Bridging the Gap in IMC Education: Where is the Academy Falling Short?

Abstract

Integrated marketing communications isn't new, but it's gaining momentum as power shifts from the marketer to the consumer and as marketers recognize the power and efficiency of taking a holistic approach to engaging consumers… For too long, marketing functions have been vertically organized by media type. This siloed approach is mirrored on the agency side, with rewards based on discipline-specific P&L models. These silos must be torn down…The client-side strategic integrator must involve and lead a team of colleagues who have the responsibility, vision, understanding and commitment to engage in a media-agnostic planning process. And this team of enlightened marketers must be willing to let strategic goals-not historic patterns- drive budget allocations. –Bob Liodice, Advertising Age, June 9, 2008

Client-centered Skill Sets: What Small IMC Agencies need from College Graduates

“…The literature in the IMC field shares some of these concerns. Numerous studies of IMC curricula, course materials and employers' expectations conducted since 1990 have identified as most highly desiredand sometimes most deficient -skills in oral and written communication; conceptual, creative and strategic thinking; and computing (Battle, Morimoto & Reber, 2007;Blakeman & Haley, 2005;Deckinger, Brink, Katzenstein & Primavera, 1990;DiStaso, Stacks & Botan, 2009;Hogshead, 2008;Lowry & Xie, 2008;McMillan, Sheehan, Heinemann & Frazer, 2001;O'Brien & Deans, 1995;Robbs & Lloyd, 2008;Scott & Frontzcak, 1996;Stanaland, Helm & Kinney, 2009).…”

“…DiStaso et al (2009) cited many more employee characteristics and skills desired than actually found. Stanaland et al (2009) wrote that educators in advertising and "sister disciplines need to take action to better prepare students to meet industry skill needs in IMC" (p. 78).…”

“…Encourage students to mention courses in various disciplines when interviewing, because employers value them. • Integrate the concepts of campaign objectives, measurement of outcomes and return-oninvestment into more classroom discussions, as advised by Stanaland et al (2009). • Don't limit the capstone campaigns class to preparing and presenting the creative; also address media and production budgets.…”

Welcome to the “Real World”: The Faculty-Professional Team Teaching Approach

“…This elective is one small step to introducing students to the realities of the workplace (Stanaland, Helm & Kinney, 2009). The professional stated that he sees value in the system and sees his role in "training" the next round of advertising professionals.…”

From Introducing the World Wide Web to Teaching Advertising in the Digital Age: A Content Analysis of the past Twenty Years of the Journal of Advertising Education

“…Authors publishing in JAE have been active in assessing educational trends and career paths that appeal to advertising students (Kendrick & Fullerton, 2003), how students interact with a changing media landscape (Kim & Patel, 2012) and where advertising education falls short (Stanaland & Helm, 2009) and can improve (Neill & Schauster, 2015).…”