Integrated marketing communications

The term " integrated marketing communications " ( it means the integration of forms / types of marketing communications) appeared and was in demand in the last decade of XX century. Because the traditional scheme ceased to be effective, namely:

1 ) decreased the effectiveness of mass advertising , especially on TV, while maintaining its high cost. The generation that grew up in the era of video, TV has learned to ignore the message ;

2) The media has been transformed to a more narrow specialization , largely under the influence of the Internet;

3) revolutionary changes were consumer psychology . Now increasingly talking about " consumers of a new type ," which is characterized by the desire for interactive two-way communication with the manufacturer , better informed about it. Consumers prefer companies with more

distinct social position. At the same time, he has a special relationship to make a purchase , he finds the consumption of self-valuable activity ;

4) segmentation of the market has become more complicated , requiring a discrete ( discontinuous made ​​up of separate parts ) approach dedicated channels of communication through which messages are sent individually prepared ;

5 ) There is a tendency of corporations to obtain more rapid and relatively inexpensive solution to marketing problems , including those in emerging markets ;

6 ) the movement of the market headed to the side, as the French say , the construction of the "outside the office walls of glass ."

Today, it is impossible to separate the inner and outer life companies. These two parts become one. It also requires an integrated approach to establishing effective communication between the company and the environment.

Gradually began coordinating the entire spectrum of communications.
With this purpose in 1999-2000 . the majority of the market leaders in various sectors combined departments responsible for advertising , direct sales , promotion and in-house relations, communications departments , subordinate , usually maintained by the Executive Director .

Instead of the traditional earlier question, " What types of media and communication deserve more attention and money ? " - Today , many experts are actively promoting the idea of integrated marketing communications as a new manifestation of the love of the customer and the most effective tool for solving marketing problems .

Integrated marketing communication: the "strategic analysis , selection , implementation and control of all elements of marketing communications that efficiently and cost impact on all transactions between the organization and its current and potential customers, clients and customers."

In general terms, the implementation of integrated marketing communications (IMC ) shown in Scheme 13 .



Scheme 13. The scheme of integrated marketing communications

What is the revolutionary new approach ?

IMC concept calls to merge into a single unit three different areas of product promotion . In addition :

introduce a single funding and eliminates the eternal debate over budgets in different directions , consuming time and energy ;

there is a "single center" campaign management product promotion ;

introduce a common planning of the campaign , ruling out the possibility of the Company contradictory " messages " about the product.

Finally, the most important thing. This approach is 2-2.5 times cheaper than the traditional one. Significant savings are possible because of IMC - approach eliminates the direct placement of advertising on television.


The principal difference between the IMC programs is that they are not a simple summation of traditional media , and a single multi-channel synchronous communication , focused on the establishment of bilateral relations with various target audiences.

The trend of redistribution of advertising budgets from traditional advertising to the shares of IMC outlined in Russia . So, if in 1998 the total cost of traditional advertising in Russia amounted to 76 % (or U.S. $ 1.345 billion of the total advertising investments ), in 1999 the share of traditional advertising has declined slightly - by 1%, in 2000 - by 5%. Thus , the cost of all kinds of non-traditional activities for integrated promotion of a product / service up to 30% on certain types of goods - up to 40 %.

Unfortunately , today in Russia , few are willing to experiment and use the integrated communications model . The most " advanced" are multinational corporations, such as " Coca -Cola " , which with the help of IMC are trying to increase the effectiveness of their marketing budgets.

Under the shares of the integrated marketing communications means the use of complex marketing and communication tools to implement a specific marketing strategy. What prevents the holding of shares in our country IMC ? They are:

- Shortage of highly qualified in the advertising business marketing consultants ;

- The cost of special studies are needed to explore the market is still not affordable to small ad agencies ;

- Low customer marketing culture , the slow transition from the marketing ideology in the philosophy of marketing.