IMC Program How an IMC

IMC Program

How an IMC program that aims to achieve the goal of effectiveness should be evaluated

An integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign aims to create a holistic and integrated approach to the advertising, public relations, and one-on-one sales used to sell a product or service. The effectiveness of an IMC campaign is evaluated based upon increased sales but also if the campaign conveys the same image and message in all of its promotional efforts, through its use of varied types of advertising media, and the memorable image and impression it leaves in the minds of consumers in terms of 'branding.' Of course, this evaluative process presumes that the original integrated idea is effective in nature. There needs to be a great deal of preliminary planning to find a message that is clear, simple, and direct and can be fully integrated all aspects of the multifaceted sources that are used to sell the product.

For example, take a cereal company that is marketing a new whole grain cereal to children: the intended, overall message might be that the cereal is tasty yet healthy. Advertising must stress these two benefits, showing perhaps happy children dressed for an upcoming sports game consuming the cereal while their mother looks on, approvingly. Having a promotional campaign at local supermarkets that gave out toys with the cartoon character associated with the cereal would not be integrated marketing, unless the toy was something like a pedometer, or otherwise associated with fitness and health. The selection of such a message would be preferable to a generic message that promoted the taste of the product alone, as many children's cereals try to draw children to 'nag' their parents to buy them based upon their cuteness. This approach would try to make both children and parents want to buy the cereal, however, rather than have two separate marketing campaigns, the idea of 'fun' and health would be integrated across all of the channels used to spread the word about the product.

This is not to say that an IMC promotional campaign cannot have different components: for example, to use new media, the website devoted to promoting the cereal product might contain games for the children was intended, involving quizzes about nutrition and sports. The advertisements targeting parents in magazines might emphasize the nutritional components of the cereal and its effectiveness in enhancing their children's overall health and development, while not being a cereal they would have to 'force-feed' to their children during an unpleasant mealtime struggle in the morning.

IMC strives to deploy new media and old media in an integrated and effective manner, but with a coherent message. This coherency increases simplicity and ultimately makes the promotion more effective. Similar slogans and catchphrases in the child and adult-targeted advertising would be necessary to avoid confusion -- one would not want the adult to accidentally buy the wrong cereal for the child, for example, due to a confusion of what cereal he or she saw in the advertisement or what the child was begging for by name. Also, the parent must 'walk away' with the promoted health benefits of the whole grain, fortified cereal enough so that he or she feels compelled to become a consumer.