What is IMC?

I'm just finishing up my first class for my Master's degree in IMC, and it seems to me that many don't understand what it is.

To me, it's the NEW marketing and communications world that includes all the latest, greatest thinking, strategies and tactics.  It aligns with the NEW way consumers think and live.  To others, it is simply an "integration" of traditional offline marketing with the newer online marketing.  That is true, but, it really isn't that simple. The world has changed -- dramatically, and so too does how we reach it with messages.

Image via Marketing is Dead

An article in Harvard Business Review's blog from all the way back in 2012 :), explains just how much this field has changed in a very succinct way:

"Traditional marketing — including advertising, public relations, branding and corporate communications — is dead. Many people in traditional marketing roles and organizations may not realize they’re operating within a dead paradigm. But they are. The evidence is clear.

First, buyers are no longer paying much attention. Several studies have confirmed that in the “buyer’s decision journey,” traditional marketing communications just aren’t relevant. Buyers are checking out product and service information in their own way, often through the Internet, and often from sources outside the firm such as word-of-mouth or customer reviews." (Lee, 2012). Complete article.

I continue to witness in both my studies and in my business, just how difficult it is for many in the industry to wrap their minds around this idea.

Not having had my mind saturated and formed with structured lessons in traditional marketing, but rather having evolved along with the world of business as an entrepreneur over the last 30 years, I find it easy to grasp these new concepts.

I'm very glad to be getting this edgy, new degree in this edgy, new marketing industry that is "Integrated Marketing & Communications", and I hope I will continue to allow my thinking to evolve along with the world rather than insist on structure.

I'll be starting a new class on Monday that I'm very excited about!  IMC-634 Digital Video Production.  This will be immediately relevant to my business, and I can't wait to use my new knowledge!

Check out the Elysian IMC website when you get a chance, and I welcome your comments and feedback!