Over the last few years, attentive shoppers have been spending roughly the same amount of money at the grocery store but leaving with a lighter weight in their shopping bags.

Food costs have risen and food manufacturers are encountering the same difficulties as consumers. Making a profit takes an extremely sharp pencil, especially as raw materials and transportation costs rise. "The reality is, if you look at USDA estimates, food is going to get more costly," says Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru.com. As a result, food firms will do one of two things: raise prices while maintaining the same package size or lower the quantity in the package or a little of both."

Question:

Assume you are the marketing communications manager for a company with this scenario. Critically discuss the elements of the integrated marketing communications programme that you can apply to influence purchase decisions. Give examples where possible.