Definition and origins
Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is a planning concept that strategically coordinates the communication tools making up the Promotion element of the marketing mix to deliver a clear, consistent message. From the late 1980s, mass media (ATL) such as TV and newspapers lost effectiveness, while below-the-line activities such as events, direct mail and in-store promotion grew, followed by cable and then internet media. Messages run separately by different departments and agencies increasingly clashed. Don Schultz and colleagues at Northwestern University (1993) systematized IMC in response.
Communication tools
- Advertising: paid, non-personal messages, strong at building awareness and image.
- Public relations: media coverage and corporate social activities that build trust.
- Sales promotion: coupons, discounts and samples that stimulate short-term buying.
- Personal selling: salespeople persuading customers face to face.
- Direct and digital marketing: personalized, two-way contact via email, social media, search ads and app notifications, combined with word of mouth and influencers.
Core principles
- Consistency (one voice, one look): the same positioning, key message and visual identity across all media.
- Synergy: Keller (2001) argued that tools should be combined so that they complement and amplify one another, for example TV ads building awareness while search ads and in-store promotion close the sale.
- Outside-in planning: start from every touchpoint where customers meet the brand, not from what the firm wants to say.
- Relationship focus: Duncan and Moriarty (1998) extended IMC into a communication-based model for managing relationships with customers and stakeholders, linking it to CRM.
Planning process
A typical process is: (1) define the target audience (STP); (2) set communication objectives (awareness → interest → purchase); (3) decide the key message and creative; (4) choose the media and tool mix and allocate budget; and (5) execute and measure results.
Limitations and critiques
IMC is broad and defined differently by different scholars, and synergy between tools is hard to measure. Departmental silos and agency structures also make real integration difficult. In digital settings, user-generated content reshapes messages, so dialogue and consistent brand values now matter more than control.
See also: O2O and Omnichannel
References
- Schultz, D. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., & Lauterborn, R. F. (1993). Integrated Marketing Communications. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books.
- Duncan, T., & Moriarty, S. E. (1998). A communication-based marketing model for managing relationships. Journal of Marketing, 62(2), 1–13.
- Keller, K. L. (2001). Mastering the marketing communications mix: Micro and macro perspectives on integrated marketing communication programs. Journal of Marketing Management, 17(7–8), 819–847.