n your own words, describe what integrated marketing communication is and its utility. Identify contemporary challenges that may hinder the effectiveness of marketing communication. Compare and contrast an example of effective integrated marketing communication and an example of ineffective integration. After the comparison, highlight a lesson learned for marketing your business.

week1

Good day Everyone, Being part of the hospitality industry allows one to choose many career paths from lodging, food service, tourism, and the cruise line industry. Therefore, the potential of growth can be limitless. However, the sector of the hospitality industry that is most appealing to me would have to be the meeting and event planning industry. I can see myself in this role because it fits my outgoing personality and exceptional multitasking skills. Currently, I work as an interior designer, and it has been the most fun I have had in a long time. Events planning and interior designing have similar bottom lines sell an idea to a client and bring it to life.

week 2

Company Overview My company," Memorable Occasions," is a meeting events management and catering company with its main office in San Francisco, California, and branches in Miami and New York. Memorable Occasions manages a wide range of events but specializes in weddings, anniversaries, repasts, wakes, and special corporate meetings. Memorable Occasions provides a complete service package that includes providing the main items and services required. Services offered include tents, chairs, catering services, musical instruments, transportation, locating and preparing venues (decorations, technical equipment set up, and sourcing key personnel such as Marriage Officers, ushers, Masters of Ceremony, security guards. Concerning clientele, the company's most common customers are couples getting married, families organizing wakes, and annual business meetings. Several things have been impacting the business in recent years. The main ones have been COVID-19 Pandemic, Reduced traditional marriages, Increases in same-sex marriages, and a More diverse population.

week 3

I am focused on events management, as it best matches my superior multitasking skills and outgoing personality.

Core products are the company's primary promotion, service, or product offered to the customers. Facilitating products - is the additional goods or services essential to customers in the line of using the core products. Supporting products - is the additional products or services offered to add value to the core product offered. Augmented products - is the added features or services, benefits, or add-ons on the company's offer.

Explanation: Core products are main items & services (food, tents, chairs, catering service). My core product is well-organized events on behalf of my clients that make them look good in the eyes of their guests/customers.

Important facilitating products are additional services essential for a customer's satisfaction. I would utilize accessibility. Accessibility to me mean being on call 24/7, responding to all potential and existing clients early. They can use any means to get to me and also stay open for longer hours. I also provide several services within my company that do not have to engage sub-contractors- I am a one-stop-shop able to respond to multiple needs at short notice.

Supporting products are like musical instruments, technical equipment set up, and transportation. My business has a no-cost option following supporting service (Think additional products that add value to the core product). A video presentation of up to 15 minutes in length of the client's choice gives attendees greater insight into the company /event /relationship. I am also offering a booking service for travel if needed, for example, help planning a client's honeymoon. I would also Provide information on hotels near the event, such as hotels near the wedding venue, so my client can suggest hotels to their guests. My company builds relationships with hotels to offer a discount code to my clients. I can respond to a client quickly because I don't have to go looking for subcontractors. Augmented products are marriage officers, ushers, masters of ceremony, security guards. Augmented service combines is what is delivered with how it is delivered. I involve the client fully in the design draft by sharing feedback till the customer signs off. This process starts with a meeting to first figure out what the client needs and what they envision. Then, I would ask that customer co-produce with me. Meaning I would present the first drafts in person. After that, I would send the following drafts (vision boards) to receive feedback via Email. We would repeat this process until the client is happy with the final result presented in person. My business will be a custom-made experience; it will be like no other. I will try my best to give the client a customized event by involving the client in the design and capturing the client's vision.

The company "Memorial Occassions" is an event management and catering services company. Using the above elements will influence the brand by offering or mainly focusing on providing good core products as it is the primary service provided by the company; in terms of promotion, the company can concentrate on sending a message that is more focusing on the core products. Furthermore, the company's brand should also be influenced by highlighting additional services and benefits the customers can have, which are stated in the facilitating and supporting products. Lastly, the augmented products, as it is defined as add-ons, the company's brand can highlight this as an additional benefit that some companies in the same field of business do not offer. Therefore, the company can create a brand where all elements are highlighted but prioritized based on their importance.

Reference Yu, X., & Yuan, C. (2019). How consumers' brand experience in social media can improve brand perception and customer equity. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics

week 4

Distribution Channels make the business flow more efficient. It makes the process easier from the producer up to the consumer. The nature of the distribution channels is to be the middleman that brings the producer's product to the market. They also make the products to be readily available for the consumers, reducing the work being done by both parties. This is where marketing intermediaries are important.

Marketing intermediaries are used for exchange, physical distribution, and for facilitating functions. They provide sales force and promotional support for the producers; carry stocks and deliver the items to the consumers and provide marketing information and financing. They can be in the form of a wholesaler, a retailer, or just a facilitating intermediary.

The distribution channel of the hospitality industry is quite different from the usual business industries that offer goods. However, if we try to analyze the flow and the people involved in the events, we can identify the marketing intermediaries used. Memorable Occasions, an events management company that offers a complete package of services to the consumers through the help of the wholesalers who do the catering services, supplying of musical instruments, renting of transportation, locating and preparing venues for the clients. They are the major contributor to the event with the needs and services they can provide. They support Memorable Occasions in providing a good service to its clients by adding value to what the event can offer. To facilitate these wholesalers are the key people that Memorable Occasions is sourcing out. These are the people essential to each event in providing a better service.

Each intermediary has benefits to offer. The wholesalers add beauty and elements to the event. They are the ones providing the "life" for each event. They contribute to the image of the Memorable Occasions with the additional service they offer. The retailers, on the other hand, can directly promote the producer (Memorable Occasions). They have the power to be the sales and marketing arm of the producer to link and persuade clients to acquire the company's services. These intermediaries work together not only for each company's image but also to bring the Memorable Occasions' services to its target market.

Judging from the current situation of the marketing intermediaries, it will probably evolve in the next five years. The events management industry offers a variety of choices that also innovates as the years go by. The number of the wholesalers and retailers may increase; the clients can be wholesalers and retailers too by linking Memorable Occasions to their other customers, and the current wholesalers and retailers can soon be clients too. This type of industry usually evolves on a yearly basis depending on the trends