Integrated Marketing Communications(IMC)

Integrated Marketing Communications(IMC) is an approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign through a well coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to reinforce each other. As defined by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, IMC "... recognizes the value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines- advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion and combines them to provide clarity, consistency and maximum communication impact."

IMC is designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time. The IMC planning process has been compared to composing a musical score. In a piece of music, while every instrument has a specific task, the goal is to have them come together in a way that produces beautiful music. It is the same in IMC, where advertising might be your violin, social media your piano, public relations your trumpet and so on.


WHY IMC?

Five major shifts in the worlds of advertising,marketing and media caused an increased interest in IMC. These include:

A SHIFT FROM                                             TO

Traditional Advertising                             Digital/Interactive Media

Mass Media                                            Specialized Media

Low Agency Accountability                       High Agency Accountability

Traditional Compensation                        Performance Based Compensation

Limited Internet Access                           Widespread Internet Availability

These shifts are focusing organisations to look at the whole marketing picture, re-aligning their communications and seeing things the way the consumer sees them as a constant flow of information from indistinguishable source.

                            MAGGI'S IMC STRATEGIES

Market Scenario:New Entrant(1990s)

• Broadcasting during popular soap opera in doordarshan
• Communication through print ads that Maggi is a fast food
• Free samples in schools for promotion
• Gifts for sending 5 Maggi logos cut from packs

Market Scenario: Established Product(1990s)

• Ads highlighting different flavors
• Ads targeting children by conducting Maggi Quiz

Marketing Scenario: Dominant Product in Indian Noodles Industry(2000s)

• Creating curiosity among the customers about the new variety-Guess the taste
• Meri Maggi Campaign