Introduction.The Concept Of Integrated Marketing Communication

Moreover, (Product) RED uses the INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (IMC)technology for its marketing campaign. The IMC involves the utilization of all the elements of the marketing mix, which specifically includes

Initial discussions on IMC were based on definitions and theoretical understanding, and this discussion is still taking place. IMC or Integrated Marketing Communications according to Schultz (1993) combine and evaluate strategic role of diverse communications to produce a greater impact. It is a process that produces and applies different communication programs starting with the customer and work back to outline right approaches and procedures to progress throughout these influential programs. Another source sees it as a business process that aims to plan, implement and assess influential marketing communications over time. There isn’t a clear definition for it, each source rely on a different definition however according to all found IMC is identified as a strategic process. It’s composed of three main basics: consumer, channels and evaluation of performances. Consumer gives an idea of how an exchange of information affects message’s form and content. Communication channels analyze each channel in apart to

However, with the introduction of new technologies and advances in information technology communication has been completely revolutionised and same has impacted in organisations in there IMC strategies. “For IMC to really take hold, old assumptions must exit, assumptions about the role of advertising and sales promotion, about the organisation of advertising and public relations departments, about agencies and what they do, about the media, and most of all accountability” (Schultz et al. 1994).

Organisations irrespective of their business model use various marketing and communication tools to promote their offerings and achieve financial and non financial goals. Companies have number of general objectives for their marketing and communication programs. Some of these objectives can be informing the prospective customers about their product offerings. Then an attempt is made to persuade these customers to choose their products out of the given basket of product offering available in the market. Finally, the objective of the marketing and communication program is to induce the customers to make a purchase. Moreover, it helps in communicating with the customers frequently in order to retain them to make repeat purchase.

During the last decade of the twentieth century, the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) received considerable attention from practitioners and academics alike, and that interest has continued into the new millennium (e.g., Bearden and Madden 1996; Cornelissen and Lock 2000; Duncan, Schultz, and Patti 2005; Garretson and Burton 2005; Nowak and Phelps 1994; Schultz and Kitchen 2000a; Schumann, Artis, and Rivera 2001). As the marketplace has become more fragmented over the years, organizations have embraced IMC as a means to effectively and efficiently target and attract the splintering mass market through the transmission of a unified message across all "contact points" between organizations and their consumers. Whether the

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), a term which refers to a customer-centric and yet data driven technique of communicating with clients involves the coordination as well as the integration of various marketing communication tools, sources, functions as well as avenues within a given company into a program that effectively maximizes their effect on consumers as well as other end users at the least cost possible (Clow & Baack,2007). IMC is a management concept that is designed in a manner that makes every aspect of marketing communication like advertizing, public relations, sales promotion as well as direct marketing to operate together into a perfectly unified force as opposed to permitting each of these elements to work in total isolation. In this paper we present an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) for SEAT an automobile manufacturing and selling company. The Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) begins with a situational analysis. This situational analysis involves market analysis, SWOT analysis, competitor analysis an analysis of the product offerings. This is then followed by an analysis of the keys to success, an analysis of the critical issues. This IMC also includes a marketing strategy, mission, and marketing objectives, financial objectives, an analysis of the target market, positioning, strategies, marketing mix, marketing research, controls, implementation, marketing strategies, contingency plan as well as conclusion.

Advantage Kayaks considers itself a boutique kayak manufacturing business employing one full time boat builder. It has been in operation for ten years undertaking mainly individual orders for the elite and recreational, surf and flat water racing classes. The business appears to be experiencing a scalloped product life cycle pattern because of the constant overall growth and also seeing an increase in competition (Kotler et al. 2012). There is therefore sufficient demand to warrant an additional part time employee. Based on these factors Advantage Kayaks management team have indicated they would like to undertake a strategic marketing process.

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).

In order to understand why IMC is the dominant approach; one must first have a cohesive understanding of what IMC entails. IMC as Schultz and Schultz (2003), Clow and Baack (2007) and Belch and Belch (2012) explain is a strategic business process whereby all marketing communication tools and avenues are integrated seamlessly to ensure the greatest

Definition: Integrated Marketing Communication Definition: IMC is a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communications disciplines – for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations – and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact by The American Association of Advertising Agencies (the 4A’s)

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

In the business world today, marketers have various options on how to promote and sell their products and services. On top of the traditional methods of advertising such as print adverts and direct marketing, today there is web based advertising, email advertising as well as many social media sites such as Twitter, You tube, Linked In and Facebook. Businesses have now learn that traditional methods of advertising are not as effective as they used to be. Marketers must realize that promotion and communication have changed due to the Internet and technological advancement (Molan, 2011, pp.34). Therefore, due to the existence of a range of advertising channels, marketing executives must effectively manage the integrated marketing communications (IMC) to achieve desired results (Laric&Lynagh, 2010, pp.109). These IMC include the use of social media, experience design and advertising.

The importance of implementing a sound Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) campaign by any organisation is to properly compliment their sales efforts by effectively gaining awareness from the target market. Essentially, a successfully-implemented IMC campaign would draw

Integrated Marketing Communications is a well-coordinated flow of interlinked promotional activities which an organisation undertakes to make the market aware about the product or changes taking there on.