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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS IN A DIGITAL AGE

Adriele Correa

Content:
1. Introduction....1
2. Marketing Communications.2
3. Integrated Marketing Communications..2
4. Interactive Marketing Communications..3
5. New digital Communications tools and platforms.4
6. Pros and Cons of the new digital communication tools and platforms..5
7. Digital Communications tools and platforms: their role in IMC plan in modern
organizations..7
8. Conclusion.....9
9. References...10

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The Digital revolution of integrated marketing communications (IMC).

1. Introduction

As the world continues to advance fiercely into the Digital Age, marketing and
business have been transforming. Nowadays information is in our hands, but everything is
spinning in a velocity that became impossible to follow.
Society is being surrounded by new technologies, which affects the way marketing is
being produced. A massive number of advertisements with an assorted number of media
channels result in a wave of connected customers that come and go as they wish - along
with marketing teams rowing to call their attention day in day out, whose competence is also
judged by how effective their message is to sell their product, service or their business brand.
In such a cybernetic scenario, the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plays an
important role in creating harmony between the message sent from the company to the
costumers. Marketing strategies have also been modified as a result of this digital revolution.
This essay critically traces the impact of the digital media and technologies on
interactive marketing communications. In addition, it also aims to convey the advantages
and disadvantages of some of the new digital communications tools and platforms and how
important is their role in the Integrated Marketing Communications in contemporary
organizations.
This paper has been divided into 3 parts: the first part defines Marketing
Communications and Integrated Marketing Communications as well as Interactive
Marketing Communications. The second part presents the new digital communication tools
and platforms and the pros and cons of these new technologies. The third part aims to
critically discuss how significant the digital media and technologies in the IMC plan of a
modern organization.

2. Marketing Communications

Marketing communications is best known for advertising, but it encompasses much


more. In the past companies were more worried about an effective brand message to sell
their products or services. Nowadays, there's much more than that. Companies not only
engage in conversation with their clients but also found a trustful relationship in order to
increase sales and profits. Over time, due to this new era of information and communication
technology, the marketing communication programs also evolve, changing to Integrated
Marketing Communications, composed of all the new media, social media, mobiles,
computing and new tools available to everyone far and wide. (Ouwersloot and Duncan, 2008,
pp. 3-4)

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Originating an impact with a message today is ambitious in such a supersaturated market
and this is where one the biggest challenges of this new age lies.

3. Integrated Marketing Communications

Presenting a campaign in Integrated Marketing Communications nowadays consists


of unifying all marketing actions over a diversity of available channels. Moreover, it is a
consistent and cohesive process of integrating all marketing communications practices to
the relevant audience creating a cohesive message to clients about a service, a product or
a brand (Pikton and Broderick 2005). All fragmented parts must be well connected,
personalized and customer-oriented. It has to have relevant content to the target audience
and be within clear marketing communications objectives, congruent with all the company's
objectives. It is responsible for internal and external communicative actions and activities to
make sure the right message is being sent. Integration is not simple to be achieved and
companies need much more than a clear message, consistency, or concepts of images. IMC
concerns both communications which are part of a pre-existing marketing plan, and also
unplanned customer communication.

Synergy is described by Pikton and Broderick 2005, as responsible for joining the
various facets of marketing communications in a mutually supportive and enhancing way
then the resulting 'whole' is more than the simple sum of its parts. It is through synergy and
consistency that a company will achieve the objectives in the IMC programme, where
consumers are clear about a unified, effective and integrated message due to a powerful
brand and a solid image. Integration is only achieved when the 4Es and 4Cs come together
in synergy:

The IMC 4Es are: enhancing, economical, efficient, effective: expand and improve
the strategies with least cost; not only financially, but in terms of all resources: being
competent and delivering essential results.

The 4C's are: coherence, consistency, continuity and complementary


communications: strong interallied actions and activities consistently over time, in
conformity and in harmony with all communications plans and activities in a company.

