Improving integrated marketing communications practices: A comparison of objectives and results

Abstract

Marketing managers face increasing demands for effectiveness measurement including more rigorous assessment of the match between marketing communication objectives and results. This study provides an analysis of current objective-setting practices and a comparison with past industry practices by applying a traditional communication task model to marketing communications award competition entries. The results indicate that there is still room for improvement in communication objective-setting practices. Suggestions for improving these practices include (1) making a commitment to assessment, (2) offering actionable objective-setting education, (3) increasing attention to the impact of new media, and (4) expanding the role of agencies. The authors conclude that the study of the objectives and results aspect of marketing communication management will create new opportunities for integrated marketing communications scholars and practitioners to increase the effectiveness of promotional activities.

Keywords::

• objective-setting
• communication effectiveness
• hierarchy of effects
• IMC
• B2B

Acknowledgement

The authors of this paper express their appreciation to Marilee Yorchak, Executive Director of Business Marketing Association-Colorado, for providing access to the award entries that were analyzed in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

C.H. Patti

Charles H. Patti, PhD, is Professor of Marketing in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He received BA, MS, and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois. Among the journals his research has appeared in are the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Marketing Communications. He is the co-author of several books on advertising and marketing communication and teaches and consults in the area of customer experience management.

S.W. Hartley

Steven W. Hartley, PhD, is Professor of Marketing in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He received BME, MBA, and PhD degrees from the University of Minnesota. His research has appeared in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Advertising Research, Industrial Marketing Management, and others, and he is a co-author of Marketing, 12e (McGraw-Hill).

M.M. van Dessel

Maria M. van Dessel, PhD, is a Research Scholar in the Department of Marketing in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. She received her PhD degree from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Her research and teaching focuses on the general area of marketing communication with particular emphasis on business-to-business advertising. Her research appears in journals, conference proceedings, and book chapters.

D.W. Baack

Daniel W. Baack, PhD, is Associate Professor of Marketing in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. Among the journals his research has appeared in are the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Business Research. He is the lead author of the Sage Publications textbook, International Marketing.