An integrated marketing communications (IMC) program includes
coordination among advertising, sales management, public relations,
sales promotions, and direct marketing. Global marketers
face unique legal, language, media, and production limitations in
every market. These must be considered when designing an IMC
program. During the late 1990s many large firms moved toward an
advertising strategy of standardization. However, more recently
even the most multinational companies have changed emphasis to
strategies based on national, subcultural, demographic, or other
market segments.
The major problem facing international advertisers is designing
the best messages for each market served. The potential for crosscultural
misunderstandings is great in both public relations and
the various advertising media. The availability and quality of advertising
media also vary substantially around the world. Marketers
may be unable to profitably enter markets for lack of appropriate
advertising media -- for example, some products require the availability
of TV.
Advances in communication technologies (particularly the
Internet) are causing dramatic changes in the structure of the
international advertising and communications industries. New
problems are being posed for government regulators as well. Despite
these challenges, the industry is experiencing dramatic growth
as new media are developed and as new markets open to commercial
advertising.
