The practice of professional communication has become highly complex, not only because of technology, social media, and the need to connect with global audiences, but also because “communication” means different things to different audiences. Further, the significant amount of crossover among the various facets of communication means there is often confusion about the roles and responsibilities of contemporary communicators. Consequently, it can be challenging for communicators, clients and audiences to glean a clear understanding of communication roles and how they function. Show
The concept of integrated marketing communication (IMC) was introduced in the 1980s (Schultz and Schultz, p. 19) and has since changed the way communicators and marketers interact and conduct business. The American Marketing Association defines IMC as “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” “Public Relations (PR) used to be the people who wrote press releases and distributed them, or pitches to the media,” says communication executive, Leigh Dow, of 48 West Group in Phoenix. “Now, PR teams are usually the best at thinking around corners on the message strategy and analyzing how a message will be construed. That analysis permeates content strategy. Also, now that content is used in so many different ways, such as social media, blog posts and contributed content, the more PR and IMC strategy are interlocked.” Adding to this confusion are the many communication monikers, including:
While some of these areas are specialties under the “communication” umbrella, most are considered general terms to describe the process of influencing, persuading, engaging and educating audiences about a particular client, issue or brand. The terms, “public relations” and “strategic communications,” are now frequently interchanged. Dow went on to say, “Because I tend to think about IMC as a synchronized effort among specialists, I think PR is a very specialized skill set. Just as media buying is a specialized skill set, or digital media management. However, I do think the traditional definition of PR is almost gone. In our firm we often tell people, ‘if your PR agency’s strategy starts with a press release, fire them.’” In many organizations today, public relations, corporate communications, advertising, marketing, promotions and publicity function collaboratively as part of “the IMC mix.” What this means for organizations is consistency and unification of messaging, brand promotion and audience engagement. It’s important to note, however, that because PR is considered the “ethical compass” of the organization, it serves as the foundation upon which all other IMC elements are created, and it serves in a bit of a stand-alone capacity. That is, PR develops an organization’s key messages and then oversees the other IMC areas to ensure message authenticity, consistency and truthfulness across all communication platforms (e.g. advertising, marketing collateral, internal memos, Web content, and so forth). As communicators, it’s vitally important that we educate clients and audiences about our profession and what it entails. I also believe that our professional community should decide on one term and one definition to minimize public confusion and misperceptions. Leigh Dow concurs. “While the message may be integrated,” she said, “the delivery is where the inconsistencies of definition happen most.” Learn
More Find out more about what you can do with a MS in Communication from Purdue University. Call us today at 877-497-5851 to speak to an admissions advisor, or request more information. *The views and opinions expressed are of the author and do not represent the Brian Lamb School of Communication. Reference Schultz, D. and Schultz, H. (2003). IMC, the next generation: Five steps for delivering value and measuring returns using marketing communication. USA: McGraw-Hill. When a customer interacts with your brand on your website, on social media channels, or in person, they should have a cohesive experience. From brand voice to visual identity, everything should be aligned with your company’s mission, values, and goals. This approach is called integrated marketing communications (IMC). As more and more customers use three or more channels to research a brand, integrated marketing communications are becoming more and more important. WSo what are integrated marketing communications, and why do they work so well? In this blog post, we’ll answer those questions and give you some tips on how to create your own integrated marketing communications plan. The goal of integrated marketing communications is to create a consistent message and brand identity that customers will recognize across all channels. This requires a coordinated effort that includes all aspects of marketing, from advertising and public relations to sales and customer service. For example, if a customer sees an ad for your product on TV, hears about it on the radio, and then visits your website, they should have the same experience. Your message should be consistent across all channels, and each channel should work together to support the others. Why is this important? Well, in a world where 77 percent of B2B buyers spend time researching purchases online and purchase frequency is 250 percent higher on omnichannel vs. single-channel shopping, you need to make sure your message is getting through, loud and clear. An integrated marketing communications plan will help you do just that by bringing all of your marketing efforts together into one cohesive strategy.  Why Integrated Marketing Campaigns WorkIntegrated marketing communications campaigns work because they provide a consistent message across all channels that are reinforced with each interaction. This type of marketing allows you to control the conversation about your brand and ensure that your target audience is seeing the same message no matter where they encounter your brand—–whether it’s through paid advertising, social media, or even in person. Plus, integrated marketing communications campaigns are often more cost-effective than single-channel campaigns because you can leverage existing content and assets across multiple channels. Key benefits of an integrated marketing communications plan:
