Integrated Marketing Communication in Digital Environment

This paper explains the concept of integrated marketing communication in digitally challenged surroundings. It examines the integration of traditional and digital media, methods of communication, and impact of interactive marketing. The paper also discusses the impact of digital media on customer behavior and the communication process based on IMC.

Integrated Marketing
Communication
Digital Environment
2018
6/4/2018

Introduction
The aim of the paper is to explain the concept of integrated marketing communication in
digitally challenged surroundings. The integration is examined by 5 features. First,
integration in relation to media; it states that IMC is accomplished by the traditional media
mix (print- magazines, television, newspaper, radio; media of direct-response includes- direct
mail, billboards, marketing through catalogue, telephone; other “precise media”: product-
packaging price, people, specifically brand, physical evidence, place, people; classic
customers- Word Of Mouth communications) and digital media (smart phones, digital
newspaper, magazines on internet, internet, and other mobile devices, digital T.V. and radio).
Second, integration in regards to the methods of communication, IMC is also the mix of
classic promotion (personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, public relation, and direct
marketing) digital communications (mobile communication, digital TV, and radio, internet
communications) and WOM communications (online and offline) (Rakić and Rakić, 2014).
Redirection from the business addresses towards customers through the discussion and
communications with them in actual time is allowed by the growth of Web-a 2.0. According
to Brennan (2010), Web 2.0 is utilized to explain the same notion of advancement of the
Internet from a stagnant environment concentrated towards one-way receipt or provision of
data (Web 1.0), to communicating civic where operators can interconnect, blog, and develop
data in actual time. "The sector of information in the global modern economy has now
become a central part of fruitful working and growth of the policies of all firms in social and
economic life". Cory (2010), highlights the variations in the communications in social media
marketing communications. He said that online reputation for a company is very important.
As per Jackson (2010), new media technologies i.e. e-commerce, internet-enabled
entertainment, mobile broadband and social networking, are primarily shifting the method of

interaction among people and the whole world. Manolica (2011), said that social media
shows a paradigm modification in the method that is utilized to interact and communicate
with one another.
Integrated approach to new and traditional digital media
Authors highlight the variations in the IMC as an outcome of the influence of social media;
however, they have also discussed that social media reflects only a division of Integrated
Marketing Communication strategy. According to Murray (2010), social media need to be
integrated with the traditional or classic marketing. “The Social media’s potential of
marketing will be misplaced if it is not knitted into the general strategy of marketing.” The
strategies and tools for communicating with the consumers now have altered majorly with the
development of the important aspect i.e. social media. Rohm and Crittenden (2011), propose
the formation of the network of connected features containing both traditional and digital
media, planned incorporation of the social media into the company’s strategy of marketing
communication and social media marketing as an obligatory feature of the marketing strategy
(Huang, Su, Zhou and Liu, 2013). To conclude they said that social media is a marketing
plan's standalone element. Businesses have to think of both traditional and social media as the
division of a network where all the elements operate collectively in the direction of a
common objective. The managers of marketing are looking towards the incorporation of
social media into their strategy of IMC.
Mangold and Faulds (2011), suggest that social media is said to be a promotional mix’s
hybrid component and consequently be combined as the integral portion of the IMC strategy
of the company. They contrast and compare the paradigm of traditional or classic
communication that responded on the recognized promotional mix, basics which were
established and advanced over last 100 years, along with the paradigm of new
communication which includes social media. First, in the matter of traditional or classic

aspect, social media allow businesses to interact with the consumers, and this part of social
media is reliable with the utilization of traditional or classic tools of IMC. Second, in the
matter of non-traditional aspect social media allow consumers to discuss straight with each
other, it is said to be an addition of traditional or classic word-of-mouth communication.
Third, it allows consumers to interact with the organizations, which is very essential for the
marketing study. "The content, frequency, and timing, of the conversation based on social
media stirring between customers are out of the direct control of the managers. This stands in
distinction to the traditional IMC paradigm where there is the presence of high degree of
control." Therefore, as per the new paradigm of communications, stated by Mangold and
Faulds (2011), communications is done inherently by integrating traditional promotion mix
(direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion and advertising) and
social media (social networking sites, blogs user sponsored and company sponsored, sites for
sharing videos, etc.).
When the progress of digital media took place, customers altered their behavior, such that
they convey from traditional or classic media to digital media. Though, customers make use
of diverse media that is a mix of media, such that companies have to form messages for
diverse media, due to different media acceptance by the customers. The below diagram
reflects an integrated approach to both new digital media and traditional media.

