Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC): Reach your customers everywhere

Once upon a time publicity for business expansion was made on news paper or local announcement through a mic. But presently marketing communication is not restricted within the above media; it is defined as the composition of possible all media exposure and activities. Now a days, advertising is not enough for establishing a brand and the package of all media exposures added with various activities defined as integrated marketing communication or IMC.

For IMC, a communication strategy is developed first; then according to that strategy a brand communication is done. IMC is composed with ATL & BTL.

ATL or above the line communication defines the publicity to reach mass; i.e. the news paper, TV or Radio. That is why ATL is always expensive for the advertisers.

But BTL or below the line activities are not expensive a lot as they target very selective area or people to establish the brand name. Local trade fairs, local sponsorship, locally demonstration of a product etc. are examples of BTL activities.

Other components of IMC are Out Of Home (OOH) media, interactive media, Internet, Public relations (PR) etc.

OOH media are billboards, kiosks, bus branding, giant balloons etc. which we may see beside roads and highways. Interactive media are supposed to be very personal or not massive exposure at a time but very powerful medium for communication. Advertising through CD, DVD’s in any format are the example of interactive media exposure.  Internet or web medium is another powerful medium for brand communication. Many advertising websites are playing vital roles for category based brand communication. But Google is the role player of web based advertising through their networks. Google publishes precise category web ads on a web page depending on its web content. Suppose, you have a website for beauty care tips, Google will display all possible ads for beauty care services and products on that page through your Google ad sense codes. Thus the advertisers reach their specific customers or prospects. Face book is another powerful web place to advertise for reaching customers or prospects from a particular place or community. Suppose, you need to expose your business offer to Indian people or community, you may just select India to publish your ads and only people or community from India will be exposed to your ads. Main advantage of most web based advertising net works is publicity costing that depends on pay per click (PPC) or cost per thousand (CPM) based, so you have to pay only how much you are clicked or exposed. Public relation or PR reflects the company’s image to the customers or prospect. Usually PR activities include free write up on news papers or websites or blogs for a brand or company’s activities or offer etc.

At last, the IMC strategy must follow the marketing objectives and be executed accordingly to establish a brand. With IMC, you may reach all places where your customers are. The basic advantage of IMC is reiterating your brand name to the prospects or customer through various media that they may never forget the brand name and decide to purchase the brand and get loyalty.