IMC Hawks Blog

Mary Grace Copeland 

Communication Studies at UNCW 

Before starting college, I had the idea that I wanted to open my own photography business. I spent my first few years swimming at UNCW, so after my commitment to the swim team, I began researching majors at UNCW that offered, and from doing my research, I learned that studying photography is not an option. I wanted a major that would enhance entrepreneurship, marketing, and communication skills. All skills that would help me succeed in starting my own business and creating a successful brand. The Communication Studies Department stuck out as the best major to develop a broad variety of skills benefiting entrepreneurship. After taking the introductory courses of the COM major, I started focusing on the IMC concentration with the hope of learning how to successfully build a brand and market that brand on multiple social media platforms.  

IMC and Social Media  

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) has allowed me to build skills such as marketing through social media, creating a brand identity, rebranding, communicating, and the importance of consistency through a brand. Social media is the most effective way in today’s world to promote your brand or product to a large group of potential customers in a personal way. Since social media has drastically changed over the years and keeps evolving daily, marketing techniques via social media must be updated too. Unfortunately, modern marketers must conform to these social media advancements since it has become the primary way shoppers spread data on merchandise and services through these social platforms. 

First, what is social media marketing? According to The Marketing Review, “social media marketing is a dialog between consumers, or audiences, or businesses, products, or services which funnels into a positive dialog between the explicit parties for the purpose of 

learning from one another’s opinions and experience, ultimately benefiting both” (Rehman et al., 2022). Essentially, social media provides a gateway to communicating with your customers in a personal way, creating an increase in brand loyalty. To develop that steady customer connectivity and responsiveness, one must provide a clear understanding of brand opinions, cultivate timely responses or communication with customers, and manage insights via social media to see what areas are needed for improvement. Strategic IMC depends on promotional mixtures to create the IMC strategies through social media to help shape and showcase the brand identity, brand image, and company performance (Rehman et al., 2022). 

Marketing through Social Media  

When people look at my photography business, it is of the utmost importance that customers or interested parties see a consistent brand identity across my website and social media pages. When potential customers or clients need information, my pages include the same information over all platforms allowing each to direct them correctly. Social media plays a massive role in this, and since most marketing in today’s world takes place on social media apps, my advertisements and content must be consistent. However, social media usage should be focused on the consumer’s attitude towards it, focusing on social influence, compatibility, enjoyment, and usage behavior matching the company’s intentions. When creating content for my photography platforms, I aim to create content that will generate consumer or potential consumer interaction. The more a brand can make the customer feel like family and that we care about what they want, the more success you will see.  

Regarding marketing my photography brand, I focus on sharing my work so my followers can see my editing style and give them an idea of what their photos could look like if they did a shoot. I also focus on gaining interactions with my current followers and using methods such as hashtags to reach others who are not following me yet. Those who find success through marketing on social media remain remarkably consistent in posting content, interacting with their followers, and having personal and quick customer service. Creating a positive experience for all of my customers is my biggest priority. I aim to get back in touch with those inquiring about a shoot as soon as possible. Also, in the rare times I have had customers dissatisfied, I try to offer a fast solution and do everything I can to make sure they feel heard and receive the product they love. There are many areas I need to improve regarding social media, especially my consistency, but I look forward to after graduation since I will have photography to focus solely on.  

Overall, social media and marketing will be the most successful route for building and representing a brand. It is essential to learn how to utilize all the benefits on free platforms for brands to use. Social media and technology will constantly evolve and advance. So, when marketing for a brand, the methods brands use will also have to adapt and evolve. Social media creates a convenient way for brands to build these successful identities and personalities. It also allows people and brands to interact, allowing consumers to learn more about a brand and specific details that create a loyal and steady customer.  

References 

Rehman, S., Gulzar, R., & Aslam, W. (2022). Developing the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) through social … Developing the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) through Social Media (SM): The Modern Marketing Communication Approach. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440221099936   

By: Jake Ramage

(Photo from PublicDomainPictures)

In the age of the internet, clicks mean everything. Using social media is the new standard for marketing and everyone from mom and pop diners to Fortune 500 companies have found their way onto social media platforms all across the world. This boom of social media has made sure that brands and companies constantly try and stay updated on the current marketing strategies that will allow them to create new sales and customers. Businesses are not the only ones hopping onto this trend though, megachurches have also hopped on the digital wave and found a strategy for themselves. This marketing by the megachurches is important to look at for IMC as it is an exceptionally effective way of bringing in new members and could easily be adapted to serve a brand for sales. 

            This strategy employed by the megachurches is called Devotional-promotional communication campaigns, and is a specially curated marketing strategy that maximizes the amount of new members that come to the church from social media. This marketing strategy draws in people who are looking for spiritual community and salvation and attracts them in from social media.  Not only does this bring in new members but also the money that comes in their pockets ripe for donations. This Devotional framework is broken down into three different engagements.

