A set of group problem-solving methods pointed out by Gordon in his 1961 book "Synectics: the Development of Creativity". This method mainly integrates elements that were originally different and unrelated to create new ideas/appearances. The differentiation method uses the role of simulation and metaphor to help thinkers analyze problems to generate various perspectives.
It is a guide to think beyond Lushan, transcend oneself, and transcend conventions (AttributeListingTechnique) is a famous creative thinking strategy advocated by Crawford in 1954. This method emphasizes that users observe and analyze the characteristics or attributes of things or problems during the creation process, and then propose ideas for improvement or change for each characteristic.
It is the economic Rubik's cube of the magical combination of intelligent industries---colm (co on-line marketing) integrated online marketing
International marketing industry combination creative success case: --COLM--- In foreign countries, generally speaking, the main advertisers in online advertising are ranked first in the IT category, second in the automotive category, and so on. In China, IT products occupy the top three, but there are many automotive products abroad because there are many experience-related things that can be done. However, in China, we currently estimate that it has not reached 10%. In fact, many foreign experiences can also be applied in China. Similarly, the biggest difference between foreign countries and China at present, in terms of advertisers, is their understanding of the Internet, which is the awareness I just mentioned and the ability of enterprises to deal with Internet-related issues, or the endless opportunities it brings. is the biggest challenge. For Internet companies, they have paid great attention to integrating online marketing, because traditional advertising companies mainly focus on traditional media. Traditional advertising companies are facing new challenges. Unless they also integrate into the international trend of integrated online marketing, life or death will be unpredictable! !
From the perspective of the development of marketing theory, the role of service in competition has become increasingly prominent. In the 1960s, the marketing mix, that is, product, pricing, distribution, and promotion, became a classic marketing theory and became the basic operating method of corporate marketing. In the history of marketing, nothing has greater impact than the 4Ps. Almost every marketing textbook and marketing course uses 4P as the basic content of teaching, and almost every marketing manager consciously or unconsciously considers issues from the 4P theory when planning marketing activities. Increasing consumer personalization is coupled with media fragmentation and information overload.
In the 1980s, Lauterburn in the United States proposed the 4Cs marketing theory in response to the existing problems of 4P: starting from consumer wants and needs, taking into account the cost that consumers are willing to pay. ), convenience of consumer transactions, and integrating the interests of customers and businesses through consumer communications. The 4Cs marketing theory focuses on consumer demand-oriented, but it is more passive in adapting to customer needs. With the further development of the market, in the face of new problems such as intensified competition, unstable customer base, lack of marketing characteristics of enterprises, and lack of operability to meet customer needs, enterprises need to work from a higher level and in a more effective way between enterprises and An interactive relationship is established between customers that is different from traditional ones.
Recently, Don E. Schultz of the United States proposed a new marketing theory of 4Rs (relevance, reaction, relationship, return). Specifically, they include:
1. Establishing relationships with customers
In a competitive market, customers are dynamic. Customer loyalty is changing. To improve customer loyalty and win a long-term and stable market, an important marketing strategy is to establish relationships with customers in terms of business, needs, etc. in some effective ways to form a relationship of mutual assistance and mutual demand. , The relationship of mutual need connects customers and enterprises. Especially when enterprises market consumer goods, they need to rely on associations and relationships to maintain them.
2. Improve the speed of market response
In today's interactive market, the most important thing for operators is how to listen to customers' hopes and desires in a timely manner from the customer's perspective and needs, and respond promptly and respond quickly to meet customer needs. Some contemporary Western companies have shifted from speculative business models in the past to business models that are highly responsive to demand. Facing the rapidly changing market, in order to meet customer needs and establish relevant relationships, companies must establish a rapid response mechanism to improve response speed and responsiveness. This minimizes complaints, stabilizes the customer base, and reduces the probability of customer transfer.
3. Relationship marketing is becoming more and more important
In a market environment where the relationship between enterprises and customers has undergone fundamental changes, the key to seizing the market has become to establish long-term relationships with customers. And a solid relationship changes from managing the marketing mix to managing the interactive relationship with customers.
