Paper Example on SMART and INC Campaign

SMART Approach

The SMART approach is a widely used approach in setting objectives. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic or relevant, and time bound. First, it is important to set specific objectives so that it becomes clear when the objectives have been met of not met. For an objective to be considered specific, it should include what is to be achieved, why the objective is important, those that will be involved and the resources that will be required to accomplish the objectives. Second, an objective should be measurable, implying that it should be possible to judge the objective in comparison with the set standards. The required standards should be understood easily by everyone involved in the accomplishment of the objective. For an objective to be measurable, it should be expressed that can be measured, such as dates, percentages, or in number form. It should be possible to answer questions, such as how much, how many, and how the accomplishment of the objective will be known.

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Third, an objective should be attainable or achievable, implying that the available resources and the people involved in the accomplishment of the objective should be able to meet the standards of the objectives. While it is important to aim high and set objectives that contribute to success, it is important to note that the accomplishment of the objectives depends on the available capabilities and competencies. At this point, it is important to determine how the objective will be accomplished and the requirements for accomplishment, and whether the requirements are within the company's reach. Fourth, an objective should be relevant, implying that every objective set should be aimed at promoting success of a single business unit or their organization. For example, marketing communications objectives should be relevant to accomplishing the overall marketing goals. Questions to be answered at this point include whether the objective is worthwhile, whether it is the right time to set the objective and accomplish it, and whether the objectives are in line with other efforts. Fifth, an objective should be time-bound, implying that there should be a clear deadline for the accomplishment of the objective. Time is a very important aspect in marketing and business success. Achieving an objective at a later date when other companies have already achieved it may lead to loss of business. Determining when the objective should be accomplished is important in determining the accomplishment of the objective according to the standards.

There are several poor standards in the setting of objectives. First is setting an objective that is not specific. This implies that it becomes difficult to tell what is to be achieved and whether the objective has been achieved or not. Second is setting objectives that cannot be achieved with the available resources. This leads to the investment of efforts in objects that will not be achieved, thus leading to wastage of resources. Third is giving a considerably long timeframe. This implies that although the objective may be achieved, it may not contribute to business success.

There are several benefits of using the SMART approach in setting objectives. First, it helps to ensure that those involved in the accomplishment of the objective understand the requirements because the objective is specific. Second, it helps in time management. Fixing a date when the objective should be accomplished helps to ensure that the available time is utilized for business success. Failing to fixing a date may lead to poor time management. Third, the approach helps in setting objectives that contribute to business success because they are relevant. Failing to use the approach may lead to the development of objectives that do not support current efforts. Fourth, the approach helps in measuring outcomes. Without the approach, it could be difficult to develop measurable objectives, thus making it difficult to quantify business outcomes.

IMC Campaign

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of an IMC campaign to determine the impact of various marketing communication tools on customers. The primary goal of an IMC campaign is to communicate with customers with the purpose of increasing brand awareness, convincing customers to make purchases, and increasing sales and profitability. The effectiveness of these efforts can only be determined through evaluation. The process of evaluating the effectiveness of IMC involves determining the difference in sales, analyzing online traffic, and change in customer behaviors. An increase in sales would indicate that an IMC campaign is yielding results while a decline or lack of change in sales may imply the IMC campaign is infective. Analyzing online traffic helps in evaluating the effectiveness of social media marketing. An increase in online traffic implies that the campaign is effective. Lastly, a favorable change in customer behavior, such as increased customer loyalty may help in determining the effectiveness of the campaign.

There are several practical challenges faced in the evaluation of the effectiveness of IMC campaign. First, since IMC involves the use of several communication channels, it is difficult to attach a marketing effect to the marketing form that caused it. For example, it may not be possible to tell whether the increase in sales is caused by social media marketing or TV advertisement. This challenge could be addressed by asking customers to share factors that influenced them to make a purchase, such as through a TV advert. Second, it is difficult to determine the percentage of social media traffic that results from online users interested in the product. Asking social media users to provide reviews about the company's offerings could help to tell the percentage that is interested in the products.