Direct Effect Of Integrated Marketing
Integrated Marketing policy is a comprehensive approach towards marketing.To understand the basics of it we can quote the definition of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) set by The American Marketing Association.The Marketing Power Dictionary describes integrated marketing as”a planning process 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 objective is to ensure regularity and reliability of product message and harmonizing media usage.
The Concept
The concept,Integrated Marketing Communications encompass both online and offline marketing channels.Online marketing channels comprise search engine optimization (SEO),pay-per-click,e-mail,websites and Internet television while offline marketing channels implies traditional print such as newspaper and advertising magazine,electronics media,postal mail, public relations programs and outdoor advertising with hoardings and posters.
Reason Behind It
The integrated marketing communication program of a company is based on four Ps such as product,price,place and promotion.Evolution towards modernity in the media and advertising industry caused IMC to grow as primary strategy for the overall promotional program of the company.
The Most Effective Communications Elements
The selection of marketing elements for proposed integrated marketing communications is to create a promotion that is most effective and reliable for media platforms.While some marketers believes in the breadth of appeal some keeps faith in the depth of appeal.But it is important to understand that IMC is more than just advertising and marketing.A huge amount of money is spent on integrated marketing campaigns.
Direct Marketing
It is next to impossible to cover all the aspects of integrated marketing at one go.So,we will focus on the direct aspect of it.Direct marketing is one of the most cost-effective sub-disciplines of integrated marketing.There is no better way to set up a one-to-one relationship between a potential buyer and an enterprise than direct marketing strategy.A direct message can generate instant sale or open a conversation between the consumers and the company or simply provide information about products and services.
Direct marketing entails direct commercial communication with consumers or other business enterprises.Through this kind of marketing the marketer asks the prospect to perform a specific task such as visiting their website or calling a toll-free number for product and service information.The aim is to get instant response.
The commonest form of it is direct postal mail and e-mail.Consumers’addresses are retrieved from the database and e-mails are sent to them.Postal mails are also sent to customers belonging to a particular area.
Telemarketing is the second most used form of direct marketing where advertisers directly contact the consumer over phone.
The process of door to door leaflet distribution is also used widely by especially the fast food industry.
Many of the marketers find direct marketing attractive as it helps in receiving direct response almost instantly.But the flip side is that recipient (consumer) may find it disturbing if it is irrelevant to him/her and may block the sender to avoid receiving such mails on the web.But one way or the other the marketers have the scope to say that the campaign led direct response from the prospects.