IMC tools of H & M

For a company to reach it's organizational goals, the key term promotional mix is used; it
includes adertising, pu!lic relations, personal selling and sales promotion" # concept $hich
goes hand%in%hand $ith the promotional mix is the #I&# concept; #ttention, Interest, desire and
action" 'hese are the four stages a consumer goes through to make a purchase decision"
H&M is a successfull clothing company, that is proud of !eing a!le to offer their consumers $ith
their latest fashion of good (uality, and to proide an afforda!le price" For H&M to keep
gro$ing and to continue !eing successfull they needed a functional promotional mix to !uild up
the relationship $ith their costumers" If H&M $ouldn't get the consumers attention, and interest
the consumer $ould not get the desire for H&M's products, and $ould not make an action to
purchase it"
'his is ho$ H&M gets from stage )%* in the #I&# concept"
#''+,'I-, and I,'+.+/'0
'hrough adertising and pu!lic relations H&M gets the consumers interest in looking online or
to come in to a retail store to check out the ne$est product lines" H&M also hae an app $here
upcoming informations can !e ie$ed, and $hat dates the ne$est collections are !eing released"
More informations can !e ie$ed here"
1hen H&M has the costumers attention it's easier for the employees to do additional selling
$hich makes personal selling an important part of the I,'+.+/' stage"
# successful promotional mix23 % &uring M#.,I for H&M"
&+/I.+ and #C'I-,0
4u!lic relations, sales promotion, and personal selling are the most inoled promotional tools to
get a consumer to feel the desire to further take action"
/ales promotions as 5678 off5 $ill get an interested consumer to increase it's interest in !uying a
product they at first though $asn't $orth the price" /o $ith decrees in price the consumer feel
more of a desire of the product and no longer 9ust the interest in it" the last stage as a!oe
is action : purchase the product, and !y using personal selling to raise the desire for the product
the consumer $ill get closer to making the decision of !uying the good" #s an example, if I try
on something I consider oerpriced at H&M and a sales person tells me information a!out that
particular product or gies me a compliment a!out ho$ great it looks on me it $ill make me
$ant the item more"
'he sale promotion in ;nited /tates and in H&Ms home country /$eden is made in t$o
different $ays" 1hile H&Ms sales only are done in retail stores in the ;/, they hae their sales
in /$eden diided !et$een online, catalog and retail stores" /o sale promotions hae to !e
handled differently" Here, H&M is not as focused on serice and personal selling as in /$eden,
and I find the reason to its great success is mostly !ecause of its !usiness concept 'o offer the
latest trends of great (uality to the !est price, not to charm the costumers $ith excellent serice"
<ecause in /$eden H&M has a Clu! system that excellent" For eery purchase you make in
store, online or through a catalog, the mem!er $ill make points" #nd $ith these points the clu!
mem!er gets coupons $ith, 6=8 off, 7=%7==kr >?@%?@=A off or get t$o pay for one deal" 'he
mem!er can also get inited to 5mem!ers only Bnights $here they get to take adantage of
campaigns !efore eeryone else and other deals that are only aaila!le at that particular night"
# great adantage $ith this mem!ership is that you can hae one account for the $hole family"
/o if a $hole family is fre(uent H&M shopper they all get separate cards and een greater deals
!ecause of the amount of money they spend together as a family" 1hat I also $ould loe to see
in the ;/ is the system /$eden uses for their employees" 'he employees are all competing $ith
each other in personal selling so they hae campaigns that they hae to offer the costumer to gain
points to the store as $ell as to their o$n 5extra sales5 list"
,ot to forget, H&M does hae promotions in #merican as $ell" <ut they are the same for all
consumers" 'hey $ill hae campaigns such as )=8 of any ?7= purchase or any !lazer for ?)7"
#nd $hatCs exciting here and not in /$eden is the constant sales stand" <ecause of #mericas
consuming ha!its" #n item a consumer is dying to !uy !ut find to expensie can likely go on sale
in a couple of $eeks" I'e saed many dollars on $aiting a $eek or t$o for the price to drop"
