As an IMC service provider - or a buyer, for that matter - it is crucial to understand what lies behind a succesful Integrated Marketing Communications Plan. Here I discuss those that are important according to my experiences.

1. KNOW THE BUSINESS

This goes for the service proider and for the client/buyer. Marketing communications has major effect on business and not doing it right (or at all, as in some cases) can have drastic negative effects on one's business. Doing it right can grow the business to another level.

That is why it is important to know what makes a business tick. More precisely, what makes the business at hand tick!

Not only You need to know the basics like products and target groups, but also the goals of that company. What drives the company to do what it does? How are they trying to reach their short and long term objectives?

This very idea lays the basis for a succesful long term plan that is going to have positive effect on the business. Also it is possible to find the cause-effect chains that makes the positive outcomes reality.

A dialog needs to take place between the parties. One way of looking this area is first by defining a company (or business). You can do this by looking some literature about company strategies, corporate identity, leadership & management of different areas of business functions.

The business side of it...

I have found that the ideas of Balance Scorecard (by Kaplan & Norton) combines quite well with those of Integrated Marketing Communications. There are ideas such as measuring actions and bringing the strategy down to the level of everyday work.

You might know how the BSC works, but briefly said it divides a company to four perspectives:

1. Customer
2. Process
3. Learning & Growth and
4. Financial.

...and the marketing side of it

Then You might want to have something relevant to marketing. Here I recommend that You look at knowledge about corporate identity. One valuable resource fot that is prof. Balmer's ACCID test of corporate identity. There can be found that a company's identity is made of

1. Values
2. Leadership
3. Vision
4. Philosophy
5. Service/Product quality.

With the above "classes" we found, it is now possible to compile a questionnaire. I would place these in a matrix and come up with the questions with the help of that. You could think of a matrix like the one pictured here.

Fill each cell with a relevant question. For example to the first cell find a question that has to do with service quality and customers. Remember that these terms are perspectives. This means that the questions you make for the first column of cells are from customers perspective.For example how leadership is perceived by the customers etc.

More about this later. Feel free to leave any comments You might have!