1. The brand and the audience.
2. The brand and an object.
3. The audience and an object.

It’s best to let the experts explain this strategy. Morehouse and Saffer, authors of the Journal of Advertising described it as:

The “object” was originally titled an “object of devotion,” and can be a deity, religion, saint, person, service, or issue. The “object of devotion” is something worthy of devotion that serves as a central feature in both the brand and the audience’s life. Within the context of this study, the “brand” is the church, temple, synagogue, or mosque that is advertising and the “audience” is religious consumers. (Morehouse & Saffer, 2021, 410)

This combination of interactions has proven to be extremely successful for the mega churches. According to CNN “the mega church on average has about $6.5 million in income a year” (CNN, 2010). This staggering figure for a nonprofit organization is built solely on donations from the “audience” or religious consumer who attends these churches and donates as a way to give back. These often questionable megachurches who historically have been linked to scandal and embezzlement are able to bring in such large amounts of donations through the constant search for new members and use devotional-promotional communication campaigns to bring in the new audience. 

(Photo from PublicDomainPictures)

            The Devotional-promotional communication campaign is extremely relevant in IMC today as it is an effective social media engagement strategy designed to create connections between a brand and audience through a common link. This strategy of linking a brand with an unassociated object could easily be implemented by companies in order to connect them with new customers that are interested in a similar space as what a company is trying to sell. A brand could attach themselves to an object in a person’s life regardless if the connection is real or genuine in order to market towards the audience that engages with that object. Brands already have begun to use this strategy as you see brands such as Tostitos with football themed packaging in order to appeal to football fans even though there is no direct connection between a football fan and a chip company. For the megachurches it’s about getting people in to donate, but for brands making that connection to customers to buy products.

 Aspects of this strategy are currently being implemented by other brands but few have exclusively tied themselves to a single object such as the megachurches do. The partnerships between different companies are a start but few brands are willing to go all in on a single object like the churches because faith for many is held above everything else in their life. Because of this extreme devotion to religion people can be blinded, and not able to see what is going on behind the scenes for some of these megachurches. Many brands tend to steer away from marketing towards religion but based on the success of the megachurches it is likely in the near future more brands will try and tie themselves to religion to increase sales. 

Marketing is always changing and evolving with different strategies to bring in the most customers and money. With the digital age here to stay it is likely these megachurches will continue to use Devotional-promotional communication campaigns over social media and likely other companies will begin to hop on and try and get a cut of the profits. It is important to really make sure one understands the connections between their “object of devotion” and the brand they are buying into before falling for this marketing scheme. From an IMC perspective successful campaigns such as this are important to watch and monitor as these marketing strategies can be applied to everyday businesses. 

References

CNN. (2010, January 21). Mega churches mean big business. CNN. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/21/religion.mega.church.christian/index.html

Morehouse, J., & Saffer, A. J. (2021). Promoting the Faith: Examining Megachurches’ Audience-Centric Advertising Strategies on Social Media. Journal of Advertising, 50(4), 408-420. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.liblink.uncw.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=e43de47e-ded3-43b0-a57f-aa72e4233f1f%40redis

By Hannah Copeland 

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is a considerable part of Communication Studies. Communication is a great thing to study for individuals looking for a job in marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and more. IMC is a concertation of communication that focuses on marketing by coordinating communication efforts. It is an essential part of marketing because it helps reach a target audience and promote a brand image, awareness, and loyalty. 

Social Media and IMC

IMC includes the process of using communication skills to market and create a brand that is consistent and appealing. An effective way to do this today is through social media. Social media reaches a whole new audience and creates an easy way for brands to build relationships with their consumers. Most individuals have some form of social media, and the use of technology is only increasing. 

A great way to use social media for IMC is through Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMA). These activities reach consumers and increase their interest and loyalty to the brand. According to an article in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, “The results suggest an essential role of SMMA in driving brand experience, purchase intention, and attitude towards the brand” (Khan, 2022). 

Brand Experience 

Brand experience has become increasingly affected because of social media. If a consumer only “experiences” the brand when buying a product, they are not as likely to return with an intent to purchase or develop a loyalty to the brand. How can a brand change this? Through social media, of course! That answer seems to be more prevalent every day, but why is that? 

“SMMA, such as entertainment, trendy marketing content, attractive product pictures, brand endorsers’, sharing of brand-originated content, among others, stimulate brand experience” (Hanna et al., 2011; Kim and Ko, 2010, 2012, 2012; Zollo et al., 2020). These examples of Social Media Marketing Activities are ways to create a positive brand experience for consumers. When the brand experience is positive, consumers are more likely to purchase from the brand and have a positive attitude towards the brand (Khan, 2022). Not only does increasing brand experience increase products bought by that one person, but it can also cause consumers to share their experiences with others. When a brand is shared, there is another opportunity to create a positive brand experience and repeat the cycle.

Brand Loyalty

Being loyal to a brand does not just happen because you bought and liked one of its products. Individuals must feel connected, heard, and informed to develop loyalty to a particular brand. What exactly is brand loyalty, and how is it created? Brand loyalty is defined as “the emotionally-charged decision of a consumer for purchasing a particular brand again and again. The consumer perceives that the particular brand has the qualities that will meet their expectations and identifies with the consumer at a personal level” (Shaw, 2020). 