#n aerage H&M ad is usually a poster of the hottest items of the latest collection posted on a
phone !oth, !us%stops !ooth, or a ad !ox in your email or your social net$orking site"
'he more noticea!le and famous ads H&M has released are on their colla!oration collections
$ith their guest designers" '$o famous #ds and commercials are Dersace for H&M and &aid
<eckham <ody $ear for H&M" 'hey might !oth !e talked a!out !ut for t$o different reasons"
'he Dersace for H&M ad $ith &onatella Dersace as a head character, is a!out control and
command" /he is handling and manipulating the models $ith mind%control" /he treats the models
like puppets" It has a po$erful feeling and gies you the impression that the message of this ad is
to tell eeryone that &onatella through Dersace can control $hat people $ant and fight to !e !e
$earing !ecause of her
'he latest #d that got a huge amount of attention >at least among $omenA $as the &aid
<eckham <ody$ear for H&M $hich $as released on the years /uper!o$l" I $ould guess most
men $hen to the !athroom or $ent to get another !eer at this pint !ut a heard eery $oman at the
party I attended $histle and clap their hands" #nd I $ould assume many of them ran to the store
as soon as they came out to !uy their !oyfriend a pair or t$o from the collection that $as
marketed, !ecause later that $eek $hen I isited one of the stores located on Manhattan the
collection $as sold out"
1ho doesn't loe $alking !y a retail store and seeing that !ig red and $hite sale sign" It
automatically incites me to go in" #s for H&M sales promotion is a fre(uent actiity at their
stores" /ales promotion is defined as a short term incentie !y lo$ering the price or adding
alue" 1hen a season is a!out to end H&M reduce their prices to a!out 7=8 off" In addition,
they create a section in eery store that consist of products at the prices of 7?, )=?, and 6=
dollars" #lthough H&M does not gie out coupons, re!ates, or online sales promotion they do in
fact gie out discounts card to their consumers" 'hese discount card can consist of 7? off in any
purchase you make for friends and family" +en though H&M has afforda!le prices on regular
!asis discounts $onCt hurt us2 and remem!er that time of the year is coming around $here the
$ord /#E+ is going to !e around more often"
&irect Marketing0 #lthough H&M does most of their direct marketing through the internet" 'hey
create the a$areness !y their $e!sites" 'his techni(ue is mostly used in ;/#, ;F, /$eden,
/audi #ra!ia and in many other countries" <ut there is a huge difference !et$een the &irect
Marketing techni(ue of H&M in /audi #ra!ia and in ;/" #s $e all kno$ /audi #ra!ia is a
Muslim country $here there is huge restriction on $omen to sho$ off their !ody" /o H&M
needed to sho$ their collection in a $ay so that the main focus $ould !e on the clothing line" /o
their sales promotion and adertisement consists of $omen $earing such dresses that hide their
$hole !ody"
1here in ;nited /tates there is not much restriction on $omen" /o H&M did not hae any
trou!le to openly promote Eingerie, miniskirts, sexy tops etc" If $e take a look on H&M $e!site
in those t$o countries $e can identify the ast difference in their direct marketing techni(ue"

'hrough these $e!sites $e can clearly see the difference of the direct marketing methods of
H&M"
H&M corporate and pu!lic relation0 #t present H&M is operating in GH countries haing 66=I
stores >G= ,o" 6=)=A $ith @I=== employee $orking on the same philosophy i"e" to proide
fashion and (uality at the !est price" H&M carry out its strategy !y focusing on three main
characteristics of !usiness >>#.) 6==HA 0%
4rice0 % H&M controls price !y limiting middlemen, !uying in outsized (uantity and appropriate
merchandise and sustaining effectual distri!uting process"
&esign0 % 'he designing of the products is done in%house and production is totally outsourced"
Juality0 % Main focus is on superiority $ith $idespread testing and $arranting less
enironmental harm"
'he Corporate Communication strategy of H&M can also !e $ell explained !y B'he total
communication domainK model !y #!erg, E", >)LL=A" 'he model looks like a $heel haing four
sections0%
1 Support of Core Operating:-
H&M most alued assets are its employers $orking in the organisation $hich could !e $ell
