It has been argued that the concept of integrated marketing is nothing new, particularly in smaller companies and communication agencies that have been coordinating a variety of promotional tools for years.
And larger advertising agencies have been trying to gain more of their client’s promotional business for over 20 years. However in the past, various services were run as separate profit centers. Each was motivated to push its own expertise and pursue its goals rather than develop truly integrated marketing programs. Moreover, the creative specialists in many agencies resisted becoming involved in sales promotion or direct marketing. They preferred to concentrate on developing magazine ads or television commercials rather than designing coupons or direct mail pieces.
Proponents of the integrating marketing services agency (the one -stop shop) contend that the past problems are being solved and the various individuals in the agencies and subsidiaries are learning to work together to deliver a consistent message to the client’s customers. They argue that maintaining control of the entire promotional process achieves better synergy among each of the communications program elements. They also note that it is more convenient for the clients to coordinate all of its marketing efforts.-media advertising, direct mail, special events, sales promotions and public relations- through one agency. An agency with integrated marketing capabilities can create a single image for the product or service and address everyone from wholesalers to consumers, with one voice.
But not everyone wants to turn the entire IMC program over to one agency. Opponents say the providers become involved in political wrangling over budgets, do not communicate with each other as well and as they should, and do not achieve synergy.
they also claim that the agency’s efforts to control all the aspects of the promotional program are nothing more than an attempt to hold on to the business that might otherwise be lost to independent providers. They note that synergy and economies of scale, while nice in theory, have been difficult to achieve, and competition and conflict among agency subsidiaries have been a major problem.
Many companies use a variety of vendors for communication functions, choosing the specialist they believe is best suited for each promotional task, be it advertising, sales promotions or public relations. Many marketers are of this view that, “why should the organization confine itself to one resource when there is a tremendous pool of fresh ideas available?”
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