integrated marketing communication

What is integrated marketing communication?

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is regarded as the procedure of unifying marketing communication aspects such as public relations, social media, consumer analytics, corporate development concepts, and advertising into a brand recognition that stays constant across diverse media channels. It enables public and private organisations and corporations to provide an engaging and smooth customer experience for a product and/or service, as well as maximise an organization's image and stakeholder relationships. Professionals having an experience in integrated marketing communications may work in sectors such as social media marketing, digital media, journalism, market research and consulting, public relations, non-profit and government, entertainment, television and radio, as well as other related discipline.

Integrated marketing communication is a multidisciplinary area that incorporates both classic and new media approaches. As the name implies, integrated marketing communications is a holistic marketing approach that analyses marketing strategy in terms of an organization's goals, as well as its business development and maintenance requirements. In other words, rather than having separate groups or efforts within an organisation for marketing, advertising, media relations, social media, and consumer/audience analytics, integrated marketing communications inspires the integration of these fields of study to generate a more potent and coordinated action approach.

What is the goal of integrated marketing communications?

Marketing departments may have many teams working on marketing and communications at the same time. They are responsible for advertising various products or services, communicating with consumers, and organising events. This can occasionally result in inconsistent message that is misleading and disconcerting to potential consumers. The alternative to unorganised marketing is integrated marketing communications, which brings everything together under a single message. Communications that are synchronized across different teams, departments, and campaigns are referred to as integrated marketing communications. Using comparable message throughout social media channels, digital advertising, email marketing, sales promotions, and other channels, for instance, is an instance of integrated marketing communications.

The purpose of integrated marketing communications is to guarantee that customers hear the same message regardless of how they contact with a company's brand. If a prospective consumer sees a social media post from a firm that gives one message and then goes the website only to find a completely other marketing campaign, the buyer may become disoriented and abandon their trip.

Examples of integrated marketing communication?

Always #LikeAGirl

Brand of feminine care always wanted to reach out to the next generation of consumers. According to a case study from Design and Art Direction (D&AD), a British organisation that encourages excellence in design and advertising, the firm saw an opportunity to help girls as they transition from adolescence to young ladies. According to research, more than half of women reported a loss of confidence throughout puberty. The Always creative team was captivated to the pejorative phrase "like a female" and created an integrated marketing campaign to change it into an empowering word. The campaign employs television, print, and social media, but the movie made by documentary director Lauren Greenfield serves as the campaign's focus. According to D&AD, this resulted in the following outcomes.

• The clip received over 85 million views on YouTube from people in over 150 nations.

• Prior to seeing the film, 19% of 16- to 24-year-olds had a favourable connection with the phrase "like a female." After watching, 76 percent said they no longer thought the statement was bad.

• Two out of every three males who saw the film stated they would think twice before using the term "like a female."

• The campaign received D&AD awards in eight categories and created significant global recognition.

Why is integrated marketing important?

When a brand is able to contact its target audience several times through various channels, it begins to resonate with its audience. If the multiple channels consistently communicate the brand and message, the consumer is more likely to identify and trust the brand. This constant distribution is made feasible through an integrated marketing communications approach. Without this communication, the audience obtains a disconnected brand experience, making the intended message less likely to convey.

Using additional communication channels improves the number of individuals a corporation can contact. If a business focused solely on subway car posters, they would miss out on the audience that drives to work by ignoring radio advertising and billboard advertising. Knowing about integrated marketing communications enables a firm to develop a multi-pronged marketing plan that reaches a broader audience. A master's degree in integrated marketing communications teaches students how to identify the appropriate channels for targeting the appropriate audience with the appropriate messaging.

Revenue growth will automatically improve whenever a corporation is able to offer a clear branded message across numerous media to large audiences. Businesses are extremely competitive and rely on a variety of activities to generate money, including their research team, analysts, public relations team, social and digital marketing team, design team, and others. It is no longer feasible to concentrate just on one department. If a company wants to be relevant in their sector, they must get comfortable talking across all divisions.

Barriers to integrated marketing communication

Integrated marketing communication is difficult since it necessitates the coordination of several marketing platforms. The drawbacks are as follows:

• High expenditure: It is highly costly to run marketing campaigns across all platforms at the same time. It is due to the costs of development, manufacturing, and distribution. Marketers may run out of funds when operating such large-scale initiatives.

• It is difficult to reach national/international audiences: Notwithstanding millions of dollars invested, integrated marketing communication may fail due to an inability to standardise or adapt to local cultures. What works in a TV commercial in Brazil could not work in India.

• Information overload: Far too many marketers make the mistake of providing customers with far too much information. As a result, information becomes cluttered, and consumers miss the meaning. It negates the objective of having an integrated marketing communication program.

• Managing content: All integrated marketing strategies include a large amount of material that is shared directly with customers. However, maintaining content may be difficult, especially when it is spread across several marketing channels, locations, and customer categories. It is difficult to keep every piece of marketing collateral up to date, publish it, and tailor it to the demands of the audience.