IMC research foundation
Customer needs, coordinated channels, sales alignment, budgeting and measurement.
ACADEMIC FOUNDATION & APPLIED PLANNING
From academic research to digital marketing planning
Undergraduate Thesis 2010 · KnowCrunch Professional Diploma Project
Two stages of development: university marketing research in 2010 and a later strategic planning group project through the KnowCrunch Professional Diploma.
TWO STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
From research to strategy
Two distinct pieces of work: an undergraduate thesis examining integrated marketing and a later KnowCrunch Professional Diploma group project applying digital marketing strategy to Vikos Cool Tea.
Digital marketing strategy
Strategic planning across audiences, competition, social content, advertising, influencers and media.
UNIVERSITY THESIS · BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The academic starting point
The thesis “Artio Marketing — Empirical Research” was completed in 2010 at the Business Administration Department of TEI Athens, now part of the University of West Attica. It examined Integrated Marketing Communications through the Large Customers Division of PPC / DEI.
From an early stage in my career, the work reflects an interest in connecting customer understanding, communication, commercial functions and measurement.
INTEGRATED MARKETING LOGIC
From understanding to measurement
Understand
Customer needs, segments and behaviour.
Position
Define audience, value and message.
Coordinate
Align functions, channels and promotional tools.
Deliver
Connect advertising, direct marketing, sales and public relations.
Measure
Evaluate response, budget and communication effectiveness.
THESIS SCOPE
Marketing theory in an organizational context
The thesis covered the promotional mix, advertising and sales promotion, online and direct marketing, personal selling and public relations. It also examined segmentation, targeting, positioning, consumer behaviour, message design, budgeting and evaluation.
The applied discussion focused on PPC / DEI’s Large Customers Division: how coordinated communication, customer knowledge, personalized service and alignment between sales and marketing messages could work as one system.
FROM 2010 TO TODAY
Principles that remain relevant
Customer databases
Better audience understanding and more relevant communication.
Today: CRM and first-party customer data.
Integrated messages
Consistent communication across tools and audience touchpoints.
Today: cross-channel brand consistency.
Multiple touchpoints
Advertising, direct marketing, sales and public relations as one effort.
Today: customer journey and omnichannel planning.
Marketing–sales coordination
Sales conversations aligned with broader communication and customer context.
Today: lifecycle and revenue-team alignment.
Budget and evaluation
Communication planning connected with tracking and assessment.
Today: measurement governance and performance marketing.
Customer-centred integration
Coordination shaped by customer needs, beyond internal silos.
Today: customer-centric operating models.
THE THESIS AT A GLANCE
The framework and the official result
The framework summarizes the path from customer understanding to measurement. Alongside it, the official academic record verifies thesis completion and grade.
10/10Undergraduate thesis
8,0/10Principles of Marketing
15 Sep 2010Official completion date
COMPLETE THESIS
From the overview to the full document
The complete Greek-language thesis is available as a browser-friendly PDF and as the original Word document submitted in 2010.
The PDF was generated from the original Word file for easier viewing. The DOC remains unchanged from its 2010 submission.
FROM ACADEMIC FOUNDATION TO APPLIED PLANNING
Vikos Cool Tea — Digital Marketing Strategy
Years later, the same view of marketing as a connected system informed a more contemporary application. Through KnowCrunch’s Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing, our group developed an integrated digital marketing plan for Vikos Cool Tea.
The project connected audience and competitor analysis with campaign objectives, personas, social media strategy, advertising concepts, influencer marketing and media planning, applying theory to a specific brand challenge.
Campaign objectivesAudience personasCompetitor analysisSocial media strategyAdvertising conceptsInfluencer marketingMedia planning
A KnowCrunch Professional Diploma group learning project—not a commercial client campaign.
FROM ANALYSIS TO PLAN
An integrated digital marketing plan for Vikos Cool Tea
The final 43-slide strategy deck presents a proposal for Vikos Cool Tea’s entry into California. It covers the campaign objective, competitor analysis, four audience personas, social content, paid media, native advertising and influencer strategy.
Content ideas, channel selection, a media plan, production costs and management fees complete the proposal, translating a market challenge into a coherent strategic plan.
Market & Audience
Content Strategy
Paid & Influencer Activation
Media & Budget Planning
WHAT CONNECTS THE TWO PROJECTS
One consistent approach. Two different applications.
The thesis established the foundation: customer understanding, unified messaging, marketing–sales coordination, budgeting and evaluation.
The KnowCrunch project applied that thinking to Vikos Cool Tea through audience personas, content strategy, paid media, influencer marketing and media planning.
Audience understanding
From customer needs to audience personas.
Integrated strategy
From message coordination to cross-channel planning.
Activation planning
From budgeting to media and production planning.
The foundation remains.
The learning continues.
For me, marketing is a continuing process of learning, application and reassessment. From the 2010 thesis and KnowCrunch diploma to performance marketing, CRM and measurement today, the principle remains the same: connect theory with practice and every tool with a clear business purpose.