Marketing is as essential for an engineering firm as it is for any other business. Although some regard engineers as slow to embrace marketing, engineering managers need to understand general business topics, including marketing and marketing communications.
Students in an Online Master of Engineering Management degree program at Arkansas State University take a course that provides an overview of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). This course helps students build a solid foundation in business administration.
What Is Marketing Communications and Why Is It Important?
Marketing communications is vital to a business’s marketing efforts. It includes a company’s media outreach and communications aimed at its target market and the public at large. Traditional advertising, branding, social media, printed materials and trade show appearances are all part of marketing communications.
Two main functions make marketing communications important to businesses. First, it helps create demand for a company’s products or services. Through various communications channels, the company presents itself and its products or services to its target consumers. The goal is to create a preference for the company in the minds of consumers — and a demand for what it provides.
Secondly, marketing communications helps shorten the sales cycle. Sales cycles differ depending on the industry and the product or service in question, but for technical industries like engineering, marketing communications can help educate potential customers throughout the early parts of the sales cycle. This can help move customers to the next stage of the sales cycle more quickly.
Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated Marketing Communications, or IMC, is a more specific type of marketing communications. The goal of IMC is to ensure that all aspects of a company’s marketing communications present a unified front. The guiding principle of IMC is that marketing efforts based on the same branding and positioning are more effective.
Marketing channels are more varied today than they have ever been. In addition to traditional options like print, radio and TV, the internet has opened up many new ways to reach potential customers. Ensuring that a brand gets marketed the same way across all channels can make a significant difference in overall results.
With IMC, all marketing efforts stay true to the brand and its positioning. While each piece impacts potential customers differently, the various approaches aim for consistency in brand image, which helps solidify that image in customers’ minds. As available marketing channels continue to increase, the importance of IMC in creating clear, impactful brand messaging will likely increase as well.
Integrated Communications Strategies in the Online MEM Program
One of the course topics in A-State’s interdisciplinary curriculum for students earning a master’s in engineering management is integrated communication strategies. This communications course provides students with an overview of integrated marketing communications. Students learn about developing an IMC plan for an organization, which relies on various marketing communication strategy options to ensure the integration of an organization’s communications and messaging.
Students will learn the integrated marketing communications tools used in marketing today, including the following:
- Advertising.
- Internet and interactive marketing.
- Direct marketing.
- Publicity and public relations.
- Sales promotion.
- Personal selling.
Course topics also include IMC techniques in various applications, such as marketing planning, media selection and placement, advertising messaging and audience segmentation.
When engineering managers augment their technical skills with business principles, they position themselves for success. By learning about IMC strategies and how to apply them, students earning an Online Master of Engineering Management degree at A-State can build a strong foundation to support a developing career.
Learn more about the A-State online MEM program.
Sources:
Portent: It’s Raining Marketing: The Importance of Integrated Marketing Communications