Integrated marketing communications

Welcome to my “Integrated marketing communications”.

Integrated marketing communications refer to the business in the course of business, from outside the strategic point of view as a foundation, in order to effectively communicate with stakeholders, marketing communications managers as the main spread strategy launched. Modern management integrates integrated marketing communication into several aspects such as customer contact management, communication strategy, and communication portfolio.https://www.blogger.com

Integrated marketing communications, on the one hand, the advertising, promotion, public relations, direct marketing, CI, packaging, news media and all other communication activities are covered by the scope of marketing activities; the other hand enables businesses to be unified communication of information to consumers. So, integrated marketing communications are also known as a unified strategy of Speak with One Voice, a marketing communication.

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) refers to the process of uniting all communication activities related to the marketing of an enterprise. Integrated Marketing Communication, on the one hand, all the advertising, promotion, public relations, direct marketing, CI, packaging, news media and other communications activities are covered by the scope of marketing activities, on the other hand, enables businesses to be unified communication of information to customers. The central idea is based on the value through business and customer communication to meet customer needs as the orientation, to determine a unified business promotion strategy, coordinate the use of different means of communication, to play the advantages of different communication tools, so that enterprises achieve promotional low Cost, the formation of high-impact sales promotion climax.

In the 21st century, the rapid development of the market economy will take off at a high speed. The economic model in the 21st century will undergo tremendous changes. In the new era of rapid development of information and continuous popularization of the Internet, the concept of "wine is not afraid of the alley" will still be faced Was abandoned by the market crisis. The 21st-century market will be a more rational market. Our rules of the game are more scientific and reasonable. Competition for non-competitive enterprises will be even more brutal. Our consumers are more rational. We need to enrich our products and services. The best products are presented to our consumers.

IMC content

Integrated marketing communications are not the ultimate goal, but only a means, the fundamental lies in consumer-centric. In the whole communication activities, its connotation is embodied in the following four aspects:

First, based on the consumer database.

Second, integrating various means of communication to create a consistent "image."

Third, the purpose of relationship marketing.

Fourth, the nature of the cycle.

The purpose of implementing IMC

The purpose of implementing IMC is to make "one-to-one" communication among all the marketing activities in the market for different consumers to form an overall and comprehensive impression and emotional identification, which will segment consumers and The process of establishing a relatively stable and uniform impression is to shape the brand, that is, the process of establishing brand influence and enhancing brand loyalty.

Enterprises through the implementation of integrated marketing communication specifically to achieve three goals:

First, the consumer-centered research and implementation of how to seize the consumers, impress consumers, and consumers to establish a "one to one" interactive marketing relations, keep understanding of customers and customers, and constantly improve products and Service to meet their needs.

Second, integrated marketing communications through various marketing tools to establish consumer loyalty to the brand.

Third, the concept of integration. In the past, businesses were accustomed to the use of advertising as a single means to promote sales of products. However, as we are now in an information age of modern society, we now have more and more means of communication and the communication itself has begun to diverge and mix. This requires that enterprises in the marketing communication process, pay attention to the integration of various carriers, to achieve the most effective dissemination of influence.

Generalized integrated marketing communication

Generalized integrated marketing communications refers to the business or brand through the development and coordination of strategic communications activities, through their own use of various media or other means of contact with employees, customers, other stakeholders and the general public to establish constructive relations, thereby establishing and strengthening and The process of mutually beneficial relations between them.

Narrow integration of marketing communications

Narrowly defined integrated marketing communication refers to the process of identifying and evaluating the strategic role of various communication methods. An integrated plan that adds value (eg, general advertising, direct response, promotion, and PR), and combines these approaches through seamless integration of disparate information to Provide clear, consistent and maximum communication influence.

as follows:

Northwestern University research group

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) takes all the contact points between brands and enterprises as the information transmission channels and directly affects the purchase behavior of consumers. It is a process of forceful communication from consumers and using all means.

