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Unit 10: Integrated Marketing Communications

Many companies recognise the need for increased strategic coordination of different promotional Notes
elements. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is an attempt to coordinate various
marketing and promotional activities to make marketing communication to target customers
more effective and efficient. The first definition of IMC by American Association of Advertising
Agencies says:
“… a concept of marketing communications planning that recognises the added value of a
comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines –
for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations - and
combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications
impact.”
Don E. Schultz, “Integrated Marketing Communications: Maybe Definition Is in the Point of
View,” Marketing News January 18, 1993.

However, Don E. Schultz advocates for an even broader perspective that considers “all sources
of brand and company contact that a customer or prospect has with a product or service. It
requires firms to develop a total marketing communications strategy that recognises how all of
a firm’s marketing activities, not just promotion, communicate with its customers.”
To fully appreciate IMC perspective, one has to look through the consumer’s eyes. Many
consumers’ views of advertising include not only the advertising in TV, print, and other media
but they also consider door-to-door selling, shopping bags, and even community sponsored
events as advertising. The perceptions of consumers about a company’s image, its products, or
services depend on a number of other elements than promotion alone. Besides advertising,
personal selling, sales promotion, PR/publicity, direct marketing, and messages on the Internet
etc., other elements such as, package design, price of the product or service, selected distribution
outlets, displays, news reports, word-of-mouth, gossip, experts’ opinions, and financial reports
also communicate powerfully.

Figure 10.3: Say, Do and Confirm Model

Say
Planned
Message

Do
Confirm
Product/
Unplanned
Service
Messages
Message

All such communications, whether sponsored or not, create an integrated product in consumer’s
mind. This means that consumers, on their own, integrate all brand-related messages originating
from the company or any other source and this determines their perception of the company.
What marketers must understand is that everything they do or do not do sends a message. Every
corporate activity has a message component. According to Duncan and Moriarty, consumers
and other stakeholders receive four company/brand related messages.

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