Communication is
effective part of business development. It is a process of transmitting,
receiving, and processing information. Through communication, important
messages are exchanged to accomplish targeted objectives. Communication in
marketing channel can function as the process through which significant
information is conveyed to other collaborators (Frazier and Summers, 1984).
Although the Marketing studies revealed that communication has vital role in
channel functioning (Stern and El-Ansary, 1988), it provides no incorporated
theory for channel communication. Communication has been related to both
behavioural issues such as power and climate and structural issues such as the
pattern of exchange relationship in the channel, yet experiential research on
channel communication is insufficient. Communication is a requirement which is
being used to create association, exchange ideas and promote the products or
services. Effective communication is done through popular channel that
transmits simply and precisely. An organization can use array of promotion
techniques such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct
marketing and public relations to attain its communication objectives. Since
last two decades, promotions strategies used by organizations around the world
have undergone through remarkable changes. This is because of the advancement
of technology. Companies must develop capability to adapt in such
transformation in marketing communications and, to be successful in the future.
It is recommended that the Marketing manager must utilize the new emerging
communication techniques to get success in complicated marketing process.
Concept of Integrated marketing communications:
Integrated marketing
communications abbreviated as IMC is the synchronization and integration of all
marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company into a
faultless program, which enhances the impact on customers and other end users at
low cost. This assimilation affects all of a firm's business-to-business,
marketing channel, customer focused, and internally directed communications.
The phrase of Integrated Marketing Communication evolved in the late 20th
century regarding application of reliable brand messaging across innumerable
marketing channels. The main purpose to develop this type of communication is
to address the need for businesses to offer customers more than just standard
advertising. Integrated Marketing Communications suggests that marketers focus
at the customer first and his or her preferences, buying patterns, media
exposure, and other factors and then customer is exposed to the products that
fits its need through mix of communication methods which the customer find more
eye-catching and convincing. Jones (2008) stated that it is innovative step
because of a whole culture of agencies, in-house departments, and consultants
had grown up around the concept of separation for advertising, direct
marketing, sales sponsorship, and public relations efforts instead of the
harmonious, customer-centred planning process that IMC requires. Integration is
dominant concept in marketing because technological developments have
transformed how business stakeholders interact. Theoretical studies in
marketing were emerged in multimodal, multi directional communication. Schultz
(1993) described IMC as conception of marketing communication planning that
mingle and assess strategic role of dissimilar communication discipline to get
the precision, consistency and larger impact.
Another group of
theorists, Percy et al. (2001) stated that planning and execution of all
marketing communications are necessary in a same way to fulfil the objective.
Process of producing and applying the different communication programs and the
probability to have impact in future over time, general IMC process begins with
the customer and work to verify and define the methods and forms to develop the
powerful communications programs (Schultz, 1993). In general, IMC is also considered
as a strategic business process which is used to plan, develop, execute and
evaluate the coordinated and assessable influential marketing communication
programs relevant to external and internal audience over time. Raman and Naik
(2005) explained an IMC program as plans and execute various marketing
activities with uniformity so that its total impact exceeds the sum of each
activity. It is a policy in which diverse communication devices like
advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal
selling work together to exploit the communication impact on target consumers.
IMC is also described as a management model which is designed to make combined
force of different aspects of marketing communication such as sales promotion,
public relations, advertising and direct marketing.
In theoretical
studies, Kotler and Armstrong (2006) developed dominant theory for Integrated
Marketing Communications and stated that it is a concept in which
a"company carefully integrates and coordinates its many communication
channels mass media advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public
relations, direct marketing, packaging, and others to deliver a clear,
consistent, and compelling message about the organization and its products".
The outcomes of Integrated Marketing Communications are superior communication
that changes into steady sales volume. The integrated marketing communication
goes beyond these particular promotion tools. The design, and packaging of the
product, its container and packaging, its price, and the retail stores that
sell the product, all converse something to purchaser. Consequently, although
the promotion mix is an organization's primary communication, the whole
marketing mix including product, place, price and promotion must be
synchronized to gain the desired impact. The Integrated Marketing
Communications facilitates company to understand the needs of specific
customers and then helps in designing a well-coordinated promotional program
that focus to manage the customer relationship eventually. Pelsmacker et al
(2006) affirmed that Integrated Marketing Communication is "the
integration of specialized communications functions that previously operated
with varying degrees of autonomy". It is said that when firms can not
integrate its various communications tools, for example, the advertisements of
the offering concentrate on one thing, while a price signalled transmit a
different message while the labelling of the product depicts still another
message, it gives confusing message to purchasers and they may change their
decision for buying particular product of company. Kotler and Armstrong (2006)
have said that "IMC builds brand identity and strong customer
relationships by tying together all of the company's messages and images".
Brand messages and positioning are synchronized across all communication
process and media.
Figure: Process of
integrated marketing communications
Significance of IMC:
Integrated Marketing
Communications is a practical tool to interact with customers and convince them
to buy products of company. Each strategy Integrated Marketing Communications
has great importance which can be evaluated from the results and impact of that
strategy. Integrated Marketing Communications is considered as major
competitive advantage in numerous firms (Kitchen and Schultz, 2001). Integrated
Marketing Communications tactics can increase sales and profit while saving the
time, money and stress by applying IMC (Smith, 2002). This fact is also
documented by agency executives (Kitchen and Schultz, 1997). Integrated
Marketing Communications has positive impact on communications, inventiveness
and cause constancy in communications. Integrated Marketing Communications
provides new vibrant model that assist the business to make marketing
communication as consumer oriented (Kitchen, Brignell, Li and Jones, 2004). It
makes easy accessibility of goods and services and makes message more efficient
and reduces product related risks in the customers.