The number of mobiles, digital and social networking channels are continuing to
disrupt the way marketing is being produced, and results change per what companies
choose to present to their customers.
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4. Interactive marketing communications

The interactivity of the new electronic media offers unique benefits. Professor Cheng
(2014), affirms that the Internet restores, amplifies and enriches communications world
over. It is now possible to have clients not only in the area where the product is, but globally.
Everything is interconnected: the real life and the virtual space. The Internet is now a mirror
of real life. It's possible to do basically everything on the internet, such as study, shop, meet
people or look for entertainment. It is key for companies and businesses to offer an
opportunity to spread marketing products or services. There is where the brand can present
itself through clear content, interact with their clients, or present a rich visual design.
However, all this new interaction needs to be combined with the traditional business and
other marketing strategies. The offline presence of the company is also very important and
both require key strategies decisions. As Chaffey and Chadwick (2016) define in their book,
one of the main digital marketing strategies is to specify the mix of online and offline
communication tools to invite visitors to interact with the brand or the company website.
The challenges and new opportunities are remodelling marketing strategies.
Innovation is one of the them. Companies are advancing into this diversity of new resources
and creating new business models. Moreira 2012, affirms that Marketing innovation is the
combination of alterations presented by the company influenced by a vast set of internal
and external factors. Further than that, it is important to select, adapt or modify the
knowledge, or gain skills in new technologies to succeed in business nowadays.
Differentiation is an important key feature in interactive marketing and the numerous
communication channels available have changed the interactivity in marketing
communications.

Communications channels are crucial nowadays. It is undoubtedly that most of the


new channels used by marketers and consumers are online. The Internet has been suitable
for society as a way of interaction. It is through the internet that people communicate their
thoughts, or opinions. It's also where people find their way to communicate with companies
and give their opinions about a brand, a product or a service. It is the perfect safe place for
people and companies to communicate straight way with no barriers, no time or space
constraints, and that is also Interactive Marketing Communications. According to Vlasac
2006, Interactive Marketing Communications includes personalization of communication:
consisting of adapting the communication from and content to an individual consumer; as
well as the possibility of momentary feedback from all included parties through the same
medium or different ones (Vlasac, 2006). The interaction between the client and the
company is immediate and clients want to be heard. Vlasac and Kesic (2007) found out that
the reaction from clients on the internet is more positive towards interactive marketing
communications due to the facility that the internet provides to their users.

It is unquestionable that digital media and technology has revolutionised these


communications channels. Interaction today is fast and it is in everybody's hands with mobile
phones, or other devices used every day. Consumers have in their hands the instant power
to give a review, send a complaint or suggest a brand or a product. They are responsible for
most of the substantial changes in marketing sector, not only the decision makers but also
the inventors of new content. In addition, they participate and contribute to the business
process. Notwithstanding, their consumption is owing to an abundant miscellanea of
products or services and keep tracking of data is a big challenge. Corporations need to
focus on creating a good relationship and trust with their clients, adapting to consumers'
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desire and expectations to build a long-term relationship and work on their prominence.
The complexity of markets increases due to doubtful demand in addition to fierce
competition. It is up to industries to use these technologies in favour of their brand and create
a clear and direct communication channel. Companies need to face this uncertain,
competitive new world with new strategies and practices to keep their customers and
captivate others to stay ahead of their competition and sustain in this accelerated world.

