ICFAI Business School (IBS) Student Community

[chiya (-=hidden=-)]

All of us have heard of communications. It is the business that is probably using up the single largest chunk of our salaries year on year. It ranges from the movie business to the more insidious advertising and direct marketing business, which pummel us with messages on a daily basis in order to make us crave more goods and become willing slaves of materialism. But, with so many different messages flying around in all directions, have you ever wondered how people are able to keep track? Or even if all these messages are complementing rather than contradicting each other? Well, welcome to the world of integrated marketing communications.

Integrated marketing communications is nothing but getting the messaging in various kinds of communication to be the same. What this means in actual terms is that agencies which typically use above the line, below the line and web based channels to convey information to intended target audiences have so far enjoyed the luxury of crafting different messages. While it is good news for the agencies as they get to charge again and again for the creative development, it is not such good news for the clients as not only do they have to pay again and again for the work, the results of the work too are not akin to integrated marketing communications.


What is integrated about integrated marketing communications is the fact that the message, whether it is above the line, below the line or delivered through the web channel, remains consistent. This consistency in integrated marketing communications is what makes them exceptionally successful. Imagine this. You are reading the newspaper and you see the message for a service. You watch television and you see the same message for the same service, albeit in a different kind of execution. You go online to see a revision of the same thing. The next time you need that service, whom are you likely to call? This is where integrated marketing communications scores big!

Most conventional advertising and direct marketing agencies are nowadays turning towards integrated marketing communications. The trend is catching up so fast that most agencies today favor integrated marketing communications set ups as opposed to above the line and below the line and are dismantling or consolidating their older set ups. Integrated marketing communications is the wave of the future and the brands and the agencies that hop on and ride with it today are the ones that will be able to make a mark in the days to come.

Makes you think twice about what you see.....

[krishnan (-=hidden=-)]

Does it mean that the customer will be bored by seeing the same thing again and again?

Just kidding...

I could visualize IMC like same info, same colour, same visuals for a brand promotion or a single product promotion, but how does it work with companies having multiple products.

Take our own (With the number of students joining them, we may own it soon) ICICI bank. They have hundreds of products SME, Kids, Salaried, Loans, etc., etc.,. Except for the brand promotion can we market a combination of products through IMC?

Please enlighten

[sharohere (-=hidden=-)]

FIRST Shradhyanjali:

Accordng to American Marketing Association the integrated marketing communications (IMC) is “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.”

What i think: it is not about same visuals and colors etc. over the different communication media but itz a way to integrate and syncronize all the communication activities related with a brand.

In broader sence IMC will take care of all aspects of marketing communication and prevent them to diverge.These aspects are includes:

1.Advertisement
2.PR
3. SalesPromotion
4. Direct marketing

Itz thus a very specialized focused way of communication which helps marketer to communicate the core information clearly to itz terget market.

The end result of the IMC is the core values and uniqueness of the product are communicated to the consumers(not only customers,Itz important) in a consistant manner.

[krishnan (-=hidden=-)]

I think you hit the point right. Can you give an example to prove the same.

The only example that I could relate to is with ICICI bank. Few years back & still now, they promote their "Hum hai na.." campaign. Whatever communication media the customer talks to them ot they talk to the customer have this "Hum haai na" effect either in text, video or audio.

Unfortunately their Customer service representative will not display the Hum Hai na confidence on you when you visit their branch.

The result, the last leg of their IMC resulted in more dissatisfied customers.

[sharohere (-=hidden=-)]

U r right krishnan ...not only ICICI but other organizations are also implementing IMC to achive their mission vission. These days IMC has become a integral part of Business .
for example ICICI bank communicating the assurance of better and flexible service using IMC which is called External marketing while their strategy should ensure the step Enabling the promise by communicating the same msg (Communicated to consumers), and motivate them accordingly to deliver the promise.

I will come soon example of successful implementation of IMC...u too keep finding...

[chiya (-=hidden=-)]

Sharohere is correct when he says that the message communicated through the integrated marketing channels remain consistent. Which means that the consumer is not necessarily bored by seeing the same message again and again.

An effective IMC must tear down the traditional departmental walls that create information silos and management fiefdoms. All departments must work together as a unified team to carry out the strategic plan in total unison.

One aim, one mission, one message and one experience. Customers and prospects are treated in the same way no matter what department or individual in the organization they deal with. Each employee has easy and quick access to customer files in order to respond quickly, intelligently, and accurately to questions or problems. Every transaction and interaction the customer has with the company is recorded on the same company-wide database.

As far as I can see in the case of ICICI, that maybe regarded as the example of an incomplete integration.... as an effective communication will be wherein all contact points of the organisation with the customers is efficiently managed...

An IMC organisation is consistent in its marketing message, consistent in its service and shopping experience, which supports the experience the advertising says they will have, they are building trust with their customers and prospects. And trust is the cornerstone of a long-term customer relationship.Thus building a strong brand image and awareness of its products.

I couldnt find many examples of IMC in India, maybe because the practise is relatively new in the country. But here is the link for how Philips utilised IMC.....

http://www.thephelpsgroup.com/cs_panasonic.asp

do add in any other exampless.... [/b]