If that’s not enough, research from the Harvard Business Review found that customers who use omnichannel shopping spend 10 percent % more online and four4 percent % more in-store than single-channel customers. Integrated Marketing Communications ExamplesLooking for your next great integrated marketing communications campaign? Check out these examples for inspiration. Budweisers’ “Whassup?” CampaignThe “Whassup?” campaign by Budweiser first aired during Monday Night Football in 1999. The campaign featured characters answering the phone saying, “Whassup?” in a comical, slurred way. While the internet was still in its infancy, Budweiser became a pioneer by directing viewers to its website. On the website, visitors could learn how to say “Whassup” in over 30 different languages! With this new marketing campaign, only one phrase increased visitors to Budweiser’s website and sealed the integrated marketing communications campaign’s efficacy. The campaign was a success and won the Cannes Grand Prix award as well as the Grand Clio award. The catchphrase was also featured in pop-culture hits such as Scary Movie (2000), Friends (2003), The Simpsons (2002, 2005), and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2008). For the 2020 Super BowlSuperbowl, Budweiser brought this campaign back in a pandemic-themed re-make titled, “Whassup again?” Domino’s “AnyWare” CampaignAnother integrated marketing communications campaign example success story comes from Domino’s Pizza. ToIn order to increase digital orders, Domino’s created AnyWare, which allows customers to order pizza through various platforms such as a tweet, text, Ford Sync, Smart TVs, and smartwatches. Each new way to order was introduced with its own press release and driven to the DominosAnyWare.com website. In 2015, Dominos also launched a national TV ad campaign featuring celebrities arguing that their way of ordering was the best. To date, the AnyWare campaign has generated 2 billion earned media impressions including spots on The Ellen Show, Jimmy Fallon, and The Today Show. The TV campaigns generated 10.5 percent year-over-year growth for the brand. The Martian MovieTo promote the theatertheatre release of 20th Century Fox and Ridley Scott’s, “The Martian” in 2015, a prologue campaign was created to increase awareness and excitement. The goal of the “The Martian” prologue campaign was to build box office hype around the new film. An integrated marketing communications strategy was built to be consumed on a variety of channels including, but not limited to: social media, video, celebrity endorsements, and traditional PR and marketing efforts. The campaigns included a mock episode of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk from the year 2035, an Under Armour campaign showing “The Martian”‘s main character, Mark Watney, as a superathlete of the future, and mock-declassified NASA footage showing each character going through psychological testing before heading out into space. The Martian opened number one at the box offices and had the second-highest fall opening of all time. It was also the number one movie in the U.S. for four4 weeks. How to Create an Integrated Marketing Communications PlanIf you want to create an integrated marketing communications plan that highlights the best of your brand, here are a few key steps you need to take. 1. Get to Know Your AudienceBefore you start developing your communications plan, you must takeit’s important that you take the time to get to know your audience. Consider demographic factors, such as education level, gender, income, age, race, and geographic location. Then, think about behavioral and psychological traits, including things like interests, hobbies, and values. Take demographic factors like education level, income, age, race, gender, and geographic location into consideration. Don’t forget about psychological and behavioral traits like values, hobbies, and interests. Creating a customer profile that is specifically tailored to your ideal customer will help you make better decisions about your marketing campaign. In some cases, you may have more than one customer profile for a given campaign. Sometimes, you may have multiple customer profiles for one campaign. In that case, it’s important to segment your audience so that you can tailor your message to each group. For example, if you’re marketing a new line of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, you might have one customer profile that is interested in saving money and another that is interested in saving the planet. Tailoring your message to each group will help you create an integrated marketing communications plan that highlights the best of your brand. 2. Set a BudgetLet’s face it, you might not be in a position to hire Neil deGrasse Tyson, NASA, and Under Armour in your first integrated marketing communications campaign. But tThat doesn’t mean you can’t create a strong, compelling message. The key is to set a realistic budget and then allocate your resources accordingly. If you have a limited budget, focus on creating high-quality content that can be distributed across multiple channels. If you have a larger budget, look for high-profile partnerships, influencer marketing, and other paid media opportunities. In either case, make sure you have a clear plan for how you will spend your money and what your limits are. 3. Outline Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)One of the most important parts of creating an integrated marketing communications plan is understanding what makes your brand unique.