5. New digital communication tools and platforms

There are a variety of digital media channels, numerous digital tools and a vast
number of platforms and software on hand. Marketers and industries must evaluate them
and choose the ones that will create opportunities to engage customers online or offline.
It is important to emphasize that these tools can be used inside the company as
business communications or outside to reach the customers. Siv Rauvi 2016, exposes
different tools which are being used by companies to succeed in their communications, such
as intranets, apps, emails and video calls. A variety of platforms can be found and used to
organize and help workforce, such as intranet: that can be used as internal or external tool
and have efficient results on organizing and keeping data, edit documents, connect with
external data such as Google, or the company's business system. Another example is the
group or private message, and the platforms vary per the necessity and the size of the firm.
It includes: Instant messages, bots, chatrooms, they increase customer services or speeding
business internal communications. The list of platforms also includes: podcasts, gamification,
internal blog, ticketing, case software and issue tracking.
As part of communications strategies, companies must examine the number of online
communications tools. Some of the most essential ones are: search engine marketing:
Encouraging users to click and visit the website. Online PR: must be included in social
networks, podcasts, feeds, blogs and others to enlarge recommendation of the website
company, products, services or brand. Online partnerships: Including link building, affiliate
marketing or price comparison. Display advertising: Brand awareness through online ads,
with a click-through to the company's website. Opt-in email marketing: List for customers
activation or retention or renting email lists. Social media marketing: social networks and
communities to reach the target marketing awareness and drive response.
Social media marketing is essential for digital marketing where users are motivated
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to communicate with the company, or social presence when customers chose to be part of
it. (Chaffey and Ellis Chadwick, 2016 pp.32-33)

6. Pros and cons of the new digital communication tools and platforms

Internet, social media, cell phones, computers, software, and hardware, have a
major impact on consumer behaviour. Users are empowered and the range of information
flows rapidly. Furthermore, marketing communications can be abandoned by consumers
with a click, and business brands, products or services shelved somewhere. The importance
of the new digital communications tools will vary from the size of the company to the product
or service provided. Important decisions must be taken by companies and marketers to
make the most of this new era.

Social media engagement platform:

Almost all the social media platforms are free to use, which
becomes convenient for many other marketing tactics. Some
of them are very simple to use and offer a range of
opportunities for business. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and
Instagram are some the examples. They are good tools in business when combined with
consistent images or selected content. They are all changing or suffering from the ups and
downs of new technologies. It is certain that they will remain; however, to invest money in
any of them, companies must follow where the target market is.

Cons:
Not easy to measure success. Pros:
Bad reviews or negative publicity such The most effective and fast way to
as complaints. circulate information.
Time consuming: fast answers or Great environment to create
content must be delivered in a very awareness of the brand and engage
short period. users to go to the website
Lack of security. Engage audience and reach target
marketing.
Develop brand loyalty.
Customer services competence.
Instant feedback tool for a product or a
service.
Study of the target marketing.
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E-mail marketing:
E-mail marketing within appropriate use can become an outstanding tool.
Personalization must be a key feature of it. Marketers need to personalize the content to
engage readers, bringing a topic that interest specific targets or promotional options.

Pros:
Saving cost: it's free and environmental
friendly.
It is possible to track e-mails and Cons:
gather data from them. Most of the e-mails are not accessed
Instant direct to the website. by receivers.
Customization to different clients. Span filters.
Regular updating.
Not seen by users as personalized.

Feed or RSS feed: internal and external blogs, news or podcast:

Pros: Cons:
Lead traffic to website when it belongs Demands quality and sometimes
to the same domain. specialized content.
Meaningful discussion about a topic Posts are permanent.
related to the band, product or service. Time-consuming.
Algorithms on search engines directing Became popular and lost credibility.
to your website. High cost.
Feedback tool. Not easy to measure success or who
are the readers, if any.

Pay-per-click advertising:
From all the variety of types of advertising offered nowadays, PPC is an investment.

Cons: Pros:
Can be expensive. Send traffic to your website.
Not certain that your traffic will Generate awareness of the brand,
increase. service or product.
Not easy to manage. Generate conversion when there is
online products.
Advertising on online partnership.
Possible to be measured.
Faster results.
Target the chosen region
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Search engine marketing:
The search engine marketing or SEO is a powerful online presence. It is necessary
to have good content on a very neat and organized website to generate conversion.