With this, enterprises will face major changes:
(1) From transaction marketing to relationship marketing. Transactional marketing, making one-time transactions with specific customers without intentionally developing any lasting customer relationships. Relationship marketing is a long-term marketing strategy dedicated to developing and strengthening continuous and lasting customer relationships. In relationship marketing, interactive marketing is key. Interactive Marketing Function: The interface between production and consumption represents the interaction between buyers and sellers in which moments of authenticity occur. Because the impact of these interactions on marketing occurs during the interaction process, this part of marketing is called the interactive marketing function.
(2) Shift from focusing on short-term interests to focusing on long-term interests
(3) Shift from single sales to establishing friendly cooperative relationships
(4) Shift from focusing on products Performance as the core turns to the benefits that products or services bring to customers as the core
(5) Shift from not paying attention to customer service to high commitment
4. Return is the source of marketing
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On the one hand, the pursuit of returns is the driving force for marketing development; on the other hand, returns are a necessary condition for maintaining market relationships
Integrating online marketing communication practices
In the past few years, During the year, integrated marketing communications (IMC) attracted widespread attention from marketers, communication practitioners, and experts and scholars around the world (Caywood, Schultz, & Wang, 1991; Schultz, Tannenbaum, & Lauterborn, 1992; Duncan & E. Frater, 1993; Duncan and Moriarity, 1997; Hutton, 1995; Wolters, 1993; Nowak and Phelps, 1994). Integrated marketing communications practitioners, marketing resource providers, and marketing effectiveness evaluators have long defined, debated, and discussed IMC in various ways. Many discussions have centered around the following topics: How various organizations should implement IMC (such as "Integrated Marketing Communication Seminar on Advertising Research Fundamentals" held in Arizona in 1995). These organizations include advertising agencies, integrated marketing communications companies, and marketing companies themselves, among others (Kitchen and Proctor, 1991; Schultz and Kitchen, 1997). In addition, how to carry out IMC work has also attracted great attention (Belch and Belch, 1995; Kiely, 1993; Phelps, Plumley and Johnson).
While there have been numerous discussions, seminars, and much knowledge on how to implement IMC, there is currently no substantial research or writing on IMC operations or best practices. Most research relies on speculation, anecdotal examples, personal opinions, or single cases based on specific companies in specific industries. In this paper, we provide the first comprehensive and benchmarking study on the best practices of IMC programs implemented in the United States. It will provide a baseline and yardstick against which marketing and communications managers, market researchers and academics will be able to judge their progress in IMC, and against which they can benchmark IMC best practices and future prospects. Some guides to test your own experience.
This paper consists of four parts: (a) discussion of the definition of integrated marketing communications and related concepts and theories; (b) description of this research and the four-step integration method - each organization It is operated through the "integrated four-step method"; (c) Twelve findings from the research results of the American Productivity and Quality Center; (d) Some thoughts on the application of integrated marketing communications in current and future management. I. Current concepts and theories about integrated marketing communications
Before introducing the results of benchmarking research on best practices in integrated marketing communications, it is necessary to give a description of the current relevant integrated marketing communications ideas. The concept and structure of IMC have changed significantly since its formation in the late 1980s.
Integrated marketing communications arise from the need for organizations to adapt to changing and changing market environments. At the beginning, the focus of integrated marketing communications was how to create a unified organizational image through various communication activities (such as advertising, public relations, direct mail, etc.), that is, marketers hope to create "a unified image" for their organization and brand. an image and a voice." However, with the further development of the theory, IMC has covered a wider range of fields and become more complex. In essence, it has moved from a tactical approach to coordinating and uniting various communication elements through communication management to a different benchmarking system around which an organization is able to strategically plan and execute all marketing communications activities.
Over the years, many clear definitions of integrated marketing communications have emerged. However, AGORA, a subject matter expert in the APQC study, proposed the following clearer definition of IMC practices: Integrated marketing communications is a business strategy process that is used to plan, develop, execute and evaluate measurable, coordinated A consistent and persuasive brand communications program that targets consumers, customers, potential customers, and other internal and external relevant targets (APQC Benchmarking Study, 1997). This definition focuses current IMC implementation and use on a number of focal points that will be demonstrated by the following research results.
