Final IMC Thoughts

In our review of the case studies of Virtual Vineyards, Erox Corporation, and Charles Schwab, we learned the importance on IMC in the sustained performance of a product or brand. Proper positioning, brand awareness, brand image, and brand loyalty play key roles in building a strong brand. Creating favorable perceptions within the market compared to the competition is also an important aspect of a good IMC plan. More importantly, and unless you have an unlimited marketing budget, to be successful in today’s hyper-competitive, over-advertised marketplace, you should be focusing your business and marketing on serving a specialized and preferably small niche market. By deciding to focus on serving a small niche market, you greatly increase your odds for business success with much less risk.

Integrated Marketing Communications is a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added-value in a program that integrates a variety of strategic disciplines such as general advertising, direct response, sales promotion and public relations, and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum communications impact. In an integrated campaign, general advertising shines at strengthening brands and brand equity while direct marketing builds relationships and dialogue, and provides the means to build brand loyalty today’s competitive environments. Sales promotion provides short-term buying incentives for both consumers and the trade. Public relations and publicity can offer third-party endorsements and extra reinforcement for the paid advertising messages. None of the IMC elements is inherently superior or inferior; they all have important functions in an integrated campaign. Contrary to new beliefs, the campaign should still focus on a “big idea” and a graphic look that threads through all four elements. This maximizes the chances that consumers will get the message and then have the message reinforced and layered in their memories without the “cognitive inconsistency” that arises from mixed messages or contradictory graphic elements. Having a viable product concept, achieving favorable quality perceptions, and providing benefits to fulfill a consumer need will ultimately determine the short-term success or failure of a product, but a sound strategic and integrated marketing communications process will provide a blueprint for long-term product success and growth.