understood !y the statement issued !y its C+-" He said that it is only its employee $ho makes
its corporate strategy possi!le" He stated that H&M delegate a lot of corporate responsi!ility on
its employers and they !oost people to take o$n steps and initiaties" >#.), 6==HA
2 Profiling
H&M arrange a seminar !oth at home and a!road in order to understand arious cultures,
arrange exhi!itions and inspires employees to study fashion magazines, $atch moies and many
more things"
3 Informing
H&M informs the stakeholders a!out the rectifications of internal as $ell as external information
regarding the actiities"
4 Socialising
H&M cheers its employees of arious ethnic groups to $ork collectiely and to gain experience
and ac(uaintance from one and all"
image==6
External and Internal Communication
+xternal communication is the method of information outside the organisation"
<oee and 'hill, 6==7 B'he external communication links the organisation $ith the outside
$orld of customers, suppliers and inestorsK" H&M use the follo$ing model for the effectie
external communication" H&M coneys all the ne$ly made products to the customers !y the
medium of ,e$spapers, Magazines, and 1e!sites etc" H&M donCt hae any industries !ut it
$orks $ith H== suppliers and around 6@== production units" H&M keeps transparency !y
pu!lishing monthly, (uarterly, half yearly and annually the financial reports" It organises general
meetings annually"
Customers
/uppliers
Inestors
H&M /takeholders
+nironment and Community
Internal Communication is a method !y $hich the exchange of information takes place $ithin an
organisation" +ery employee of an organisation is it the director or a small employee has some
information that needs to send !oth internally and externally" 'he internal communication system
has transformed to do$n$ard, up$ard, horizontal and diagonal communication from the
do$n$ard communication" H&M eeryone is approacha!le to one another and that clearly
sho$s that eeryone has got e(ual status in H&M" 'his is kno$n as Eateral or Horizontal
Communication"
H&MCs Internal Communication model can !e explained !y using +an,)LL= model"
Corporate Identity Image and !eputation:-
Corporate identity is descri!ed as the tangi!le manifestation of the personality of a company"
>Mregory and 1eichmann, )LLL, p"I*A has defined Corporate Identity to !e Na isual statement of
$ho and $hat a company isC" 'he <erkigt and /tadler model of corporate identity >Cornelissen,
6nd edition, p"I@A explains the H&MCs corporate identity" 'he model illustrates H&MCs
organisational culture, its mission, ision and ho$ it $ants to !e recognised as !y the stakeholder
groups outside organisation" 'he H&M communication aspires to assem!le the !rand in the long
and the short term as $ell as communicating its offer" Costumers should !e ac(uainted $ith $hat
H&M stands for, i"e" NFashion and Juality at !est priceC" H&M do a lot of heay marketing of its
dierse products to attract its targeted audiences and coney them $hat H&M stands for"
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'he <irkigt and /tadler model of corporate identity
#ccording to &o$ling, )LHI, Corporate Image can !e defined as Na set of meaning !y $hich an
o!9ect is kno$n and through $hich people descri!e, remem!er and relate to it as a result of
interaction of a personCs !eliefs, ideas, feelings and impression a!out an o!9ectC" 'he corporate
image of H&M can !e explained !y applying the corporate image model of &o$ling" H&M
proides its employees an open door policy in order to put for$ard any $ork related issues to the
management H&M consider open and constructie dialogue $ith the trade unions as an essential
aspect and it has a positie experience of it" +xamples include its agreement $ith ;nion ,et$ork
International and +uropean 1orks Council >#.), 6==HA"
H&M gies key focus on skill deelopment of its employees !y proiding training on customer
serice, C/., garment handling etc" >H&M, C/., 6==H, p"*@A"
Formal Communication 4olicies
+mployeeCs image of the company
+xternal group image of company
-rganizational culture
+xternal interpersonal communication
4reious product experience
/upport !y the mem!ers of distri!ution channel
Marketing media communication
#ccording to <almer, 6==) Corporate .eputation is Benduring perception held of an organisation
