MKT4007
Strategic Integrated Marketing
Communications

Why IMC
• Cuts cost • Encourages centralisation
• Produces synergistic effects • Requires increased
management (time seeking
• Delivers competitive
agreement)
advantage
• Uniformity and single message
• Encourages coordinated
•
brand development Total standardisation
(internally and externally) • Dilute creative opportunities
• Provides increased • Lack of local adaptation
employee motivation and • Requires cultural change
participation
• Can damage brand if incorrectly
• Potential for comms review managed
• Fosters customer focus • Can lead to mediocrity (no
• Cuts number of agencies special skills)

Control of IMC
Eagle, Kitchen, Bulmer, 2007

What hinders IMC?
Eagle, Kitchen, Bulmer, 2007

What does it mean
personalised,
Generalised,
customer-oriented,
mass-communica-
technology-driven,
tion driven
harmonised
messages
communication

What are we talking about?
• Visual aspects:
Design
Colours
Tag line etc.
• Promotional tools:
Advertising
PR
SP etc
The goal is a synergistic effect.

Brand
above the line Associated
Brand
Reputation
Images
below the line
Clues
Dahl (2007)

Controlled
by company/
Brand
one agency
hybrid outdoor
advertising
Controlled/ advertising
paid-for Associated
messages
tv print
advertising advertising
Brand
Reputation
Controlled by
PR
sales
other agency
promotion Images
Controlled
by retailer Controlled by
reports
selling media
riority on own Priority: Story
POP
brand/
Clues wom
Controlled by individual
advertising
profit max
Priority: relationship
house brand
Dahl (2007)

Corporate
Product Price Place People
Identity
•Physical/Service
•Mass availability •Customer
elements •Familiarity
•Credibility
vs interface
•Tangible/Intangible
•Price/Benefit
•Internal •Visibility
benefits channel
•Perceived risk
•Intrinsic/Extrinsic objectives markets
attributes

More than promotion and 4 P
Promotional mix Above/below line comms
Marketing mix 4P
Business strategy Philosophy, objectives and mission,
content
Outsourced providers Agencies, production and material
suppliers, fulfillment houses
Organisation as a whole Employees and mangement at HQ,
elswehere, departments, overseas...
Fill, 2002

4 Stage Integration
Financial & Strategic
4th Integration
Application of Information
3rd Technology
Redefining Scope of
2nd Marketing Communications
Tactical Coordination of
1st Marketing Communication
Schulz & Kitchen, 2000

Alternative 4 stage model
Promotional
Coordination
Functional
Coordination
Culture Shift
IMC

Resistance to IMC
• Power, co-ordination & control
• Client skills, centrilaisation/organisation
and cultural issues
• Agency skills/talent and overall
time/resource issues
• Flexibility/modification issues
Eagle & Kitchen, 2000

... and
• Financial structures and frameworks
& time to deliver ROI
• Opposition & Reluctance to change
• Traditional hierarchical and brand
management structures
• Attitudes & scope of suppliers & agencies
• Perceived complexity of planning &
coordination (and control)
Fill, 2004

Fill’s suggestion
• Adopting a customer-focused
philosophy
• Training and staff development
programmes
• Appointment of change agents
• Planning to achieve sustainable
competitive advantage

IMC as a model
Planned employee Coordinated
communications promotional mix
Articulated corporate
IMC IMC
philosophy and strategy
Consistent Harmonised
Outsourced support,
positioning marketing strategy
e.g. Marcom
agencies
IMC
IMC
Customers, channel members and other stakeholders
Fill, 2000

Next Week
Communication
Skepticism & Persuasion
Avoidance