UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA
Norwich Business School
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Coursework: NBS-7035B
Name: HUYEN Thi Thanh Pham
Student number: 100367197
Words count: 2736
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Company overview
Adnams is a brewery, distillery, pub owner, and retailer with a location in Southwold, Suffolk.
The company's ideals may be summed up with the phrase "doing things correctly." Founded
more than 140 years ago, it produces a variety of award-winning cask and bottled beers that can
be found in bars and shops around the country. The brewer creates a variety of high-quality
beers, such as cask ale, lager, low and no alcohol beers, porter and stout, sparkling cider, and
sour beer. Typically, production is 85,000 barrels per year. Through their Copper House
distillery, they also create gin, vodka, and whisky. Adnams Extra earned the Champion Beer of
Britain prize at the annual Great British Beer Festival in 1993. IWSC ranked Adnams gin and
vodka the best in the world in 2013 and 2014. Adnams also owns and manages a variety of pubs
and inns, notably the magnificent Swan Hotel in Southwold, which serves as its flagship
property. In addition, Adnams has a number of retail locations in East Anglia that provide
Adnams beers and spirits, as well as a diverse selection of wines and housewares. Adnams was
founded in 1872, but they are not an old-fashioned corporation; they recognise that in order to
maintain their leadership position, it must embrace all the benefits that contemporary technology
has to offer.
2. Aims and Objectives
Social media has become an integral component of modern marketing strategy due to its capacity
to generate co-created value, to interactively connect brands to consumers, to monitor brand-
related discussions and sentiments, to guide consumers through the decision-making process, to
facilitate customer-to-customer interactions, and to convert consumers into brand advocates.
(Vinerean Simona,2017). Jara et al. (2014) define social media marketing as a new generation
marketing strategy that encourages greater customer attention and engagement via social
networks. Social media marketing, according to Richter and Schafermeyer (2011), is a marketing
approach that uses social media platforms to foster two-way engagement with customers. Thus,
for the "#MomentswithAdnams" campaign, Adnams will primarily utilise social media channels.
There are three primary objectives the campaign seeks to accomplish. The primary objective is to
increase brand recognition and customer engagement, consequently bolstering Adnams PLC's
reputation and company culture, which is "The Adnams brand continues to represent high-
quality goods and services, innovation, and concern for the natural, built, and social
surroundings." (Andy Wood OBE, 2021) The second objective is to grow the number of
followers on social networking platforms, with an expected number of 30,000 Twitter followers,
40,000 Instagram followers, and 5,000 Tiktok followers. (The number is derived from a poll of
followers of brewers with strong brand recognition.) And the end objective is to boost income
overall and online revenue specifically
II. Context analysis
1. Market Research
In the United Kingdom, consumer expenditure on alcoholic beverages increased from 2005 to
2020, reaching approximately 26 billion British pounds in 2022. The average annual intake of
pure alcohol among individuals aged 15 and older in 2019 was 11.45 liters (Appendix 1&2).
According to NHS digital statistics, 83 percent of men and 78 percent of women used alcohol in
2019, and this percentage continues to rise.
Regarding the alcohol market in the United Kingdom, the target environment might be
characterized as very competitive. As with the worldwide beer industry, the UK beer market is
likewise characterised by growing rates of product diversity. Given escalating quality
requirements and diverse consumer wants, the aforementioned strategy is prudent. Currently, the
market is dominated by goods such as standard and premium beer, ales/stout and bitters, non-
alcoholic beer, and specialty beer, with each category comprising several subclasses with
distinctive characteristics and flavours (The beer market and its characteristics 2016).
2. SWOT analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
- Unique and original marketing tools - Mid-size business
to make the firm and its brand - Family based company.
products outstandingly memorable
- The compliance with the principles of
environmental subtainability and
“exceptionally green” products
increse the popularity of the firm in
the designed market.
- The attachment of products and the
company’s based location.
- High product capacity
- Good customer service and tight
connections with customers.
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
- Overseas opportunities to go through - Increase the awareness of health
foreign markets related issues and danger of alcohol
misuse
- Tough drinking regulations
- UK consumers attitudes about
alcohol and drinking habits are
volatile.
Table 1. Brief SWOT analysis of Adnams PLC
3. PESTEL analysis
Political - Legal restrictions on selling alcoholic beverages
- Increase in awareness of negative effects of alcohol
Economic - Drop in consumption rates due to Covid-19
- Increase in purchasing and packaging costs
Social - Increase in awareness of negative effects of alcohol
- Shift from beer to non/lower-alcoholic beer
Technological - Use of the latest technology to create fruit-flavored beer
- Emphasis on using digital technology
Legal - Enactment policies such ass price regulations, sale
limitations and licensing for sale
- Licensing agreements for entering the target market
Environmental - Increase in awareness rates about negative effects of
brewing on the environment
Table 2. Brief PESTEL analysis of Adnams PLC
III. MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
1. Pull strategy
Adnams will be able to reach its target audience with the appropriate message at the right time
through the right medium thanks to the pull communication strategy (Brocato, 2010). Pull
strategy: The corporation will focus its marketing efforts on enticing customers to buy the
product by targeting them directly.
Figure 1. Pull strategy model
2022 is a memorable year for Adnams PLC as it celebrates its 150th anniversary, Boardside's
50th anniversary, and its 30-year partnership with Bitburger (Jonathan Adnams OBE, Chairman,
2021). To commemorate this momentous occasion, the campaign "#MomentswithAdnams" will
be created so that consumers may document their experiences with Adnams and share them on
social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, and the company's official website and the
Rockpool app will be regularly updated with the most noteworthy moments. Consequently, the
target market will consist of young adults (aged 21 to 35) who utilise social networks.
In light of the fact that digital social media marketing is the fastest-growing form of direct
marketing, this approach will be employed to boost brand recognition and client loyalty for the
organisation. Customer engagement and dialogues are possible on social networks because they
are dynamic and quick, and customers can be reached at any time and from anywhere with
relevant, current material from brands. As a result of social media, businesses are now able to
develop material that is relevant to the most recent trends. It is also extremely cost-effective,
which is especially beneficial for medium-sized businesses like Adnams PLC.
2. STP model
2.1. Segmentation
Defining segmentation is advantageous when distinct customer groups have a substantial volume
or concentration of product or service purchases or use (Hiebing and Cooper, 2003). Based on
the demographic method, the Adnams segment that should be prioritised is the local young
generation, since it is suited for the company's always-sought-after local niche market. The
younger the demographic, the more time is being spent on social media according to data of
Global Overview report. Adnams uses the psychographic method to categorise its consumers
based on their attitudes, interests, and activities in order to better understand their mindset. The
"Moments with Adnams" campaign will target young people whose hobbies include capturing
images and films and sharing them on social media networks.
2.2. Targeting
In every age group and for every platform, female usage is significantly greater than male usage
(Advocado Social,2021). According to a study published in The Conversation in 2020 by T.J.
Thomson, there were substantial gender differences in photographing and being photographed.
During the same time period, women took 8.6 times more selfies than men and were
photographed 3.5 times more frequently than men. Women maintained 5,4 times as many
records of their possessions as males. Thus, the intended audience consists of women and young
adults between the ages of 21 and 35 who like utilizing social networks. Andy Woods, CEO of
Adnams has pointed out that the young and women are also the new market that Adnams is
focusing on.
2.3. Positioning
The Adnams brand continues to stand for high-quality products and services, innovation, and
caring for the natural. The "Moments with Adnams" campaign will use heritage or cultural
symbol positioning strategy to "convey quality, experience and knowledge" (Chris Fill; Sarah
Turnbull, 2016). This strategy also fits the meaning of the campaign which celebrates 150 years
of foundation, 50 years of Broadside, and 30 years of partnership with Bitburger.
The two perceptual maps are built to position the brand before and after launching a new
campaign. As stated in the objectives, this campaign aims to increase brand reputation as well as
increase sales so two factors are included in the perceptual map here, revenue and brand
awareness. (Appendix 3)
Figure 2. Perceptual map before launching “#MomentswithAdnams” campaign
Figure 3. Perceptual map after launching “#MomentswithAdnams” campaign
3. Message strategy
In defining the messaging strategy, management seeks out appeals, themes, or concepts that align
with the brand positioning and serve to build points of parity or points of difference (Kotler,
2012).
To their consumers and potential customers alike, the "#MomentswithAdnams" campaign
emphasizes the importance of Adnams, an iconic British brewery that has been there for 150
years and is here to stay. Adnams has spent the past 150 years crafting its own story and
conveying it to customers. With this campaign, Adnams will let customers draw themselves into
Adnams' image by filming and sharing it on social media sites.
IV. MARKETING COMMUNICATION MIX
1. Advertising Campaign
Advertising is one of the most successful and crucial components of the marketing
communications mix since it is used to inform and convince clients by influencing how they
think and feel (De, Pelsmacker, Patrick, et al., 2017). The "#MomentswithAdnams" campaign
will initially be promoted through television advertisements, newspapers, and posters. While
television broadcasts are very visible and have a great influence on mainstream audiences, hence
increasing brand recognition, print publications and posters have a strong impact on a single
message (Spyros Langkos,2013).
