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The internal and external challenges facing clients in implementing IMC Abstract PurposeAlthough IMC is generally accepted as the way forward by academics and practitioners, there is a shortage of research into the challenges that clients face in implementing the process, particularly in the UK. This study addresses these issues by examining how UK clients perceive the barriers to implementation, with reference to the conflict theory of decision making and the social exchange theory from the change management literature. Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a critical realism approach and collected data through an on-line questionnaire to an expert panel of UK clients, which generated some rich qualitative data.The experts were asked to comment on four statements developed from the literature which captured the main challenges identified in previous research. FindingsThe results indicate that UK clients are facing similar barriers to those evident in other countries more than a decade ago. Three main obstacles are identified. Firstly, some clients still find IMC difficult to understand and therefore may avoid change because of the high level of risk involved. Secondly, marketing departments lack control or influence over other parts of the organisation, due in some cases to lack of representation at board level. Lastly, agencies do not have a clear role in the implementation of IMC. Originality/valueThe paper is of value because it looks specifically at the UK client perspective, which is presently sparse in the literature and updates our knowledge on barriers to implementation. It underpins this discussion with reference to change management theories. The paper also examines the support being provided by industry bodies and questions their effectiveness.

Reports from the advertising industry suggest that the pressure to create effective integrated campaigns across the ever-increasing mix of paid, owned and earned media is putting an enormous strain on client/agency relationships. This research identifies the main challenges that an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) approach places on this relationship and thereby advances the IMC literature by examining the practical challenges of implementation. Six key issues, developed from academic and industry sources, are presented to advertising experts, through a Delphi study, to stimulate debate and identify areas of agreement. The findings are brought together in a model which presents three main areas that need to be addressed, along with specific recommendations. These topics include the need for clients to provide stronger leadership in defining agency roles and responsibilities, more transparent remuneration systems to encourage teamwork across agencies as well as individual input and an increased emphasis on the strategic contribution from agencies.

There is growing evidence from practitioners that the advertising industry is in a state of crisis. As campaigns become more integrated and multidisciplinary , the relationship between advertising agencies and clients is being tested to its limits and is presently considered to be at an all-time low. Agencies feel less valued and are being excluded from C-suite discussion. Clients feel that agencies do not appreciate the changing landscape and how the customer experience is now key. Both sides recognise the need for more trust and collaboration. This study applies the agency theory and the social power theory to understand the pressures that the relationship is under. It looks for evidence that IMC is creating a movement away from a business alliance relationship by comparing qualitative data collected from both agencies and clients, using NVivo to identify themes. The findings identify four themes which illustrate this shift towards a supplier relationship: the client ownership of the customer journey, the lack of a strategic role of agencies, the challenges of agency collaboration and difficulties of agency specialisation.

The findings of a study of Millennials in USA and the UK-an increasingly important and digitally savvy segment of consumers-reveal that they see advertising as Companies promoting a product or service to people through media. Their perception is simple and all-encompassing with no evidence that they distinguish between different types of media or different types of communication. Some variation between the views of Millennials in the two countries is also identified, although this is less than expected. The findings contribute to an important and continuing debate among academics and marketing practitioners over how advertising should be defined in today's multichannel environment. The findings are also compared with other recent definitions of advertising, and their implications are discussed.