Pros: Cons:
Continuous flow of traffic. Difficult to measure ROI.
Generates good awareness that can Very competitive niche.
be reverted in conversion. First page rank is very hard to be
reached.

All modern tools used are to be analysed to be considered relevant for each type of
business. There are advantages and disadvantages on each one. It is necessary to be
updated to understand the necessity and how they are being applied in business. Many tools
were created to help companies to know their
competitors, data management or to identify threats
or opportunities in the market. Companies need to
evaluate to decide regards different costs and
investments to each one. (Smart Insights, 2016)

7.Digital Communications tools and platforms: their role in IMC plan in


modern organizations
In such an increasingly computerized world, IMC plays an important role.
All the tools within reach nowadays have a range of advantages and disadvantages.
On one hand, marketing has made great use of most of them, in the other hand there is still
adjustments and planning to make a business brand, a service or a product even more solid.
It is through these tools that companies can build a trustful relationship with consumers.
Brand loyalty can be developed and it is customer-centric practices which are built on the
internet. Gartner research (2015) shows that brand advocates influence 50% on a purchase
and the retention rate tends to be 37% higher.
Adjusting, creating, buying or renting interactive platforms is required. Mobile apps
are very popular with consumers, none the less only very well designed and useful apps
tend to survive in times when thousands of apps are launched every day. It can be a strong
tool to create an offline excellent experience. Other advantages of mobile marketing are to
generate traffic to a mobile website, inform users about promotions or upgraded features.
Apps use Data Management Platforms allowing them to collect important data, such as
location, workplace or personal choices, developing a precise target advertising plan.
(Forbes, 2016)
The amount of data produced nowadays due to these technologies is vast.
Companies need to develop ways to keep and analyse the data produced. This data
tsunami demands instant analysis and prompt answers. Planning is also decisive to
generate conversion rates of data, along with people who can innovate and make the best
use of the information available. (Shoultz Don E. 2015) New trends in this segment have
been used such as marketing hubs or marketing clouds to use data in smart, effective ways.
The challenges are interconnected with the efficiency and effectiveness of each
appropriate tool. Applying the right tools and metrics is essential, along with social media
tracking, sales-readiness and closed-looped ROI reports, lead scoring and nurturing and
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many others to evaluate services or products. It is very vague to claim that creating
awareness and branding is satisfactory. Companies demand much more and expect
conversion rates in online actions, like never, the message sent requires integrated
marketing strategies to be succeed.
Organizations that are engage to new practices and committed with their IMC plan
scoping their marketing mix and digital mix, allocating their digital multichannel to optimize
their strategies to be more likely to succeed. (Gartner,2015) When all their strategies and
actions are integrated with their message, not only internal but external, the impression of
the brand, associated with an extraordinary customer experience is consolidated by the IMC.
Sprague and Cotella 2015, considered planned, unplanned and manageable impressions
as crucial for the image of the brand. It is an all-inclusive plan where the brand pays
attention to every different aspect of the business. It belongs to everyone involved in the
process, including the customers. Effective IMC requires an inside out, top-down, bottom
up, total buy-in approach to management and marketing.
A fantastic modern organization, who delivers an extreme customer experience and
is concerned about creating the brand impression is Guinness, owned by one of the largest
alcoholic-beverage multinationals. Guinness has a clean, direct website; they are signed
into some of the most important social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and a
channel on YouTube. All media are very well presented with solid and consistent videos and
photos. They are innovative but they keep their history and tradition. They offer visitors an
imaginative tour in their factory where visitors can immerse into their story. Guinness
Storehouse won the Europe's Leading Touristic Attraction in 2015 by the World Travel
Award.
Other global brands examples who had set their names as delivering an integrated
marketing costumer experience to clients, are Disney, Gap, Apple, Google, Amazon and
many others. They all present a solid image and promote their brand with consistency,
Currently the most innovative and well-structured are the high-tech companies, leading on
modern tools and platforms. (Forbes, 2016)
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8. Conclusion

