What is IMC?

If you've been in the marketing world for more than a day you know you're not marketing to your grandmother's generation. Today's consumers are smarter, savvier and more demanding than they've ever been before, and it's up to you as a marketer to make sure you're giving them what they want. More importantly, it's up to you to make sure they know your company can give them what they want, and in today's highly segmented market mass media marketing isn't going to do it. That's why so many firms are shifting their attention from random, individualized advertising to integrated marketing communications.

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) involves drawing together every part of your advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns and tying them up with a bow. It's about branding. It's about presenting a unified front and image of your company to your consumers for them to carry in their minds rather than handing them so many diverse messages that they don't have a clue what you are, much less who you are or what you stand for.

IMC makes sense, but you'd be surprised how long it took many companies to hop on the bandwagon. The problem most businesses run into is that they have different teams controlling different aspects of their campaigns. So their advertising team might have very little to do with their public relations department, who might in turn have almost no communication with market research.

You can see why this is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

Before you do anything, sit down with all of your department heads and draw together the image of the company you want your consumers to have and the image you want to portray, and make sure everyone understands. You're all going to have to work together to promote your company and build the brand, image and loyal consumer base that will keep your profit margins climbing.

To help establish your integrated marketing communications campaign, visit us on the web at www.1uptoyou.com.