integrated marketing communication
integrated marketing communication is a strategic approach to delivering a unified message across all channels, ensuring a seamless experience for customers to interact with your company. Instead of focusing on different products or aspects of your brand on each platform, you present your brand in a similar way in advertising, social media marketing, direct marketing, and public relations. The goal is to create a united front that enhances awareness and familiarity with the company and its products.
Imagine seeing a branded Instagram post for a new product, and then going to their website to learn more about the product and make a purchase, but the messaging, tone, and visuals are completely different.
If you experience this as a client,
you will likely be confused by a lack of cohesion. Integrated marketing
coordinates your marketing efforts so you get more leads and make it easier for
customers to understand the intended message of your brand.
what is an integrated marketing communication example?
- Apple Storefronts and Comprehensive Website: Few companies in the world have the level of Apple brand recognition, and the company has delivered a high level of brand integration no matter where consumers are facing. Have you noticed how every Apple storefront offers a look and feel that is nearly identical to its website? Few companies are able to do such a comprehensive task of integrating a physical location with an online presence, providing consumers with a recognizable customer experience wherever it takes place.
- The Chicago Field Museum brings art to the heart of the city Brands: can be cultural as well as commercial, as demonstrated by the Field Museum with an integrated marketing strategy that has brought art to people to increase attendance at special exhibitions. Paid digital media and traditional advertising (such as billboards) have worked hand in hand with social media posts advertising surprising “pop-up” art sites, and many videos have been captured of people interacting with the exhibits, creating a 360-degree marketing experience that leaves people wanting In visiting the museum to quench their cultural thirst.
- Domino's helped people order from anywhere: The ubiquitous pizzeria chain has named its ordering program "Any Ware" to highlight the ease of ordering wherever the customer is. The key to its success was the Pizza Profile, which was created to save customer information and speed up ordering. With this data, people can order online, via text messages, tweets, or even with a smart watch. Getting the word out about Any Ware included an integrated marketing strategy that included press releases and television as well as digital and social advertising, with the goal of delivering half of all orders digitally (and easily accessed).
- Southwest brings transparency to airline tickets: People don't expect airfares to make sense, but Southwest doesn't think it has to be that way. To this end, they devised an integrated marketing strategy they called "Transparency" to entertain and educate consumers about airline fees and, in some cases, how to avoid them. This was a way for Southwest to differentiate itself by emphasizing a straightforward fee structure while showing customers multiple convenient ways to pay for things like flight changes and in-flight snacks. Their "we are different" approach made the site ideal for social media, as it caused quite a stir.
What are the four types of integrated marketing communication?
There
are four basic types of integrated marketing communications: external, internal,
horizontal, and vertical. By bringing these different elements together to form
a marketing strategy, your business will be able to efficiently achieve
whatever goals you have set for it.
External
External
marketing integration occurs when your company deals with external sources. If
you are developing a product or service, it is important to keep the lines of
communication open with the people you will use to get your message across to
the world.
Internal
Internal
marketing integration means that you strive to keep your employees excited
about any new developments the company is involved in. Of course, if you are
going to introduce a new product, you don't want workers to reveal details
prematurely, but by creating enthusiasm among your employees, that excitement
is transmitted to others outside the company.
Horizontal
Horizontal
integration is important when it comes to the actual development of a product
or service. You'll want your distribution team to talk to your production team
and your production team to talk to your finance team. By making sure the lines
of communication remain open, you will find your work flowing more smoothly
than if certain groups were kept out of the loop.
Vertical
If
you focus on vertical integration, you will find that the product or service
you are working on fits within the company's policy and structure. By making
sure your product or service aligns with the company's mission, you should have
a leg up in developing a file.
Tools of Integrated Marketing Communications
Advertising
Advertising
is a form of impersonal and paid communication, It is one of the most effective
forms of communication as you reach a large audience all at once in a short
period.
It
not only leads to increased sales but also leads to greater awareness among
consumers. Marketers need to ensure that the right message is communicated in
the right way to consumers.
The
various media used are print media, billboards, radio, television, etc.
Personal selling
Personal
selling includes face-to-face interaction with end-users with the motive of
promoting the product and persuading the buyer to purchase the product.
It
is the most effective tool in IMC where the salesperson communicates directly
with the buyer, solves his problems on the spot, defers his offer to the
buyer's need, and focuses on building a long-term relationship with the
end-users.
Direct marketing
It
is the oldest form of communication where organizations communicate directly
with end-users through emails, telephone, fax, text messages, catalog,
brochure, and promotional letters.
Nowadays, people are buying more online, so marketers help consumers in the buying process by sending out catalogs and other marketing materials that make the process easier for consumers.