The Importance of Integrated Marketing Communication

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is an approach to inform, persuade, and remind customers about the products and brands by using every elements of marketing communication. However, all of these marketing communications activities needs to be combined to provide a consistent message and get the strategic positioning. An integrated marketing communication should use this formulation in delivering message to the customer: what to say, how to say it, and who should say it. To execute the proper communications programs, marketers will require to determine which experiences and impressions that will give the most effect at each phase on the buying process.

Integrated Marketing Communication Activities

In integrated marketing communication, advertising is not the only one tool for sales and brand building. The key of this strategy is mixing both methods of marketing communication, which is mass and personal communication.

Mass Communications:

• Advertising: any form of non-personal promotion of products via printed media (magazine or newspaper), broadcast media (radio or television), network media (internet or telephone), and display media (billboard, poster, or signs)
• Sales Promotions: encourage customer to purchase the product by using consumer promotions (samples, coupons, or premium), trade promotions, and sales force promotions.
• Events and Experiences: a sponsored program to create a relation between customer and the product brand.
• Public Relations: promote the company image internally to the employees and externally to the customer.

Personal Communications:

• Direct Marketing: communicate directly with the customer in personal via telephone, mail, fax, etc.
• Interactive Marketing: online activities of programs that designed to engage the customer to raise the brand awareness.
• Word of Mouth: spreading the experience of purchasing by people-to-people oral, written, or electronic communications.
• Personal Selling: Face-to-face interaction with customer, making presentation, answering questions, and offering product.

Why integrated marketing communication is important?

We can split types of marketing in two major types: online and offline. In integrated approach, we deliver the information by utilizing both online and offline tactics. The goal is to catch the market segment by growing the user's experience and impression of the product. This has been proven to be effective in creating competitive advantages as well as boosts sales and profits. Now, it’s time to implement this in your business plan, use several shifting in your marketing and you will get the maximum result with the use of an integrated marketing communication.