Source [(Rakić and Rakić, 2014)]
Customers make use of traditional media like magazines, television, newspaper, radio, direct
media like catalogs, telephone, external advertising, mail, etc. Additionally, other marketing
mix instruments are similarly very essential. These types of instruments are directly
concentrated towards the promotion. Currently when customers are continually “bombarded”
by the messages of advertising and when they ignore them, it is important to have media
which will appeal the attention of the customer. Such media is the attractive packaging of the
product. To be precise, customers can evade seeing TV video, clips, they might opt not to
hear the messages on radio, look at the announcements and therefore to evade influence of
typical media. Though, when they visit in a store, operative or attractive packaging can help
in enticing and get more attention of the consumers as compared to other media. Price is also
an element that talks about the product, therefore it is said to be a medium which is indirect.
Retailers, distribution channels (politeness, sympathy, etc.), the procedure of delivery of
product or service, pleasant surroundings in addition characterize product/ organization
(Luxton, Reid and Mavondo, 2015).

As an outcome of the above-specified effect of media, traditional - offline customers, by oral
recommendation, communicate their displeasure or desire to others, and therefore they
become significant i.e. the most powerful “movable media”. The digitalization procedure
affects the approval of new or modern digital media such as mobile devices, and the Internet
(e.g. iPad), digital magazines and newspapers (by the mobile phones and Internet), digital
customer, digital TV, and digital radio. Online customers can rapidly carry messages to
numerous individuals such as associates, friends, and also to the strangers.
Mobile phones, digital radio, internet, digital TV, and other devices are utilized such as:
 Media – communication channels (part of multi-channel- IMC) - for interaction,
relationships, and communications with the consumer and other parties in the micro-
environment,
 Channel of Distribution - for digital products,
 Channel of Sales,
 The marketing research method - customers and other parties and forces in the region
(Naeem, Bilal and Naz, 2013)
Integrated approach to digital and traditional marketing communications
According to Aprimo (2011), all the marketing mix element of a company whether it is
online or traditional must share a reliable look and supports the goals of the organization.
Customers behave in a different way; they make use of various media, therefore companies
make use of IMC. Digital communications are one of the divisions of multi-channel that is
integrated communications. The actual query is which mix of marketing must be utilized.
Depending on IMC, administration notifies, encourages, reminds us “pay attention” to
customers about the services/products and/or organization.
The IMC’s methods are:

 Advertising – It is said to be paid form of promotion which is also called as the non-
personal presentation of the services or products of an organization.
 Sales promotion – sales promotion involves different types of short-term incentives
that influence purchase or trail of services or products.
 Publicity and Public relations are focused on developing and upholding an excellent
image of the company.
 It also includes traditional methods of direct communication such as utilizing
telephone, mail, fax to create interactions and direct communications.
 Personal selling is also said to be a face to face interaction with potential buyers and
dealer to arrange answer questions, presentations, and get orders and product sales.
 Digital marketing include utilization of databases, digital radio, Internet, mobile
devices, and digital TV, for quicker and operative interactions, communications, and
the relationship management with the consumers and other parties in the internal
environment (Yeshin, 2012).
As identified above kinds of communication, all thanks to digital technology, acquire their
suitable digital forms. For instance, advertising in the classic printed magazines and
newspapers is on one side, and advertising on digital magazines and newspapers (mobile and
online) are diverse. Traditional TV has been interchanged by the digital TV and Internet TV.
Telephonic communications have been averted to mobile phones from landline phones.
Mobile phones enable communications with the mobile customers that also allows them to
move anywhere, anytime, if the customers are interested in the communications.
Smartphones provide various options for organizations as well as customers.
Businesses can deliver traditional or classic direct mail to the home address and to rapidly
send messages electronically by email.

Additionally digital methods and traditional methods of the marketing communications,
businesses offer their services/products by non-communicative instruments which are part of
marketing mix. All this creates IMC or integrated marketing communications.
 Marketing mix's Non-communicative instruments - Product, price, distribution
channels, physical evidence, process, and people are the instruments which talk more
about the company, service, and product. Similarly, marketing mix instruments
indirectly or directly show service/ company/ product and can add something to the
product’s value and to the customer’s experience.
 Marketing through Word of Mouth is focused towards WOM between the users (word
of mouth is said to a communication which takes place between people as mouth to
mouth interaction). Communications between customers are connected to comments,
reviews, recommendations, suggestions, etc. Formerly stated IMC forms have a great
effect on word of mouth. Various results of the research ensure that interaction with
the friends, acquaintances, family members, and consumers have a superior influence
on the behavior of the customer than IMC of the companies.
Communications between the user it can be online (for example, blogs, forums, and social
networks) and offline (for example, mouth to mouth. Some of the notions are utilized: User
Generated Content and User Generated Media).
Digital media’s obtainability, prices, and approval by the maximum of the customers, in the
end, will result in the fact that all these will become classic or traditional.
The communication procedure based on IMC
The company operates together with the agents (such as marketing research, firms of public
relation, advertising agency, etc.) conducts promotional activities with the help of promotion
mix as well as digital marketing communications with the customers. Customers can be the