American Advertising Association

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) defines integrated marketing communications in this way: "Integrated marketing communications is a marketing communications program concept that requires a full understanding of the kinds of things that are used to formulate a comprehensive plan Value-added means of dissemination - such as ordinary advertising, direct advertising, sales promotion and public relations - combine them to provide good clarity and coherence to maximize the impact of communication. " 

Trenti Shimpe

Trento Shimpe, a professor at the University of South Carolina in the United States, argues that "Integrated Marketing Communication is the process of formulating and implementing persuasive communication programs for or with future customers. The goal of Integrated Marketing Communication is to influence or Directly affect the behavior of selective receivers. Integrated Marketing Communication believes that a customer or a future customer at.

Use any form of communication that is relevant and likely to be accepted by customers or future customers. In short, IMC starts with customers or future customers and feeds back with a view to clearly defining the form and methodology of persuasive communication.

American scholars Schulz Donnelbam and Lauterborn also give their observations: "Integrated marketing communications is a new way of looking at things as a whole, but in the past, we only see the various parts Such as advertising, sales promotion, people communication, point-of-sale advertising, people communication, etc. It is a rearranged message that makes it appear to be more in line with how consumers perceive the message as an outflow from unidentifiable sources flow."

Thomas Rosso and Ronald Ryan

"Integrated marketing communications refers to all the information conveyed to consumers, including advertising, sales promotion, direct advertising, event marketing, packaging in the form of a favorable brand, for each piece of information should be made to be integrated and echoed each other To support other information or impressions about the brand, and if the process is successful, it will build brand equity by conveying the same brand message to consumers.”

Tom Duncan

In a study of integrated marketing communications, Tom Duncan, director of graduate marketing programs at Integrated Communications at the University of Colorado, introduced the concept of "stakeholder" to explain integrated marketing communications: "Integrated marketing communications refers to the diffusion of an enterprise or brand through the development and coordination of strategic communications Activities, make use of various media or other means of contact with their employees, customers, investors, the general public and other stakeholders to establish constructive relations, so as to establish and strengthen their mutually beneficial relations between the process.

Don E. Schultz

According to the study of how organizations should conduct integrated marketing communications and take into account the constantly changing marketing environment of marketing communications, Prof. Don E. Schultz, the pioneer of Integrated Marketing Communication Theory and the first author of the world's first integrated marketing communications monograph, Spread the next new definition of integrated marketing. They think it will encompass the current and foreseeable future of integrated marketing communications.

"Integrated marketing communications is a business strategy process that refers to the development, optimization, execution, and evaluation of coordinated, measurable and persuasive brand communication programs that target audiences including consumers, customers, prospects, internal and / External audience and other goals. "

The difference between this definition and the other definitions is that it focuses on the business process. This will eventually lead to a closed circuit system that provides in-depth analysis of consumer perceptions and brand communications and, most importantly, implicitly provides a mechanism for evaluating all advertising investment activities as it emphasizes that consumers And the customer's current and potential value to the organization.

Don E. Schultz separately described content integration and resource integration. He thinks content integration includes:

1, accurate segmentation of consumers - according to the behavior of consumers and the demand for products to distinguish;

2, to provide a competitive point of interest - based on consumer incentives to buy;

3, to confirm how the current consumer brand positioning in the heart.

4, to establish a prominent, overall brand personality so that consumers can distinguish between the brand and the different brands. The key is "to speak with one voice."

He believes resource consolidation should unlock the key "touchpoints" and learn how to reach consumers more effectively. The funds of communication comprise: publicity, direct marketing, community relations, packaging, product display, store promotions, the key is "when to use what means of communication"

Both content integration or resource integration, both unified to establish a good relationship between the "brand - customer." Content integration is the basis of resource integration, resource integration to promote the realization of content integration. Ogilvy 360-degree Brand Housekeeper and JWT Brand Branding Campaign put the focus of brand creation on resource consolidation, while the model of electric-fed honeycomb focuses on content consolidation.

