Problem Statement
Write about the Effect of Integrated Marketing Communication on Consumers Buying Behavior.
Main aim of this study is to provide details upon the impact of IMC on buying behavior of people thereby analyzing its affect on their decision making process. Integrated marketing communication currently is one amongst most controversial areas of the research. This concept is marking a regular progress from modest coordinating of all the promotional techniques and tools to a very complex as well as strategic process. Additionally to growth of very modern and updated marketing, where it (IMC) has become a vital way of attainment the aims and objectives of the firm, there exists a requirement to recognize opportunities to enhance its effect on buying behavior of consumers. Thus, it is of major interest, the comparatively recent tactic found in literature, as per which integrated marketing communication works precisely via all four classic facets of marketing mix i.e price, placement, product, and also marketing communications or promotions. Under this framework, this study proposes to clarify few characteristics related to effects and impacts of IMC upon behavior of consumers, materialized in decision-making process of consumers.
Integrated marketing communication currently is one amongst most controversial areas of the research. This concept is marking a regular progress from modest coordinating of all the promotional techniques and tools to a very complex as well as strategic process. Additionally to growth of very modern and updated marketing, where it (IMC) has become a vital way of attainment the aims and objectives of the firm, there exists a requirement to recognize opportunities to enhance its effect on buying behavior of consumers (Schultz & Schultz, 1998). Thus, it is of major interest, the comparatively recent tactic found in literature, as per which integrated marketing communication works precisely via all four classic facets of marketing mix i.e. price, placement, product, and also marketing communications or promotions. Under this framework, this study proposes to clarify few characteristics related to effects and impacts of IMC upon behavior of consumers, materialized in decision-making process of consumers.
Keywords: Consumer decision making, consumer behavior, integrated marketing communication, Model, Influence.
In the current economic system, which is very competitive, development and survival of firms demand the occurrence of accurate, exact and very detailed data and information regarding the buyers, thus, the idea of modern marketing emphasizes the necessity for having a detailed and established information regarding needs and wants of consumers, their attitude, motivation as well as actions. In the modern phase it is mostly accepted concept that the major aim od marketing is not merely finding or influencing people to purchase what a firm offers, rather it is all about satisfying the buyers, considering it the main essence of buyer orientation (Reid, Luxton & Mavondo, 2005). Building up and maintaining efficient ways through which need of consumers could be fulfilled is one amongst several major purposes of integrated marketing communication (Gasovic, 2011). Recognizing the paths for communication, which would affect buyer’s behavior, is a very vital activity of marketing communication, the final goal being development of understandable marketing messages that would reach the target segment via the most suitable mix of channels. Implementing the tactic according to integrated marketing communication is not a part and parcel of marketing mix, however is a holistic idea using the major marketing mix tools to build and later strengthen the relation with buyers and to deliver a unified message, the study’s main objective is to clarify few facets of IMC that affects the behavior of consumers, that is majorly reflected in decision process of buyers (Rockwood, Taylor & Shaw, 1970).
Literature Review
Progressive technology as well as developed communication has stimulated the extension of IT development and has even stimulated the occurrence of up-to-date plus innovative channels of communication that presently have exaggerated the options available to firms for contriving their relations with their investors or stakeholders. There have been several studies about IMC and its elements affecting the firms. Limited studies have been undertaken to understand the change that can be seen in consumer’s buying behavior and their decision making process after implication of IMC by the firms. Thus, the current study aims to emphasize on IMC practices made by firms and its affect seen upon buyer’s behavior and their decision-making procedure. Any review of literature has not yet revealed the deep research that evaluates and analyses the affect of all the mix of marketing communication tools on every single step of the decision-making procedure of consumers. Psychological processes that influences consumer behavior can also be affected as well as altered through several ways, because of the consequences that IMC has on buyers (Bagozzi, 1998).
- Research aims and research question-The main aim of this research is to establish a relation amid integrated marketing communication and consumer decision making process thereby finding the affect of IMC on buyer’s behavior towards goods and services.
- Is IMC beneficial for firms?
- Does IMC affect consumer behavior?
- Does IMC have an impact upon buyer’s purchase decision process?
- To find several elements of consumer behavior
- To develop a model that would show the relation amid IMC, consumer’s buying behavior and consumer’s decision-making process.
