What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC’S)?
Integrated Marketing
Communication is an approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing
campaign through a well-coordinated use of different promotional methods that
are intended to reinforce each other.
It recognizes the strategic
roles of various communication disciplines such as public relations, direct
marketing, sales promotion, publicity, sponsorship of events and advertising to
provide clarity, consistency, and increased impact when combined within a
comprehensive communications plan. In developing the promotional methods, the
marketer must decide which disciplines to use and how to combine them to
achieve the organization’s marketing and communication objectives.
A company’s marketing communications depends on choice
or variables in the promotion-mix. Discuss.
Communication is the
activity of conveying information between individuals or between organizations
and individuals through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as
by speech, visuals, signals and writing. Company’s roles they play in the
overall marketing program are influence by the inherent advantages and
disadvantages of each of the elements in the promotion-mix. The promotion-mix
is the communication tools or disciplines. So these elements are organizational
culture, four P’s, advertising, direct marketing, entertainment marketing,
sales promotion, public relations and sponsorship of events.
In the organizational
culture, a company needs to check the organization’s vision and mission that
they are bringing to the public, the attitudes and behaviours of employees and
partners and also the communication within the company. The company must also
look at the four P’s (Price, Product, Promotion and Place) in the marketing,
when the company has produced and packaged the product, there is the need to
price the product, setup distribution networks to move the product and make it
accessible to the final consumer.
The company must advertise
their products to the public by broadcasting or mass advertising, outdoor
advertising and online advertising. The company must involved themselves into
direct marketing such as sending direct mail, telemarketing, catalogs, shopping
channels, having internet sales, emails, text messaging, websites, online
display advertise, fliers, promotional letters, direct selling and grassroots
marketing.
Also, the company must use
the entertainment marketing strategies in selling the product. Some of the
strategies are using the mobile marketing, email marketing and social media
like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Foursquare, Youtube, Instagram and Wikipedia.
The company must have a sales materials like sell sheets, brochures,
presentations etc and in storing customer help, returns, repairs and billing.
Lastly, the company should
relate to the public by organizing special events, interviews, conference
speeches, industry awards, press conference, news releases, testimonials,
publicity stunts, community involvement and event. The company should be able
to sponsor an event that goes on in the country, booths, product
demonstrations, donations and volunteering.
In conclusion, a company’s
marketing communications depends on choice or variables in the promotion-mix
because when these diverse aspects of business and marketing are weaved
together properly an effective campaign can be achieved.
References
George Belch and Michael Belch:
Advertising and promotion (May 15, 2006)
Medill School of Journalism: Journal of
Integrated Marketing Communication (Northwestern University)
