According to a study by the Association of National Advertisers, Integrated Marketing Communication has become the number one hot item for 2007. One of the responders indicated the proliferation of media and new levels of accountability are a key driver of top marketers. Thus, the importance of IMC in ensuring the best communication and measurements techniques for the overall business, as well as a specific project.

As mentioned before on this blog, I often hear from clients that they just want one particular solution such as a web site or brochure. I can't drill this into their brains enough--don't make a short-term decision without looking at the whole picture. To be truly integrated you need to look at all your marketing and communication activities on a whole. As the ANA survey indicates, top marketers realize the importance of thinking on larger scale. Things aren't as simple as they were 10-15 years ago. A well-placed ad or one direct mail campaign is not going to get the results they once did a decade ago. The key is balancing the right strategies at the same time.


http://www.ana.net/news/2007/03_26_07.cfm