4As on the definition of integrated marketing communications

A marketing communication plan concept requires a full understanding of the various value-added means of dissemination (general advertising, direct response advertising, sales promotion and public relations) used in formulating a comprehensive plan and will be based on a combination of providing good Clarity and consistency of information to maximize the impact of communication. Integrated marketing communications is a modern business success, entrepreneurs often lament why they put a lot of advertising costs, the brand image of the consumer is still vague. Why China's brand "fame is also fast, defeat also suddenly." A brand often dominates a few years cannot long maintain its own brand. Integrated marketing communication is to establish the brand is "long-term peace and stability."

IMC core idea

Integrated Marketing Communications The core idea of IMC is to monopolize all communication activities that are relevant to the marketing of an enterprise.

Integrated marketing communications, on the one hand, the advertising, promotion, public relations, direct marketing, CI, packaging, news media and all other communication activities are covered by the scope of marketing activities; the other hand enables businesses to be unified communication of information to consumers. So, integrated marketing communications are also known as a unified strategy of Speak with One Voice, a marketing communication.

The development of integrated marketing communication is the most important marketing development in the 1990s. The theory of integrated marketing communication has also been widely accepted by the business circles and marketing theory circles. Integrated marketing communication theory as a highly practical operational theory, the rise in the most developed commodity economy in the United States. In the context of economic globalization, in recent years, the theory of integrated marketing communications has also been widely disseminated in China, and "integrated marketing fever" appeared for some time.

The theory of integrated marketing communication is a kind of concept that arises with the development of marketing practice. Therefore, the connotation of the concept is constantly enriched and perfected with the development of practice. In the past few years, IMC has attracted worldwide attention from marketers, disseminators and experts and scholars such as Caywood, Don E. Schultz and Wang, 1991; Schultz, Tannenbaum And Lauterborn, 1992; Duncan and Everett, 1993; Duncan and Moriarity, 1997; Hutton, 1995; Wolters, 1993; Nowak and Phelps, 1994). All along, the integrated marketing communication practitioners, marketing resource providers and marketing effectiveness evaluators in various ways, from different perspectives to define and study integrated marketing communications.

IMC development process

The idea of integrated marketing communications (IMC) was proposed and developed by American marketing guru Don Schultz in the mid-1980s. The core idea of IMC is to reconstruct the production behavior and market behavior of the enterprise by means of integrating all resources inside and outside the enterprise and fully mobilize all the positive factors in order to achieve the unified communication goal of the enterprise.

Starting with advertising psychology, IMC emphasizes multifaceted engagement with customers and disseminates a consistent and clear corporate image to consumers through touch points. This contact point is as small as the product packaging color to the company's press conference, every contact with consumers will affect the consumer's awareness of the company if all the contacts can spread the same positive Information, and you can maximize the company's communication influence.

At the same time, consumer psychology assumes that all things will form a certain concept in the minds of consumers. If it can make certain the relationship between the brand concept of communication and the existing concept of consumers, it will inevitably deepen consumers' the concept of the impression and reach the purpose of establishing a brand network and forming a brand association. Maxwell, a successful player in the integrated marketing communications strategy, has been making its brand "shareable" since its launch in Taiwan in 1982. From 1986 to 1988, Maxwell Through the introduction of the portable coffee bag, extending the concept of "sharing" and using advertisements, public relations, and promotional activities, the image spokesman Sun Yue launched a street charity event of "love, sharing, and action". In the same year, Maxwell took the company Sales of bagged coffee increased 50% from the previous year. Maxwell communicated the core concept of "sharing" through different media, using a typical integrated marketing communications strategy.

However, it should be pointed out that although integrated marketing communication has become a buzzword in the advertising industry in recent years, the promotion strategy advocated by integrated marketing communication is not so unfathomable. Integrated marketing communication is not a universal marketing strategy either Is completely overturned the traditional marketing theory advocated by the 4P's marketing mix of ideas, put forward a more reasonable 4C's theory, it does not mean that integrated marketing communication is universal, will be successful in the specific implementation process is still Will be subject to many factors, such as corporate culture, communication history, the impact of the stage of dissemination, it cannot blindly catch up with the trendy, indiscriminate launched the project started the implementation of integrated marketing communications strategy.

