INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Integrated Marketing Communications



Integrated Marketing Communications

Introduction

Selecting and implementing an IMC campaign, will focus all of an organizations advertising and promotional efforts towards delivering the same united message and reaching the specific objective. All of the marketing tools utilized by a company can be focused and synergized with each other and their effectiveness will increase significantly. The marketing message relayed by a company is clear and consistent and is able to reach the target audience without confusion while ensuring that all of the segments of the campaign have been reached. The Integrated Marketing Communications of a company can differ from profit to not-for-profit organizations. As IMC will be defined, the definition will be shown in the differences of profit to not-for-profit types of organizations as well as providing a current real world example for review.

IMC Defined

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is defined as: "A management concept that is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation" (About Inc, 2006).

IMC is the managing of the promotional mix, blending it with the communications efforts of other departments such as public relations and corporate communications. This allows the company to speak with one voice making all messages consistent. Managing the promotional mix used to be fairly easy, using mass communications options of direct mail, advertising, and public relations. Technology changed all of that, the Internet, wireless telephones, and Bluetooth technologies that changed the way we communicate with everyone, employees and customers (Duncan 2005). Managing the four P's of Marketing are important for both profit and not-for-profit companies; however, each approach the IMC process in different ways (Clow, Baack 2004).

Profit and Not-for Profit

Not-for profit organizations are distinctive and characterize a different customer. The not-for profit customer group has vast purchasing power (Semenik 2002). The business world sees competition at every turn, just as with the business world the not-for profit organization is also feeling the competition crunch. Not-for profit organizations compete for charitable contributions and gifts in a fiercely competitive market. Not-for profit organizations are teaming with businesses to compete for the charitable dollars. By forming a relationship with business the not-for profit organization is not only increasing proceeds but is getting enhanced publicity (Clow, Baack 2004). With the formation of this relationship not-for profit organizations are able to use the IMC plans of the business they are teaming with. Not-for profit organizations are becoming more business like and savvy. Organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association are very large not-for profit organizations, larger than some corporations (Duncan 2005).

Main discrepancies in how organizations implement the variety of steps and actions in the strategic planning process relate to the size of the organization, then profit not-for profit status. Both types of organizations tend to carry out somewhat similar planning activities and are different from those carried out in large ...