When I think about integrated marketing communication (IMC), I personally define it as a method of strategically connecting with customers in order to build relationships and influence purchase decisions. In our book, this is called “relationship marketing” (Blakeman, 2015, p. 2). This type of marketing operates as businesses use “an outside-in approach” to create a continuous two-way dialogue with customers in order to gain a better understanding of what those customers want and need (Blakeman, 2015, p. 2-3, 9; Reid, Luxton, & Mavondo, 2005, p. 13-14; Luxton, Reid, & Mavondo, 2014, p. 38, 44). This type of marketing is beneficial to businesses in two major ways. First, it builds brand loyalty by making the customers feel like they have a voice in the organization. Second, it creates “rising profit margins” by allowing a company to create products and services that they know people will buy (Blakeman, 2015, p. 9-10).
In order for IMC to be effective, there are a few things that companies must consider. First, companies must “absorb [their] message[s] into their corporate philosophy to ensure the target receives a consistent message” (Blakeman, 2015, p. 5). Second, businesses must consider how they use their promotional mix (public relations, advertising, etc.) and media mix (TV, newspapers, etc.) to target their selected audience at the right time and place (Blakeman, 2015, p. 11-15). Third, companies must consider how technological advancements can impact their communication efforts (Keller, 2009, p. 139, 141-142). For example, if the Apple Company wanted to sell one million units of their next iPhone model, they might use IMC by considering factors like how their customer service people represent their brand, whether to use a press release or a TV advertisement to attract the most customers, and how their brand is represented on their website.
Some of the biggest technological advancements that have influenced the evolution of IMC since the 1990s are the internet and social media (Blakeman, 2015, p. 2, 8, 14; Keller, 2009, p. 139-142). These technologies have significantly changed how companies connect with their stakeholders by allowing businesses to create more personalized messages and to talk with their customers instead of at them. This mainly occurs as companies use social media sites like Facebook to interactively engage with their target audience and directly respond to them as needed (Blakeman, 2015, p. 8, 14).
On the other hand, there are some downsides to social media and internet technologies when it comes to businesses using IMC. For example, the internet and social media have given consumers increased access to information (Blakeman, 2015, p. 8). This means that customers now have more control over what media they will use, what they will buy, when they will make a purchase, and how they will consume commercial content (Blakeman, 2015, p. 3; Keller, 2009, p. 142). This can present a challenge for businesses because companies now have to be more customer driven as opposed to being sales driven (Blakeman, 2015, p. 3).
Finally, I would like to share how I think IMC compares to other forms of communication like public relations, marketing, and advertising. While I don’t discount the value of other forms of organizational communication, I would say that IMC is one of the most important forms of communication a business can utilize. This is because IMC focuses more on connecting with the individual than other forms of communication do (Blakeman, 2015, p. 2-3, 9; Reid, Luxton, & Mavondo, 2005, p. 12). For example advertising often “speaks at a group of individuals” through sounds and images, while IMC “speaks to (or with) a single individual about his known problems or special interests” (Blakeman, 2015, p. 10). For this reason, I think businesses should place more focus on using IMC strategies to build their brands.
References:
Blakeman, R. (2015). Integrated marketing communication: Creative strategy from idea to implementation(2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Keller, K. L. (2009). Building strong brands in a modern marketing communications environment. Journal of Marketing Communications,15(2-3), 139-155. doi:10.1080/13527260902757530.
Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2014). Integrated Marketing Communication Capability and Brand Performance. Journal of Advertising,44(1), 37-46. doi:10.1080/00913367.2014.934938.
Reid, M., Luxton, S., & Mavondo, F. (2005). The Relationship Between Integrated Marketing Communication, Market Orientation, And Brand Orientation. Journal of Advertising,34(4), 11-23. doi:10.1080/00913367.2005.10639210.
