Marketing Communications
Chapter 10 – Integrated Marketing Communications
Case about Oreo Cookies page 324-325
Introduction
Integrated marketing communications = IMC. To achieve specific communications effects on
buyers it is necessary to use particular tools, as a result, clients were required to deal with a
variety of functionally different and independent agencies to complete communications with
different audiences. One of the outcomes of this silo perspective and functional development o0f
the marketing communications industry has been entrenchment and an inevitable opposition to
change. Communications have been orient away from mass-media to increased levels of
interaction with customers, which caused the coming up of IMC. Power is moving from
agencies to clients, directing generalized messages to segmented audiences, causing the
development of IMC. More personalized, customer-oriented and technology-driven approaches
are often referred to variously as orchestration, whole egg and seamless communications.
The development of IMC
Claims made in the name of IMC are a reflection of improved management and coordination of
the communications tools.
Inside-out approach: IMC was constructed around the idea that integration only concerned the
promotional tools and media.
Next, management, strategy and brand development was introduced into the IMC process.
Next, outside-in approach: an audience- or customer-driven process that incorporated ideas
concerning relationship marketing.
Also critique on IMC. E.g. Cornelissen distinguishes two themes running through IMC
literature: first, IMC is regarded as a predominantly process-oriented concept and the second is
that it is a content-oriented concept.
No agreement about what IMC is, what it encompasses and how it should be measured. It is
not a proven marketing theory. Other terms (e.g. fusion marketing, holistic marketing) are
more common.
Research into IMC practice: three key features of IMC practice common to both agency and
client respondents:
Use of multiple media in planning and delivering marketing communications messages.
Primacy of consumer understanding as the kernel of marketing communications
planning and execution.
Use of proprietary frameworks or processes for IMC planning, including measurement
tools, by both clients and agencies.
Interesting: no reference to use of multiple tools or the importance of the message within IMC.
Chapter 10 – Integrated Marketing Communications
Case about Oreo Cookies page 324-325
Introduction
Integrated marketing communications = IMC. To achieve specific communications effects on
buyers it is necessary to use particular tools, as a result, clients were required to deal with a
variety of functionally different and independent agencies to complete communications with
different audiences. One of the outcomes of this silo perspective and functional development o0f
the marketing communications industry has been entrenchment and an inevitable opposition to
change. Communications have been orient away from mass-media to increased levels of
interaction with customers, which caused the coming up of IMC. Power is moving from
agencies to clients, directing generalized messages to segmented audiences, causing the
development of IMC. More personalized, customer-oriented and technology-driven approaches
are often referred to variously as orchestration, whole egg and seamless communications.
The development of IMC
Claims made in the name of IMC are a reflection of improved management and coordination of
the communications tools.
Inside-out approach: IMC was constructed around the idea that integration only concerned the
promotional tools and media.
Next, management, strategy and brand development was introduced into the IMC process.
Next, outside-in approach: an audience- or customer-driven process that incorporated ideas
concerning relationship marketing.
Also critique on IMC. E.g. Cornelissen distinguishes two themes running through IMC
literature: first, IMC is regarded as a predominantly process-oriented concept and the second is
that it is a content-oriented concept.
No agreement about what IMC is, what it encompasses and how it should be measured. It is
not a proven marketing theory. Other terms (e.g. fusion marketing, holistic marketing) are
more common.
Research into IMC practice: three key features of IMC practice common to both agency and
client respondents:
Use of multiple media in planning and delivering marketing communications messages.
Primacy of consumer understanding as the kernel of marketing communications
planning and execution.
Use of proprietary frameworks or processes for IMC planning, including measurement
tools, by both clients and agencies.
Interesting: no reference to use of multiple tools or the importance of the message within IMC.
