Integrated Marketing Communications－A Useful Tool for Improving Policy Communications
Jun-Ying Huang*
Abstract
Policy communications are usually not done clearly and quickly enough to clarify public misunderstandings and doubts in time, impairing implementation of the policy and its performance. This article aims to introduce the concept and practices of integrated marketing communications (IMC) and explore how IMC can be applied to improving the effectiveness and performance of policy communications.
IMC involves a variety of tools, including advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing and word-of-mouth marketing. Each tool has its unique characteristics and costs. Policy communicators must blend or integrate these tools carefully into a coordinated communications mix.
Seven steps must be taken by the communicators when developing an effective IMC program: identifying the target audience, determining the communications objectives, designing the communications, selecting communications channels, setting the communications budget, deciding the communications mix, and measuring communications campaigns.
IMC is a useful tool for improving policy communications. It is a necessity for government officials in charge of policy communications to fully understand the important role IMC plays. They must also be able to make the best use of IMC so as to elicit the desired responses from the target audience and to achieve policy goals and objectives.
Keywords:policy propaganda, policy communications, integrated marketing communications, product placement, Hakka Tung Blossom Festival
* Minister without Portfolio, Examination Yuan.