Think about the last great concert you attended. What made it so special? Did you keep a mental list of all the things you liked about it? Maybe the lyrics spoke to your real life, or was it next-level production? Perhaps it was the live acoustic version of your favorite song? If there was a slight difference in this event, maybe it wouldn't be so great — but still you'd consider it good, right?
I want you to think of Integrated Marketing Communications in a similar light. At its core, IMC is an approach that combines a plethora of marketing avenues as a way to successfully deliver concise and consistent branding to target consumers. These different avenues could include public relations, social media, and sales; individually they make for good pillars of marketing, however when unified they hold even greater strength.
Now, let's keep the following checklist in mind while we sail through IMC waters — consider this your compass.
- Audience: Who is the target audience / consumer of this campaign?
- Branding: What is the consistent messaging throughout all communication avenues?
- Channels: How is advertising, public relations and social media delivering this message?
- Metrics: How are we tracking the success of this campaign?
One of the most successful IMC examples in the music industry is Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. This global phenomenon broke all sorts of streaming and sales records, using several marketing avenues and maintaining a unified message to fans all throughout its rollout.
Let's get our compass out and navigate through this example, shall we?
- Audience: Taylor Swift listeners, both casual and superfans, at an international level.
- Branding: Discography-themed production utilizing different colors to represent different eras of her music. This is consistent during live events, online mediums, and merchandising.
- Channels: Taylor is known for her Machiavellian-style marketing — “easter eggs” found throughout her content. Friendship bracelets trend on social media, the concert film shows in theatres around the world, and Spotify / Apple Music data tells its own story.
- Metrics: Box office and merchandise sales, and streaming across her entire discography.
The Eras Tour, as well as other successful music projects, showcases a global narrative that drives success for the artist while directly connecting with audiences. Always keep in mind: IMC incorporates storytelling to foster stronger relationships with consumers, and as a result, strengthen the brand.