IMC, social media and UK fashion micro-organisations

Abstract

Purpose-This paper analyses the practical applicability of integrated marketing communications (IMC) to micro-organisations operating in the UK's fashion industry, focusing specifically on the use of online platforms. Design/methodology/approach-Qualitative methodological tools including semistructured interviews, semiotics, Twitterfeed, and Facebook analysis are used to examine to what extent micro-organisations apply IMC. Findings-The findings suggest that these micro-organisations have a limited understanding of IMC. Although they utilise various channels, including social media, there is a disconnect between reaching the audience, understanding their needs, and linking these aspects. External factors influence the use of various communication channels, leading to further fragmentation of sent messages. Research limitations/implications-This research focuses on five microorganisations within the fashion industry and thus may be seen as limited in nature. Whilst implications of the findings are discussed in terms of their impact to the wider industry and other sectors, this needs to be further researched. Practical implications-Micro-organisations are underdeveloped in terms of both IMC and social media and require practical advice. Originality/value-This study investigates two under-researched areas; IMC in micro-organisations and the use of social media within IMC, thereby moving forward our understanding of IMC in practice.

Communicating Sustainability Practices and Values: A case study approach of a micro-organisation in the UK

“…To explain, brands that seek to communicate their 'green' credentials need to strategically utilise a variety of communication channels and carefully portray a consistent message that can be decoded by the target audience who ideally translate these messages in the manner they were intended. The owner-manager of a micro-organisation is the key driving force behind developing a communication strategy (Horan et al 2011;Sandbacka et al 2013;Henninger et al 2017), which can either make or break an organisation. To explain, due to a lack of marketing experience and/or expertise within micro-organisations, developing a coherent and consistent communication strategy that channels its (organisation's) sustainability credentials can be challenging and lead to message fragmentation and consumer scepticism (Rettie et al 2012;Font & Villarino 2015;Henninger et al 2017).…”

“…Creating a dialogue between the consumer and the organisation is becoming increasingly important, whereby consumers should be the starting point for any communication strategy developed (Eagle et al 2007;Kitchen & Burgmann 2015). Yet Henninger et al (2017) indicate that in micro-organisations there is a communication gap, which sees a disconnect between the micro-organisation transmitting a message and stakeholders engaging in dialogic communication. In addition, the authors emphasise that IMC is an accidental occurrence in microorganisations, which is of utmost importance, as it is an effective and cost efficient way to promote the company's values to their audience.…”

“…This research investigates a 21 st century challenge: communicating sustainability through an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach to an international audience within the context of a UK micro-organisation, which are under researched (e.g. Kitchen & Burgmann 2015;Henninger et al 2017). This article contributes to knowledge by clearly visualising the encoding-decoding process of sustainability messages through various communication channels and developing practical applications for the case organisation in this research.…”

“…Past research concerning sustainability communication and IMC has predominantly focused on large organisations rather than micro-organisations (Sandbacka et al 2013;Agostini et al 2015), with the exception of a recent study (Henninger et al 2017). Yet, 99.3% of businesses in the UK are classified as small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which contribute 47% of all private sector turnover.…”

The Role of Integrated Marketing Communications in Increasing the Efficiency of Internet-based Marketing among Jordanian Consumers

“…Their objective was for the majority of the Burnett then 2000 or more US workers to go to the 6-day classes. Real publicizing offices may have become off to a moderate or even wrong begin; however there is doubtlessly they appeared to be focused on (Henninger, Alevizou, & Oates, 2017).…”