Brand loyalty means commitment, but why would a consumer commit to a brand that isn’t committed to them? This is where the role of social media comes in. Social Media Marketing Activities appeal to consumers by pleasing their senses through their experiences with SMMA. “These experiences affect the way an individual uses and acts toward the brands and media; hence, an understanding of brand experience relates to SMMA is crucial (Gao and Feng, 2016; Tafesse, 2016). Existing studies found SMMA can improve customer intimacy, customer trust (Han and Kim, 2020; Kim and Ko, 2010), relationship equity, brand equity, and value equity (Kim and Ko, 2012), brand preference, willingness to pay a premium price, loyalty, and brand awareness (Kim and Lee, 2019)” (Khan, 2022). 

Target Audience

Another important aspect of integrated marketing communication is catering to your target audience, especially with such heavy use of social media for marketing. A target audience is a group of consumers that companies cater to or “target.” It is crucial that companies know what audience they need to target. Given its somewhat “newer” entrance to our society, social media does not appeal to all age groups. Millennials are the largest audience on social media platforms, known to interact and desire a relationship with a brand (Khan, 2022).   

Knowing that millennials are more technologically savvy and have more interest in brand experience, they seem to be the target audience for SMMA. When a target audience is known, creating content with a more specified approach is easier. Knowing how to reach a target audience and use social media to market have overwhelming importance in IMC. Our world is increasingly relying on technology, so marketing and target audiences will continue to change.

Happy Customer, Happy Brand

In conclusion, a brand’s relationship with its consumers is crucial. A brand is more likely to succeed if a consumer feels seen, heard, and connected. Using IMC techniques, like SMMA, allow for a positive increase in brand experience, loyalty, intent to purchase, and attitude towards a brand (Khan, 2022). So, take all this information and remember that the marketing world is changing, and we must change with it.  

Molly Remillard is a senior from Hampstead, New Hampshire. She is currently attending the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is preparing to graduate with her B.A. in Communication studies in December 2022. Molly also has a double minor in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies. Molly hopes to have a career in social media and marketing. It is a dream of hers to work in the realm of fashion or beauty. Throughout her college career Molly has remained extremely involved. She has been an active member in her sorority, Alpha Phi, where she held eight different leadership positions. One of which was the Vice President of Marketing where she ran her chapter’s social media and designed the chapter merchandise. This is what sparked Molly’s interests in Integrated Marketing Communication, specifically social media management and marketing. 

Molly is also very active in her community. She works as a nanny while being a full-time student. Through her communication studies degree, she has gained knowledge and insight that she will bring into the workforce. She has obtained various certifications which have trained her to be an effective communicator and well versed in different technological platforms. Some of these certifications include a Hootsuite Platform Certification where she gained insight on using Hootsuite to create and share social media posts effectively. She has also become Adobe Certified and considered an Adobe expert where she has gained knowledge on how to navigate Adobe platforms to create marketing campaigns, infographics, social media posts and so much more. Molly spent a semester volunteering with her internship she held this past year with the League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear. During her internship, Molly helped set up a tent at the Downtown Wilmington Women’s march. Molly is eager to bring all her skills and knowledge she has gathered over her years at UNCW into the workforce with her this coming spring.

Brand Statement: I don’t stay ahead of trends; I help create them. 

Jake Ramage is a senior at University of North Carolina Wilmington majoring in communications with a business minor. Originally hailing from Deep River, Connecticut, Jake will be completing his undergraduate education by June 2023. With a focus in IMC, he hopes to continue his schooling further once he has found a role within a company. In his free time, Jake enjoys fly-fishing, playing basketball, and spending time with friends and family. As a member of the UNCW Fishing Club and unofficial UNCW Fly Fishing Club, Jake spends a lot of his time either on the water or preparing for trips, typically locally or in the Appalachian Mountains. 

With his degree in communications, Jake plans to work in either a marketing or sales space and seeks a position where he can have a large impact in taking his employer to the next level. Jake has a strong drive to help companies grow, particularly with his experience in social media management and e-commerce. Jake has been working hard since he was 16 and has honed strong customer service and sales skills through his time in the retail and restaurant industry. 

Brand Statement: A hard worker with proven sales and customer service experience, seeking a high impact role where he can help smaller companies grow. 

Amberlyn has a passion for standing out and making a difference, and her sense of creativity is what makes her passion so easy for her. She is a senior at UNCW, finishing up a degree in Communication Studies. She knows that she will thrive in the Communication Industry because of her skill for storytelling and understanding her audience.  

As a student athlete at UNCW, she has developed the necessary skills of leadership, communication, time management, balancing rigorous schedules, and having exceptional work ethic. Amberlyn is very personable and has three years of customer service experience. She has completed the Hootsuite Platform Certification as well as the Social Marketing Certification. Through taking Essentials of IMC, she has developed the necessary strengths in advertising, public relations, promotions, social media campaigns, social media marketing, and word of mouth marketing. She loves to meet new people and has a passion for making a positive difference in people’s lives. 

Brand Statement:

I plan to use my communication skills, work ethic, and leadership skills to build connections and stand out in a positive way, while also creating a unique sense of brand awareness that leaves a lasting impact on society.