Answering these questions will help you develop a strong unique selling proposition (USP), which will be a key component of your communications strategy. Once you have your USP, make sure it is front and center in all of your marketing materials. It should be the through-line that ties together your various communications channels and provides a consistent message to your target audience. For example, if you are a luxury car brand like Audi, your USP might be “Luxurious and comfortable cars delivering excellent engine performance.” Make sure this message is clear in your advertising, social media posts, website content, and any other marketing collateral. If you’re selling running shoes like Nike, your USP might be “The best shoes for athletes and fitness.” Again, this should be a consistent message across all of your communications channels. Your USP will be the foundation of your integrated marketing communications strategy, so take the time to develop it thoughtfully. 4. Decide Which Platforms You’ll UseOnce you know who you’re speaking to and what you want to say, you need to decide which channels you’ll use to reach your target audience. This will be different for every business, but some common options include:
Once you decide on overarching channels, you’ll also need to determine which specific tactics you’ll use on each platform. For example, if you’re using Facebook to reach your target audience, will you primarily rely on organic posts or paid ads? If you’re using email marketing, what sort of content will you include in your newsletters? Asking yourself these types of questions will help you create a more comprehensive and effective IMC strategy. 5. Messaging StyleWhile your brand voice needs to be consistent across all channels, the way you actually communicate with your audience will vary depending on the platform you’re using. For example, the messaging you use in a Facebook ad will be different from than the messaging you use in an email newsletter. Your tone might also change depending on whether you’re trying to build awareness, generate leads or drive sales. Keep this in mind as you create your content calendar and start to populate it with messaging that’s in line with your brand voice and the goals of each individual piece. Here are two examples from sneaker company No Bull, which uses different messaging styles on Facebook ads versus Twitter posts. <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>About to take on the week like…<br>Congrats on a great finish in Dubai, Tola!<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/IAMNOBULL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#IAMNOBULL</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustTheHorns?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#JustTheHorns</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BehindTheHorns?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BehindTheHorns</a> <a href=”https://t.co/RqlABILona”>pic.twitter.com/RqlABILona</a></p>— NOBULL (@justthehorns) <a href=”https://twitter.com/justthehorns/status/1206646654989783047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>December 16, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script> 6. Set Your Targets and GoalsYou’re almost ready to start putting your IMC plan into action, but first, you need to set some targets and goals. Consider the following:
Attaching numbers to your objectives is a good way to measure progress. For example, if one of your goals is to increase brand awareness, you could measure this by tracking the number of mentions your brand receives online. Or, if you’re looking to improve customer satisfaction, you could survey your customers after they’ve made a purchase. Other goals can include:
Once you have some goals and targets in mind, it’s time to start putting your integrated marketing communications plan into action! 7. Track and OptimizeOnce your integrated marketing communications campaign is up and running, it’s important to track progress and optimize along the way. Analytics are key in understanding what’s working and what’s not. Be sure to keep an eye on your campaign goals and KPIs, and adjust as necessary. If you’re not seeing the results you want, don’t be afraid to change things up. For example, let’s imagine you’re running an email campaign as part of your integrated marketing communications plan. You might want to track metrics such as:
If your open or click-through rates are low, you might want to consider changing up your subject lines or email content. Or, if you’re seeing higher than average unsubscribe rates, that could be an indication that your content is not relevant to your audience. It’s important to constantly test and measure the performance of your campaigns so that you can make necessary adjustments to ensure success. By doing so, you’ll be able to create an integrated marketing communications plan that highlights the best of your brand. Frequently Asked Questions: Integrated Marketing Communication PlansWhat does integrated marketing communication mean?Integrated marketing communication is an approach to marketing that uses all aspects of a company’s communication channels to deliver a consistent message. What are the benefits of using an integrated marketing communications plan?The benefit of an integrated marketing communications plan is to ensure that all of a company’s marketing efforts are working together in harmony to deliver a consistent message. What are the five forms of integrated marketing communications?There are five main ways to market your product or service. They are advertising, direct marketing, internet marketing, sales promotion, and public relations. All of these methods can be used together to create a harmonious marketing plan. Do integrated marketing communication plans help drive ROI?Yes, integrated marketing communication plans can help drive ROI by ensuring that all marketing efforts are working together to deliver a consistent message. This will result in increased brand awareness and customer loyalty, which will lead to increased sales and profits. Final Thoughts on Integrated Marketing Communications PlansAn integrated marketing communications plan is the key to success for any company. By creating a plan that outlines the main ways to market your company and product, you can ensure that all of your marketing efforts are working together to deliver a consistent message. This can result in increased brand awareness and customer loyalty, which can lead to increased sales and profits. The end result? A more successful company that is better able to compete in today’s marketplace. How have you found success with integrated marketing communications? See How My Agency Can Drive Massive Amounts of Traffic to Your Website
Book a Call What are the types of IMC?There are four basic types of integrated marketing communication: external, internal, horizontal and vertical. By taking these different elements together to form a marketing strategy, your business will be able to achieve whatever goals you've set for it in an efficient manner.
What are the 6 IMC tools?Tools of Integrated Marketing Communications. Advertising.. Personal selling.. Direct Marketing.. Mobile Marketing.. Social Media Marketing.. Public Relations.. Sales Promotion.. Sponsorships.. What are integrated marketing communication?Answer: Integrated marketing communication (IMC) can be defined as the process used to unify marketing communication elements, such as public relations, social media, audience analytics, business development principles, and advertising, into a brand identity that remains consistent across distinct media channels.
What is an example of integrated marketing communications?Through multiple communication platforms and tools, Coca-Cola shared its message widely. The Coca-Cola campaign is one of the integrated marketing communications examples.
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