Integrated Marketing Communications Research Articles

A Content Analysis Of Advertising Transitions: Impact Of Brand Name, Persona, And Appeals

Advertising has long been considered an element of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools and has played a crucial role in delivering messages that are reflected by various environmental situations. The authors of this paper posit that components of advertising including contents of messages, language, choice of persona and appeals are strongly affected by such environmental factors as social, cultural, and economic movements. Based on this consideration, this study investigates the trend in advertising markets by reflecting transitional market issues. In particular, this study investigates the effects of brand name, celebrities roles, age groups, gender, and advertising appeals. The purpose of the study is to investigate the following elements of advertising that are often affected by such recent transitions as social, cultural, and economic movements: i) effects of a brand name containing meanings; ii) effects of a brand name stemming from the native language; iii) effects of celebrities appearances in ads, iv) effects of age groups and the role of gender in the persona; and v) effects of advertising messages that include rational or emotional appeals. This study conducted content analysis by examining selected TV commercials and gives implications of how the effectiveness of advertising is related to the aforementioned environmental movements, emphasizing which issues should be considered for future advertising content.

MARKETING PARADIGM: TRANSITION FROM MC TO IMC

A major change is occurring in marketing in general and also marketing communication (MC) due to the digital revolution and increased sophistication of consumers. In the paper the authors state that because of the prevalence of this marketing trend the systematization aspects of marketing communication integration and new marketing communication methods/approaches in the theoretical level declare about their urgency for better interpretation of marketing communication structure in marketing practice. In the authors’ opinion it is important to respond to this paradigm shift with enhanced integration and correct use of MC in order to maximize marketing efficiency. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) are capable of solving a wide range of problems in urgent marketplace. That is why the new marketing paradigm approach and analysis underline the importance of IMC development and implementation in companies. The aim of the paper is to reveal the importance and exigency of a new point of view on MC in general and its use in modern market – the integrated approach. Following the accomplished survey, the authors propose to establish an innovative point of view for defining and achieving companies’ aims according to the changes dictated by marketing paradigm.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.em.17.3.2128

Integrated Marketing Communication Creative Strategy from Idea to Implementation by Robyn Blakeman

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) attempts to enhance the understanding as to how to tie the business of advertising to the creative of advertising. The book succinctly brings out that advertising creative process is not an art but a marketing function. The book explores the power of brand and the role of IMC in building Brand Equity.

Integrated marketing communications: How can we measure its effectiveness?

This article proposes a novel approach to measuring the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) effectiveness of a company and its competitors. With the four IMC pillars (with regard to customer-centric approaches, channels, content and measurable results) as a background, a list of existing tools about measuring marketing communications is assessed. This yields the result that there is no tool that satisfies the criteria that define the modern paradigm of IMC. A model for measuring IMC effectiveness that aims at closing this gap is developed and proved viable for practical use. An empirical study based on this model delivers clear results on marketing communications efforts at the banking sector.

Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication on Consumer Behaviour: Effects on Consumer Decision – Making Process

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is one of the most controversial areas of research, the concept marking a constant progress from the simple coordinating of promotional tools to a complex strategic process. Further to the evolution of modern marketing, where IMC has become a major way of achievement the objectives of a company, there is a need to identify opportunities to increase its impact on consumer behaviour. Therefore, is of interest, the relatively recent approach found in the literature, according to which IMC works specifically through all the four classic elements of the marketing mix: product, price, placement and marketing communications. In this context, this paper intends to clarify some aspects regarding the effects of IMC on the consumer behaviour, materialized in the consumer decision- making process.

‘IMC is dead. Long live IMC’: Academics' versus practitioners' views

The purpose of this research is to establish whether academics and practitioners are similar in their perceptions of what Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is and the role it has to play in today's dynamic landscape. This objective is achieved first by examining the IMC literature to establish the main themes that underpin the construct and to identify the topics that have been most discussed over the past 10 years. These findings are then utilised to perform a content analysis of 10 essays that were published by Campaign magazine in December 2010 by high-profile practitioners under the heading of ‘What's Next in Integration’. The findings indicate that there are differences in the perception of academics and practitioners on IMC, mainly in the area of internal audiences and its strategic role within an organisation. These findings are of interest to academics, clients, and agencies, as these areas of misunderstanding may be acting as a barrier to IMC implementation. This research identifies significant differences in how IMC is perceived by academics and practitioners in the advertising industry. This identification is important because organisations can only benefit from IMC fully if there is a common understanding across clients, agencies, and academics of what it is and how it works. Misunderstandings can create barriers to full implementation, and it is the responsibility of the industry as a whole to address this and enable meaningful dialogue to take place and progress to be made.