On the other hand, integrated marketing communication is not only simple as many people call it "convey the same voice and establish a clear image", but also integrate management science, consumer behavior theory and statistics And other disciplines for analysis and decision-making, so the specific implementation of integrated marketing communications is a science and not just-just a concept.

Integrated marketing communications

Integrated marketing communications

IMC two characteristics

Tactical continuity means that all information disseminated across different media through different marketing communication tools should be associated with each other. Strategic orientation emphasizes that all physical and psychological factors in a marketing tactic should be consistent.

1, tactical continuity

Tactical continuity means that there must be a consistent set of creative elements in all marketing communications. For example, the same slogan can be used in a marketing communications tactic, label descriptions, and the same industry characteristics in all advertising and other forms of marketing communications. Mental continuity refers to the consistent attitude toward the institution and brand that is the consumer's perception of the company's "voice" and "personality," which can be traced through the usual themes, images or other forms of marketing communication that run through all advertising Intonation to reach.

2, strategic orientation

Strategic direction is designed to accomplish strategic corporate goals. Many marketing communication experts who produce extraordinary creative advertising products can deeply influence the audience and even get advertising or communication awards. However, they may not contribute to the strategic goals of the organization, such as sales market share and profit targets. The strategic focus that can drive a marketing communications tactical integration is that information must be designed to achieve a particular strategic goal and that the media must be chosen in the best interests of strategic goals.

IMC seven levels

1, cognitive integration

This is the first level of integrated marketing communications that requires marketers to recognize or understand the need for marketing communications.

2, the image of the integration

The second level involves decisions about the consistency of information and media, the consistency of information and media, one is the consistency between the text of the advertisement and the other visual elements, and the second is the consistency of advertising on different media.

3, functional integration

Functional integration is the preparation of different marketing communication programs as a direct function of marketing objectives (such as sales and market share), that is, the advantages and disadvantages of each marketing communication element have been analyzed in detail and combined with specific The marketing goal closely together.

4, coordinated integration

The fourth level is the direct integration of staffing functions with other elements of marketing communications (advertising PR and direct marketing), which means that various tools are used to ensure that there is a high degree of consistency between human-to-human marketing and non-human marketing communications. For example, salespeople say content must be consistent with advertising content on other media.

5, based on consumer integration

Marketing strategy must understand the consumer's needs and desires based on the target consumer lock in the product to a clear positioning after the start of marketing planning, in other words, the integration of marketing strategy allows strategic positioning of information directly to the target consumer Heart.

6, based on the integration of risk-sharing

This is the realization that marketers recognize that the target consumer is not the only group that the organization should broadcast and that other risk-taking operators should also be included in the overall integrated marketing communications tactic. For example, the organization's employees, suppliers, distributors, and shareholders.

7, the integration of relationship management

This level is considered the highest stage of integrated marketing. The integration of relationship management is to effectively communicate to different units of relations, and companies must develop effective strategies. These strategies are not just marketing strategies, but also manufacturing strategy, engineering strategy, financial strategy, human resources strategy and accounting strategy. In other words, the company must be in every functional link (such as manufacturing, engineering, research and development, marketing, etc.) Develop marketing strategies to achieve the coordination of different functional departments, as well as the strategic integration of social resources.

IMC six methods

1, the establishment of consumer databases

The starting point of this approach is to establish a database of consumers and potential consumers. The content of the database should include, at the minimum, information about the psychographics of consumers, statistical information about consumer attitudes, and past purchase history. The biggest difference between integrated marketing communication and communication marketing communication is that integrated marketing communication puts the whole focus on consumers and potential consumers because all manufacturers and marketing organizations ultimately depend on the sales volume or profit Consumer buying behavior.

