What are the 6 IMC tools?

I think of a successful marketing campaign as a well-oiled system, multiple parts working in harmony to achieve a single result. Marketing has evolved into a multi-faceted process, especially in today’s technology and social media-driven landscape. 

No longer can you rely on one thing to carry your brand. For example, in the past, you could depend on your company’s excellent public relations and storied history to net your customers. 

Now with so much competition and many platforms to market on, somebody is bound to sweep the rug under your feet if you are not careful. You cannot settle for some shoddy and weak marketing plan; brand communication must be strong and unified. 

There are lots of advertising and marketing mediums right now, and marketing campaigns are becoming more powerful and creative. To stand out from the lot, you need to assert your presence through a consistent message and aggressive branding, not separately, but .  

Integrated marketing communication (IMC), which became popular in the 1900s, is returning as a central concept in today’s brand advertising. But for beginners the question is what is this concept? and how do you apply it to your marketing efforts?  

Before we get into details, watch how big brands like Coca-Cola implement IMC in their business.

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What is IMC?

Organizations have to promote their brands to survive in the long run. It sounds easy, but the thing is that it’s not. 

Marketing techniques and channels continue to evolve and grow in number. The ways you employ to get your message across have to be artful and intelligent, without coming across too strong. 

When a product is promoted correctly, the public’s brand awareness increases. When people are more aware of your product, there are understandably more potential customers. 

And well, the rest follows: more sales, revenue, and income figures. 

To do this, organizations make efforts to raise the popularity of the products for the potential end-users. Brand communication is the process adopted by companies to make their products more popular and appealing among end-users. 

Brand communication promotes products through many possible means, such as:

1. Advertising, 
2. Sales promos,
3. Personal selling, 
4. Direct marketing, 
5. Public relations, 
6. Social media, 
7. And many more. 

So, where does integrated marketing communication (IMC) fit in all of this? 

IMC is a concept where an organization coordinates and combines many communication and marketing channels to impart a consistently clear message to customers. To do this, they would utilize the many methods of promotion with complimentary use of media to expand the reach and effect of brand communication. 

Introduced in the 1980s, IMC changed the landscape that marketers and communicators work on. Many organizations today combine traits such as corporate communications, public relations, marketing, promotions, and advertising into a collective “IMC mix.” 

Through collaborative efforts between the different departments, organizations ensure that their messages and promotions are consistent and unified.  

IMC combines all the marketing tools, resources, and approaches available to an organization to create an impact and imprint in the mind of consumers. This results in high profit amounts at relatively lower costs; you would not need to advertise at every turn because your brand is already inside the consumer’s mind. 

Innovation is the cornerstone of IMC; companies must employ creative ways to ensure that customers receive the right message at the most suitable place and time. 

Conceptually, IMC is simple. An organization links all promotional tools together, so they work in harmony to deliver a consistent message.

However, applying it is another task altogether, and requires careful planning and coordination across the teams involved.

The major IMC tools

The use of mobile marketing is very rampant today, in this age, where many people own a smartphone. Mobile marketing is a more streamlined and cheaper version of online marketing, which is also famous nowadays. 

Mobile marketers communicate with consumers through a mobile device. Activities include simple things such as sending a marketing message, giving a link to a mobile website, or advertisements on mobile. 

Social media marketing 

Social media marketing is the new trend where promotions are done through social media channels. These sites are the future of marketing and promotion because social media naturally fosters timely interaction and engagement. 

Social media marketing involves promotion through the many available social media channels. Brands gather the right amount of attention and audience on such channels and can even interact with many users in real-time while they are browsing the internet. 

These tools are combined by a company to create a proper IMC plan that tells a unified message and purpose. 

Relevant: How to advertise on Google

Why is IMC important?

Even if it’s not exactly a foreign concept unique to today, IMC is vital in this era. More marketing channels are popping up now, and different people lead those channels with diverse communities. 

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You have probably heard of, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” The famous Snickers tagline implies that the chocolate bar is a great on-the-go snack, and relieves you of hunger. 

Snickers continued this program through print, digital, display, and television media, and even at the retail level. Consistent messaging and branding resulted in this easily distinguishable sentence that when you hear it, you immediately think of Snickers. 

Wrapping up!

The concept of integrated marketing communications is not new but is essential in today’s marketing landscape.  

In the digital era, we see the traditional marketing tools (advertising, public relations, etc.) acting as a base on how the modern tools (social media marketing, mobile marketing, events) are shaped. These new facets enhance how consumers receive and interpret your message. 

With the advent of modern and digital tools, IMC is becoming more and more personal and is paving the road for the future of digital marketing. 

What are the six integrated marketing communication tools?

What are the main tools of IMC?

What is IMC and its tools?

What are the 5 components of IMC?