via email to the company’s customer database

Time: Creation from December and January of year 2, Launch on February of year 3

Cost: 1.500 euros (2nd year for the 1st scenario, 3rd year for the 2nd scenario)

Internal

Marketing

Strategy:

Tactics

2. Redesign of the website

The lack of specific data (eg. sales volumes, production cost, SKU amount) signifies that it was impossible to calculate the cost and the return on investment of these particular ideas

• Chaotic nature of the site, links not translated into Greek, overlapping content, ineffective communication of several important aspects (innovation, quality, leadership)

3. “Find & Match” Knowledge game

• Game platforms to increase customers’ engagement & familiarity with the brand
• Run a competition

Time: February to May of year 3

Cost: 3.000 Εuros (3rd year of the 2nd scenario)

1. Meetings and events

• “Internal trade show” - employees will be informed about the existing as well as the new solutions the company provides
• “Inn-spirational” days - an effort to infuse innovation in every day practices in the workplace

Time: From February of year 1

Cost: -

2. Internal corporate communications

• Electronic leaflets, newsfeed via email, press releases
• The company will offer up-to-date and in some cases hard-to-find knowledge to the employees for the various aspects of its operations

Time: From February of year 1

Cost: -

Based on the US site

Time: 2nd scenario - February and March of year 1

Cost: 4.000 euros (1st year of the 2nd scenario)

Thank you !

Corporate Name

B2B

B2C

Positioning

CSR Campaign

Product Association