Objectives of Integrated Marketing Communications:
Every policy in
business has particular objectives to compete in marketplace. Integrated
Marketing Communications strategy of communication is focused to accomplish
specific objectives. Katrandjiev (2000) explained two contradictory objectives
of IMC. First objective is to achieve substantial sales and second aim is to
develop a strong brand image. Schultz (1993) stated that major purpose of
Integrated Marketing Communications is to make great impact on the mind of
target audience. The ultimate objective of IMC is to establish customer
oriented sensibilities, assist in resource distribution, accomplish competitive
advantage and develop business process in all direction of organization and its
operations that enhance value for its customer. Some general objectives include
creating brand awareness, favourable customer attitude and to drive business
& revenue.
Components of IMC:
In creating strategy
for organization, there are different elements which support to develop that
strategy. These components are support of that strategy. Such elements are
essential for the successful implementations of strategy. IMC strategy has
three main elements: the consumer, the channels and the evaluation of results.
These components are discussed below:
- Consumers:
In this factor it is interrogated how consumers get information and how
the delivery of that exchange of information affects the message's form
and contents.
- Communication
channels: This element cross-examines several channels and how much effective
each channels is in IMC strategy.
- Results:
It considers how the level of complexity in IMC strategies leads marketers
to calculate result by designing new methods.
Developmental Process of IMC:
Integrated Marketing
Communications follow different steps or stages. Mostly these steps are
followed in series. Kitchen and Schultz (2000) explained the stages in the
developmental process of IMC. These stages are
- Tactical
co-ordination (content)
- Redefining
the scope of marketing communications (channels)
- Application
of information technology (stakeholders)
- Strategic
and financial integration (results)
Below figure shows the
major steps that organization must follow when executing Integrated Marketing
Communications process:
Figure: The steps in
integrated marketing process
Tools of integrated
marketing communications are used by marketers to make it in correct place.
There are eight tools of IMC which are Advertising, Personal selling, Sales
promotion, Publicity, Public relations, Sponsorship, Direct marketing and E
communication. Sometimes, marketers use these tools in combinations to develop
good integrating marketing communication plan for firms.
Figure: Tools of
integrated marketing communications
Integrated marketing
communications involve all components and stakeholders from both inside and
outside of organization therefore its implementation is coordinated process
between each department and segment. If integrated marketing communications
takes the direct line command control approach to treat other departments or
segments, this type of organization structure may incur an intrinsic
instability. While this virtual multiplayer approach increases the management
level and increases the possibility of power conflict among top management.
Refer to below figure.
Figure: Schematic
diagram for IMC mechanism method and its existence flow:
IMC differs from
conventional marketing communication in numerous ways. IMC is related with some
positive differences in comparison to traditional marketing communication.
Table: 1 Comparison of
Integrated Marketing Communications and traditional marketing communication:
Factors influence IMC:
Many factors have
great impact on the Integrated Marketing Communications. Schultz (1996) stated
that Integrated Marketing Communications not only depend on incorporation of
promotional mix instead it also relies on infrastructure, staffing, marketing
budget and skills. Though company has competent professionals and good
infrastructure but marketing budget is most important. If budget is not
according to the needs of firms, it may have negative result. Kitchen et al.
(2004) described that nature of business, marketing development, and required
investments by business have great impact on Integrated Marketing
Communications. Another theorist, Vargas (2005) said that nature of the
product, nature of the market, stage in product-lifecycle, price, and funds available
for the promotion also have major influence on these communication practices.
It is also significant to observe that product is suffering at which stage in
product-life-cycle, at each stage strategy differs. If stage is viewed
incorrectly then strategy becomes ineffective and result may differ from the
required result. Reid (2005) considered characteristics of the organization
including type and size, as well as position in the market as influencing
factors.
Barriers to the
implication of IMC: Academic researches identified number of barriers to the
execution of IMC. A study conducted by Eagle and Kitchen (2000), revealed that
clients identified two main obstructions. Firstly, employees was not equipped
and needed to develop new skills and expertise to work in this integrated
manner. Secondly, existing organisational structures made integration
difficult.
To sum up, Integrated
Marketing Communications is widespread in organizational set up at global
level. IMC is the effectual process to develop and execute various forms of
influential communications programs with customers and prospects over time. The
target of IMC is to influence or directly affect the behaviour of the
particular communications audience. IMC considers all sources of brand or
company contacts which a customer or prospect has with the product or service
as potential delivery channels for future messages. IMC gives positive impact
with triumphant promotional integration if it is realized with appropriate
process. Integrated Marketing Communications has good effect as brand equity,
brand awareness, profitability and changing attitude of consumer. Theoretical
studies indicated that Integrated Marketing Communications makes use of
different marketing communication elements to transmit the same message. Many
researchers found that Integrated Marketing Communications increases customer's
awareness about particular product. Many organizations use this communication
tool to build healthy relations with customers and in turn enhance sales. It is
essential to manage all components of Integrated Marketing Communications to
become successful in competitive market.
No comments:
Post a Comment