The Implementation of Integrated Marketing Communications in the Automotive Industry
Yu, Ping (2022)
Yu, Ping
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112323652
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112323652
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this thesis was to investigate how automotive brands are implementing Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) to enhance their brands and ensure customers purchase their products or services.
Qualitative research was the fundamental methodology used in this thesis. The preliminary data were gathered by conducting online semi-structured interviews with marketing communication experts who provided knowledge of the implementation of an IMC strategy within the automotive industry.
The key findings were that IMC required the car brand’s message to be consistently conveyed to target audiences across all channels to ensure consumers recognized the brand. The information transferred via different channels should be complementary. The application of marketing communication instruments should combine the automotive enterprise's overall strategy with the local strategy. Customer databases play a vital role in IMC. Currently, vehicle firms still collect consumer contact information from the dealer side. Therefore, auto companies should prepare to build their customer databases to tailor segmentation and read customer behaviors for the future.
Qualitative research was the fundamental methodology used in this thesis. The preliminary data were gathered by conducting online semi-structured interviews with marketing communication experts who provided knowledge of the implementation of an IMC strategy within the automotive industry.
The key findings were that IMC required the car brand’s message to be consistently conveyed to target audiences across all channels to ensure consumers recognized the brand. The information transferred via different channels should be complementary. The application of marketing communication instruments should combine the automotive enterprise's overall strategy with the local strategy. Customer databases play a vital role in IMC. Currently, vehicle firms still collect consumer contact information from the dealer side. Therefore, auto companies should prepare to build their customer databases to tailor segmentation and read customer behaviors for the future.