II. Integrated Marketing Communication Benchmarking Study
The IMC benchmarking study was organized and conducted by the "American Production and Quality Center" (hereinafter referred to as APQC) in 1997 - the center is headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, is a non-profit cooperative organization with approximately 500 working members who work together to research and explore how organizations can improve product quality and increase productivity in a wide range of fields. Generally, APQC's research method is to standardize the specific skills possessed by some organizations in a certain field, and at the same time explore and define the "best practices" of these organizations. Research results will be communicated to APQC members through various reports, meetings, seminars, and ultimately to the general business community.
This IMC study originated from APQC researchers who identified integrated marketing communications as a priority in their benchmarking research agenda in a survey, during which they brought in outside subject matter expert Don Shu Schultz and AGORA's Heidi Schultz, experts in the field of integration and integrated marketing communications, draw on their experience, writings and teachings to jointly accomplish this task.
The entire research process is as follows:
A: AGORA and APQC will first propose a plan, and then send the plan to possible sponsors, who will fund the research. and will be involved in every step of the research process.
B: AROGA and "APQC" will use a thirty to forty-five minute preliminary questionnaire to screen potential sponsors. These questionnaires will take about forty-five minutes to complete, including Issues in five areas: (1) Marketing communication structure and planning; (2) Marketing communication messages and tactics; (3) Integrating customer requirements with the organization; (4) Using information technology to understand customers; 5) Integrated finance and strategy. At the same time, a series of expected "best practice" organizations were developed through communication with the world's leading academics and practitioners and based on written investigation experience at AROGA Corporation and APQC.
C: All sponsors are invited to a one-day meeting at the headquarters in Houston, Texas. At the meeting, participants were given the questionnaire and asked to describe its content and structure. In addition to this, discussions of “best practices” organizations are reviewed. Based on sponsor suggestions and comments, the questionnaire was finalized and a set of “best practices” expected of organizations were developed.
D: APQC staff contact these Best Practices organizations to get them to agree to complete a detailed questionnaire and to arouse their interest in becoming research subjects and "visiting sites." As a result, 22 organizations completed the questionnaire and five "visited sites" were obtained. The participating organizations in this study are as follows:
Partners (organizations that agree to complete a detailed questionnaire and are used as visiting sites)
*attorney's Title (Insurance Fund)
*CIGNA (insurance company)
*Dow Jones Chemical Company
*Fidelity Investment Company
*John Nuveen & company
*United Airlines
*FedEx
*HP
Sponsors (organizations that agree to complete detailed questionnaires, but not as visiting sites)< /p>
*Arthur Anderson Insurance Company
*Bayer AG
*General Electric
*Kaiser Permanente
*Nationwide Insurance
*Public Service Electric & Gas Co.
*Texas Utilities
p>*Baptist Sunday School board
* Emst & Young LLP
*General Telephone & Electric Company
*Mutual of Omaha
< p>*Prudential Insurance (Prudential Insurance)*Texas Instruments
*The Mutual Group
The above organizations have filled out information about their integrated marketing communications practices, activities, processes and methods. In this group, *** actually made five site visits: CIGNA Insurance Company, Dow Jones Chemical Company, FedEx Company, Fidelity Investment Company, and Hewlett-Packard Company. Sites visited include APQC, Agora and Sponsor program participants.
1. Before the site visits and questionnaire analysis are completed, APQC and Agora managers list the results. This information is documented in detail in a document and distributed to each partner and sponsor prior to presentations at APQC's Houston headquarters.
2. A team of partners, sponsors, and subject experts held a two-day meeting at APQC’s Houston headquarters to announce and share the research results. Personnel from various agencies, SME groups and APQC conducted in-depth discussions. The final findings of these studies, which were presented to partners and sponsors, are summarized below. They describe the current state of integrated marketing communications in the United States and provide a basis for marketing communications agencies to develop integrated marketing plans. This provides a way for them to pivot to 21st century marketing.
