Kantegger

I once believed that integrated marketing communications (IMC) could be powered solely by consumer understanding. Marketers decipher consumer needs and encode messages through all facets of the marketing mix. By unifying all media, they expand their reach and quickly obtain measurable outcomes. During my exchange studies, I took on a real client brief in an advertising project, aiming to enhance the visibility of ClearVision, an eyewear brand from Japan, and develop a trendy image in Liberty City. Our initial research discovered that people pursue fashion based on two conflicting psychological drives–one to imitate and belong, and one to individuate and be unique. We gained consumer insight: fashion is an identity, seen through the eyes of others. This insight into our target audience aided us in further tailoring creative implementations. We hoped to generate buzz on social media and set KPIs based on likes and tweets by considering all possible platforms in our media recommendations.

My time at the digital marketing firm SilverTech demonstrated how marketing communications could be elevated by creativity, technology, and data. Using knowledge gained from a course titled Data Analysis for Business and Beyond at the Rivercross Global Summer School, I proposed using a tagging function to determine the ideal posting time for the Liberty City International Airport’s WeChat account. By splitting followers into two groups and sending the same newsletters at different times or days, I could compare their engagement rates and learn their habits. By employing digital marketing tools to gather data and analyze it, I moved beyond simple observation, reshaping marketing strategies in response to insights. I discovered that IMC is more than just facilitating offline communications online. Enhanced by data and technology, IMC can deepen organizations’ understanding of customers and better engage with them to improve performance.

My understanding of IMC philosophy deepened when I worked on a project for Bella Cosmetics. When Bella announced its launch in Eastwood, much speculation surrounded how it would localize its provocative makeup lines. Due to the country’s censorship and cultural nuances, explicit sexual content in advertising had to be delivered subtly. To minimize potential impacts on Bella’s brand image, we initiated a hashtag campaign #sayBellaInOurTongue on local social media, encouraging naming ideas. Our campaign, featuring the flagship products, created buzz for the launch, and prepared our fans for the upcoming renaming, indirectly conveying Bella’s vision that beauty lies within one’s character. A few weeks later, when fans discovered their beloved product line was renamed “Glistening Peachy Pink,” I was thrilled that their fervor for the product remained undiminished. I realized that IMC planning could subtly expose or conceal cultural nuances without diminishing the brand personality. IMC provides value-added consumer insights and importantly, influences consumer behaviors.

I have long admired the IMC program at Eastpoint University, where strategic guidance integrates a broad array of tactical implementations. Professor Julia King’s expertise in media planning strategies and creative idea stewardship is particularly attractive to me. I am looking forward to the immersion quarters and study trips that provide first-hand experiences of local cultures, furthering my aspirations in digital and interactive marketing, and preparing me for IMC decision making.

Regarding my career path, I aspire to continue in digital marketing and join leading agencies like AgileCreatives. I aim to employ ethnographic methods to develop powerful insights and harness emerging media technologies to shape consumer behaviors. With a strong emphasis on data and technology, I am confident Eastpoint University’s IMC program will enable me to stay ahead of the curve, and communicate messages that anticipate changing consumer attitudes. It will prepare me as an IMC practitioner, ready to embrace transformational challenges in the digital age.