Integrated Marketing Communications Council

The Integrated Marketing Communications Council is one of the 5 councils of the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) and focuses on integrated marketing communications. According to the EACA website:

Its mission is to represent the integrated marketing communications agencies and agency associations in Europe. It acts as a central source of information for the industry and assists in the development of the reputation and professionalism of the industry across Europe by focusing on three key areas: best practice, lobbying and recognition by way of a reputable Awards competition, ‘The IMC European Awards’.

Integrated Marketing Communications aims to bring together all aspects of marketing, areas such as advertising, sales, PR and direct marketing are combined to achieve a single goal for a company or individual. Integrated Marketing communications also aims to promote a single 'look' or image for a marketing campaign.

The Integrated Marketing Communications Council within the EACE has contributed to globalisation through integrating marketing aspects such as PR and advertising together to create a global image for a company. This image is easily portrayed through the internet which has made businesses globally accessible. Large companies within member countries are represented and branded using integrated marketing communications. Although the IMCC have many policies on responsible advertising and marketing, companies they are connected to include Nestle, which has been criticised for advertising bottled formula milk in third world countries, Coca-Cola, which has been accused of exploitation in a number of areas and MacDonald's, which markets fast food to children.

Brand image is extremely important now and is recognised across the globe. According to Hristo Ivanov Katrandjiev in his paper, "Some aspects of measuring integrated marketing communications (IMC):

In contrast to business in the past, today's marketplace puts a much higher value on intangible assets. Companies such as Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's have capitalized market values that correspond with their intangible capital, rather than hard goods produced or manufactured. The significance of brand equity is rising because a high level of brand equity means a high level of loyal customers. That's why the value of the brand name is a key factor for marketing success.

For companies in the 21st century IMC is vital in leading the way towards effective marketing strategies and is seen as the best way to gain advantages in this competitive market. The IMCC uses these marketing strategies within the EU to promote brand image.

Affiliations

The EACA is a member of ACT Responsible, an organisation that claims to "promote and inspire good practice in advertising and communication, in support of social responsibility and sustainable development."

It is a non-profit initiative and is "100% self-funded and is reliant on friends, partners, sponsors and donors to finance its programmes."

Members

• AACC Marketing Services Delegation
• ACC Expert Group Brand Activation
• Asociacion Espanola de Agencias de Marketing Promocional
• Association of Promotional Marketing Consultants (APMC)
• AssoComunicazione Settore Promozione, Incentivazione e Servizi di Marketing
• Austrian Federation of Sales Promotion
• Dutch Dialogue Marketing Association
• Hellenic Association of Communications Agencies
• Institute of Sales Promotion
• Marketing Association e.V. (POSMA)
• VEA

This council forms part of the European Association of Communication Agencies