Communication is one amongst several vital representatives of human activities and the base for great social interactions. It is defined as exchange of concepts, feelings and also information. In current time, the phenomenon has grown rapidly and vast changes have been noticed because of the enhancing need of communication in all the phases and also technological performance (Wong, 1998).
Communication demands conversion of the real idea into images and symbols, which can later be transmitted as a message to people or firms. Firms communicate the transformed message as the concept through a set of images and symbols, which is further received by the receiver, who later decodes all these symbols, with an aim to understand these original messages. Proper decoding can only take place if partakers in process of communication share a general experience, through at least a mutual language (Finne & Grönroos, 2009).
Effectiveness in communication is recognized both through understanding message and then also getting needed reaction from receiver’s side, as a response to sent message. Marketing communication came into existence in the last decades of 20th century, as a consequence of marketing’s exceptional development in that phase. Though, so far, there has not been any agreement of expert’s opinion about the content of the concept, consensus on role as well as importance of marketing communications can still be discussed (Mihart, 2012).
In the international being characterized by very high vitality and aggressive competition, firms struggle to find most proficient way to attain success and to utter words that are understandable to customers and that can supply benefits through enhancing buyer’s consumption and use of goods and services provided by them. As a result, communications in marketing have nowadays become a basic element of marketing (Ratnatunga & Ewing, 2005). Marketing communication is now being considered as a vital part of a firm’s vision and a very essential element of firm’s success. Its significance has enhanced drastically in past times, bearing in mind that both marketing and communications cannot be separated from each other and that all the firms have to use several types of communications to make their products and services appealing and to efficiently meet the profit or even the not-for-profit goals (Hansen, 2005).
In a nutshell all the prevailing literature concerns might be outlined into some major areas that are divided in two eras:, 2001 till date
- 1990-2000- First phase is categorized by the research as well as analysis on:
- Explanation of few elements of definition for IMC. Like the theoretical growth and understanding of the concept of IMC
- Recognition of strategic matters as well as solutions of IMC ideas more through the perspective of business process and not through that of a mere mix of all the tools for marketing communication
- Evaluate interdependence of IMC and the concept of relational marketing, via business’ social nature and also marketing in specific as well as highlighting the major function of the marketing communication for upholding profitable relations with buyers and all other stakeholders
- Analyze and measure the impact of IMC
- In 2nd phase, the research focuses upon:
- Conceptual facets of integrated marketing communication, as a theoretical base, goals and aims, involving contrast views as well as barriers in the implementation of the same.
- Effectiveness as well as measurement of IMC programs
- Both organizational as well as managerial issues
- Relation of IMC with the other interior issues of marketing like corporate communications, brand identity, relationship marketing and brand equity (Jaakkola, 2007).
Any program of IMC has to be be structured in several strands, manipulating all other processes of behavior of consumers like attitude, learning, motivation and also perception, and not merely focusing on the concrete behavior. Literature review discloses some properly structured models of buyer’s behavior, most vital of them having major axis of the process buying decision, outlined for the very first time by Engel, Blackwell and Kolat in the year 1978. The process involves essentially five major stages:
- Need recognition,
- Search for information
- Evaluation of all the available options.
- Selection of the product
- Result
The following improvements plus alterations of model by Schiffman and Kanuk, in the year 2009 modified the early structure, involving few possible alternatives in 4th stage, and then a reshaping of 5th step, and making it a post-purchase analysis (Sephapo & Cant, 2016).
Several elements of consumer behavior: Influence on decision-making process of consumers
As per Schiffman & Kanuk in the year 2009, there are four major models of consumers that were recognized, on the basis of common view about how plus why an entity (person) behaves in a particular way. Financial aspect presents the buyers who take just rational decisions, which is a traditional format of decision-making including the financial information in the process of search. Several researchers in the field of consumer behavior later criticized it, as no one (no buyer) can avail all data and information needed to take by “faultless” decision. Thus it was seen that rational procedure doesn’t precisely portray several facets involved purchase decision of an individual (Gangai & Agrawal, 2016).
Contrary to this rational, financial view was seen as a passive view, that emphasized on the fact that buyers are objects in the process of marketing management, who are not actually capable of playing an independent role within the process of decision making for purchase. Cognitive aspect has been seen closer to the original behavior of a consumer, portraying the buyer as a interested and vigorous person, who is actively involved in the process of information search and tries to take a pleasing decisions (Naik & Raman, 2003).