The advertising content will contain an introduction to Adnams and his products and tales, as
well as the mechanics of the campaign and the prizes clients will receive for participating. To
determine how advertising works, we employ the elaboration likelihood model, which helps
websites explain how cognitive processing, persuasion, and attitude change occur at various
degrees of client interaction (Fill, Chris, and Sarah Turnbull, 2016)
2. Social Media Strategy (Viral marketing strategy)
The campaign will be conducted on the three most popular social networking sites, namely
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All of these media have tremendous promotional and growth
possibilities for campaigns. London School of Economics and Political Science research (2017)
indicates that there are approximately 42 million Facebook users, 16 million Twitter users, and
14 million Instagram users in the United Kingdom. Even so, 17 percent of teenagers say
Instagram is the most important social media platform to them, and 90 percent of Instagram users
are under the age of 35.
Adnams aims to increase Twitter followers to 30,000, 40,000 followers on Instagram, and 50,000
followers on Facebook. To do this, the firm must include #MomentswithAdnams hashtags for
each post. As a consequence, the material will be categorised, and buyers will be able to locate
the product based on their preferences.
In addition, when consumers share their experiences with Adnams, they will use the hashtag
#MomentswithAdnams, which has the potential to become a trend, consequently enhancing
brand awareness and attracting additional individuals who are interested in the campaign. A
"#MomentswithAdnams" section will be added to the website and Rockpool app next to "Our
Story" in order to regularly update and summarise the exceptional occasions that get a great deal
of response on the aforementioned three platforms.
3. Monthly giveaway
To participate in this campaign, consumers must follow Adnams on Instagram, Facebook, and
Twitter, upload an Adnams-related photo with the hashtag #MomentswithAdnams, tag Adnams,
and share their experiences, stories, thoughts, etc.... Once a month, the ten most engaging
postings on each platform will win presents from Adnams, such as gift sets, coupons for
discounts on purchases, or free tour tickets.
Figure 4. Adnams vouchers
Figure 5. Adnams Tours
Figure 6. Adnams Gift Set
4. Celebrity/influencer endorsement
The Instagram photos and stories of local social media influencers will be sponsored as part of
this campaign. By leveraging the relationships influencers develop with their followers, Adnams
can broaden the reach of its good 'word-of-mouth' advertising. Social media marketing is an
excellent method for establishing brand communities in which brand devotees may exchange
information, experiences, and ideas (Kotler, 2018). According to the 2019 UK Bloggers Survey,
the majority of British-based bloggers charge between £100 and £250 each sponsored post, but
just 6% of influencers charge between £500 and £1000 per article (Murray, 2019). In light of
this, Adnams will collaborate with four Instagram influencers over the course of five months
(January, two summer months and two year-end months). Sponsored Instagram posts will
instantly link to the company's website, where users may purchase the advertised goods. Samples
of the product will be sent to them, and they will market it to their followers by sharing their
experiences and stories with firms using the hashtag #MomentswithAdnams.
V. Implementation
1. Scheduling
The media mix will consist of printed materials, local newspapers, television advertising,
KOL/Influencers, the Adnams website and app, and, most importantly, social media.
The marketing communications strategy for Adnams will run about 12 months (January 2022 to
December 2022), which is a reasonable length based on the available budget and the fact that
this campaign will commemorate a significant milestone of Adnams.
To inform and remind people, printed materials will be given every two months, advertisements
will appear in local newspapers and on television during the first three months and the last 3
months, and on social media, the campaign will be announced monthly and updated daily. The
celebrity/influencer will initially participate in this campaign in January to attract attention, and
will then continue to provide updates in July and August on Adnams-related events
(summertime). In the final two months of the year, similar strategies will be implemented once
again in an effort to boost consumer awareness and therefore engagement.
The detailed schedule will be shown on the table below :
TACTICAL CALENDER
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
TV
Advertisement
Posters
Press newspaper
Celebrity
endorsement
Social Media
App and website
Table 3. Schedule of the campaign
2. Budgeting
An outline of the budget will be provided bellow:
Media mix Cost
Printed Materials £9000
Press Newspapers £4000
Give-away £5000
Social Media £8000
Celebrity Endosement £2500
Total cost approximation £28500
Table 2. Budget of the campaign
VI. EVALUATION
Don Schultz (2000, cited in Marketing Study Guide, no date) defines IMC as "a strategic
business process used to plan, develop, execute, and evaluate coordinated, measurable,
persuasive brand communications programs over time with consumers, customers, prospects,
employees, associates, and other targeted relevant external and internal audiences. The goal is to
generate both short-term financial returns and build long-term brand and shareholder value”.
#MomentswithAdnams is a powerful approach for this firm since it allowed Adnams to stand out
and develop its brand rapidly, further understand its social media audience, and assess the wishes
and expectations of both the present customers and potential customers. Adnams may also use
social media to analyse how their rivals use social media and see if there are any important
benefits they can take advantage of that other firms have shown.