2, research consumers

This is the second important step to use as much information as possible about the behavior of consumers and potential consumers as a basis for market segmentation. It is believed that consumers' "behavioral" information is better than other data such as "Attitude and Intentions" It is even more clear how the consumer will act in the future because past actions infer that future actions are more direct and effective. In integrated marketing communications, consumers can be categorized into three categories: loyal consumers to the brand; loyal consumers to their brand; and indefinite consumers. Obviously, these three types of consumers have their own different "brand networks" and want to understand the consumer brand network must use consumer behavior information Caixing.

3, contact management.

The so-called contact management is that enterprises can communicate with consumers at a certain time, place or occasion, which is a very important marketing in the 90s. In the past when consumers would take the initiative to find out product information, It is important to decide what to say than when to contact with consumers. However, the current market is experiencing a huge increase in "noise" due to overloading of information and media. The most important thing now is to decide "how and when to reach out to consumers," and what approach to engaging with consumers.

4, the development of communication strategies

This means what kind of contact management, what kind of information should be disseminated, and then, to develop a clear marketing goal for an integrated marketing communications program, for most businesses, the marketing goal must be very accurate and must also be essentially Is the goal of digital. For example, for a well-competitive brand, the marketing goal may be the following three aspects: to stimulate consumers to try out the brand products; consumers actively encourage the continued use and increase the dosage after probation; Establish the brand's loyalty.

5, marketing tools innovation

Once the marketing goals are set, the fifth step is to decide what marketing tools to use to accomplish this goal. Clearly, if we consider products, prices, and channels as elements of communication with consumers, the integrated marketing communications planner will have more Diverse and extensive marketing tools to complete the planning, the key lies in which tools, which combination of the most can help companies achieve communication goals.

6, a combination of means of communication

So this last step is to choose the means of communication that will help to achieve the marketing goal. The means of communication used here can be unlimited, with the exception of advertising, direct marketing, PR and event marketing. In fact, product packaging, product display, store promotions, etc., as long as they can help achieve the marketing and communication methods, are integrated marketing communication is a powerful tool.

Different aspects of IMC.

IMC from the advertiser's point of view.

Dissemination of consistent information through advertising, marketing, public relations and other means and integration of communication strategies to enhance brand and product image;

IMC from a media agency.

Large media companies annexed other media organizations in the 1980s to become large multimedia organizations. Therefore, it is not an individual media implementation campaign, but a multi-media system to provide advertisers with better services;

IMC from an advertising agency perspective

Not only advertising but also flexible use of the necessary marketing, public relations, packaging and other means of communication, put them together to provide services to advertisers;

IMC from the perspective of business researchers or business strategy researchers

Use the database to win more consumers. Starting from the consumer's standpoint, conduct business activities and build a means of communication to provide consumers with the necessary information in a deceptive manner. Focus on consumer buying behavior and implement communication activities that promote good relationships with customers.

Marketing mix and marketing integration

(A) Marketing mix concept

Marketing mix refers to the process of combining the various elements of marketing to carry out marketing activities. The marketing mix emphasizes the interrelationship among various factors and makes them organically integrated. Such as business people can sell tips, advertising media options, advertising appeal, etc. combined product promotion, evoking the desire of consumers. In this sense, the marketing mix is consistent with the marketing mix. The difference between the two is that the marketing integration emphasizes that the various forces should be unified in order to work together to serve the marketing goals of the enterprise.

(B) The defect of the marketing mix

Marketing portfolio defects are the following:

1, a mere formality: only pay attention to whether the marketing tactics include promotion and dissemination of all content, regardless of whether it meets the actual conditions of the enterprise.

2, ignore the strategy: that as long as all content is covered must be effective, ignoring the precise arrangements for the strategy.

3, all-inclusive, no focus: the resources of enterprises are always limited, this arrangement will enable enterprises to focus on resources in the main areas, cannot form a competitive advantage.

4, ignore the market situation: due to the dependence on marketing integration, so no energy on the market, unable to formulate a targeted response, and finally can only cover the deficiencies by a comprehensive attack.

