WHAT IS INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS?

Integrated Marketing   Communication is a term that emerged in the late twentieth century regarding application of consistent brand messaging across myriad marketing channels. The decade was characterized by a rapid development of areas such as sales promotions, direct marketing and public relations which   began challenging advertising role as a dominant form of marketing communication. These companies then began moving toward the   process of integrated marketing communication.

The first to develop the definition of integrated marketing communication is a task force from the American association of advertising agencies [the 4A’s] .They defined integrated marketing  communication as a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines, example, general advertising, direct response, sale promotion and public relations – and combines these disciplines to provide maximum communication impact. The 4A’s definition focuses on the process of using all forms of promotions to achieve maximum communications impact. However, advocates of the integrated marketing communication argued for an even broader perspective that considers all sources of brand or company contact that a customer or prospect has with a product or service. They noted that the process of integrated marketing communications calls for a ‘big picture’ approach to planning marketing and promotion programs and coordinating the various communication functions. It requires that firms develop a total marketing communications strategy that recognizes how all of a firm’s marketing not just promotion communicate with its customers. Many companies see it as a way to coordinate and manage their marketing communications programs to ensure that they send customers a consistent messages about the company or its brands. For these companies, integration represents an improvement over the traditional method. Consumer’s perceptions of a company and or its various brands are a synthesis of the bundle of messages they receive or contacts they have such as media advertisements, price, package design, direct marketing efforts, publicity, sales promotions, websites, point of purchase displays and even a type of store where a product or service is sold. The integrated marketing communications approach seeks to have all of a company’s marketing and promotional activities which project a consistent, united image to the market place. It calls for a centralized messaging function so that everything a company says and does communicate a common theme and positioning.

Don Shultz of North Western university has developed what many people think is more appropriate definition of integrated marketing communication. He defines integrated marketing communication as a strategic business process used to plan, develop, execute and evaluate coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programs overtime with customers, prospects, employees, associates and other targeted relevant external and internal audiences. The goal is to generate both short term financial returns and build long term brand and shareholder value. Integrated marketing communication is viewed as an ongoing strategic business process rather than just tactical integration of communication activities. It recognizes that there are a number of relevant audience such as prospects, suppliers, investors, interest groups and the general public [external] . It also view internal audiences such as employees as an important part of the integrated marketing communications process. The reasons for the growing importance of integrated marketing communication is by coordinating their marketing communication efforts, and companies can avoid duplication, take advantage of synergy among promotional tools and develop more efficient and effective market communications programs.

The move to integrated marketing communication also reflects an adaptation by marketers to changing environment, particularly with respect to consumer’s technology and media. Major changes have occurred among consumers with respect to demographics, lifestyles media use in buying and shopping patterns.

DISCUSS THE SIX FORMS OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION.

The six forms of integrated marketing communication are; sales promotions, advertising, personal selling, publicity, sponsorship marketing and point of sale or point of purchase displays.

Sales promotions are promotional efforts that are designed for a pre-determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, affect a shift in market demand or improve product availability and thereby have an immediate impact on sales. Examples of sales promotions include coupons, discounts, contest.

Personal selling, there is a direct contact between the buyer and the seller, either face to face or through telecommunications in personal selling. The boom in telecommunication and the proliferation of centres have led to a growth of personal selling efforts in the country.

Publicity is the advertising of a product, or service or business unit using commercially significant news about it in a public medium or presentation of it on television, radio or the internet. Publicity is  anything that puts u in the public eye. It could be talking about a product or service.

Point of purchase displays, the purpose of point of purchase displays is to make business owner’s product appear more professional and appealing to the customer’s eye. They are integral component of successful marketing but remain invisible to the average consumer. The customer is thinking about a particular product but often they are drawn to the one which is displayed in a more prominent fashion without knowing. Well done point of purchase displays will draw consumers to one product over another or give a store the appearance of being more organized and clean. A point of purchase display can be a simple plastic holder for a card with a product information. Lastly advertising is a non personal form of promotion that is delivered through selected media outlets that under most circumstance ,require the marketer to pay for messaging placement. Advertising has long been viewed as a method of mass promotion in that a single message can reach a large number of people, but this create problems since many may not be in the marketers targeted audience, however technologies and emergence of media outlets offer more options for targeted advertising.

Sources; Belch and Belch [advertising and promotion], An introduction to branding and marketing communication management by Kojo Yankah, Dilip Kumar Sarma , Rupak Ghosh, Ask.com.

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