Integrated Marketing Communication

The emergence of integrated marketing communication (IMC) introduced a new paradigm into the corporate sphere, promising to make marketing more effective and competitive. The development of IMC constitutes a significant evolution in the areas of corporate marketing, corporate communications and, in particular, marketing communication. While there is no specific definition or common understanding of the concept of IMC, it is widely accepted that it is based on cross-functional processes given that it aims to coordinate corporate and brand messages and communication activities across units and functions. The aim is to increase brand value and to enhance profitable brand relationships by persuading and influencing customers and other stakeholders such as employees, media, suppliers, local community, and/or prospective customers. Soon marketing and communication practitioners and academics began to recognize and apply an IMC approach to their tactics and strategies.

In the 1990s, the concept of integrated marketing communication became increasingly popular. The various reasons that accounted for its relatively quick spread and acceptance included the following: (1) from the outset the notion of integrating the communication and marketing activities of an enterprise originated in—and was soon supported and adopted by—a wide spectrum of practitioners (advertising, direct marketing, and public relations) as well as by advertising agencies and companies alike; (2) the various academics (including Don Schultz of Northwestern University's Medill School, who allegedly coined the phrase), who embarked upon periods of extensive research into (and subsequent publishing of) the concept, soon found an audience both inside and outside the academic world; (3) faced with the challenges (a) of an increasingly globalizing world, and (b) of the growing importance of the internet for daily life and business, the implications for marketing communication appeared stark: It was necessary now to market and communicate more effectively in increasingly fragmented and segmented markets. Simultaneously, mass advertising was renounced in favor of segmented or more personalized communication; (4) a change of focus from an internal (company)-driven to an external [Page 881](consumer)-driven marketing and communication orientation, and (5) the increased popularity of integrating business functions in order to use synergies resulting in more competitiveness. A combination of the above changed the nature of competition and the process of marketing communications markedly. There were even claims that the new paradigm had revolutionized the marketing discipline in its entirety.

Concept

The precise nature of integrated marketing communication (IMC) is difficult to capture. Popular definitions include Don Schultz's emphasis on the importance of IMC to influence behavior and to address brand and company contacts with audience. Other definitions of IMC range from understanding IMC's role as managing customer relationships to improving brand value, highlighting the cross-functionality of IMC (Tom Duncan) and the importance of aligning corporate messages (on both the corporate and individual brand level) at all contact points of the company with the customer.

Is IMC a tactic or strategy? In line with the alignment and coordination of all messages going out, a transformation from promotion to communication has taken place, i.e., communication not simply between different business units but also between consumer and company. Dialogue such as this will inevitably result in enhanced consumer participation in the processes of communication, marketing, and finally, brand value creation. Knowing more about customers' needs and preferences allows for increased customized communication and a strengthening of the company's relationship with the customer. Today, more than ever before, concomitant with the spread of internet technologies the customer can be treated, integrated, and involved in a more holistic manner.

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