The-Importance-of-IMC-for-Managing-Successful-Comm

1TheImportanceofIMCforManagingSuccessfulCommunicationCampaignCaseStudyofDove’s‘RealBeauty’Campaign2TheImportanceofIMCforManagingSuccessfulCommunicationCampaignsCaseStudyofDove’s‘RealBeauty’CampaignIntheageofinformation,technologyandglobalization,theenvironmentofmarketingcommunicationischanging.Forinstance,thecredibilityofmessagedecreases,thecostsofdatabasemarketingreduce,thecostsofmassmediacommunicationincreaseswhileitsefficiencydrops,themediaandaudiencesaresegmenteddistinctly,andthetrendofglobaleconomyemerges.Atthesametime,conductingglobalcommunicationcampaignsareoneofthemostimportantapproachwhichaninternationalcompanymustadoptinordertoestablishglobalreputationandgaincompetitivenessintheglobalmarket.Asaresult,IntegratedMarketingCommunicationisintroducedtocopewiththerevolutionofglobalmarketingandtoguideglobalcommunicationcampaigns.AccordingtoPicktonandBroderick(2001,p.67),Integratedmarketingcommunicationisaprocesswhichinvolvesthemanagementandorganizationofall‘agents’intheanalysis,planning,implementationandcontrolofallmarketingcommunicationcontacts,media,andpromotionaltoolsfocusedatselectedtargetaudiencesinsuchawayastoderivethegreatesteconomy,efficiency,effectiveness,enhancementandcoherenceofmarketingcommunicationeffortinachievingpredeterminedproductandcorporatemarketingcommunicationobjective.3Morespecifically,IMCisaconsumer-orientatedmarketingcommunicationalapproach.Thatistosay,thecoreofthisapproachisservingconsumers’interestsandmaximizingtheirbenefits.AsSchultzandLauterborn(1994)states,inthepastyear,theprocessofcommunicationisallaboutpersuasion.However,duetothetrendofcustomization,whatcommunicatorsneedtodoistobeagoodlistener.AmongseveralproceduresofIMCprocess,thepremiseisathoroughanalysisofcontextandsituation,whichensuresthewholeIMCprocesstohaveanoverallimpressionoftheenvironmentandprovidebasisforthefollowingproceduresoftheprocess.AsSchultzandLauterborn(1994)pointsout,howtoadequatelyutilizetheexistinginformationdatabaseiscrucialduringtheageofinformationaswell.Furthermore，IMCemphasizetheimportanceofidentifyingmarketingcommunicationobjectiveswhichmeansallplannedapproachcoveredinIMCshouldbesynergeticandcoherentinordertoachieveaspecificconjunctgoal.Besides,segmentationoftargetaudiencesisstressedonIMCforcopingwithcomplexglobalbusinessenvironment,whichinvolvesconsumerswithdifferentsocialandculturebackground.Moreover,IMCfocusontheeffectivenessofselectingmedia,promotionaltoolsandmessagesmix,whichenablethewholecommunicationprocesstooperateinamostefficientandcost-savingway.Meanwhile,withinthestrategyandtacticsettingprocedure,creativeexcellenceisessentialforIMC.SchultzandLauterborn(1994)alsoemphasizethesignificanceofapplyingsocialmediaintocommunicationprocess.Atlast,theevaluationpartofIMC,whichshowsconsistency,andprecisenessofIMCprocess,enablethewholeprocessconductsinaneffectiveandrationalway.Toconclude,‘speakinonevoice’isthe4coreofIMC,thesynergyofallprocedureishighlydemanded.TheessaywilltakeDove’s‘realbeauty’campaignasanexampletoillustratethestrongpointsofIMC,whichareappliedbyDovewithinthisglobalcampaign.Thecampaignof‘realbeauty’isaglobalcommunicationcampaignconductedbyDoveCompany,whichcompliestightlywiththeprocedureandideainIMC.Firstly,Dovecarriesoutcautiousinvestigationsforitsconsumers.Dataof3200womenagedfrom18-64,whocomefromdifferentcountriesallovertheworld,iscollectedforpreparingthefollowingproceduresofthecampaign.Theresearchrevealsthephenomenonthatnowadayssocietyvaluesmoreonphysicallyattractivenessofwomenandseldomwomendescribethemselvesasbeauty.Duetotheunlimitedage,nationalityofrespondents,Dovetargetsallwomenasitsaudiences.Asfollows,twomainobjectivesareestablishedforthiscampaign,firstly,increasethesalesvolumeofDoveproducts.Secondly,broadcasttheideaofDovethatwomenarebeautifulregardlessoftheirappearanceandage,whichisinaccordancewithDove’smissionstatement“tomakewomenfeelmorebeautifuleverydaybychallengingtoday’sstereotypicalviewofbeautyandinspiringwomentotakegreatcareofthemselves.”Centeringonthetwoobjectives,variousstrategiesareformulatedforthecampaign.Furthermore,traditionalchannels,newmediumsandPRapproachesareselectedforequippingthestrategies.Thereareasetofmediamix,PRactivities,andpromotionalmethodsareadoptedbyDoveincludingadvertisements,TVcommercial,billboards,website,interview,paneldiscussions,directmarketing,salespromotion,directmarketingandpersonalselling5withinthemediatactics.Meanwhile,thecampaignispreparedwithevaluationplans,whichenablethestrategiestobeconsistentwiththeobjectivesandtobemeasurable(BrodbecandEvans,2007).Insummary,the‘realbeauty’campaigncommendablyshowstheapplicationofIMC.ThefollowingpartofeasywillexploretheadvantagesoffollowingthecriteriaandprocedureinIMCtroughanalyzingeverystepandelementsofDove’s‘realbeauty’campaignindetail.Largeamountsofeffortsisputintothe‘realbeauty’campaignwhosestrategiesandtacticsarenumerousandcomplexandtimespanisrelativelylong.However,itisrareandcommendablethatalltheproceduresof‘realbeauty’campaignarecoherentandsynergicwhichencloseonevoice‘realbeauty’.Inordertoachieveth