Integrated Marketing Communications for Sports Brands

This article discusses the importance of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) for sports brands and how it can increase engagement levels and profitability. It defines IMC and explains how it ensures that different messages provided by the company are linked together in an effective manner. The article also highlights the role of social media and other digital networks in IMC-based activities for sports brands.

Running head: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Introduction
The promotions and advertising based activities play an important role in the ways by
which sports brands are marketed in the industry. The sports brand based organizations also
need advertising in order to create awareness of products among the customers. The creation
of awareness plays an important role in successful operations of these sports organizations 1.
Defining integrated marketing communications
Integrated marketing communications plays an important role in the ways by which
the message of these brands are communicated to the customers. This process mainly ensures
that the messages that are different messages which are provided by the company are linked
together in an effective manner. The basic level integration of the promotional tools is
important so that they are able to work together in a collaborative manner. The tools related
to communication in an organization tend work in a better way in collaboration with each
other as compared to operations in an isolated manner 2.
Importance of integrated marketing communications for sports brands
The technological advances and globalisation has created huge opportunities for
different sports organizations which operate in the industry. The use of integrated marketing
has also increased in the modern business environment. IMC can thereby be used for the
purpose of increasing the engagement levels of customers and creating effective relationships
1 Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G.F. and Powell, I. Advertising: An integrated marketing communication
perspective. McGraw-Hill Education. 2014
2 Finne, Å. and Grönroos, C. Communication-in-use: customer-integrated marketing communication. European
Journal of Marketing, 51(3), 2017, pp.445-463.

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
as well. The social network has been able to play an important role in the ways sports
organizations are able to connect with the customers and communicate with them in an
effective manner 3. A communication strategy can be used for the purpose of selling, talking
and updating the content that is an important part of the operations of the organization.
Integrated marketing communication based activities thereby play a major role in the ways by
which sports brands are able to communicate their messages to customers. Social media and
other digital networks are the major tools that are used by different sports brands in order to
operate in the industry in a profitable manner 4.
Conclusion
The usage of integrated marketing communication or IMC based tools by sports has
been able to provide an effective position to the organizations. The companies are now using
the integrated marketing tools in an efficient manner to communicate with the customers.
IMC plays an important role in increasing the profitability of these organizations within a
short period of time.
3 Luxton, S., Reid, M. and Mavondo, F. Integrated marketing communication capability and brand
performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), 2015, pp.37-46.
4Valos, M.J., Maplestone, V.L., Polonsky, M.J. and Ewing, M. Integrating social media within an integrated
marketing communication decision-making framework. Journal of Marketing Management, 33(17-18), 2017,
pp.1522-1558.

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INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
References
Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G.F. and Powell, I. Advertising: An integrated marketing
communication perspective. McGraw-Hill Education. 2014
Finne, Å. and Grönroos, C. Communication-in-use: customer-integrated marketing
communication. European Journal of Marketing, 51(3), 2017, pp.445-463.
Luxton, S., Reid, M. and Mavondo, F. Integrated marketing communication capability and
brand performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), 2015, pp.37-46.
Valos, M.J., Maplestone, V.L., Polonsky, M.J. and Ewing, M. Integrating social media within
an integrated marketing communication decision-making framework. Journal of Marketing
Management, 33(17-18), 2017, pp.1522-1558.