Chapter Summary
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is a cross-functional process
for planning, executing, and monitoring brand communications with the goal of
profitably acquiring, retaining, and growing customers. When making decisions
about marketing communication tools, companies consider the results they would
like to achieve in moving consumers through the steps of awareness, interest,
desire, and action (AIDA model) or the steps of “think, feel, do” in the hierarchy
of effects model. Companies develop social media strategies and plan specific
tactics to increase consumer awareness, influence attitude, and encourage
behavior.
The five traditional marketing communication tools are advertising, public
relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, and personal selling. In planning
IMC campaigns, companies can now move beyond traditional tools and “1 to 1”
(one marketer, one recipient) and “1 to many” (one marketer, multiple recipients)
Among the most commonly used owned media are: company Web sites
(to provide information, entertain, build communities, and serve as a
communication channel with customers); blogs (to disseminate views, attract site
visitors, engage in conversations, and support expert standing); support forums
and communities (for customers and prospects to discuss topics of interest,
provide product ideas, or seek assistance); podcasts (to support brand-building);
e-mail (for building relationships and encouraging direct response); text