Exploring the relationship between integrated marketing communications and decentralised organisational structure: a heuristics perspective

The concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) was developed in the early 1990s and has gained significant interest from academics and practitioners alike. Integration of marketing communications with corporate strategy is arguably the defining construct of IMC and yet remains rarely achieved in practice. Correspondingly, there is a gap in understanding why such successful integration remains scarce. To support closure of this knowledge gap, the aim of this study is to support the successful implementation of IMC at a strategic level through the development of a conceptual model that is capable of helping to overcome barriers to effective integration. Knowledge needed for this study has been generated from a case study setting of a global company, operating a decentralised organisational structure in the healthcare industry. Research findings have been grouped into three thematic areas: efficiency, consistency, and relationship, that if unmanaged, may inhibit company-wide alignment of marketing communications activities with business strategy. The paper contributes towards facilitating integration of marketing communications with strategy by providing a conceptual model, termed ‘integration areas’ that is based on the idea of using guiding principles for aligning marketing communication activities.