Even if it cannot totally clarify the entire process of consumer behavior, emotional aspect emphasizes on the function and role of emotions as well as feelings in specific purchases. It shows that at times buyers are impulsive; they buy goods without longer analysis as they get emotionally driven. In such cases it is obvious that a classic model, which can just explain buying decision procedure, needs to mix some particular elements having all four views, with an aim to involve the diversity of reasons that helps in making a explicit decision (Kotler & Keller, 2006).
Attempting to understand consumer’s thinking, it is vital to consider the fact that not each time when people make a decision, he/she completes the entire steps that theoretically acknowledged within the so-called decision-making procedure of consumers. The effort, attention and time, a person allocates to his/her decision-making procedure majorly depends on significance of the problem that he/she aims to solve after the purchase.
Buyer’s buying behavior might be seen from three other viewpoints-
- Decision making
- Experiential
- Behavioral influence
Aspect of decision-making refers that purchase behavior outcomes when the buyer gets involved in a task of solving a problem, in which they move from one stage to other (Mowen, 1988).
Decisions concerning extended issues or problems solving approaches match closely with the decision-making aspect. At this phase, buyer carries no recognized criteria fro analyzing a category of goods or particular brands and requires a vast amount of data and information to ascertain a set of criteria upon which they judge a particular brand and match the collected information with those brands. In few cases it can even be recognized as the experiential aspect, as even buyers are greatly involved in the decision making process, they cannot ever describe their choices properly through mere rational aspect, in such case. Experiential aspect on the other hand argues that in few cases buyers make purchases with an aim to develop feeling, create experiences and grow emotions rather than just to solve a problem (Davis, 1985).
People even take decisions under situations of lower involvement; ecological cues, described as the behavioral influence aspect, influence the decision. Behavioral influence perspective emphasizes on the fact that in other cases buyers act in retort to ecological characteristics.
Extensive problem-solving approach demands a specific quantity of search for information and requires a discussion time, though the time varies as per the range to which buyers get involved in the actions. Dissimilar to the two above-mentioned approaches, the aspect of routinized decision-making gets completed with least effort as well as without any conscious management and control, on the basis of the automaticity (Bagozzi, 1998).
Preparing model to research the influence of IMC on consumer behavior is significant for accelerating meaningful comparisons amid different firms. To build up a proper research model, one needs to test many variables, with an aim to match components of the model to all its operational relations with other theoretical principles accepted as the one describing IMC.
Part A- IMC
IMC refers to all the ways through which communication is made using all the major elements of marketing mix named as price, place, promotion and product. For instance, any good designed with an aim to meet demands and needs of target segment, is launched into the market at a specific price via a suitable channel for distribution and with the use of good mixes of marketing communication tools that are arranged in a way, aimed towards the features of target market. Tools that support and unify all the major IMC actions are named as strategies of integrated communication. IMC strategies can be well seen in the process of positioning the product on the basis of firm’s main aim and goal. Any IMC plan focuses on selection of particular elements, and considers their correlation with an aim of cost optimization (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011).
Part B – Consumer behavior
It encompasses of 5 major dimensions based on which experts actually define this entire process. The basic procedure of consumer behavior is even utilized by experts in real marketing, via definition of all the functional exogenous as well as endogenous variables, thought to be suitable ones (Schultz & Patti, 2009). Five basic processes hat are considered while designing as well as implementation of several behavioral studies are:
- Perception
- Information or learning
- Attitude
- Motivation
- The real behavior
Part C- decision-making process of consumer
Buyer’s/consumer’s decision-making process involves many steps via which a buyer passes while taking a decision of purchase. These steps are:
- Recognition of need
- Search for information
- Evaluation of the available options
- Purchase decision
- Post-purchase evaluation
Obviously, these steps of purchase decision are different with different product, target segment. Operational relationship of the model gets separated into three major categories:
- Main operational relation- shown in model through arrows that are horizontal blocks, and they define graphically all the essential relationship amid blocks;
- Then comes the secondary relationship which is demonstrated through lines, that define the structural linkage amid elements of same block or even of dissimilar blocks;
- Last is the feedback line that depicts the affect of the post-purchase evaluation on consumer behavior regarding another similar purchase? (Schultz & Patti, 2009)
IMC (part A) affects the process of consumer behavior, on the basis of the market research and segmentation made in the market, that gets proliferated by each element of marketing mix like promotion, product, place and price, exploring all its communication ability and then gets depicted in strategies of integrated communication and also within the communication plan.
