Why are integrated marketing communication plans so important to marketers PDF

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Why are integrated marketing communication plans so important to marketers...

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Why are integrated marketing communication plans so important to marketers? Integrated Marketing Communication is a management concept that works from the premise that all aspects of marketing communication (e.g. advertising, promotion, public relations and direct marketing) work as a unitary force, without allowing any of them to work in isolation. Shimp (2000, as cited in Nadube, 2018) defined integrated marketing communication as a planning process that aims to ensure that all brand contacts with a consumer or a prospectus of a product, service or organization are relevant to that person, constant and consistent over time. Marketing communication seeks to harmonize, as a conductor harmonizes the sounds of an orchestra, all aspects of communicating the identity of a brand. The very large volume of messages to which consumers are exposed, the increasing attention paid to these messages, the lack and pressure of time felt by all of us, lead to the increase in importance to be given to marketing communication. In these conditions, communication between the organization and the customer becomes essential for long-term success. However, simple information to the public cannot provide a solid basis for achieving effective communication. Therefore, integrated marketing communication can be a source of competitive advantage and can make a decisive contribution to achieve its objectives. But the major requirement, like any other competitive advantage, is to be maintained in the long term, by continuously adapting to the demands of consumers, their needs and preferences, but also by carefully monitoring the movements of competition What are the benefits and challenges of implementing an IMC? Benefits. Brand awareness. Taking advantage of the multitude of media channels and using them to promote the product/ services the company will be able to reach a high number of consumers and will target a wide audience. The communication of a consistent tone and message at every touchpoint will increase customers’ brand recognition and awareness (Reid, 2015). Brand equity. Brand awareness and a positive brand image are formed through successful communication. These are then combined to form the brand knowledge frameworks, which in turn elicit the differentiated responses that comprise brand equity (Madhavaram et al., 2013). The role of IMC is to create and maintain a unified message in all aspects of a marketing campaign. A successfully integrated communication plan will always customize what is needed for each target category based on time, budget and resources to achieve the company target and goals. A clear and consistent message on all the media platforms will lead to a sense of reliability and buyers’ trust. Any feelings of confusion and insecurity are alleviated by the potency of curiosity and positive emotions. At the same time, question marks can find their answer by validating and completing information from several sources. On the other hand, the presentation of the message in many forms and circumstances, bring the brand closer to the buyer and strengthen the emotional connection with it. Challenges.

The IMC has a multitude of benefits however it does pose some challenges. In their paper, Sethi et al. (2014) presented the following barriers to an effective IMC: Binding together the information gathered from each media channel is an unquestionable requirement to guarantee that the IMC program bodes well for any organization. In case the company doesn’t have the essential technology to integrate the information, successful results will be limited. Since the role of the IMC is to maintain a constant and consistent message, marketers need to be careful when they introduce sales promotions or advertising designed for a limited time. Strategies that are designed to support the brand in a long term might get into conflict with sales promotions if they don’t carry the same message. For the IMC to be successful, the organization’s employees and management need to be included in the strategy process. Communication between departments can be challenging in some companies and without efficient communication, the objectives and goals of the integrated marketing communication strategy can be lost or misinterpreted.

Identify a primary benefit of advertising online. We live in a virtual world, we perish in a space without geographical boundaries and cultural barriers, where time dictates the incredible progress of mankind. The internet is not only seen as an exceptional advance of technology but is perceived as an indispensable environment for information search, an environment of communication, socialization, entertainment and not least an environment in which profitable businesses are born. Online advertising offers more accurate targeting possibilities than any other advertising platform. Any campaign and advertising material can be distributed to a well-defined target audience, depending on the variables desired by the advertiser, be it demographic (age, sex, income, nationality, education, occupation), geographical (city, region, country, environment), psychographic (attitudes, lifestyle, passions, interests) or even behavioural (loyalty to a brand, reaction to advertising, etc.). If the efficiency of an advertising commercial broadcast on television or radio will be measured only after the end of the campaign or following a long-term evolution, in the online environment the company has real-time access to reports and statistics. If the results do not rise to the level of initial measurements and forecasts, the company can immediately intervene on the form and content of the ads, or it can stop and replace the campaign.

References.

Madhavaram, S., Badrinarayanan, V., & McDonald, R. (2005). Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Brand Identity as Critical Components of Brand Equity Strategy: A Conceptual Framework and Research Propositions. Journal of Advertising, 34(4), 69-80. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4189320 Nadube, P. M. (2018). Understanding integrated marketing communication: Concepts, definitions and dimensions. International Journal of Innovations in Economic and Management Science, 8(2), 1-15. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336774744_Understanding_integrated_marketing _communication_Concepts_definitions_and_dimensions Reid, M. (2005). Performance Auditing of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Actions and Outcomes. Journal of Advertising, 34(4), 41-54. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4189318 Sethi, T., Goriya, A., & Singh, P. (2014). Integrated Marketing Communication: Theory, Challenges and Barriers. International Research Journal of Management Sociology and Humanity, 5(11), 254-266. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/11317187/Integrated_Marketing_Communication_Theory_Challe nges_and_Barriers...