The Benefits of Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) offers an opportunity to solidify various marketing pieces into a single theme that runs throughout different communications channel. The central message leads to greater brand awareness and the raising of brand value to potential customers. Instead of a Hodge Podge marketing approach where advertising pieces are disjointed, IMC can create higher returns on marketing dollars through higher levels of customer interest.

Let's consider a disjointed marketing campaign where the central message is different for different demographics. The company's brand would be hard to focus, define and understand by consumers. Each time they see an advertisement it says something slightly different.

That doesn't mean all marketing pieces should be the same. The core message should build the essential value proposition of the brand while the contextual message should focus on the specific target audience the company seeks to reach.

Putting this in an example we may better be able to visualize how it works. The core message of a company may be we offer high quality product selections that support our customers needs. What the company offers could be guarantees, easy return policies, high quality product selections, strong customer support etc...

Thus each of the advertisements will focus on quality and customer satisfaction in each message regardless of its content and where it is run.  However, the contextual message will determine the images used, people in the advertisements, channel selection, the purchase method, and much more. 

Think of brand value as a central theme and contextual message based on the specific demographic the company is trying to reach. 1. Core message and 2. Contextual message

The use of IMC raises the value of the brand over the long run. As the company explores new advertisement methods and different types of campaigns the core message will continue to build brand value over time. This has benefits because customers who see the different messages also creates a deeper embedded image of the company as a while (i.e. GE or Costco is known for quality). Over time marketing campaigns should continue to receive higher returns through specific targeted marketing messages and higher brand awareness that spills over from one advertising exposure to another.