What Are Integrated Marketing Communication Tools?

I’ve created countless successful campaigns with direct mail. We're not talking about bland, lifeless letters that are destined for the trash.

We're talking about direct mail that packs a punch, that grabs your prospects by the collar and says, "I've got something you need to see." Personalization is your secret weapon here. Make it personal, make it compelling, and above all, make it actionable.

Direct response advertising. Every ad, every billboard, every banner must have one mission: to get a response. Forget brand awareness for awareness's sake. We want action, and we want it measurable. If your ad isn't pulling its weight in leads or sales, it's dead weight.

This is your chance to create a stir, to spark a fire under your prospects and watch them scramble for their wallets. Limited-time offers, discounts, bonuses—use them wisely to create a frenzy, but don't cheapen your brand. It's a balancing act that can pay off handsomely.

I often tell a story about Coca-Cola. They have 11 different Coke vending machines on one floor. One guy asks, “why 11 different Coke vending machines?”, to his shock, one executive comes out and tells him, “All we need to do is sell ONE Coke in multiple places”. The guy looked confused. The executive continued, “If we can sell ONE Coke in a million different places, we’ll sell a million cokes a day”.

Then, Coke takes to the streets—literally. The Coca-Cola Christmas truck rolls into town, not just as a vehicle, but as a vessel of holiday spirit. Every stop is an event, an experience that turns the audience not into consumers, but into lifelong fans.All direct response marketing is small numbers multiplied.

Now, how do you utilize Integrated marketing communication tools with a brand such as Coca-Cola?

Picture this: The holiday season is nearing, and Coke decides to launch a campaign. They don't just want to sell soda; they want to sell nostalgia, togetherness, and joy. They want to be as integral to Christmas as Santa himself.

The stage is set not with a whisper, but with the roar of a polar bear. Television ads that don't just show a family drinking Coke, but families embodying the warmth of the season—a global toast to joy. The message isn't "buy Coke"; it's "Celebrate with us."

Online, they're not just present; they're omnipresent. Social media turns into a winter wonderland of user-generated content, hashtags snowing down like confetti. Coca-Cola isn't just on your screen; it's in your hand and in your holiday.

And the direct marketing? As personal as a Christmas card from an old friend, inviting you to share a Coke and share a song with names on bottles that turn customers into the stars of the campaign.

Then comes PR—a narrative so compelling it makes headlines, not as an advertisement, but as the herald of holiday cheer.

And the masterstroke, the sales promotion—Coke rewards that turn every sip into a chance to win, to celebrate, to be merry. They're not selling a drink; they're selling the magic of Christmas in a red can.

Say you run a company and launch a new flagship info product. You don’t play small ball and deploy an aggressive IMC strategy. So you start with webinars, which aren’t just snooze-fest PowerPoint slideshows; but well put production for the mind. Each session is interactive, ideas are insightful and knowledgeable.

You’ve got your email campaigns. Each email is carefully crafted with direct response persuasion, blending urgency with the promise of unlocking one's potential—because who needs subtlety when you can have results?

Social media channels are all locked in -- showing testimonials, thought-provoking questions, and challenges that make even the most passive scroller stop and think. You write blogs, create podcasts, and have fireside chats with giants.

Then you’ve got the affiliates promoting everywhere you go. Sales promotions come armed with countdown timers, fast-action bonuses, and exclusive member forums, turning the buying decision into a no-brainer. And this is all done pre-launch.

You’ve been building the hype, the cart is open; and customers don't just buy a product but a transformation with a belief in you and your company. THAT is an example of an integrated marketing communication tool. All in one.

Now: You can utilize Integrated Marketing communication tools anywhere, whether it’s a new product, a holiday promotion, in fact, I talk about holiday promotion a lot with integrated marketing communication tools. You should be doing it if you aren’t already. I always get the objection that there aren’t enough holidays.

Here’s a secret: Make one up. Whether it’s your birthday, or you bought a car, or new client promotion -- whatever. You get more information on Holiday promotion by either going to www.magneticmarketing.com or becoming a Diamond Member, by going to www.diamondupgrade.com

Anyways, this is the art of marketing alchemy—or what people call integrated marketing communication tools --turning the base metal of a product into the gold of an experience. It's about crafting a story that's never about the product. It's always about the person holding it.

So remember, when you uncork your next campaign, don't just push a product. Push a feeling, push a dream, push an indelible experience, use multiple media channels to promote it. Get it integrated via other media channels that you were not using before.