408 The Marketing Book
3 Unbiased marketing recommendations.
4 Better use of media.
5 Greater marketing precision.
6 Operational efficiency.
7 Cost savings.
8 High-calibre consistent service.
9 Easier working relations.
Similarly, the study of Kitchen and Schultz
(1999) identified a series of benefits which
could be derived from IMC programmes. These
included:
1 Increased impact.
2 Creative ideas more effective when IMC is
used.
3 Greater communications consistency.
4 Increases importance of one brand personality.
5 Helps eliminate misconceptions.
6 Provides greater client control over
communication budget.
7 Provides clients with greater professional
expertise.
Consistency of message delivery. By approach-
ing the planning process in a holistic
manner, companies can ensure that all
components of the communications pro-
gramme deliver the same message to the
target audience. Importantly, this demands
the adoption of an overall strategy for the
brand, rather than developing individual
strategies for the separate tools of market-
ing communications. The avoidance of
potential confusion in the minds of con-
sumers is a paramount consideration in the
development of effective communications
programmes.
Corporate cohesion. For the company, IMC
can be used as a strategic tool in commu-
nicating its corporate image and product/
service benefits. This has important con-
sequences both on an internal and an
external level. As consumers increasingly
gravitate towards companies with whom
they feel comfortable, it becomes important
to ensure that the overall image projected by
the organization is favourably received.
This demands, in turn, the development of a
cohesive communications programme
within the organization – to ensure that all
people working for the company fully
understand the organization’s goals and
ambitions – and externally – to present the
company in the most favourable light.
Client relationships. For the agency, it pro-
vides the opportunity to play a significantly
more important role in the development of
the communications programme, and to
become a more effective partner in the
relationship. By participating in the totality
of the communications requirements, rather
than having responsibility for one or more
components, the agency can adopt a more
strategic stance. This, in turn, yields sig-
nificant power and provides important
advantages over competitors.
Interaction. IMC ensures better communica-
tion between agencies and creates a stronger
bond between them and the client company.
By providing a more open flow of informa-
tion, it enables the participants in the
communication programme to concentrate
on the key areas of strategic development,
rather than pursue individual and separate
agendas.
Motivation. IMC offers the opportunity to
motivate agencies. The combined thinking
of a team is better than the sum of the parts
(and unleashes everyone’s creative
potential).
Participation. Everyone owns the final plan,
having worked together on the brainstorm-
ing and implementation, avoiding any
internal politics. Potentially, this can over-
come the divisive nature of individual
departments ‘fighting their own corner’.Perhaps the most important benefit is the
delivery of better measurability of response
and accountability for the communications
programme.