integrated marketing communications

Integrated marketing communications was a concept introduced in early 1990s that coordinates marketing aspects with promotional elements to improve the communication between a business firm and their costumers. This involves using a number of promotional tools besides advertisements on electronic and print media. The other elements of promotional mix, than advertising are: sales promotions, public relations, personal selling, and direct marketing.

Presently, almost many companies are using this concept because the competition has drastically increased and therefore importance of creating a brand image can be more emphasized.

One of the companies that use integrated marketing strategies is Reckitt Benckiser. It utilizes different elements of promotional mix to promote and sell its pharmaceutical and consumer goods.

Advertising is "any paid form of non-personal communication about an organization, product, service, or idea by an identified sponsor" Mass media advertising help companies to communicate to large audience. It helps them to create images of their brands and aids them in differentiating their products from similar products of other companies. With the right kind of advertising, a company is able to build a bond with its costumers known in marketing terms as 'brand loyalty'.

Reckitt Benckiser places ads on television, radio and newspaper. One of important medium is medical journals and magazines. Some of journals where Reckiit Benckiser advertises its products are British Medical Journal, Journal of American Medical Association, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine.

However, mass advertising like that done by Reckitt Benckiser has some disadvantages. First of all, advertising at such a large scale, is very expensive and is very financially draining for the marketing department which has to use its budget for other promotional means too. Television ads are most costly. Secondly because products especially consumer goods such as Cheery Blossom, Robin Blue and Detol are advertised to the all sectors of a society, it is not easy to determine the effectiveness of such advertising. Further, as competition is increasing maintenance of brand image in people' minds is very difficult.

Direct marketing is another strategy used by company's .It is way of marketing that directly targets a specific group of people (the audience) and is able to derive a response or feedback for the company. The latter helps company to better assesses the response of consumers. It is more economical as it is selective in its audience. The creation of promotional messages is easier as companies are well informed of characteristics and needs of their audience. Reckitt Benckiser uses this form of promotion especially for its pharmaceutical products such as Gaviscon, Bonjela, Temgesic (injections and tablets) and new ones. The cards explaining the products, along with the samples are mailed to doctors. However, as it is strategy used by most pharmaceutical companies n it can very confusing, annoying and difficult for doctors to examine all of them and respond to them. Hence, Reckitt Benckiser may not always get its desired amount of response.