It is important to do pre-testing to verify if the ad can accomplish its intended objective in the
communications mix before it is aired (De, Pelsmacker, Patrick, et al., 2017). Readability
analysis will be used in our pre-testing of the advertisement. Due to the hectic schedules of the
target clients, ads need to be simply comprehended and "at first glance." If we are testing
readability, we must make sure our sentences are brief, the words we employ may be
comprehended easily, and personal references are utilised frequently to achieve the greatest
comprehension (Fill). Chris and Sarah Turnbull (2016, respectively) .
Post-testing will be utilised to get a better understanding of how well the ad worked and to draw
some insights for the next time we run ads. We'll use the recognition test to see how well our
printed advertisement works.
VII. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, by building an IMC strategy, Adnams would not only be able to guide clients
through the many stages of product purchase decisions, but also strengthen its image and brand
recognition. With the expectation that the new campaign would attract more visitors, the IMC
strategy is a crucial component for launching the new activity effectively.
VIII. REFERENCES
1. Alalwan, A.A., Rana, N.P., Dwivedi, Y.K. and Algharabat, R., 2017. Social media in
marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics,
34(7), pp.1177-1190.
2. Avocado Social (2021). The UK Social Media Statistics for 2021. [online] Avocado
Social. Available at: https://www.avocadosocial.com/the-uk-social-media-statistics-for-
2021/
3. Culot, C. (2019). How Adnams has changed for a new market and why , by its boss Andy
Wood. [online] Eastern Daily Press. Available at:
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/business/meet-the-boss-of-adnams-ceo-andy-wood-who-
has-1398304
4. Fahy, J, & Jobber, D 2019, Foundations of Marketing, McGraw-Hill UK Higher Ed,
London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [24 May 2022].
5.
Fill, C, & Turnbull, S 2016, Marketing Communications PDF EBook_o7, Pearson
Education, Limited, Harlow. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [10 May 2022].
6. Gabarron, E., Larbi, D., Dorronzoro, E., Hasvold, P.E., Wynn, R. and Årsand, E. (2020).
Factors Engaging Users of Diabetes Social Media Channels on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram: Observational Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), p.e21204.
doi:10.2196/21204.
7. Kirk-Wade, E. (2021). Statistics on Alcohol: England. [online] Available at:
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7626/CBP-7626.pdf.
8. Lesidrenska, S. and Dicke, P., 2012. Social-media platforms and its effect on digital
marketing activities. Маркетинг і менеджмент інновацій, (1), pp.44-52.
9. Lofthouse, S. (2020). Becoming a support system for employees and the community
during COVID-19. [online] CBI. Available at: https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/adnams-
becoming-a-support-system-for-employees-and-the-community-during-covid-19/
10. LSE (2017). Social Media Platforms and Demographics. [online] Available at:
https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/communications-division/digital-communications-
team/assets/documents/guides/A-Guide-To-Social-Media-Platforms-and-
Demographics.pdf.
11. Mason, A.N., Narcum, J. and Mason, K., 2021. Social media marketing gains importance
after Covid-19. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), p.1870797.
12. Saravanakumar, M. and Suganthalakshmi, T. (2012). Social media marketing. Life
Science Journal, [online] 9(4), pp.4444–4451. Available at:
http://www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life0904/670_13061life0904_4444_4451.pdf.
13. Saravanakumar, M. and SuganthaLakshmi, T., 2012. Social media marketing. Life
science journal, 9(4), pp.4444-4451.
14. Secer, S. (2021). British Beer Market and Export Insights 2021. [online] Foodnomy.
Available at: https://foodnomy.com/british-beer-market-and-export-insights/
15. Stewart, C. (2022). Alcohol consumption in England 2019, by gender. [online] Statista.
Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/369722/alcohol-consumption-in-the-past-
year-by-gender-in-england/
16. UKEssays. November 2018. Provide an analysis of the UK Brewing industry. [online].
Available from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/provide-an-analysis-of-the-
uk-brewing-industry-business-essay.php?vref=1 [Accessed 20 May 2022].
17. Valery, K. (2019). Strategy Employed by Adnams and Contributing Factors to its
Success. [online] Vague Nouvelle. Available at:
https://worldwidepattern313193720.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/strategy-employed-by-
adnams-and-contributing-factors-to-its-success/
18. We Are Social (2021). Digital 2021 - We Are Social UK. [online] We Are Social UK.
Available at: https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2021/01/digital-2021-uk/.
19. World Population Review (2022). Alcohol consumption by country 2020. [online]
worldpopulationreview.com. Available at: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-
rankings/alcohol-consumption-by-country
20. Yougov.co.uk. (2018). The most popular beer & cider brands in the UK | Food | YouGov
Ratings. [online] Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/food/popularity/beer-cider/all.
IX. APPENDIX
Appendix 1. Consumer spending on beer in the United Kingdom from 2005 to 2020 (in
million GBP)
Appendix 2. Consumer spending on alcoholic beverages in the United Kingdom from 2005
to 2020 (in million GBP)
Appendix 3. Revenue of Adnams’s competitors
