Achieving effective integrated marketing communications through a dealer network system : a comparative case study analysis of the United Kingdom and Uganda's new car market

Abstract

Integrated Marketing communications (IMC) as an emerging concept in the marketing discipline has lasted for approximately the last 30 years has achieved a tremendous welcome from both practitioners and scholars. Within this research study, the main purpose was to investigate how Integrated Marketing Communications can be effectively achieved and better more if there is involvement of a third party and in this case the dealer network system within the new car market. The practicability of IMC within organisations from the theoretical implications has caused a lot of debate ever since IMC as a doctrine surfaced. This was evidenced by Kitchen et al., (2008) arguing that in organisations where IMC works, it is worth representation on the balanced sheet but for those where it fails, it is just an expense to the company. Therefore, this research was in the direction of finding out on how the problems associated with implementation can be eliminated. Considering a case study of the new car market in two different countries (United Kingdom and Uganda) a comparative study of how IMC can effectively be implemented was done through an extensive study of literature and data collection. The study’s population comprised of 100 consumers (50 from the United Kingdom and 50 from Uganda), ten media practitioners, ten dealerships and 10 manufactures from both countries respectively. Responses were received from 80 respondents in total. The consumer’s responses were analysed with simple frequencies, SPSS software and the other responses were analysed qualitatively. The main findings of this study were compiled and presented by the author in the concluding chapter of this thesis discussing how IMC is perceived by the consumers, marketing practitioners, associated publics and how best it can be implemented. This was followed with recommendations for future research which were also presented for the benefit of the reader.