An Experimental Approach to Testing IMC Effects on Consumer Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions and Recall

The objective of this study is twofold: to build upon the thin body of academic experimental research in the field of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), and to provide practitioners with methods they can use to test the effectiveness of marketing communication campaigns. On the first account, significant results were observed for attitude toward the ad (Aad), but only for a subset of the sample. Despite this, the experiment provides a framework for future academic studies of IMC effects and suggests specific ways that methods can be refined in future experiments. On the second account, the study’s design suggests opportunities for practitioners. Smaller brands could employ some of the methods described here to inexpensively measure the relative effectiveness of alternative marketing communications campaigns. Larger brands could also benefit if the study spurs efforts among managers and their vendors to work more closely to better coordinate their marketing communications efforts.

Evidence of IMC in social marketing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that integrated marketing communications (IMC) must be used in social marketing, like it is in commercial marketing, by illustrating that IMC principles are effective in social marketing contexts within an education setting. Specifically, the paper provides evidence of IMC being successfully used in the communication of school‐based health promotion activities within health promoting schools (HPS).Design/methodology/approachDepth interviews with principals and teachers at three case schools were conducted to investigate the communication of health promotion programmes within HPS. In total, 19 people participated in this study.FindingsA key finding was that IMC principles are evident in the HPS philosophy of health promotion. That is, the extent to which health concepts are customer focused and integrated into school life; and, communication which is synergistic and based on stakeholder needs, has a significant impact upon achieving desired health promotion outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis research explored communication within the specific context of HPS. To further explore the application of IMC in social marketing, the authors recommend that other social marketing contexts or cases be investigated.Practical implicationsThe fact that IMC principles are relevant and effective when facilitating school‐based health promotion programmes implies that IMC would offer value to other social marketing contexts too.Originality/valueThe paper is unique in that we provide evidence of IMC used in a school‐based social marketing context. The context of an education setting for this research broadens existing understanding of how IMC can and should be used in social marketing. The research offers insights for social marketing practitioners seeking to improve their communications efforts.

How Can Marketing Academics Serve Marketing Practice? The New Marketing DNA as a Model for Marketing Education

This article seeks to address how marketing academics can best serve marketing practice through marketing education. It is contended that, where technology is driving marketing in practice, it is afforded significantly less attention in both theory and education. Thus, the marketing graduates being produced from universities are often lacking in the skills that 21st-century marketers require. Where the focus of the article is on marketing education, a broad analysis of the content of marketing textbooks and degree programs is presented and an “old Marketing DNA” presented. The study also adopted an inductive approach to data collection where the aim was to investigate the exact nature, constituency, and role of marketing in organizations. Qualitative in-depth interviews were undertaken with senior marketing managers and executives in U.K. organizations. Findings are organized into the areas of customer-led marketing, value-driven strategic marketing, channels, data-driven marketing, and online and off-line integrated marketing communications. The article concludes that there is a disconnect between marketing education and marketing practice and goes some way to recommending what the response of marketing academia should be through the “new Marketing DNA.” This article aims to inspire a holistic response from marketing educators to bring their practice more in line with what is actually being practiced by marketing practitioners in the 21st century.

ANÁLISIS DE LOS HOTELES DE ALTA CATEGORÍA DE CROACIA DESDE EL ENFOQUE HOTEL-HUÉSPED

Croacia viene experimentando un auge turístico notable en los últimos diez años. Es crucial para su futuro desarrollo saber gestionar el sector hotelero de acuerdo con las nuevas exigencias del mercado. Este trabajo pretende analizar los hoteles de alta categoría de Croacia desde un doble enfoque hotel-huésped, centrándose en una nueva estrategia de marketing denominada Comunicación Integrada de Marketing (CIM), los avances en las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC) y la lealtad. Los resultados demuestran el elevado grado de implantación de las TIC y de la CIM y el grado moderado de los programas de lealtad en los hoteles analizados. Además, confirman la influencia de las TIC en la implementación de la CIM y el efecto positivo de la CIM sobre la lealtad. The tourism sector of Croatia has been developing strongly in the last ten years. It is of crucial importance for its future development to be capable of managing the hotel sector according to the new market conditions. The purpose of this research is to study high-quality hotels of Croatia from the hotels' and guests' points of view focusing on a new marketing strategy named Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and loyalty. The findings show a high degree of IMC and ICT implementation and moderate degree of development of loyalty programs in hotels. Moreover, they confirm a positive influence of ICT on IMC implementation, as well as a positive impact of IMC on loyalty.