III. The four stages of formulating an integrated marketing communication plan
Before the study began, the subject expert team assumed that communication agencies went through the following four stages when formulating an integrated marketing communication plan. , these four stages (steps) are shown in Figure 1.
The four stages of integration are shown in Figure 1. These stages have been confirmed by field studies. A brief description follows.
Phase 1: Tactical Coordination: The organization begins to coordinate its marketing communications activities. Usually, they develop some brand plan or brand management plan, or in other words, first decide to manage their brand and the information it publishes related to the brand. This is the usual concept or definition of "one image and one voice". This means that organizations integrate advertising messages in all aspects. At the same time, the company hopes to create a synergistic effect in the multi-media and multi-dimensional communication process.
The second stage: Redefining the scope of marketing communications: In this stage, the company begins to define new or broad communication concepts. Organizations try to think broader than just traditional functional advertising campaigns, sales promotion, direct marketing, etc.
Typically, companies first decide where and under what circumstances the brand or company will connect with its customers and potential customers through brand exposure and brand communication assessments. Often, this means taking action before companies engage in traditional external communications methods. Typically these actions include internal marketing or activities involving the company's employees and sales force. In some cases, companies begin to try to develop integrated marketing communications plans among marketing channels and business partners, hoping to have a clear and concise information flow and information about the company's incentives for customers and customer feedback. Usually these actions of the company include Create multifunctional teams that focus on customers and end users rather than on the company's products and services.
The third stage: the application of information technology; at this stage, marketing organizations begin to use information technology to integrate various forms of marketing communications used in the past. For example, using a variety of research methods, including database technology, organizations began to study differences in customer attitude and behavior data and how to align the two. With more external customer information, the communications planning team began to differentiate between customers' personal criteria. That is, switching from a mass marketing approach to identifying customers by identifying their unique needs and desires. With this approach, organizations can tailor their communications. By customizing communications, companies often begin using different evaluation tools and techniques in their communications plans. In other words, companies began to focus on customer segments and their needs and potential needs rather than simply focusing on market share. This also includes differentiating customers and potential customers based on their economic status.
The fourth stage: about the integration of finance and strategy; at this stage, the organization begins to develop a plan statement, which is based on an assessment of customers and their market or financial value and potential value, rather than simply Based on what the company wants to achieve. By focusing on customers, companies are often able to develop "closed-loop systems" of marketing communications that use better planning and measurement methods. That is, this knowledge of customer value enables companies to build on a measurable "return on investment." to invest in marketing communications. Often, a company wants to use these methods to measure its marketing return on investment because top management wants to know the value that integrated marketing communications can bring to the company. IV. Twelve important findings
Based on the understanding of the above four stages, we can identify twelve knowledge points (discoveries) - the results of the above benchmarking research. These important findings will be described here .
In this study, we used a research approach that begins with "research expectations" - which constitutes the research approach and details what experts think is possible or reasonably expected to be studied in this area. The basis for discovery, these research expectations are either confirmed or disproved by actual research findings. These expectations can also be thought of as hypotheses to be tested, which are accepted or rejected by the research findings. For this report, we only list 12 key points from the actual research findings:
1. Key Finding #1
Highly interpersonal and multifunctional communication is required within an organization, across businesses and external vendors, and integration cannot rely solely on policies and procedures.
2. Key Finding #2
Companies must take charge of the integration process themselves and not rely on ad agencies or other vendors to do it.
3. Key Finding #3
Companies need to collect external information about customers. Utilize both primary and secondary market research as well as actual customer behavior data and apply this information to plan, develop and evaluate communications campaigns.
4. Key Finding #4
Companies with the best integrated marketing communications practices establish a series of feedback channels to collect customer information and use this customer information effectively throughout the company.
5. Key Finding #5
One of the biggest challenges in integrated marketing communications is aligning internal practices and procedures with external communications.
6. Important Finding #6
Companies with the best integrated marketing communication practices not only maintain large amounts of data resources, but also have marketing communicators who can use these data very effectively to develop marketing communication plans.
