An Overview of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
1. Achieving Better Results Through
Integrated Marketing Communications
Bonnie Harris
Reed College of Media, West Virginia University
Wax Marketing, Inc.
2. Bonnie Harris
Principal, Wax Marketing Inc.
Adjunct Instructor IMC Program, WVU, Reed College of
Media
WaxMarketing.com
waxmarketing@gmail.com @waxgirl333
4. IMC and the PR
Professional
Today we are…
Messaging Experts
Marketing Strategists
Brand Journalists
Technology Consultants
Project Managers
5. Definition of IMC
According to the AMA (American Marketing Association) the definition of
Integrated Marketing Communications 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.”
6. In basic terms…
An approach to achieving the
objectives of a marketing campaign
through a well-coordinated use of
different promotional methods
intended to reinforce each other.
7. Why are Brands Turning to IMC?
Audience
Messaging Channels
Competition
Technology
Owned Media
12. How does a customer choose a
brand?
Problem or
opportunity
Information search
Choice evaluation
Behavior and action
Decision and repeat
buy
13. Components of an IMC Campaign
Audience Definition
Marketing Objectives &
Strategies
Integrated Creative Strategy
Statement & Brief
Digital Objectives, Strategies &
Tactics
Public Relations Objectives and
Tactics
14. Components of an IMC Campaign
Advertising/Media Buy
Direct Marketing
Sales Promotion
Measurement and Evaluation
Plan
Cross-functional Project
Management
21. Dermatology Consultants
$20 million healthcare
practice
Channels included
email, social media,
print/broadcast ads,
public relations, events,
in office messaging
Audience was blended
22. Results?
After 12 months, 20% of new patients coming from
online
15% of revenue is cosmetic after 18 months
40% of web traffic coming from social media
5% of patients coming from Facebook alone
Media placements have doubled
23. Measurement
Within target audiences
Mix of quantitative/qualitative
Brand awareness
Attitude change and preference
Customer retention
24. Measuring Tactics
Landing page conversions
Website behavior
Social media engagement
Online clicks
Unplanned messages
31. WVU IMC Program
1st online IMC graduate program in the nation
Established 2003
More than 400 active students
Ideal for mid-level communications professionals
More information at imc.wvu.edu
32. Thank You!
Bonnie Harris
waxmarketing@gmail.com
612-801-0912
@waxgirl333
practice
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Editor's Notes
And hello to the four Cs
Customer – the customer has a voice now and they’re talking. Shift of power to the customer/consumer
Cost
Convenience – how easy is it to obtain? The internet has changed all of this.
Communication - are you listening or are you selling?
The four C’s are how we really review things in IMC. All of these lead up to how a consumer chooses a brand, it’s really a five step process:
Problem or opportunity recognition
Information search
Choice Evaluation
Behavior and Action
Decision and Repeat Buy
The premise behind IMC is that it is able to exert much greater influence on all of these steps, not just the decision to buy or choice evaluation. By really learning the buying behavior of a customer, you can tailor the IMC mix to maximize your brand’s premise at each of these stages. And if the message is consistent and persistent, you will eventually lead them to the right decision.
Creative brief
Let’s talk about when public relations and sales promotion.
To me, public relations is the boost. Sales promotion is the caboose that drives the train. Both should be at the table when determining a marketing strategy.
Creative brief
Let’s talk about when public relations and sales promotion.
To me, public relations is the boost. Sales promotion is the caboose that drives the train. Both should be at the table when determining a marketing strategy.
Advertising as part of an IMC campaign often has to have not only a call to action, but be part of the content marketing mix as well. Perhaps the best example of this is the Old Spice Smell like a Man campaign. This highly integrated campaign was a genius mixture of social media engagement, viral video, traditional advertising and public relations. The Campaign generated more than 1.2 billion media impressions, over 100 million YouTube views and exponential increases in the brand’s social media networks. The Old Spice campaign revived a tired old brand . According to ad week, sales for Old Spice jumped 55% in the first three months of the campaign. In the fourth month, however, sales jumped 107 PERCENT. What a remarkable case study for IMC.
Isaiah Mustafa
what
.
.
How do we measure linked tactics? What would that look like?
.
Objectives are aligned under milestones, tactics are aligned under objectives
Reporting strategy
All members of the project team identified including partners, influencers, buyers
360 degree reporting strategy means the you are reporting to everyone AROUND you on a regular basis /
Determine the correct level of reporting: whether it’s a team sponsor or what
High level
Detail level (budgeting)
Functional silos and separate departments are perhaps the biggest barriers to IMC. We all know how hard it is to communicate cross-functionally. Trying to manage a plan that executes in a synchronized fashion cross-functionally is extremely challenging. Many departments feel they must have exposure for their successes compared to others. Many departments have different metrics by which their success is measured. These things and others, make it difficult to create a common set of measurements under a common set of aligned goals. Team dynamics must be strong in order for IMC to be successful.
Also, IMC does not have a strong, repeatable framework that can be taken from company to company and implemented as is. IMC requires that you find your own recipe in terms of the components used and the timing of those components. There are common elements to every IMC plan, as we’ve seen. But really, each organization or brand has to reach his or her specific audience. In today’s fractured messaging landscape, it’s tough to have common processes that can translate.
Management doesn’t know how to implement IMC and that’s why there’s such a huge proliferation of IMC programs in marketing and journalism college departments across the country. We’re really training people in school and on the job at the same time. It reminds me of my days in the technology industry. There was a huge shift from linear project management to modular project management, where the software components were often developed at the same time, and implemented in a synchronized fashion. Many old school IT people could not convert their thinking. I see the same thing in marketing today.