Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC): Promotion Mix, Sales Promotion and Campaign Planning – Paris, 10–21 May 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Integrated Marketing Communications and Sales Promotion is a 2-week course for marketing, brand, communications and public relations management functions, and it ends with an Integrated Campaign Plan carrying a promotion calendar and budget. It addresses a common organisational problem: advertising, publicity, promotions, sales support and digital activity run as separate efforts, so audiences receive conflicting messages and discount spend erodes the brand. Participants already manage campaigns or brand activity and learn through case study work on real briefs, promotion mechanics and budgets. The course is delivered by CoreConcept Training Center within its integrated marketing communications portfolio.

Course Objectives:

• Plan integrated marketing communications from the communication process, the full set of customer touchpoints and an outside-in view of the audience
• Set communication objectives and audience priorities from buyer journey evidence rather than channel habit
• Build one positioning statement, creative platform and message hierarchy that every channel and agency applies consistently
• Assign clear roles to advertising, publicity, sales promotion, direct and digital, personal selling and sponsorship within one promotion mix
• Design consumer and trade sales promotions with costed mechanics, fair terms and controls against known pitfalls
• Allocate a promotion budget, brief agency partners and track campaign results against the communication objectives

Target Audience:

• Marketing management functions that plan campaigns and approve promotion spend
• Brand management functions responsible for positioning and message consistency across channels
• Communications management functions coordinating advertising, digital and customer messaging for products and services
• Public relations management functions whose earned coverage must support marketing campaigns
• Trade and channel marketing functions that design promotions with distributors and retailers
• Functions that manage relationships with creative, digital, PR and promotion agencies

Course Outline:

Day 1: IMC Foundations and the Communication Process

• Communication Process Model Mapping Sender, Noise and Feedback Loops
• IMC Concept Review Contrasting Integrated and Siloed Promotion Practice
• Brand Touchpoint Inventory Covering Service, Packaging, Website and Store
• Inside-Out Versus Outside-In Planning Approach Comparison Grid
• Current Communications Audit Scoring Message Fit and Channel Overlap

Day 2: Communication Objectives and Audience Insight

• Response Hierarchy Ladder From Awareness to Repeat Purchase Objectives
• Audience Insight Worksheet Capturing Motivations, Barriers and Media Habits
• Buyer Decision Journey Map With Moments of Influence
• Communication Objective Statements With Measurable Targets and Timeframes
• Target Audience Prioritisation Matrix for Customers, Trade and Influencers

Day 3: Positioning, Brand Proposition and the Single Creative Platform

• Positioning Statement Draft Linking Frame of Reference and Benefit
• Brand Proposition Pyramid From Attributes to Emotional Reward
• Creative Platform Development Around One Organising Brand Idea
• Message Hierarchy Framework Separating Core, Proof and Channel Messages
• Tone of Voice Guide With Approved and Rejected Phrasings

Day 4: The Promotion Mix Tools and Their Roles

• Promotion Mix Role Matrix Comparing Advertising, Publicity and Selling
• Publicity and Earned Coverage Planning Within the Brand Narrative
• Direct and Digital Channel Options Including Email and Messaging
• Personal Selling Support Kits With Sales Scripts and Leave-Behinds
• Sponsorship and Event Fit Scoring Against Brand Values

Day 5: Week-One Integration Case: Strategy, Audience and Message

• Guided Case Brief Review for a Consumer Services Brand
• Case Exercise Setting Communication Objectives From Market Evidence
• Case Exercise Building a Creative Platform and Message Hierarchy
• Case Exercise Assigning Promotion Mix Roles by Audience
• Week-One Strategy Summary Presented for Peer Critique

Day 6: Sales Promotion Design for Consumers and Trade

• Consumer Promotion Toolkit Covering Coupons, Bonus Packs and Sampling
• Contests, Sweepstakes and Loyalty Points Mechanic Design Rules
• Trade Promotion Options Including Allowances, Dealer Loaders and Spiffs
• Promotion Cost Calculation With Redemption Rates and Forward Buying
• Promotion Pitfall Checklist on Brand Erosion and Price Perception

Day 7: Brand Consistency, Promotion Governance and Marketing-PR Alignment

• Brand Consistency Guidelines for Logo, Colour and Visual Identity
• Message Approval Workflow With Legal and Brand Review Gates
• Promotion Terms and Conditions Drafting for Fair Consumer Treatment
• Marketing and PR Alignment Charter With Shared Narrative Owners
• Reputation Risk Screening for Campaigns, Promotions and Sponsorships

Day 8: Channel Selection, Touchpoint Planning and Agency Briefing

• Channel Selection Scorecard Weighing Reach, Cost and Audience Fit
• Touchpoint Sequencing Plan Across Pre-Purchase, Purchase and Post-Purchase
• Content Adaptation Grid Keeping One Message Across Formats
• Integrated Agency Brief Template With Roles for Each Partner
• Agency Roster Coordination Meetings and the Lead Agency Model

Day 9: Promotion Budgeting and Campaign Measurement

• Promotion Budget Methods Compared Including Percentage of Sales
• Objective and Task Budget Build for One Campaign Cycle
• Budget Split Across Advertising, Promotions, PR and Digital Activity
• Campaign Tracking Dashboard With Awareness, Enquiry and Redemption Indicators
• Post-Campaign Review Template Capturing Lessons for the Next Brief

Day 10: Case Study Capstone: Integrated Campaign Plan, Promotion Calendar and Budget

• Case Brand Situation Review and Communication Objectives Confirmation
• Creative Platform and Channel Plan Drafting for the Case Brand
• Promotion Calendar Build With Consumer and Trade Activity Windows
• Campaign Budget Allocation and Tracking Indicator Selection
• Integrated Campaign Plan Completion and Presentation to Review Panel

Skills You Will Gain:

• Audience Insight Development
• Creative Platform Design
• Promotion Mix Planning
• Sales Promotion Mechanics
• Trade Promotion Costing
• Touchpoint Sequencing
• Integrated Agency Briefing
• Promotion Budget Allocation

Why Attend This Course:

• Return with an Integrated Campaign Plan, promotion calendar and budget ready for marketing leadership and agency partners
• Decide which promotion mix tool leads for each audience and which consumer or trade mechanic fits a given sales objective
• Avoid discount-driven brand erosion, conflicting messages and duplicated agency costs across channels
• Share brand consistency guidelines and an integrated agency brief template with colleagues in marketing, PR and sales

Conclusion:

Once participants return, the marketing function holds an Integrated Campaign Plan that brand, communications, sales and agency partners can work from together. Marketing leadership can use it to approve the next campaign, fix the promotion calendar with trade partners and release a budget split across advertising, promotions, PR and digital activity. After the first campaign runs on the plan, the unit should review message consistency across touchpoints, promotion redemption against cost, and whether the creative platform held across every channel, then update the brand consistency guidelines and the agency brief accordingly.