Fashion Supply Chains Are Buyer Driven and Characterised by Tiered Production Networks Involving Countries That Offer a Combination of Low Labour Costs, Relevant Skills and Production Capacity. During the Past 20 Years,

Marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities are informed or persuaded that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others....

Communication is an area that all companies must value. If a customer has a need or want they must be able to communicate that to the company. This will allow the company to achieve optimal satisfaction with their customers. This will be beneficial to the company because with optimal customer satisfaction

“One of the most talked about ideas in marketing during the 1990s was the notion of integrated marketing communications (IMC). And while marketing managers still clearly feel that it is a valuable concept and one that will play an increasingly important role in their companies, there is unfortunately a great deal of evidence to suggest that truly integrated marketing communications is the exception rather than a rule”

“Marketing communication is an ever changing field. New theories, new techniques, cultural changes and technological advances all combine to create a dynamic environment within which marketers try to ensure that their messages get through to their target audiences” (Blythe, 2006, p.2). Fill (2005) argues that marketing communications is the way in which organisations reach their target audiences or it is an “audience-centred activity” (Fill, 2005, p.9).

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is a simple concept that helps to ensure that the communications between the promotional implementations are interconnected properly so that they all work together harmoniously. This concept is also something that is not new in the world of marketing. “IMC is the coordination of the promotional mix elements (advertising, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing, and online marketing/social media) with each other and with the other elements of the brand’s marketing mix (product, place, price) such that all elements speak with one voice.”(pg. 12).

Particularly throughout the last decade Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) appeared to have found increasing acceptance as a theoretical concept, Idea, technique, or simple rhetoric with advertising agency executives, marketing, and advertising practitioners, as well as with writers in the popular and academic marketing and management press. Despite its pervasive penetration in the marketing and communication management world, little has been said, however, about IMC's theoretical robustness as well as its actual significance for marketing and advertising thought and practice. In an attempt to help remedy this situation, this articie examines IMC as a body

Marketing communications are intended to both inform and persuade a target audience, with a view to influence the behaviour of that group. The behaviour of interest to organizations can range from encouraging owners to adopt improved practices or to produce a particular product or service. As has been said on other occasions, each element of the marketing mix must be designed so as to further the overall marketing strategy, and this includes marketing communications.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has emerged as the dominant approach used by companies to plan and execute their marketing communication programs. Many marketers, as well as advertising agencies, are embracing the IMC paradigm and developing integrated campaigns that use a variety ways to communicate with their target audiences. (McArthur and Griffin 1997, Belch & Belch, 2004, Duncan 2005) The shift toward the IMC perspective has been hailed as one of the most significant changes in the history of advertising and promotion (Moriarty 1994; Reitman 1994) and as the major communications development of the last decade of the 20th century (Kitchen, Brignell, Li and Jones 2004).

Integrated Marketing Communications is a concept that has been around for quite a long time. It is bringing together advertising and the marketing communications that are used. This concept has become a very important way for marketing departments to transmit a message to their target audience. The important factor is getting to know the customers, therefore the more knowledge of customer data shapes the marketing communications and advertising message that is created.

“Integrated marketing communication simply recognises the need to plan and build up all relevant marketing communications so that they work together in harmony to the greatest effect with greatest efficiency” (Pickton and Broderick, 2001: 47)

Integrated Marketing Communications is about understanding the consumer and their needs. Marketing is not only about advertising what can you give to your customers but how can you cater their needs. Customers are very cautious with what you can give to them. This is the proposition of “What’s in it for me?

There are a range of strategies and terms that play into integrated marketing communication. Integrated marketing communication can be described as 1.) Management and managing all types of marketing communications, 2.) Assuring that the brands, personality, and messages are correctly delivered from each factor of communication and from a strategy, and 3.) The analysis and implementation of all the factors of marketing communication must efficiently, economically, and successfully impact the transactions between organizations and their audience. Furthermore, the vertical integration is the most important level because it makes sure that marketing communication will be formed. Without such communication, marketing communication will not be effective and not associated with any of the essential objectives. Therefore, I will be going into detail about each level of integration and what it exactly means (Holm, 24-25).

An Integrated Marketing Communications program is based on the foundation provided by the communication model. IMC programs have been described in several ways; the consensus is to define them as follows: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company into a seamless program that maximizes the impact on consumers and other end users at a minimal cost. This integration affects all firm’s business-to-business, marketing channel, customer-focused, internally directed communications.

The concept of integrated marketing communication (IMC) has received considerable coverage in the literature, but even its most ardent supporters have noted problems in translating the concept into reality. Reports on an extensive two-phase study of the New Zealand advertising and marketing industry, undertaken as part of an international series of studies of IMC implementation and usage, which was conducted over the 1997-1998 period. The findings of the first phase, conducted in mid-1997, reveal a strong

Intergrade Marketing Communication (IMC) is defined as ‘’ a strategic business process which is used to plan, develop, execute, and evaluate coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programs over time with consumers, customers, prospects, and other targeted, relevant external and internal audiences.” (Schultz & Schultz (1998,p.18). More than three decades, IMC still remain as an issue without a standard terminology. While it has been argued that IMC can help a company on how to promote their goods and their services, however, it can be observed that sometimes it can be a ruin strategy if the IMC model do not used appropriately. This essay will begin by looking at some information in order to clarify the concept of IMC. Then it will analyse the process work for the communication model in comparison with the IMC model. Finally it will examine the barriers of IMC