Strategic consistent messages in cross-tool campaigns: effects on brand image and brand attitude

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the synergistic effects derived from an integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy following strategic consistency. We compare a strategic consistency-based communication campaign with a message repetition strategy. Specifically, we focus on the effects that IMC has on brand image, in terms of number and favourability of brand associations. On the basis of the theoretical postulates of the Information Integration Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we propose that a cross-tool campaign that makes use of consistent messages is more effective in building brand images than a repetition strategy in which the consumer is exposed to the same message twice. To explore this research question, we conducted an experimental study with a sample of 198 individuals, and two communication tools (advertising and sponsorship) whose messages have been integrated using a consistency criterion. The results suggest that, compared with a message repetition strategy, an integrated campaign leads to more positive effects on the number and favourability of brand associations as well as on brand attitude.

Integrated marketing communications and information and communication technology in the hotel sector: An analysis of their use and development in Dalmatian first-class and luxury hotels

The concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) has been recognized as a key factor in the marketing literature. Boosted by advancements in information and communication technology (ICT), IMC has received considerable attention during the past decade. The purpose of this research is to study in greater detail the IMC and ICT concepts in the tourism sector, specifically in hotels. The empirical study was conducted in 17 high-class hotels in Dalmatia, the largest region on the coast of Croatia. Descriptive statistics analysis showed a high degree of IMC and ICT implementation in Dalmatian first-class and luxury hotels. Moreover, the ICT application increased with the hotel category, whereas the IMC implementation decreased. The findings are expected to provide useful information to hotel managers regarding the degree of IMC and ICT adoption, in order to provide new management possibilities and gain competitive advantages.

Teaching Integrated Social Network Marketing Communication with a Portfolio of Experiential Exercises Methods

Essential to advertisers’ successful use of the new social networks on the Internet is the application of the integrated marketing communication (IMC) concept. This paper provides a portfolio of step-by-step experiential exercises that may be used by advertising educators to develop students’ ability to integrate communication on social networks. Results of the use of the exercises in an advertising course are also presented.

Source–message–receiver in integrated marketing communication

This is an abbreviation of the author's dissertation. Because integrated marketing communication (IMC) research has traditionally been problematic, this study used an existing scale to determine that higher educational institutional advancement (alumni, marketing-communications, development) is an appropriate venue to study the process model of IMC. Responses from practitioners representing every department within advancement, every regional accrediting body and each of the baccalaureate to doctoral Carnegie Classification levels indicated the IMC process model is both understood and its tenets practiced by practitioners at all sizes and levels of institution. In addition, because IMC is criticized as theoretically weak, this study demonstrates the multi-dimensional construct of IMC can be examined through a source–message–receiver lens, thereby contributing the basic underpinning of much communication theory as a possible core for studying the process model. The study collected and analyzed descriptive data regarding the function of institutional advancement within US institutions of higher education and its practitioners. Practitioners representing baccalaureate institutions agreed most to the IMC dimensions of differentiated communications and database-centered communications. Practitioners representing doctoral institutions had the highest agreement on the dimension of unified communications and those representing master's institutions had the most agreement on the relationship-fostering dimension. Summary statement: US baccalaureate to doctoral institutions’ advancement practitioners’ survey responses demonstrated an understanding of the best practice concepts inherent in the IMC model. It seems that more than 50 years of at least one professional development organization educating its members about best practices stemming from many disciplines, including advertising, marketing and public relations, overlapping with more than 20 years of various industries’ trade publications espousing the benefits of IMC, have led to great interest at the practitioner level, the level where individuals focus on outputs and processes. However, the criticisms of IMC at the academic level are all too valid – there is no definitive definition nor is there a definitive measure, especially one that can easily be adapted to fit all types of industries and practitioners that may benefit from incorporating the process model. That IMC as a monolithic concept is difficult to examine is not in question. Still, the secondary and primary research in this study seems to indicate that both practitioners and scholars should continue current efforts.

