Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is widely regarded as an appropriate paradigm for the marketing and marketing communication programmes of many companies. However, most literature argues that IMC is far from being a well-established concept given its evolving state. One of the problems in its evolution is understanding how firms should design and execute IMC. This problem is corroborated by the attentiveness of studies to limited sectors and their concentration to a very limited research setting. Lack of integration of IMC research with the Nordic School research tradition and theoretical frameworks enhance the problem further. By addressing these issues, this study strives to understand the integration of marketing communications in the Ethiopian beer market. Utilising the interpretivist research paradigm, qualitative data collection methods such as focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with customers and the firm were undertaken. This methodology aimed to identify their perceptions regarding brand contacts and their integration based on the components and theory of IMC and the Nordic School.
The key findings of this work are described in a model of customer integrated marketing communications (CIMC) that is derived from the empirical study. The model highlights planned, product, service, and unplanned brand contacts-in-use that originate from Habesha Breweries – the reviewed company – and the competitors, society, other customers, and physiological needs which influence its customers’ purchasing decisions. Extending from this are the other key findings on the planned, product and service brand contacts-in-use in the similarly derived model of firm integrated marketing communications (FIMC). The critical comparison of CIMC and FIMC in the brand contacts-in-use matrix reveals brand contacts-in-use where customers and the firm are ‘active – active’, ‘active – passive’, ‘passive – active’ or ‘passive – passive’. This informs strategic integration of marketing communication (SIMC) in its various contexts.
The systematic integration of IMC with the Nordic School’s research tradition is the methodological contribution of this study. New insights are generated relating to physiological needs brand contacts-in-use such as social and non-social hedonic needs and sources of influence such as religious, political or cultural leaders or sport groups, and the incorporation of brand contacts-in-use that originate with competitors. These and the uniquely emerged concepts of brand origins-in-use, brand contacts-in-use, and integration-in-use offer new constructs for IMC.
The practical contribution of this study lies in the application of IMC in the narrow sphere of the Ethiopian brewing industry, but more broadly, in applications across industries and geographical regions. In sum, the study offers methodological, theoretical, and practical contributions to the evolution of IMC and the broader discipline of marketing communications.
Ukuxhumana okuhlanganisiwe kokumaketha (UOM) kuthathwa kabanzi njengenguquko efanelekile ongumbandela wokumaketha kanye nezinhlelo zokuxhumana zokumaketha zezinkampani eziningi. Kodwa-ke, iningi lemibhalo lithi UOM ikude nokuba ngumqondo osungulwe kahle unikezwe isimo sawo sokuguquka. Enye yezinkinga ekuveleni kwezinye izinto ezintsha kwezinye ukuqonda ukuthi amafemu kufanele aklame futhi enze kanjani UOM. Le nkinga iqinisekiswa ukunakwa kwezifundo emikhakheni elinganiselwe futhi igxile esimweni sokucwaninga esilinganiselwe kakhulu. Inkinga yandiswa ukungabi bikho kokuhlanganiswa kocwaningo lo-UOM nesiko lokucwaninga leNordic School kanye nezinhlaka zethiyori. Ngokuxazulula lezi zinkinga, lolu cwaningo luzama ukuqonda ukuhlanganiswa kokuxhumana kokumaketha emakethe kabhiya yaseTopiya. Ukusetshenziswa kwepharadimu yocwaningo lomhumushi, izindlela zokuqoqwa kwedatha ezisezingeni elifanele njengenhlolokhono yamaqembu ejulile kanye nezingxoxo ezijulile namakhasimende kanye nefemu zenziwa. Le ndlela yayihlose ukukhomba imiqondo yabo maqondana noxhumano yomkhiqizo nokuhlanganiswa kwawo ngokususelwa ezingxenyeni nakuyithiyori UOM neNordic School.
Okutholakele okubalulekile kulomsebenzi kuchazwe kuyimodeli yamakhasimende yezokuxhumana kwezentengiselwano ezihlanganisiwe (MXZ) ezisuselwa ocwaningweni lwezobuciko. Le modeli igqamisa okuhleliwe, umkhiqizo, insizakalo nokuxhumana komkhiqizo okungahleliwe okususelwa eHabesha Breweries - inkampani ebukeziwe - nabancintisana nabo, umphakathi, amanye amakhasimende, kanye nezidingo zomzimba ezithonya izinqumo zokuthenga zamakhasimende ayo. Ukwengeza kulokhu okunye okutholakele okubalulekile koxhumana nabo bohlobo lomkhiqizo ohlelekile, okusetshenziswayo kuyimodeli etholwe ngokufanayo yokuxhumana ngezimakethe kwefemu okuqinile okuhlanganisiwe kwezentengiso (FOHK). Ukuqhathanisa okubucayi kuyi MXZ ne-FOHK kumatriksi yokuxhumana kokusetshenziswayo okuveza ukuxhumana nabo abasebenza lapho amakhasimende kanye nefemu "bayasebenza - bakhuthele", "beyasebenza - bangenzi lutho", "bengaxakekile - besebenza" noma "besebenza - besebenza kahle”. Lokhu kwazisa ukuhlanganiswa kwamasu wokuxhumana kwezentengiso ezimeni ezahlukahlukene.
