Integrated Marketing Communications

Marketing is essentially a form of exchange that fulfills consumer's needs and wants. Traditionally, marketing communications is separated into four parts, also called the four P’s or the marketing mix, which include: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Integrated marketing communications, IMC, embraces the fourth P, Promotion.

IMC Foundation

The promotion part of the marketing mix communicates the value of a product or service to its target audience. The value is distributed through marketing informing and persuading the audience about the product or service in order to create brand awareness, influence potential consumer’s opinions, collect responses and increase purchase intentions. 

IMC Basics

Integrated marketing communications utilizes multiple communication channels including television, mobile, website and radio advertising, direct marketing, public relations, social media, customer relations and sales promotion. Each communication channel is part of the whole in the IMC program. A consistent message is delivered to the target audience through various channels allowing for marketers to embrace effective means, hence the word “integrated”. IMC is the integration of a variety of marketing communication programs.

IMC Strategy

An Integrated Marketing Communications strategy is comprised of three components, the consumer, the communication channels, and the results of the communication process.

1. The Consumer – The consumer component focuses on how the consumer will perceive a message. The marketer sends a message to the consumer through a communication channel, for example, the media. Then the consumer receives the message, decodes the message and forms an opinion. It is important to take into consideration aspects that can affect the delivery.


2. Communication Channels – The channel component focuses on the channels of communication used to implement the IMC strategy. Communication channels include electronic media, general advertising, direct marketing, and public and consumer relations. Multiple channels are used in the IMC strategy.


3. The Results – In every communications plan, measuring results is imperative. This is true for an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy. Measure the reach of the message, the frequency and consumer response. Determine if brand awareness has increased and if profits have risen, fallen, or stayed the same. The results will determine if you IMC strategy was effective or if it needs to be modified.