Integrated Organisational Communication
Loudon, D L, Stevens, R & Wrenn, B. 2005. Marketing Management: Text and Cases. New York:
Haworth Press.
McDaniel, J R. 1979. Marketing: An Integrated Approach. New York: The Murray Printing Company.
Morgan, R E. 1996. ‘Conceptual foundations of marketing and marketing theory’, Management
Decision, vol. 34, no. 10, pp. 19–26.
Nielsen, A E & Thomsen, C. 2009. ‘Investigating CSR communication in SMEs: a case study
among Danish middle managers’, Business Ethics: a European Review, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 85–93.
Paley, N. 1999. The Manager’s Guide to Competitive Marketing Strategies. Florida: St Lucie Press.
Peatti, K & Peters, L. 1997. ‘The marketing mix in the third age of computing’, Marketing Intelligence
& Planning, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 142–150.
Pitt, L, Bromfield, D & Nel, D. 1994. South African Marketing: Cases for Decision-makers. Kenwyn: Juta.
Pride, W M & Ferrell, O C. 2007. Foundations of Marketing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Rafiq, M & Ahmed, P K. 1995. ‘Using the 7Ps as a generic marketing mix: an exploratory survey
of UK and European marketing academics’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, vol. 13, no. 9,
pp. 4–15.
Smith, B & McDonald, M. 2003. ‘Self-diagnostic test of your marketing strategy’, Bizz-Community
Daily Ad Industry News. 17 November, pp. 1–5.
Stanton, W J, Etzel, M J, Walker, B J, Abratt, R, Pitt, L & Staude, G E. 1992. Marketing Management
in South Africa. Johannesburg: Lexicon Publishers.
Strydom, J W. 1999. Introduction to Marketing. Kenwyn: Juta.
Sublet, V H & Lum, M R. 2008. ‘Use of health communication and social marketing principles
in planning occupational safety and health interventions’, Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. XIV,
no. 4, pp. 45–70.
Teneric business. [Sa]. Marketing mix. Available at http.www.teneric.co.uk/businessinfo/marketing-
mix.html (accessed 11 October 2004).
Wyner, G A. 2004. ‘The journey to marketing effectiveness’, Marketing Management. March/April,
pp. 8–9.
182
Integrated_Organisational_Communication.indb 182 2012/07/02 12:33 PM
, Integrated marketing
6
CHAPTER
communication
Rachel Barker
[Integrated marketing communication] underpins the belief that marketing creates value by
building brands, nurturing innovation, developing relationships, creating good consumer
service and communicating benefits.
Gilligan & Wilson (2009: 3)
6.1 Introduction
The previous chapter addressed marketing management in detail. In this chapter the
focus will be on integrated marketing communication (IMC). A significant modern
premise that emerged in the field of marketing communication is the drive towards
integrated actions, which is also referred to as integrated marketing communication.
Baker (2003) sees it as the blurring of the edges of marketing communications. More
recently, the emphasis has been placed on the importance of brand competition which
compels organisations to implement the most effective communication strategy to create
and enhance relationships with consumers and other stakeholders where integration
is the key component to do this (Du Plessis, Van Heerden & Gordon, 2010: 8). One
of the most notable writers in the field, Schultz (in Jones, 1999) suggests that IMC
is the apparent progress made by mass market media advertising towards targeted
direct marketing. IMC therefore advocates that marketers make a paradigm shift from
promotion to their target markets, in the sense of advertising being a unidirectional set
of activities, to communicating with their target markets, which emphasises a two-way
flow of information. The shift, moreover, is away from the concept of promotional
mix and its focus on advertising and sales promotion activities, towards an integrated
communications approach that includes all marketing activities (Kitchen, 1999) to
create and enhance relationships. Hence, when the promotional mix is referred to
in this chapter, the term encompasses the concept ‘marketing communication mix’.
Consumers’ growing awareness of available choices has necessitated marketers
adjusting the way in which they communicate, through the promotional mix, with
these better-educated, cost-conscious and demanding people.
Because marketing communication is integrated with organisational operations
on a strategic level, it is problematic to continue to view marketing communications
as a separate field of activity. Therefore, the point of departure of this chapter is
to see IMC as an approach that is used to operationalise the relationship between
the elements of marketing communication, as well as the integration between these
elements and the broader marketing objectives of an organisation to align with and
enhance its corporate brand.