The Next Integration: IMC and the Field of Communication

In the early 1990s, the integration of marketing and marketing communication into the field of integrated marketing communication (IMC) redefined traditional views of advertising, public relations, marketing, marketing communication, and other related fields. Today, academicians and practitioners acknowledge the increasingly complex dynamics of the marketplace and call for another “integrative” move in the field. This time, the desired move is a rhetorical one that attends to IMC's impact on the human communicative exchange, especially people's ability to engage one another and story their experiences. The author of this paper contends that the humanities, through rhetoric and communication, provide a necessary starting point for integrating a rhetorical dimension into the study and practice of IMC. The purpose of this essay is to suggest the humanities discipline of communication and rhetorical studies as the point of engagement for the next integrative move in the advancement of IMC.

Drivers of Globally Integrated Marketing Communications: A Review of Literature and Research Propositions

The focus of this article is globally integrated marketing communications (GIMC), which was extended from integrated marketing communication (IMC) by Grein and Gould (1996) and Gould, Lerman, and Grein (1999). In this article we review the literature on market-situational and organizational factors that influence firms’ decisions to implement GIMC strategies. We then develop a series of research propositions to demonstrate the relationship between theses factors with GIMC. Finally, the academic and managerial implications are discussed.

Managing a crisis of confidence in Nigeria's banking and financial industry

An ongoing crisis of confidence in the banking and financial industry in Nigeria's emerging economy calls for using integrated marketing communications (IMC) in optimizing five potentially normative actions as a beachhead in procuring corporate benefits from three variables that predict significantly customers’ favorable impressions of business: satisfaction, trust, relationship commitment. The actions: (a) personalize the stakeholder experience, (b) integrate ethics into the workplace and into corporate communications, (c) participate in training sessions in applied ethics, (d) use brandstanding expansively and integratively, and (e) conduct rigorous outcomes assessment and disseminate its results promptly to stakeholders.

An IMC Process Framework for a Communications-Based Services Marketing Model

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) has been presented and examined; and, it has been challenged recently by some researchers questioning its relevance. However, some practitioners and academics still embrace its use. Presented through a case study, this article complements and extends the work of others by showing the importance of attribute identification through comprehensive research. It suggests that the message may be the starting place for measurement of IMC. Senior managers should consider this study's proposed IMC process framework where the product focus or corporate mission statement is the first step for IMC brand message positioning to help improve both short-term and long-term sales and profits.

Using Means-End Analysis to Test Integrated Marketing Communications Effects

This article describes a study testing key aspects of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) concept, employing means-end analytical techniques. Although the hypothesized effects were not observed, the study is timely and ground-breaking because it contributes a new empirical approach to the IMC body of literature. It may also serve as a catalyst for additional research in the field.

Megamarketing an event using integrated marketing communications: the success story of TMH

PurposeThe choice of a well‐planned integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy is crucial for the successful launch of an event. This paper is a case‐study based description of how a brand management consultancy house, TMC, used IMC to launch a world music festival event in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2009, registering a visitorship of five‐times their target, 89 per cent satisfaction and a staggering 99 per cent of the visitors planning to visit the festival again in 2010.Design/methodology/approachA literature review on event marketing, megamarketing and integrated marketing communications is conducted to illustrate the challenges involved in launching communication campaigns in the marketing of events. Primary research was conducted by way of in‐depth interviews with TMH and the case study is developed based on the information furnished.FindingsEvent marketing requires the support of a well‐crafted IMC plan to realise the objectives set for the event. This paper brings out the role of public relations, direct marketing, social media networking, advertising and media planning in the IMC campaign launched by a brand management consultancy house and how it successfully achieved the objectives for the event.Practical implicationsTraditional communication media may not be sufficient to succeed in the current media clutter and over‐communicated market place. In this context, social networking media are emerging as a new media type and are an important addition to the current media. Understanding the target audience and preparing a customised media mix involving traditional and modern media may have a synergistic effect on end results.Originality/valueThe paper provides the marketers with an IMC perspective to analyse traditional and emerging media types and integrate them with a communications plan to optimise end results. In particular, the paper brings out the need for total customisation of media mix for different market conditions.