part of each other’s interaction or communications, both by social media and face-to-face
interaction. Customers can also be the part in the interactions with the company’s
representatives.
Source [(Rakić and Rakić, 2014)]
Impact of Interactive Marketing
Interactive marketing is said to be an addition of direct marketing by utilizing advanced
technologies (Marketing School, 2012). Remarkably, it provides two-way communications
between vendor and purchaser. Interactive marketing is also called “Digital Marketing” (Chi,
2011).
Positive impact of Interactive marketing communication
 It is the most affordable method of promotion which reaches the maximum number of
audience. Performing advertisement online is inexpensive as compared to print
advertising, and even maximum number of people sees it. Thousands of people can
see the sponsored posts on different sites of social media for few dollars a pop
(Morley, 2018).
 Variation of simply available marketing outlets- Interactive marketing provides
various new business opportunities. There are email campaigns, search engine

optimization, social media, banner ads, content marketing, etc. All these functions can
simply take care of online promotion and make the procedure smoother (Barkman,
2018).
The negative impact of Interactive marketing communication
 It is easy to look at the advantages, another aspect to be considered while going digital
with the marketing plan is the digital marketing’s negative impact. (Moore, 2012)
 If the marketers are not familiar with the things going around them, then there are
maximum changes that the message of the company can be misinterpreted.
 It is also not so easy to spot scammers from the originals
 The various purchaser of the product today also like to have live or face to face
interaction while to go shopping or buy something. Not getting the chance to try, feel
or touch the product to buy leaves the huge place in the mind of the consumer to
guess before purchasing a product on online (Evans, 2010).
 Updates timing is very serious because an out-dated information or content can raise
problems.
 Poor services to the consumers can act as a spoilsport, various online visitors will
relate the website as the poor service without contact with the company. The
confidence of the customer can be increased with effective customer service attached
to digital marketing strategy.
 Guarantee fear- The customers always remain in the fear that the received product is
the exact that same product which has been seen in the picture.
Developing role of digital media
Digital media has now become a publishing niche and the future too appears floating. The
reason behind this is the very simple i.e. availability of various possibilities. To think of a

future where there are digital media just as a channel of publishing is possibly an
unbelievable fancy however probabilities are that digital media will control the other
channels in the coming future. Once a look at the establishment and digital media’s evolution,
this becomes more obvious.
Digital media was encountered with skepticism by the industry of publishing when it started
drawing the attention. At that time Experts and Professionals felt that new channels of
communication will not ever be capable to be revenue’s steady source. They were not acting
as negative or technophobic the time they did their forecasts because the readers of the
internet were at the minority and smartphones were not invented at that time period. For
example, internet readers of the magazine at that time were not even 10% of the population.
The arrival of the smartphones and its sales took to the new heights to the digital media.
Digital media provided an approach i.e. user-oriented that was used excellently at that time.
The figures pointed one thing i.e. internet can provide infinite possibilities of revenue and it
also did.
The arrival of social media re-determined the digital media and the power of digital media
kept rising. Presently mobile and desktop are said to be the leading platforms of publishing.
Along with this the increasing demand for the content which is personalized which is
obtainable anywhere, and anytime. This situation can be clarified by the supremacy of the
first generation of digital native i.e. Gen Y and Z. two of these generations involve approx.
world’s 45% population and people are arising in either Y Gen or Z and are all involved in
the digital media and mobile phones (Thomas, 2011).
All the generations that trail demographic group will apparently born into the digital media.
This reflects that the digital natives’ percentage in the population of the world will only
increase and in a generation, it will quickly hit 100%. Till this occurs, the power and

popularity of digital media will increase and the time it will happen the digital media will
possibly mark its sovereignty over other publishing channels (Impelsys, 2016).
Role of Digital Technology
Today's era has experienced the significance of digital technology in the daily lives of people.
It enables people to unlock a maximum collection of the communication data and
information. Every type of task, whether it is a job-specific regular task or a regular task
needs digital literacy or digital proficiency. Digital literacy means the capability to utilize
communication tools, digital technology, and networks to integrate, create access, manage
and evaluate data or information to operate in a knowledge community. The implementation
of a fruitful approach for the progression of skills of digital literacy is known to comprise
multiple constituents that tackle obstacles for obvious demographics like age, language,
attitude, economic or socio status and regional availability of resources (Fitzgerald,
Kruschwitz, Bonnet and Welch, 2014). To increase the levels of digital literacy strategies
should be implemented and targeted, wherever essential for particular populations and
conditions maintaining an account of various hurdles (Selwyn, 2012). As per Castells, 2009,
there is a transformation in the technology with the cumulative utilization of internet access.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, it can be said that integrated marketing communication has now days
created an effective environment for the business organization to promote their products or
services in the market smoothly. The integrated marketing communication when coming
together with the digital strategies or social media creates a major impact on the customers
because today people are not so fond of watching television, listing radios, etc. On the other
side, they are more familiar and interested in browsing social media channels. The above
report has highlighted the major and important aspects of integrated marketing

communication in the digital environment. Moreover, it has also highlighted the impact of
interactive marketing communication along with the development of the role of digital media
and digital technology. Both these roles have reflected that today every business is making
use of this digital technology and media for promoting the business moreover to reach most
of the customers by investing less amount.

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