IMC: The Next Generation: Five Steps for Delivering Value and Measuring Returns Using Marketing Communication

A decade ago, professor Don Schultz and collaborators formulated the concept of "integrated marketing communication" in their book of the same name. IMC involves highly coordinated internal and external communication that reaches market segments with a simple, unified message. IMC: The Next Generation substantially revises the original book with five major changes:

• A move to brands and branding
• A five-step implementation process
• A focus on individuals, not market segments
• A move toward measurement and accountability
• A global approach

Rather than presenting IMC as a way to integrate communication, it presents IMC as a core business strategy with the ultimate objective of creating value for shareholders and customers. Moreover, the strategy is grounded upon communication inputs and outputs that are quantifiable and measurable.