Traditional techniques V. today's IMC

How do Integrated Marketing Communications differ from traditional advertising and promotion? What are the reasons for this shift?

Well, once upon a time, the various elements of the promotional mix were treated separately. PR, advertising and sales, to name a few, viewed their communications initiatives and problems from their individual 'silos' as we might say in sustainability, as the key to the problem.

I love Mad Men. Cut me some slack as I'm still on Season 1, but the complexities of their biggest issues in the office seem to revolve around what slogan to devise next, grooming the client they've had for years who's threatening to go elsewhere. Things were somewhat predictable in terms of reading research reports about one group, and creating ads that pretty much were either print or radio, and then eventually, TV. However you slice it, it was a one-way street to the customer.

Today, the customers are talking back, and marketing communications is treated as an interdisciplinary science in order to be effective on as many fronts as possible. Consumers have multiple touchpoint areas now, and individuals have adopted more and more unique tastes, lifestyles, groups they identify with. Technology, of course, has become widespread and fairly accessible (though from a sustainability stand point, the "democratization of media" is a contestable idea - not ALL people have access to the internet or smart devices - IMC has emerged as a more holistic approach to reaching people more effectively, wherever they are.