Igalelo lezindlela zalolu cwaningo ukuhlanganiswa okuhlelekile kwe-OUM nesiko lokucwaninga leNordic School. Imininingwane emisha enziwayo iphathelene nezidingo zomzimba, njengezidingo zomphakathi nezingezona ezenhlalo, kanye nemithombo yethonya, njengabaholi bezenkolo, bezombusazwe noma bezamasiko noma amaqembu ezemidlalo, kanye nokufakwa koxhumana nabo bohlobo lokusetshenziswa okuvela kubancintisana nabo. Le mibono naleyo evela ngokukhethekile yemvelaphi yokusetshenziswa komkhiqizo ethile, ukuxhumana nokusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ethile, nokusetshenziswa kokuhlanganisiwe okuthile kwethula ukwakhiwa okusha kuyi- UOM.
Umthelela osebenzayo walolu cwaningo usekusetshenzisweni kwe-UOM emkhakheni omncane wokwenza utshwala waseTopiya, kepha ngokubanzi, kuzicelo ezimbonini nasezifundeni zomhlaba. Ngamafuphi, lolu cwaningo lwethula izindlela, ithiyori, kanye negalelo elikhona ekuguqulweni ko-UOM kanye nendlela ebanzi yokuxhumana kwezokumaketha noma ezentengiselwano.
Puisano e kopaneng ya kgwebo (IMC) e nkuwa hohle e le mohlala o loketseng bakeng sa mananeo a kgwebo le puisano ya kgwebo ya dikhamphani tse ngata. Leha ho le jwalo, dingodilweng tse ngata di hlahisa taba ya hore IMC e hole le ho ba mohopolo o thehilweng hantle ho latela maemo a yona a fetohang. Bo bong ba mathata a ho iphetola ha yona ke ho utlwisisa hore na difeme di lokela ho rala le ho kenya IMC tshebetsong jwang. Bothata bona bo netefatswa ke ho ela hloko dithuto makaleng a fokolang le ho tsepamisa mohopolo maemong a fokolang haholo a dipatlisiso. Bothata bo eketswa ke kgaello ya kopano ya dipatlisiso tsa IMC le moetlo wa dipatlisiso wa Sekolo sa Nordic le meralo ya ditheori. Ka ho sebetsana le mathata ana, phuputso ena e leka ka matla ho utlwisisa kopano ya dikhokahano tsa kgwebo mmarakeng wa biri wa Ethiopia. Ka ho sebedisa mohlala wa dipatlisiso wa botoloki, mekgwa ya boleng ya pokello ya lesedi jwalo ka dipuisano tsa sehlopha tse tsepamisitsweng le dipuisano tse tebileng le bareki le feme di ile tsa etswa. Mokgwa ona o ikemiseditse ho kgetholla maikutlo a tsona mabapi le mabitso a matshwao le kopano ya ona ho ipapisitswe le dikarolo le theori ya IMC le Sekolo sa Nordic.
Diphetho tsa mantlha tsa mosebetsi ona di hlalositswe mohlaleng wa dipuisano tsa mebaraka e kopaneng ya bareki (CIMC) o fumanweng phuputsong ya nnete. Mohlala ona o totobatsa merero e rerilweng, sehlahiswa, tshebeletso le mabitso a letshwao a sa rerwang a sebediswang a tswang Femeng ya Thitelo ya Habesha - khamphani e hlahlojwang - le bahlodisani, setjhaba, bareki ba bang, le ditlhoko tsa mmele le ditsamaiso tsohle tsa ona tse susumetsang diqeto tsa bareki tsa ho reka. Ho tswa ho sena ke diphetho tse ding tsa bohlokwa ho merero e rerilweng, sehlahiswa, tshebeletso le mabitso a letshwao a sebediswang ka mokgwa o tshwanang o nkilweng wa dipuisano tsa mebaraka e kopaneng ya feme (FIMC). Papiso ya bohlokwa ya CIMC le FIMC ho mofuta wa mabitso a letswaho a sebediswang e senola mabitso a letshwao a sebediswang moo bareki le feme " ba sebetsang" - "ba sebetsang" - "ba sebetsang – ba sa sebetseng" , “ba sa sebetseng – ba sebetsang” kapa "ba sa sebetseng – ba sa sebetseng”. Sena se kgetholla kopano e hlophisitsweng ya puisano ya kgwebo (SIMC) maemong a yona a fapaneng.
Tlatsetso ya mekgwa ya phuputso ena ke kopano e hlophisitsweng ya IMC le moetlo wa dipatlisiso wa Sekolo sa Nordic. Ditemohisiso tse ntjha dia hlahiswa tse amanang le ditlhoko tsa mmele le ditsamaiso tsohle tsa ona, jwalo ka ditlhoko tsa phedisano le tseo eseng tsa phedisano tse amanang le maikutlo a ho ithabisa, mehlodi ya tshusumetso, jwalo ka baetapele ba bodumedi, dipolotiki kapa setso kapa dihlopha tsa dipapadi, le ho kenyelletswa ha mabitso a letshwao le sebediswang a tswang ho bahlodisani. Tsena le mehopolo e ikgethang e hlahileng ya ditshimoloho tsa letshwao tse sebediswang, mabitso a letshwao a sebediswang, le kopano e sebediswang di fana ka mehopolo e metjha bakeng sa IMC.
Tlatsetso e sebetsang ya phuputso ena e itshetlehile tshebedisong ya IMC karolong e patisaneng ya indasteri ya ho ritela ya Ethiopia, empa ka ho pharaletseng, ditshebedisong ho pholletsa le diindasteri le dibaka. Ka kakaretso, phuputso e fana ka ditlatsetso tsa mekgwa, theori le tshebetso ho ntshetsopele ya IMC le lekala le tsebo le pharalletseng la dipuisano tsa kgwebo.
