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Integrated Marketing
Integrated
Marketing
Communication
(IMC)
is
a
term
that
emerged
in
the
late
20th
century
regarding
application
of
consistent
brand
messaging
across
myriad
marketing
channels.
The
first
definition
for
integrated
marketing
communication
came
from
the
American
Association
of
Advertising
Agencies
(also
4A's)
in
1989,
defining
IMC
as
"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."
The
4A's
definition
of
IMC
recognizes
the
strategic
roles
of
various
communication
disciplines
(advertising,
public
relations,
sales
promotions,
etc.)
to
provide
clarity,
consistency,
and
increased
impact
when
combined
within
a
comprehensive
communications
plan.
Basically,
it
is
the
application
of
consistent
brand
messaging
across
both
traditional
and
non-traditional
marketing
channels.
The
Journal
of
Integrated
Marketing
Communication
from
the
Medill
School
of
Journalism
at
Northwestern
University
refers
to
IMC
as
"a
strategic
marketing
process
specifically
designed
to
ensure
that
all
messaging
and
communication
strategies
are
unified
across
all
channels
and
are
centered
around
the
customer."
IMC
is
used
practically
to
allow
one
medium's
weakness
to
be
offset
by
another
medium's
strength,
with
elements
synergized
to
support
each
other
and
create
greater
impact.
A
more
contemporary
definition
states,
"True
IMC
is
the
development
of
marketing
strategies
and
creative
campaigns
that
weave
together
multiple
marketing
disciplines
(paid
advertising,
public
relations,
promotion,
owned
assets,
and
social
media)
that
are
selected
and
then
executed
to
suit
the
particular
goals
of
the
brand."
Instead
of
simply
using
various
media
to
help
tell
a
brand's
overall
story,
with
IMC
the
marketing
leverages
each
communication
channel's
intrinsic
strengths
to
achieve
a
greater
impact
together
than
each
channel
could
achieve
individually.
It
requires
the
marketer
to
understand
each
medium's
limitation,
including
the
audience's
ability/willingness
to
absorb
messaging
from
that
medium.
This
understanding
is
integrated
into
a
campaign's
strategic
plan
from
the
very
beginning
of
planning
-
so
that
the
brand
no
longer
simply
speaks
with
consistency,
but
speaks
with
planned
efficacy.
This
concept
inherently
provides
added
benefits
that
include:
a
singular/synchronized
brand
voice
and
experience,
cost
efficiencies
generated
through
creativity
and
production,
and
opportunities
for
added
value
and
bonus.
Similar
to
the
definition
of
IMC,
models
of
the
IMC
approach
vary
according
to
the
source
cited.
Frequently,
models
stress
the
importance
of
blending
various
marketing
tools
to
maximize
the
customer
experience
and
value.
IMC
models
also
often
emphasize
the
lack
of
a
specific
hierarchy
of
importance
in
the
IMC
stages:
all
components
of
the
model
play
an
equally
important
role
and
a
company
may
or
may
not
choose
to
immediately
implement
any
or
all
of
the
integration
strategies.
Schultz
and
Schultz
identified
four
levels
of
IMC
through
which
organizations
appear
to
progress.
These
stages
are
not
discrete,
finite
stages
with
well-defined
boundaries
Ultimately,
however,
to
be
truly
integrated
an
organization
needs
to
demonstrate
competency
in
the
activities
and
requirements
of
each
of
the
four
levels.
Level
1:
Tactical
Coordination
and
Marketing
Communications
Initial
IMC
focus
is
on
the
tactical
coordination
of
diverse
marketing
such
as
advertising,
promotion,
direct
response,
public
relations,
and
special
events.
This
level
focuses
on
delivering
one
sight,
one
sound
via
marketing
communication.
Level
2:
Redefining
the
Scope
of
Marketing
Communication
The
organization
begins
to
examine
communications
from
the
customers
point
of
view.
Marketing
communication
begins
to
give
consideration
to
all
sources
of
brand
and
company
contact
a
customer
has
with
the
product
or
service.
Management
broadens
the
scope
of
communication
activities
to
encompass
and
coordinate
internal
marketing
employees,
suppliers,
and
other
business
partners
and
align
with
the
existing
external
communication
programs.
Level
3:
Application
of
Information
Technology
An
organizations
application
of
empirical
data
using
information
technology
to
provide
a
basis
identity,
value,
and
monitor
the
impact
of
integrated
internal
and
external
communication
programs
to
key
customer
segments
over
time.
Level
4:
Financial
and
Strategic
Integration
The
emphasis
shifts
to
using
the
skills
and
data
generated
in
the
earlier
stages
to
drive
corporate
strategic
planning
using
customer
information
and
insights.
Organizations
re-evaluate
their
financial
information
infrastructure.
Reference
Link
backs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_marketing_communications
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/integrated-marketing-if-you-knew-it-youd-do-it
http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2013/09/16/why-integrated-marketing-communications-is-more-important-than-ever/
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~tecas/syllabi2/adv391kfall2002/readings/JARSchultz.pdf
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