Define an IMC budget method: objective-and-task method.

• A. A budgeting method where the cost of achieving campaign objectives is estimated and summed
• B. A method based on historical spending without objectives
• C. A random allocation across channels
• D. A lottery-based budget

Answer: (A)

Objective-and-task budgeting builds the IMC budget from the costs of the specific tasks needed to achieve defined objectives. You start by setting clear communication goals, then outline the exact activities required to reach those goals—such as creative development, media planning and buying, production, testing, and measurement. Each task is estimated for its cost, and those estimates are summed to determine the total budget. This approach keeps spending tied directly to the work necessary to meet the objectives, making the plan more deliberate than methods that simply mirror past spending or allocate funds without a plan. Historical spend approaches or random/lottery-style allocations don’t link dollars to the actual activities needed to reach goals, which is why they’re not as effective.