7. Key Finding #7
In companies that market internationally, the best IMC practitioners tend to maintain a global, complete database rather than an independent, incomplete database.
8. Important Finding #8
In the planning, development, and execution of integrated marketing communications, information technology must be effectively used to convert customer-related data into customer perceptions.
9. Key Finding #9
Relatively few organizations leverage existing technologies to build targeted communications programs based on individual customer circumstances and characteristics.
10. Key Finding #10
It can be found that the role of the marketing department of partner companies is somewhat different compared to that of sponsoring companies. A bottom line is often set on the responsibilities of partner corporate communications staff, and they play a very prominent role in strategic planning and new product development processes.
11. Key Finding #11
Many organizations use a range of tools to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing communications campaigns, however, few companies apply financial criteria to the evaluation process.
12. Key Finding #12
Many organizations claim to be customer-centric, but few truly grasp the strategic and organizational implications of customer-centricity.
These findings paint a picture of the current state of integrated marketing communications in the United States. Starting from this current situation, we will put forward some opinions of managers in the last part regarding the future development of integrated marketing communications.
V. Expansion of Integrated Marketing Communication Thoughts
Using the conclusions of APQC, we can provide some more managers’ opinions on the actual operation of integrated marketing communication now and in the 21st century.
1. Many organizations have discovered that they can use integrated marketing communications tools and techniques to enhance marketing communications to key customer groups. The basic idea of ??integrated marketing communications is applicable to many organizations. This basic idea is to provide the organization with a process and comprehensive planning platform that can be used in all aspects of the organization.
2. When it comes to products and services, more and more organizations are beginning to use an integrated approach—known as the “total solution sales approach.” As marketers increasingly use a range of targeting and accompanying tools—and more and more of them—they must justify investments in new media. However, these media have not gained widespread recognition in the past.
3. In many companies, integrated marketing communications are often confused with direct response marketing (Direct Response Marketing) and database marketing.
However, the latter two are emphasized more on tactics and are one-dimensional in their marketing approach. Direct response marketing mainly emphasizes establishing a feedback loop to make accepting orders more convenient. On the other hand, database marketing mainly emphasizes the use of technical means to accurately determine target market segments and deliver relevant, customized information and services.
Direct response marketing and database marketing both belong to the scope of integrated marketing communications, but they cannot include all the content included in integrated marketing communications. Each of them provides a special channel through which an organization communicates with its customers. However, true integrated marketing communications attempts to provide a strategic platform upon which all of a company's essential activities can unfold.
VI. Current views and practices on integrated marketing communications
The Best Practices Benchmarking Study has revealed the methods for studying integrated marketing communications, as follows The commentary in turn provides the platform and overall structure for understanding this approach.
1. Basically, integrated marketing communications is a marketing communications planning system. It is used to help organizations focus their time, energy and financial resources on their best customers and potential customers. Instead of first deciding what to say and then finding your target audience, it starts with customers and prospects and then works back to itself.
2. Integrated marketing communications is designed as a model that turns all marketing and communication elements into credible, persuasive, meaningful and measurable processes whose effectiveness and efficiency can be judged .
3. Integrated marketing communications rely on the effective use of customer behavior data. Although personal attitudinal data and demographic data can be enlightening, they play only a subordinate role in profiling customer groups; the primary role is played by behavioral attributes.
4. Managers from various groups within the organization integrate all of the organization's communications activities into a cohesive whole. It is through these people that integrated marketing communications are planned and executed. These groups also bring together external resources and internal capabilities to maximize results.
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of integrated marketing communications based on the financial returns IMC brings to the organization. In the integrated marketing communication process, although information and stimulation are a vital part, they are basically evaluated based on market performance rather than the costs incurred and the information delivered.
6. Integrated marketing communications uses a process for planning that provides all managers within an organization with a unique framework for integrating customer-related efforts.
We have entered the 21st century, and IMC as a new communication paradigm in marketing and communication will surely be further developed. APQC's best practice benchmarking research method has revealed a brand new insight into concepts, practices and market execution.
Mr. Don Schultz is the president of Agora Consulting Company and the founder of international integrated marketing communication theory