INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC)

Integreted marketing communication (IMC) also called as integrated promotion mix. The IMC plays an important role in persuading, reminding, informing, developing image and attitudes, and educating the intended audience (buyers or dealers)

William Stanton defines IMC "as the element in an organisation's marketing mix that is used to inform, persuade and remind the market regarding the orgnisation and/or its products."

There are various elements of IMC.

for instance, if a firm needs to create brand awareness of a newly introduced brand, it has to undertake publicity, advertising, sponsorship, trade fairs/ehibitions participation etc., so as to create the maximum impact. The number of elements to be combined and the money and efforts to be spent on each element depends on several factors such as nature of the product and consumers, competition, availability of funds, etc.

The important elements of IMC mix:

1. Advertising : It is any paid form of non-personal presentation of good and services, ideas by an identified sponsor. the advertising messages are communicated through various media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, direct mails, internet and so on.

2. Publicity : Publicity is any unpaid form of non-personal presentations of ideas, goods and services. Publicity is undertaken through news and editorials carried by the mass media about a firm-products, actions, policies, awards, etc.

3. Sales Promotion : It includes various techniques that induce a desired response on the part of target customers and intermediaries. The various sales promotion techniques include free samples, consumer contents, free gifts, selling on installment, discounts, warranties, etc.

4. Personal selling : It involves face-to-face communication between the firm's representative and the prospect. It is the oldest type of promotional effort to sell goods and services.

5. Public Relations : Professional firms are concerned about the effects of their actions on the public. A firm should understand concerns of the public and communicate to them its goals and interests; otherwise, they may misinterpret, distort, or be openly hostile to the firm's actions.

6. Packaging : A properly designed package can influence or induce the prospects to buy the product A well designed package can communicate the type and quality of the product.

7. Direct Marketing : Direct marketing involves several techniques to sell product directly to the customers, such as yellow pages, direct mail (sales latters, brouchers, catalogues). internet, and telemarketing.

8. Trade fairs and exhibitions : Participation in trade fairs and exhibitions ia an vital technique of promoting products. It is one of the oldest form of promoting the sale of products.

9. Sponsorship : A firm may sponsor sports, cultural and social events in order to create a distinct image both for the organization and for its brands.