INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

WENDY ASSOR                                           DCSM2014037  

                                                 What is integrated marketing communication?

Integrated Marketing Communications began around 1980s, where lots of companies began taking broader perspectives of marketing communication and seeing the need for a more strategic integration. Integrated Marketing Communications simply defined by the American Association of Advertising Agency (4As) as the value of comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines, advertising, PR, Personal and sales promotions and combines them to provide clarity, consistency and maximum communication impact.

The IMC could be seen as a tool in coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with firm’s customers. In the opinion of Fill (2006), he raises the fact that marketing has moved from winning new customers through keeping customers for life towards dumping unprofitable customer while selectively seeking and keeping the profitable ones. He listed other form of marketing communications which are media proliferation, audience fragmentation, advancement of information technology and the internet, consumer empowerment, increased advertising, clutter, shift in channel power and the desire for more accountability. All these underpin the driving forces leading toward integrated marketing communication

Traditionally, Wright (2000) believes that the promotional mix has included four elements: advertising, sales promotion, public relations and publicity; personal selling. However, most modern scholars agreed on the inclusion of the 5th element which is direct and interactive (internet) marketing. A company’s total marketing communication mix-called its promotional mix therefore, consists of the specific blends:

In a similar way, Picton and Broderick (2005) observe that coordination is a powerful element of an integrated communication strategy. And that many companies might find integration difficult to adopt due to tough battles on how to allocate resources and unwillingness to invest in the needed database. He also observed that different departments were responsible for different elements in the communication strategy (i.e., an advertising department, direct mail department and a trade show or an event management department). In many of these cases they are usually reluctant to give-up control over their, respective

 Integrated marketing communication tools also can be said to be forms:

2. Discuss the six forms of integrated marketing

FORMS OF IMCS

Advertising; Advertising is one of the most effective ways of brand promotion. Advertising helps organizations reach a wider audience within the shortest possible time frame. Advertisements in newspaper, television, Radio, billboards help end-users to believe in your brand and also motivate them to buy the same and remain loyal towards the brand. Advertisements not only increase the consumption of a particular product/service but also create brand awareness among customer

Sales Promotion; Brands (Products and services) can also be promoted through discount coupons, loyalty clubs, membership coupons, incentives, lucrative schemes, attractive packages for loyal customers, specially designed deals and so on. Brands can also be promoted effectively through newspaper inserts, danglers, banners at the right place, glorifiers, wobblers etc.

Direct Marketing; Through direct marketing, messages reach end-users directly. Direct marketing enables organizations to communicate directly with the end-users. Various tools for direct marketing are emails, text messages, catalogues, brochures, and promotional letters

Personal Selling;Personal selling is also one of the most effective tools for integrated marketing communication. Personal selling takes place when marketer or sales representative sells products or services to clients. Personal selling goes a long way in strengthening the relationship between the organization and the end-users.

Public relation activities help promote a brand through press releases, news, events, public appearances etc .The role of public relations officer is to present the organization in the best light.

Public relations: Building good relations with the company’s various publics by obtaining favourable publicity, building up a good corporate image and heading-off unfavourable rumours, stories and events about the firm.

Direct and internet marketing: Direct marketing communication is a process of communication directly with target customers to encourage responses by telephone, mail, electronic means or personal visit. Popular methods of direct marketing communication include direct mail, telemarketing, online computer shopping services, castle television shopping network, internet marketing, etc. All types of marketers including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and service providers use direct marketing communications. The ultimate goal of marketing communication is to reach some audience to affect their behaviour.

REFERENCES

Duncan, T., 2002. IMC Using Advertising and Promotion to Build Brands. McGraw Hill, USA.
Fill, C., 2006. Marketing Communications Engagement, Strategies and Practices. 4th Edn., Pearson Education Ltd., Edinburgh Gate, London Kliatchko, J., 2005. Towards a new definition of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). Int.  J. Advert., 24: 7-34.Picton, D. and A. Broderick, 2005. Integrated Marketing Communications. 2nd Edn., Financial Times Prentice Hall, New York, pp: 761