Integrated Marketing Communication Strategies of amazon.

in

. This project is about the Integrated Marketing Communications and how Amazon has implemented it
effectively.

Amazon, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1994 as an online bookstore. Bezos
identified Amazon.com as a technology company that simplified online transactions for consumers.

Amazon uses MEDIA as their main form of marketing. They are focusing on online marketing
channels. Amazon states “We direct out customers to our websites primarily through a number of
targeted online marketing channels, such as our Associates program, sponsored search, portal
advertising, email marketing campaigns, and other initiatives.”. Below is a general view of their
marketing objectives and their way of communicating a consistent message of the company to their
stakeholders.

Different forms of integrated marketing communication used by Amazon :

1. Advertising : Amazon uses millions of real customer experiences to inform their custom display
advertising solution. Their results are:
 For customers, more precise and relevant ads, enhancing their experiences
 For advertisers, delivery of the right message to the right shopper at the right time

Emotional Advertising :. They use different emotion evoking images that have simple messages that
they have purposely united with whatever product or service it is they are selling. For example, when
advertising their Amazon Kindle, they place it on a beach towel on the beach. One would love to be
relaxing on a beach playing a game or reading a new book on my Kindle.

Traditional & Non-Traditional Media :

Newspapers Amazon used newspapers to advertise high-profile sales promotions, such as “GREAT
INDIAN FESTIVAL DAYS SALE.” The selection of this media form is based on its specific advantages.
As newspapers have the ability to reach mass audiences that are ideal for promotions considering the
large and diverse customer base of Amazon.
Magazines -During the introduction of new Kindle products, Amazon has purchased many full-page
ads aimed at gaining new customers. Magazine’s unique ability to reach targeted groups with specific
interests and the ability to convey large amounts of information was a big factor in selection because it
allows for specialized copy and strategic targeting and intoduce new products..

Radio. During the week of the prime day sale, Amazon reached #13 on the list of top spenders of radio
ads. Radio ads help to link other IMC elements and create a unifying presence across channels. Radio
was key in helping inform consumers about their Prime Day sale.

Television (TV. During the Indian festival seasons, Amazon ran ads featuring their unique products
like Alexa and seasonal sales and heavy discounts on products available on their website. At $5 million
per 30 seconds, the ad represents a major investment for Amazon. TV’s unique ability to incorporate
humor was capitalized on, featuring celebrities standing in for Alexa in funny ways.

Non-traditional medium

Search marketing Google’s Adwords has been a pivotal platform in search marketing efforts by the
company. By using dynamic text that matches keywords used in the search, Amazon is able to
customize the ads copywriting to match the consumers.

Email marketing - Amazon uses email marketing to improve retention rates, promote sales, and
drive engagement. New customers receive a welcome email, a receipt email after their first purchase,
and a thank you email. Existing customers receive sales invites, product suggestions, upsells, and
review requests.. Technology allows for these emails to be specialized and add to the advantages of
email marketing as a whole.

Display ads - Amazon has used these ads to showcase products that the customer has search for or is
likely to buy based on previous browsing activity. By using display ads, Amazon is able to redirect
traffic from other sites back to theirs, capturing more revenue from people surfing the web.

Social media. Amazon’s Facebook page has nearly 27 millions followers and 2.7 million followers
on Twitter. Their social media team is responsible for replying to customer comments, offering
suggests, and if it is a right fit, be humorous. This helps give Amazon a more intimate, human element
and shows customer they listen to their issues and questions. Promotions and other events are also
announced on the platform as a form of free advertising. Pinterest is also used in their social media
strategies with posts that directly link the content to the product’s page on Amazon.
 2. Sales Promotions : Generally, Amazon frequently uses discounts and special offers to try and
create more sales. Their main sales promotions are Great Indian Festival Days, Prime
Day, and their Deals of the Day. With all these promotional tools Amazon tries to increase
sales and quickly sell extra items by persuading customers to buy products and services by
availing heavy discounts.

3. Direct Marketing : Direct mail marketing offers high targetability because of Amazon’s large
database of customer addresses. By utilizing a pre-existing list of customers, opposed to a mass
mailing list, costs of the campaign are much lowers, as well as more effective. Direct mail also
offers measurability so the campaign’s effectiveness can be determined and pivots can be made
if necessary. In 2015, Amazon launched a new direct mail campaign with the aims of getting
Kindle customers to upgrade to their latest Kindle. The campaign featured a brochure that
highlights the major upgrades and selling points of the new Kindle. Also attached was a coupon
code for $30 off and a 30-day money back guarantee. Amazon can use the coupon code to track
the effectiveness of the campaign.

4. Public Relations . Amazon takes an active role in announcing programs that show Amazon in a
positive light, that promotes their dedication to social responsibility. Overall, the company takes
a proactive approach to their public relations (PR) efforts. Amazon is positioning itself as a
responsible company that gives back to its employees and country. The company hopes that it
will encourage customers to continue using the site because of their positive PR.

Another angle of Amazon’s PR strategy is brand storytelling. Regular press-releases to demonstrate

Amazon’s follow through on its promises to investors. For example, in 2008, Amazon announced the
Kindle telling investors about the future of how customers will buy books. By incorporating these older
press releases, Amazon reminds investors why the bought into Amazon originally and helped paint a
picture of the companies progress.

Overall Assessment Amazon’s Integrated Marketing Communications can scored ten out of ten
based on textbook’s definition of IMC. IMC is the coordination of the promotional mix elements with
each other and with the other elements of the brands; marketing mix such that all elements speak with
one voice. All of Amazon’s promotional mix elements, as described above, are consistent and
congruent all across its communications to their customers, therefore Amazon is recognized as having
a “superior” IMC.