Evaluating the Effectiveness of an IMC Strategy

Given the complexities of IMC strategies and programs and their highly integrative nature, the metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) used for evaluating them often align to every stage of the selling cycle. As the sales cycles for consumer products are often significantly faster and more focused on transaction speed than on long-term selling relationships, the metrics and KPIs of IMC strategies in these markets tend to focus on trial and repeat purchasing in addition to brand awareness (Caemmerer, 2009). In Business-to-Business (B2B) selling scenarios, the IMC strategies often have short, intermediate and long-term objectives that seek to attain a very high level of trust with potential and future prospects (Kliatchko, 2005). The truest measure of an effective IMC strategy in B2B markets is the company becoming a trusted advisor to potential and present customers (Caemmerer, 2009). Measuring the performance of IMC strategies includes more than just sales or even trial of a product; it encompasses the strength of the brand over time, its effectiveness in defining a unique market position and above all, communicating a solidly define unique value proposition (UVP) for the product or service (Caemmerer, 2009). While the goals and objectives of an IMC strategy can vary significantly across and within industries, they all share a common set of key metrics of success, namely the ability to position a brand as a leader in its field, successfully and convincingly differentiate the value and user experience of their products or services, and create a compelling motivation to sample or try the product or service (Howard, 2002).

Recommendations on the Value of Each Component of an IMC

One of the most common attributes of highly effective IMC strategies is the consistency of messaging, clarity of the unique value proposition (UVP) and consistency of strategy execution across traditional, offline and online media. In making recommendations on the value of each component of an IMC, the focus needs to be first on the stability and fidelity of the benefits and customer experience delivered with the product or service being sold (Caemmerer,...

Any effective IMC evaluation must first start with the fidelity and stability of its foundation, followed by an assessment of the culture, leadership, brand focus and customer experience delivered form the synthesis of all these factors together. It is in evaluating the level of orchestration fo these elements that will most dictate how successful a given IMC strategy is. An IMC strategy will often say more about how well an organization is performing in far more realistic terms than any amount of marketing or selling collateral. Ironically the most visible aspects of any IMC strategy, namely the communication, integration and promotional tools are often the most tactical yet the most synchronized. The performance of these tools is only as good as the foundational elements of the IMC in addition to the strength of the brand focus and corporate culture. All elements must be tightly integrated however and measured in terms of their contribution to the more strategic goals of bringing new customers into the educational and selling process. Evaluating the components of an IMC strategy therefore must be done from a totality standpoint with the contributions of each element being integral to overall performance.