CHAPTER 1 INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Chapter Overview The purpose of this opening chapter is to provide the student with an overview of the field of advertising and promotion. The first section summarizes the content of promotional messages as it reviews how marketing communication is used to convey the marketing mix. The elements of the promotional mix are introduced and a brief overview of the kinds of firms involved in promotion is highlighted. This chapter introduces the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) and discusses its evolution, a renewed perspective, and importance. Most marketers understand the value of strategically integrating the various communication functions rather than having them operate autonomously and so the depth of these topics provide a foundation of the emerging IMC trend.. A model of the IMC planning process is examined that gives direction for the content of a promotional plan. Finally, we describe the perspective and organization of the text that is consistent with the planning process. Learning Objectives 1. Describe the importance of marketing communication within the marketing mix. 2. Identify the tools of the promotional mix - advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, Internet marketing, and personal selling – and summarize their purpose. 3. Illustrate the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) by considering its evolution, renewed perspective, and importance. 4. Explain the IMC planning process and express the steps in developing a marketing communications program. 5. Identify how the IMC planning process is continued throughout all chapters. Chapter and Lecture Outline I. MARKETING COMMUNICATION Many students may already have had a marketing course; however, it is still helpful to define marketing and stress that it involves more than just selling or other promotion functions. Previously, the American Marketing Association defined marketing as: the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational