The Role of IMC in Organizational Strategy: A Case Study

This essay examines the impact of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) on organizations, specifically focusing on Toyota Australia. It begins with an introduction to IMC, defining its role in coordinating communication channels to deliver a consistent message and attract consumers. The essay then provides an overview of Toyota Australia, its products (Toyota Camry), and the competitive landscape it faces from local and overseas automobile organizations. The core of the essay analyzes the roles and goals of IMC, emphasizing its importance in brand positioning, enhancing product awareness, increasing sales, and targeting specific audiences. A critical analysis of how IMC strategies, including advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, and digital marketing, assist Toyota in managing competition is also provided. The essay highlights how Toyota uses various communication channels, including digital platforms, to promote its products and adapt to consumer preferences. The conclusion reinforces the value of IMC for organizations and its impact on enhancing product awareness and revenue generation. The essay concludes by reiterating the importance of IMC in the face of industry changes and competitive pressures.

Running head: IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
Introduction
Integrated marketing communication or IMC is considered to be a concept according to
which an organization integrates and coordinates the different communication channels in a
careful manner for the purpose of delivering a consistent and clear message. The process of IMC
mainly aims at ensuring high consistency of a particular message and complementary use of the
media as well (Desai & Shah, 2019). Integrated marketing communication is thereby able to play
a major role in proper delivery of the unified messages to different end-users with the help of
different channels which further helps the organization to attract consumers (Finne & Grönroos,
2017). The essay will be based on the analysis of the effectiveness of IMC for an organization to
face competition in the industry.
Discussion of IMC and its effectiveness
About the product and the company
Toyota Australia is a major subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Corporation that is mainly
based in Japan. The organization mainly markets the products and also manages the business
operations, advertising and motorsport operations of Toyota in Australia. Toyota is also
considered to be responsible for the operations of Lexus vehicles in Australia. Toyota Australia
is mainly based in Port Melbourne along with the offices that are present in Perth, Adelaide,
Queensland, Darwin and Sydney. The Toyota Camry has been chosen for the analysis of the
impact of integrated marketing communication on the operations and competitive environment
of the firm. Toyota Camry is a major vehicle of Toyota that is built in Australia (Toyota.com.au.
2020).
Competition faced by the product from local and overseas organizations

2IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
Toyota Australia has been facing major levels of competition from the different local as
well as the overseas automobile organizations. The automotive industry of Australia is mainly
developed with the help of different smaller industries that have faced many changes in the last
few years. The organizations like Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi and Toyota have stopped their
production based operations in Australia the in the year 2008. This has resulted to the increase in
levels of unemployment in the country and the growth of automobile sector was also influenced
in a negative manner (Juska, 2017). In the year 2017 Toyota had closed the production plant in
Melbourne that mainly produced its popular model Camry. The issues that had taken place in
Australian automotive industry have been able to influence the decisions related to the exit of a
major organization like Toyota Motors. Australia has been maintaining zero tariffs for large part
of the car imports in the country and this has influenced the operations of the firm in a negative
manner. The preferences of consumers also have a major impact on the decisions taken by the
automobile organizations and the revenues gained by the overall industry as well (Patti et al.
2017).
Roles and goals of integrated marketing communication or IMC
The major role of IMC or integrated marketing communication is based on ensuring
synergic effect between the positioning of the brand and the values. A common message is
obtained by all the communication techniques that are a part of the IMC plan that can help the
company to make a difference among the various products. IMC plan can also prove to be
effective for the organizations if they wish to enhance the awareness related to its products
among the consumers. The major goals that are set based on the development of an IMC plan are
related to enhancement of awareness related to the products, increasing the revenues and sales
and providing a special message to target audiences as well (Porcu et al. 2017).

3IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
Critical analysis of the ways by which IMC strategies can assist the business in
managing competition
The promotion mix of an organization is considered to be an important factor that is able
to develop the IMC or integrated marketing communications plan. The marketing
communication of an organization like Toyota Motor Corporation can also support the
organization so that it is able to enhance the awareness related to its products among the
consumers. The price of a particular product is considered to be the most important part of the
marketing communication based activities. Integrated marketing communication on the other
hand is able to coordinate all the activities across various communication methods and channels
in order to enhance their effectiveness levels (Světlík, 2017).
Different aspects that can be considered as a major part of the integrated marketing
communication process include advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion
and digital marketing. Toyota Motor Corporation has mainly used media for the purpose of
completing the marketing communications. Integrated marketing communication plan has been
formed by Toyota Motor Corporation in order to communicate with the consumers. The digital
channels of communication have been mainly used by Toyota Motors in order to promote its
major product which the Toyota Camry model (Patti et al. 2017). The pricing decisions of
Toyota have also been made with respect to the demands and needs of the consumers. The lack
of proper revenues in the automotive industry of Australia has however proved to be a major
factor that has led to the stoppage of production of its cars in the country. Increase in levels of
competition in the industry can also be managed by an organization like Toyota with the support
that is provided by the wide range of car models of the firm (Světlík, 2017).
Conclusion

4IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
The essay can be concluded by stating that integrated marketing communication or IMC
plan is considered to be highly useful for the organizations in different parts of the world. Toyota
Motor Corporation is a major organization in the automotive industry and the implementation of
IMC activities can help in proper enhancement of the awareness related to products that are
offered to the consumers. The changes that have taken place in the industry are however able to
influence the organization in a negative manner and the enhancement of communication can also
lead to increase in revenues.

5IMPACT OF IMC ON ORGANIZATIONS
References
Desai, A., & Shah, J. (2019). Integrated Marketing Communication Then and Today-A
Challenge or An Opportunity?. Journal of Marketing Vistas, 9(1), 2-12.
Finne, Å., & Grönroos, C. (2017). Communication-in-use: customer-integrated marketing
communication. European Journal of Marketing, 51(3), 445-463.
Juska, J. M. (2017). Integrated marketing communication: advertising and promotion in a digital
world. Routledge.
Patti, C. H., Hartley, S. W., van Dessel, M. M., & Baack, D. W. (2017). Improving integrated
marketing communications practices: A comparison of objectives and results. Journal of
marketing communications, 23(4), 351-370.
Porcu, L., del Barrio-García, S., Alcántara-Pilar, J. M., & Crespo-Almendros, E. (2017). Do
adhocracy and market cultures facilitate firm-wide integrated marketing communication
(IMC)?. International Journal of Advertising, 36(1), 121-141.
Světlík, J. (2017). Integrating online advertising into integrated marketing
communications. Marketing Identity, 5(1/1), 206-215.
Toyota.com.au. (2020). New Cars Toyota Australia: Prices, Service Centres, Dealers, Test
Drives. Retrieved 11 March 2020, from https://www.toyota.com.au/