The World Wide Web was the Big Bang of modern


Marketing where companies need to combine new
media, technologies and platforms to integrate in their
marketing communications plans, including
personalization, interactiveness, customization and neat
strategies. From traditional Marketing: radio, TV, print.
When traditional tracking was not done or very arduous.
After came the Internet, Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 along with
the enlargement of technology that modified and
accelerated the world. Then social media boomed:
Facebook, Twitter, and others bringing a new face and way of interact: shifting to inbound
Marketing, SEO, blogging, paid search. Not long ago, new technologies arrived and revolute
with smartphones, cloud digital marketing. Today Marketing encompasses traditional and
new strategies in order to reach a digital integration.

The future of advertising is changing as new media or technologies arise. Technology


has transformed consumer behaviour and companies will be recognized by their agility and
flexibility to innovate and please their customers. In times where we socialize or even date
through an app, companies need to find their niche and stay ahead of the curve. Competition
is worldwide. It is vital to create a space to be seen out there.
Tinderization represents the impact of the new consumer behaviour. It is the power
to swipe right or left in the customer's hands: from appreciation and loyalty to eternal oblivion.
Today's customers are at the centre of this new universe where the real world is fused with
the digital. The Age of the Customer imposes on modern organizations to connect and be
available to hear and respond immediately to succeed.
There are advantages and disadvantages in this new advertising moment. Research
shows that no one knows what is going to last. It is an exciting moment to be in the marketing
industry when the tsunami information era will guide consume and technology must be under
control of industries or marketers to stay ahead.
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9. REFERENCES

BOOKS:

Broderick A. and Pickton David (2005) Integrated Marketing Communications. 2 nd edn.


Harlow: Pearson Education.

Chaffey, D. and Ellis-Chadwick F. (2016) Digital Marketing. Strategy, implementation and


practice. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Ducan T. and Ouwersloot H. (2008) Integrated Marketing Communications. European


edition. London: McGraw-Hill.

ARTICLES AND JOURNALS:

Vlasac, G. And Kesec, T. (2007) 'Analysis of consumers' attitudes toward Interactivity and
Relationship personalization as contemporary developments in Interactive Marketing
Communications,' 13(2) pp. 125-126 Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost [Online].
(Accessed: 09 November 2016)

Vlasac, G. (2006) 'The power of information and commutation control in ICT environment
what information collection/use practices should companies implemnt to gain consumers'
confidence?, Managment, 11 pp. 9-27
Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost [Online]. (Accessed: 09 November 2016)

WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW)

American Marketing Assossiation:(2015) 'The New P s of How to survive the digital age'.
Available at: https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingInsights/Pages/the-new-ps-of-
marketing.aspx (Accessed: 20 October 2016)

ElcomSMC: (2016) 'Communication Tools Used in Modern Day Business'. Available at:
http://www.elcomcms.com/en-au/resources/elcom-blog/posts/communication-tools-used-
in-modern-day-business (Accessed: 01 November 2016)

Forbes: (2016) 'In-app marketing'. Available at:


http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2016/08/19/5-ways-to-make-in-app-marketing-
work-for-your-brand/#36e0b1f25695 (Accessed: 29 October 2016)

Impact Advertising: (2016) 'Digital Marketing'. Available at:


http://www.impact-ad.com/digital-marketing/ (accessed: 29 October 2016)

Guinness: (2016) 'Guinness story'. Available at:


https://www.guinness.com/en-ie/ (Accessed: 10 November 2016)

Salesforce: 'Welcome to the Age of Customer'. Available at:


https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2016/03/age-of-the-customer.html (Accessed: 10
November 2016)

Smart insights: (2016) 'Essential Digital Marketing Tools 2016' Available at:
http://www.smartinsights.com/guides/essential-digital-marketing-tools/# (Accessed: 02
November 2016)

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