Understanding 30 Years of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in the 2019 Indonesian Journal

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This article examines 10 journals on Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in Indonesia in 2019. Essentially, IMC consists of two core concepts, which have evolved into four stages of IMC implementation. The first concept, introduced in 1989, is known as the inside-out approach or tactical coordination of marketing communications. The second concept, emerging in 2004, is called the outside-in approach, encompassing internal support to external activities (Second Stage), application of information technology (Third Stage), and financial and strategic integration (Fourth Stage). Thus, this paper seeks to address: (1) What is IMC as described and applied?; (2) What communication elements are used?; (3) Is the brand the main message in the IMC program?; and (4) Is the IMC used inside-out or outside-in, and where are the boundaries? Using a systematic literature review method, the results indicate that IMC is marketing communication or promotion. The communication elements include advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, interactive marketing, corporate design, sponsorship, exhibitions, websites, merchandising, packaging, and social media. No articles used the brand as the main message in IMC, categorizing it as an inside-out approach since many did not involve the brand and only analyzed marketing communication or promotion. IMC in Indonesia does not align with the global development of the IMC concept but follows communication technology trends through the use of internet-based media, such as social media.