Integrated_Organisational_Communication.indb 183 2012/07/02 12:33 PM
Loudon, D L, Stevens, R & Wrenn, B. 2005. Marketing Management: Text and Cases. New York:
Haworth Press.
McDaniel, J R. 1979. Marketing: An Integrated Approach. New York: The Murray Printing Company.
Morgan, R E. 1996. ‘Conceptual foundations of marketing and marketing theory’, Management
Decision, vol. 34, no. 10, pp. 19–26.
Nielsen, A E & Thomsen, C. 2009. ‘Investigating CSR communication in SMEs: a case study
among Danish middle managers’, Business Ethics: a European Review, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 85–93.
Paley, N. 1999. The Manager’s Guide to Competitive Marketing Strategies. Florida: St Lucie Press.
Peatti, K & Peters, L. 1997. ‘The marketing mix in the third age of computing’, Marketing Intelligence
& Planning, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 142–150.
Pitt, L, Bromfield, D & Nel, D. 1994. South African Marketing: Cases for Decision-makers. Kenwyn: Juta.
Pride, W M & Ferrell, O C. 2007. Foundations of Marketing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Rafiq, M & Ahmed, P K. 1995. ‘Using the 7Ps as a generic marketing mix: an exploratory survey
of UK and European marketing academics’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, vol. 13, no. 9,
pp. 4–15.
Smith, B & McDonald, M. 2003. ‘Self-diagnostic test of your marketing strategy’, Bizz-Community
Daily Ad Industry News. 17 November, pp. 1–5.
Stanton, W J, Etzel, M J, Walker, B J, Abratt, R, Pitt, L & Staude, G E. 1992. Marketing Management
in South Africa. Johannesburg: Lexicon Publishers.
Strydom, J W. 1999. Introduction to Marketing. Kenwyn: Juta.
Sublet, V H & Lum, M R. 2008. ‘Use of health communication and social marketing principles
in planning occupational safety and health interventions’, Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. XIV,
no. 4, pp. 45–70.
Teneric business. [Sa]. Marketing mix. Available at http.www.teneric.co.uk/businessinfo/marketing-
mix.html (accessed 11 October 2004).
Wyner, G A. 2004. ‘The journey to marketing effectiveness’, Marketing Management. March/April,
pp. 8–9.
182
Integrated_Organisational_Communication.indb 182 2012/07/02 12:33 PM
, Integrated marketing
6
CHAPTER
communication
Rachel Barker
[Integrated marketing communication] underpins the belief that marketing creates value by
building brands, nurturing innovation, developing relationships, creating good consumer
service and communicating benefits.
Gilligan & Wilson (2009: 3)
6.1 Introduction
The previous chapter addressed marketing management in detail. In this chapter the
focus will be on integrated marketing communication (IMC). A significant modern
premise that emerged in the field of marketing communication is the drive towards
integrated actions, which is also referred to as integrated marketing communication.
Baker (2003) sees it as the blurring of the edges of marketing communications. More
recently, the emphasis has been placed on the importance of brand competition which
compels organisations to implement the most effective communication strategy to create
and enhance relationships with consumers and other stakeholders where integration
is the key component to do this (Du Plessis, Van Heerden & Gordon, 2010: 8). One
of the most notable writers in the field, Schultz (in Jones, 1999) suggests that IMC
is the apparent progress made by mass market media advertising towards targeted
direct marketing. IMC therefore advocates that marketers make a paradigm shift from
promotion to their target markets, in the sense of advertising being a unidirectional set
of activities, to communicating with their target markets, which emphasises a two-way
flow of information. The shift, moreover, is away from the concept of promotional
mix and its focus on advertising and sales promotion activities, towards an integrated
communications approach that includes all marketing activities (Kitchen, 1999) to
create and enhance relationships. Hence, when the promotional mix is referred to
in this chapter, the term encompasses the concept ‘marketing communication mix’.
Consumers’ growing awareness of available choices has necessitated marketers
adjusting the way in which they communicate, through the promotional mix, with
these better-educated, cost-conscious and demanding people.
Because marketing communication is integrated with organisational operations
on a strategic level, it is problematic to continue to view marketing communications
as a separate field of activity. Therefore, the point of departure of this chapter is
to see IMC as an approach that is used to operationalise the relationship between
the elements of marketing communication, as well as the integration between these
elements and the broader marketing objectives of an organisation to align with and
enhance its corporate brand.
Integrated_Organisational_Communication.indb 183 2012/07/02 12:33 PM
