Evaluation of Effectiveness of the IMC Campaign:
To evaluate the effectiveness of IBM's integrated marketing communication campaign, one must first understand what IMC truly is. IMC is a marketing concept whereby all aspects of marketing communications are unified. Advertising, sales promotions, public relations, direct marketing all work together towards a singular goal, as opposed to working independently from one another.
Typically, an IMC campaign begins with an assessment of the organization's customers' needs. This includes both internal and external customers. These needs then form the primary marketing goal that all facets of the marketing communications strive for.
IBM clearly was able to bind together all forms of marketing communications into one cohesive unit, for their 'e-business on demand' campaign. No matter where the marketing communication came from, the message was consistent. Whether IBM utilized television, print, outdoor, events, sports sponsorships, or online advertising they ensured that all facets of the marketing campaign were aligned with what public relations and direct marketing were doing to rebuild their failing brand.
This campaign was also built to be customer-centric, which is a key starting point of any integrated marketing communication campaign. They utilized marketing channels, such as...
As one IBM marketing executive noted, "When we are trying to reach loyalists for a given server platform, it wouldn't be economical to deliver the message using traditional TV" (as cited in Maddox, 2004).
Even in marketing communications, like sports sponsorships, IBM's IMC campaign ensured that their activities were aligned. They were the technology provider for the U.S. Open tennis tournament in 2004. By providing real-time scoring on a large interactive billboard in Times Square and on traveling vans throughout New York, it was one of their most innovative PR facets of the campaign.
In the end, utilizing IMC, IBM was able to completely reinvent their brand. They were able to rise from the depths of possible extinction, as the name the 'big blue dinosaur' suggested, to one of the top ranked brands in the world. With this campaign, they were able to diversify from the mainframe computer image of yore, to a high-tech consulting image that will carry the organization into the next century.
References
Maddox, K. (25 Oct 2004). IBM's strategy keeps it in and on demand. B to B, 89(12). Retrieved March 22, 2005, from Business Source Premier database.
Article Review: IBM's strategy keeps it in and on demand