5, a waste of resources: As the scope of resource distribution is too broad, and the lack of focus and relevance, resulting in inefficient use of resources. Regardless of the success of the final promotion or not, virtually all enterprises have wasted a lot of resources.

6, ignore the characteristics of the product or industry: Due to too much emphasis on various combinations, often overlooked a detailed analysis of products and industries, the product or industry for what kind of promotion is not clear. Which also cannot grasp how to effectively integrate all aspects of marketing.

Impact of IMC on Mainland China.

Mainland China has entered the brand of the Warring States Period, the pack and the sky, the daily necessities of the brand has more than 5,000, how to make their own brand emerge as a problem that must be treated scientifically. There are as many as 270 ads an American touch in a day, while Chinese consumers are increasingly being surrounded by a large number of ads. Integrated marketing communications to use all kinds of communication and marketing tools, the same brand spread the same image, so that the outstanding brand stand out.

The core of integrated marketing communication and starting point is that consumers, business tree brand all the work must be centered on the consumer, companies must use the information society to know all the means what kind of consumers are using their own products, establish a complete consumer Database (user profile) to establish a solid relationship with the consumer, making it possible for brand loyalty; the use of various means of communication must convey a consistent brand image. If you are a car manufacturer, what you are after is seeking to buy your brand of the car no matter where the customer buys the car or not; if you are a car dealer, your purpose is that whatever the customer is buying Brand cars, have to come to you to buy. This is the realm of case marketing communication.

Integrated Marketing Propaganda advocates the unified reorganization of marketing and communication activities of all enterprises such as advertising, promotion, public relations, news, direct marketing, CI, packaging, and product development so that consumers can obtain the same brand from different information channels Information to enhance the consistency and integrity of brand appeal. Uniform allocation of information resources, unified use, improve resource utilization. This gives a wider scope for all marketing and communication activities, and the amount of communication that can be used has greatly increased. This new theory is the great reference to Chinese enterprises.

Integrated marketing communications

Integrated marketing communications

The significance of IMC

Integrated marketing communication is based on the integration of all resources within and outside the company as a means to rebuild the production behavior of enterprises and market behavior, and fully mobilize all positive factors in order to achieve business goals, comprehensive and consistent marketing. In short, it's integrated marketing. Integrated marketing advocates all the business activities, such as procurement, production, outreach, public relations, product development, whether it is business strategy, ways, and means, or specific practical operation, must carry out a unified integration and reorganization, so that enterprises in all Links to achieve a high degree of coordination, work closely with the joint marketing. The basic idea is as follows:

1, to integrate as the center. Integrated marketing focuses on integration, thus breaking the previous consumer-centric or competition-centric marketing model while focusing on the comprehensive utilization of all corporate resources to achieve a highly integrated marketing. Its main means of marketing is integration, including the integration within the enterprise, the external integration of the enterprise and the internal and external integration. Integration of integrated marketing, including both business marketing process, marketing and marketing management and other aspects of the integration, but also on the business.

the brief introduction

If you look at most of the advertising textbooks, you'll find that some of these separate chapters cover key marketing functions such as advertising, promotion, public relations, direct response, event marketing, and sponsorship. This means that if teachers want to teach their students knowledge of how to integrate these functions, they have to work very hard.

Integrated marketing communications

Integrated marketing communications

A practical way to integrate the process of integration and integration of the perfect combination of functions, which is "integrated marketing communications; using advertising and promotions to build a brand." In this book, the author analyzes how and why integration is the driving force behind brand relationships. Students have a better understanding of marketing communications and media within the framework of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). At the beginning of each chapter, there is a successful case about how to use the concept of integrated marketing communication to establish the brand relationship. The key points of the chapter conclude with questions and exercises, which provide rich learning resources for making integrated marketing communication strategy and tactics effective.

No one organization wants to face customers and potential customers in a "non-integrated" way and build a brand. This book on the basis of the integration strategy to teach advertising and promotion knowledge is an innovative textbook on marketing communications.

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