Communication is an essential and vital factor that determines an organization’s success in the long run. Despite having the most innovative products and services, if a company’s internal and external communication is weak then it can eventually have an adverse effect on its market position. In this digital era, technology has escalated our ability to connect and interact with others on an altogether different level, which continues to change, evolve and grow. You might even be required to use varied forms of marketing tools in order to effectively reach out to your audience. This is where “Integrated Marketing Communication” steps in as an amalgamation of various marketing & communication tools.
Integrated marketing aims at merging different marketing methods such as mass marketing, sales promotion, direct marketing, etc. to deliver a similar message. Its core objective is to complement and reinforce the impact of each marketing technique as well as to employ the market data generated by these efforts in product development, pricing, distribution, customer service, and other crucial departments in a company.
Integrated marketing tools are the channels used by a company to promote various products and services among customers effectively and eventually yield higher revenues for the organization. Before finalizing which tools will be used in a strategy, the target audience which will be at the receiving end of the communication should be recognized and comprehended thoroughly. The media consumption pattern of the audience as well as its relevance to the brand should be discerned beforehand.
Here are some of the most widely used tools in an integrated marketing strategy:
Advertising– Advertising is one of the most common and successful ways of brand promotion. It helps organizations to reach a wider audience within the shortest possible time frame. Advertisements in newspapers, television, radio or even billboards help users to believe in your brand and also motivate them to buy the products/services and remain loyal towards the brand. Advertisements not only increase the consumption of a particular product/service but also create brand awareness among customers. Marketers need to ensure that the right message reaches the right customers at the right time. Be careful about the content of the advertisement, after all you are paying for every second.
Public Relations– This tool plays a key role in maintaining a favourable public image of your organization. It can be initiated through various activities such as press conferences, press releases, events, public appearances, etc. If used accurately, PR activities can not only maintain a company’s reputable image but also enhance it further by understanding and addressing the concerns of the company’s audience-both internal & external such as employees, shareholders, consumers, potential stakeholders, etc.
Direct Marketing– This marketing technique acts as a direct bridge between the company and its consumers to communicate without any middlemen in between. Various tools for direct marketing are emails, text messages, catalogues, brochures, promotional letters and so on.
Personal Selling– Personal selling is also one of the most effective tools for integrated marketing communication. It takes place when a marketer or sales representative sells products or services to clients. Setting sales appointments and meetings, home parties, making presentations and any type of one-to-one communication, to reach your customers and strengthen the bond with your clients is the core of personal selling.
Sales Promotion– It is a way of lifting sales temporarily by appealing to economic motives and impulse-buying behavior. The chief tools of sales promotion are discounts, distribution of samples and coupons, holding sweepstakes and contests, special store displays, and offering premiums and rebates.
Decisions connecting the overall objectives and strategies during the marketing planning phases help to analyze and fine-tune the specific activities of integrated marketing communication. Before selecting an IMC tool, marketing, product and brand managers must look at social, competitive, legal, regulatory, ethics, cultural and technological considerations. You would definitely want to avoid issues such as reaching inappropriate audiences and causing controversy while activating the tools of integrated marketing communication. That could be damaging when a company is trying to build brand awareness and increase consumer spending.
When marketing managers examine the beliefs, emotions and behavior of the target audience towards their brand, they can influence their beliefs to achieve product awareness by attracting attention to their promotional campaigns. Hence, the tools of integrated marketing communication should be selected and used appropriately by accounting for the key objectives and goals of the company, brand along with the interests of the audience.
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Note: This is a sponsored article and has NOT been written by the PaGaLGuY Editorial Team. It is intended from an informational perspective only and itisupto the readers to research and verify the claims and judgements in the article before reaching a conclusion.