There exist several methods through which characteristics and traits of goods influences perception of consumers. Studies show that buyer’s perception regarding goods and services gets affected merely by its physical traits and in few cases, it even gets influenced by the marketing based traits of the product like brand image, brand equity and brand differentiation. Price seems to be yet another element of IMC that has a direct affect on people’s perception regarding a product or service. There exist several proofs that specify that, for many goods consumers actually judge the quality of the product on basis of its price. Perception of buyers has also been linked to distribution, comprising of the type of distribution (indirect or direct; exclusive, intensive or even selective) plus the characteristics of the store, like design, services, location, varieties of product, and also personnel behavior. Method for distribution though remains consistent with the brand image as well as price (Schultz & Patti, 2009).
Building or altering people’s attitude is one amongst several major aims of implementing IMC. Being totally affected price, place, product and promotions it might even come as an outcome of direct experience, which a person can have with the product’s attribute.
The procedure, which defines consumer behavior are affected in several parts and combinations by the mix of components of marketing communication belonging to Part A, and also by several functional tools. Part B has the major consequence, which imitates the differentiated as well as specific influence of all the behavioral processes upon steps under the decision-making procedure of buyers (Burman, 1978).
Foremost step of decision-making procedure is defined in this literature as being the step of recognition of a problem. It has been seen as a consequence of difference analyzed by a person amid the anticipated state and the real product (Schultz & Patti, 2009).
Second step consists of tasks done to gather information regarding the product, which is entirely based upon the learning process, because of which buyer has to gather previous experience and knowledge regarding the goods or services (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011).
At the third stage where evaluation of all available options takes place, the process gets, closely connected to process of learning, attitudes and also motivation. To make an effective choice, evaluation of the good usually focuses upon the range to which the product will make buyer feel satisfied and happy. Consequently, the selection is affected frequently by the practical characteristics like product traits and price. Decision step is the result of earlier four steps and affects buyer’s actual behavior. The process of decision-making gets accomplished with the last evaluation made after the purchase (Schultz & Patti, 2009).
The relation maid decision-making procedure and integrated marketing communication is actually materialized in the step of feedback. On the basis of consumer research, all components of IMC could get reviewed and upgraded; considering the major elements that come from the feedback given by the buyer’s (Schultz & Patti, 2009).
3.1 Data collection- study uses several secondary data sources like published articles, journals and websites to bring out the desired results.
- Data analysis- The collected data was analyzed using several steps
- Determining the research question
- Locating the collected data
- Evaluation of the relevance of the data and finding its originality and purpose
- Establishments of credentials to assess the credibility of the collected data.
- Analyzing the collected data.
The studies about IMC and affect of integrated, marketing communication on the decision making process of consumers is a vitally complex activity overall. It demands very detailed analysis of relation and tools as well as instruments via which the affect takes place. To examine and analyze the relationship amid between components of integrated marketing communication and processes that are followed in the procedure of consumer behavior is essential to authenticate a model build for the same purpose, that can be attained using all the findings and conclusion driven through a good qualitative research mixed with the quantitative study.
- Discussion
- a) Part A Part B- Building or altering people’s attitude is one amongst several major aims of implementing IMC. Being totally affected price, place, product and promotions it might even come as an outcome of direct experience, which a person can have with the product’s attribute.
- b) Part B Part C- selection made by any buyer is affected frequently by the practical characteristics like product traits and price. Decision step is the result of earlier four steps and affects buyer’s actual behavior.
- c) Part C Part A- Feedback is the major part of any implementation and it is the case with IMC. Proper feedback by buyers would let the firms know their customers better
This study here though analyses the affect of integrated marketing communication upon recognition of need, search for information, evaluation of options available, decision making and also evaluation after purchase, yet the study offers a great possibility for analysis and adoption of other decision making tools for strategic marketing on the basis of proper understanding of people’s judgment as well as actions.
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