The document is an introduction to integrated marketing communications (IMC) from a textbook. It discusses the concept of IMC and the reasons for its growing importance. IMC recognizes the value of a comprehensive marketing communications plan that combines various communication disciplines like advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, and more to provide clarity and maximize impact. The objectives are to examine the promotional function, introduce IMC and how it has evolved, and examine why the IMC perspective is increasingly important in planning promotional programs.

1. An Introduction
to Integrated
Marketing
Communication
Chapter 1
Advertising And Promotion, 6/E - Belch
Group 8
Integrated Marketing Communications
Aditya GSN Indrajit Bage N Krishna Chaitanya Neeraj Panghal Prateek Jaiswal Silpa Kamath

2. Chapter Objectives
• To examine the promotional function and the growing importance of
advertising and other promotional elements in the marketing programs
of domestic and foreign companies.
• To introduce the concept of integrated marketing communications
(IMC) and consider how it has evolved.
• To examine reasons for the increasing importance of the IMC
perspective in planning and executing advertising and promotional
programs.
• To introduce the various elements of the promotional mix and consider
their roles in an IMC program.
• To examine how various marketing and promotional elements must be
coordinated to communicate effectively.

3. Definition
A concept of marketing communications planning that
recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that
evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication
disciplines—for example, general advertising, direct
response, sales promotion, and public relations—and
combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency,
and maximum communications impact.

4. Reasons for the Growing Importance of
IMC
A shifting of marketing dollars from A shift in marketplace
media advertising to other forms of power from
promotion, particularly consumer- and manufacturers to
trade-oriented sales promotions. retailers
The rapid growth and Demands for greater accountability
development of from advertising agencies and
database marketing. changes in the way agencies are
compensated.
A movement away from relying on advertising-focused
approaches, which emphasize mass media such as network
television and national magazines, to solve communication
problems.

5. Elements of the promotional mix
Direct
Advertising
marketing
Consumer-oriented
sales promotion Interactive/
Sales
Promotion Internet
Trade-oriented sales Marketing
promotion
Publicity
Personal Publicity/
Selling Public Public Relations
Relations

6. The
IMC
Planning
Process