It sometimes happens that an organization’s marketing efforts turn out to be disconnected and do not complement each other. In this case, they do not help to shape a unified brand image and be heard and recognized by a large audience of prospective customers. Integrated marketing communications strategies solve this issue by allowing businesses to combine different communication means, thus maximizing the effectiveness of all marketing efforts.
Having an integrated marketing communication strategy is important to businesses in many ways, including its potential effects on brand awareness among different populations. To start with, by using multiple well-connected communication options to promote an organization’s message, businesses can benefit from the synergy in marketing. It has been shown that efforts to make the elements of marketing strategies united by a specific goal or a message can increase the sum effect of these elements (Jucaityté & Maščinskiené, 2014). Another reason why integrated strategies are important is their ability to increase organizations’ chances to reach different populations (Jucaityté & Maščinskiené, 2014). For instance, combining TV ads and social media marketing can improve marketing outreach and help to communicate a business’s value to both younger and older prospective clients.
Next, integrated strategies are important because they save time and allow experiencing the benefits of different communication channels. Basically, without opportunities for integration, businesses would have to make difficult and time-consuming decisions regarding the best communication channel to emphasize (Keller, 2016). In contrast, integrated strategies allow introducing marketing efforts that compensate for each other’s flaws. For instance, TV ads make brand names sound familiar to wide audiences but do not necessarily target only those that actually need the product. In contrast, contextual advertising and continuity programs allow working with people that are more likely to accept the offer (Keller, 2016). Thus, by combining different approaches to communication with customers, it is possible to create a more stabilized strategy.
Integrated marketing communications strategies communicate value to customers by using carefully selected communication options to elicit a series of outcomes that range from creating brand awareness and building trust to inspiring consumers into action. Effective integrated strategies can be developed using the communications matching model (Batra & Keller, 2016; Brick&mobile, n.d.). The model helps to select the best communication options to meet customers’ needs during each stage of the so-called decision journey.
To communicate value, businesses use the communications matching model and make sure that each communication option serves a specific purpose. For example, to encourage prospective customers to acknowledge their unmet needs and develop brand awareness, businesses can emphasize TV ads. Then, companies can use their websites to lead interested audiences through this journey and provide people with an opportunity to learn more about the brand and explore their preferences (Batra & Keller, 2016). Next, access to credible reviews of the offered products will increase prospective clients’ willingness to pay for it. Communication via social media and organizations’ websites can then be used to make sure that clients are satisfied with the quality of products and services (Batra & Keller, 2016). Thus, well-developed integrated strategies maximize positive responses from customers and communicate value by using communication options with the largest potential influence on clients during all stages of customer decision-making.
Finally, all businesses are expected to analyze and carefully select marketing communication channels and balance their marketing needs and plans against the existing opportunities to reach out to prospective customers. Integrated marketing communications strategies allow saving time and benefiting from synergy and the benefits of different communication options. Due to the careful selection of communication means during each stage of customer decision-making, such strategies effectively communicate value to consumers.
References
Batra, R., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Integrating marketing communications: New findings, new lessons, and new ideas. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 122-145.
Brick&mobile. (n.d.). Examples of an integrated marketing campaign [Video file]. Web.
Jucaityté, I., & Maščinskiené, J. (2014). Peculiarities of social media integration into marketing communication. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 156, 490-495.
Keller, K. L. (2016). Unlocking the power of integrated marketing communications: How integrated is your IMC program? Journal of Advertising, 45(3), 286–301.