Integrated marketing communication (IMC) refers to creating cohesive messages across all the chosen marketing communication channels a company employs. IMC is an essential tool to incorporate into a brand’s strategy as consistency is imperative to a brand’s image. Inconsistent messaging or visuals within communications with your targeted audience can break the brand resonance built, therefore affecting any brand equity forged.
Methods of communication within marketing change as technology advances, and new channels and mediums emerge. Currently, digital channels like social media, digital advertising, blogging, and podcasts are incorporated into IMC strategies. Many companies choose these modes as they can be targeted toward the right audience and can reach more people. However, traditional communication channels are still used in healthcare. Below we break down traditional methods and discuss some healthcare brands that used them effectively.
Television
Television ads allow reaching broad audiences that vary in characteristics. This channel can have some degree of segmentation if pushed through streaming services. T.V. commercials permit more creative ability and can be used at a higher repetition. Hartford Health’s commercial titled More Life in Your Life creatively weaves upbeat music with images of people living and enjoying daily activities to promote happy and healthy emotions towards the brand. A downfall to T.V. commercials is that each ad has to compete with other advertisements for recall attention or with consumer behaviors like switching channels to avoid them.
Radio
Radio spots are more cost-effective to produce than T.V. advertisements and cost less to place in media spots. Radio ads can be segmented to the channel’s audience and can be adapted for each channel in the distribution mix. Hartford Health used a radio spot ad within their More Life in Your Life IMC campaign that complemented their T.V. ad. The music, language, and tone matched the other communication channels within the campaign.
Billboard
Billboards have a a narrow reach as they are placed in static geographic areas like off highways. They have the abiity to reach thousand and with a low cost per inpression. Diginty heatlh does a an effective job of this with the Hello Humankinfness campaign.
If you haven’t yet read my last blog on measuring brand equity.