!y an indiidual, group or net$orkK" H&M uses its !rand image and reputation for taking
adantage oer its competitors and to satisfy the different stakeholders"
Internal% 'he .ole of H. and corporate communication
It is al$ays seen that the $ork of role of H. is neer gien much prominence in $ider
communication strategies" H. departments are mostly excluded from the spheres of departments
of communications"
H&M is operating its !usiness in GH countries and their staffs come from culturally $idespread
!ackground" 1heneer H&M opens any ne$ store any$here, it employs the local staff" .ight
form the process of recruitment to the process of rotating 9o!s, re$arding employees, deeloping
guidelines etc, H. plays an important role" 'urner >6==G, p6=A has gien a model that links H.M
$ith performance" Here the author has suggested good communication to attach the H. policies
and H. strategies" For the H. practises the author has suggested effectie management of people
to the line managers and for performance he has suggested effectie communication of good
people practise $hich is (uite important for H&M $hich is a !ig M,C"
.ole of technology in corporate communication0%
-lier >)LL@, p)6HA has gien a communication frame$ork related to the I' technology" 'he
frame$ork sho$s the cultural alues and !eliefs aligned $ith the ision of the organisation" He
has put for$ard a model $hich is designed !y Mold!erg and /ifonis named as BCommunication
Frame$orkK $hich depends on hypothesis of management taken on intuitie ground and should
!e imparted using internal and external stakeholders" H&M is using smart technology like
semacode !ar through their mo!ile phones so that they can products sho$n in the adertisements
instantly" It is an outstanding utilization of the technology"
Culture and its influence in corporate communication
'he culture clarifies the models of hypothesis and !ehaioural statements !y humans for their
enironment $hether it is a state, a local community, a market or an industry" ,o dou!t a firm
render guidelines, hand%outs and norms in the indigenous language !ut still it re(uires more than
9ust the translation" 'o tackle it H&M chose and recruit present and future employees on the
!asis of culture $here it is operating" 'his help in creating organisational culture in H&M $hich
in turn helps in efficient management, inspires employees for effectie team$ork and proides
opportunities to them for gro$th" H&M enerates the local customs" H&M has a task oriented
culture" It pays much emphasis on local recruitment so as to fit in the countries organisational
culture" B'hink glo!ally and #ct locallyK is the success reason for H&M or $e can say H&M is
Mlocal"
&eterminants of +ffectie Communication of H&M can !e demonstrated as >Einda <eamer, Iris
arner 6==) p,G7)A0%
) H&M trains +mployees at different leel so as to enhance their intercultural !usiness
communication skills"
6 H&M send top employees to foreign su!sidiaries $hich is more productie"
G H&M starts training employees from the age a!oe )I" 'his means the employees are more
flexi!le and easy to afford"
*H&M carefully looks for employees not 9ust $ith the technical skills !ut also the one $ho can
fit in the culture and stimulating frame$orks"
7 More important, H&M creates an atmosphere $here the employees much freedom to express,
speak and !e open minded"
&eterminants of +ffectieness of Message
Conclusion
"
'he arious Frame$orks, the models and the #pproaches sho$s the adantages and the
disadantages $hich depends on the organisation on $hich these frame$orks and models are
applied" H&M functions in a ery high competitie enironment" H&M en9oys outstanding
corporate identity, image and reputation" 'he arious frame$orks and models used ealuates the
effectieness of H&MCs communication policies and its communication internally and externally"
'hey also reflects the comprehension of the arious communication policies and reflects the
re(uirement for efficient communication in modern era" H&M is using latest technology for its
effectie corporate communication" H&M is a glocal !rand that $orks glo!ally !ut acts locally"
'o conclude $ecan say that H&M has a ery effectie operational communication model to
administer near a!out @I=== employees from GH countries $orking in 66=I stores"