Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein

This study determines the role of public relations as a marketing communication function in University X’s integrated marketing communication approach. The research topic was selected for numerous reasons. Firstly, dramatic changes have occurred in the tertiary educational domain, which causes univ...

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Main Authors: Ilse Niemann-Struwig, Andrea Crystal, Anské Grobler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Johannesburg 2022-10-01
Series:Communicare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1799
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author Ilse Niemann-Struwig
Andrea Crystal
Anské Grobler
author_facet Ilse Niemann-Struwig
Andrea Crystal
Anské Grobler
author_sort Ilse Niemann-Struwig
collection DOAJ
description This study determines the role of public relations as a marketing communication function in University X’s integrated marketing communication approach. The research topic was selected for numerous reasons. Firstly, dramatic changes have occurred in the tertiary educational domain, which causes universities to adapt their marketing communication approaches. Based on these environmental changes, the Public Relations Division at University X commissioned the study on the research topic, which is the second consideration for the study. The debate on integrated marketing communication shows, in the third place, that this approach is increasingly important. On closer investigation there is a definite need for a thorough literature review with an authentic integrated marketing communication approach, driven by the integrated organizational functioning and processes. From a public relations perspective, on closer investigation, there is a need for the direct empirical examination of the role of public relations as a contributing function of integrated marketing communication in order to narrow the gap between literature and empirical evidence. The study was enhanced by two phases of research conducted within University X to meet the objectives of the study. The first, quantitative phase determined the extent to which University X’s communication activities are integrated. The measuring instrument used is the integrated marketing communication mini-audit scale. In the second, qualitative research phase, the role of public relations as a marketing communication function within University X’s integrated marketing communication approach was determined. The issue that became apparent throughout this study was that integrated marketing communication in any organizational context is of strategic importance for the “unity of effort” of the greater well-being of the organization. It was found in this research project that there are fundamental concerns for University X regarding integrated marketing communication, and that public relations is practised on a technical, traditional level
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spelling doaj-art-df12b16be02d4ac9aa4c1c066a2faa9b2025-01-20T08:50:42ZengUniversity of JohannesburgCommunicare0259-00692957-79502022-10-0122110.36615/jcsa.v22i1.1799Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) thereinIlse Niemann-Struwig0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1448-5286Andrea Crystal1Anské Grobler2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0361-7239University of JohannesburgUniversity of JohannesburgUniversity of Pretoria This study determines the role of public relations as a marketing communication function in University X’s integrated marketing communication approach. The research topic was selected for numerous reasons. Firstly, dramatic changes have occurred in the tertiary educational domain, which causes universities to adapt their marketing communication approaches. Based on these environmental changes, the Public Relations Division at University X commissioned the study on the research topic, which is the second consideration for the study. The debate on integrated marketing communication shows, in the third place, that this approach is increasingly important. On closer investigation there is a definite need for a thorough literature review with an authentic integrated marketing communication approach, driven by the integrated organizational functioning and processes. From a public relations perspective, on closer investigation, there is a need for the direct empirical examination of the role of public relations as a contributing function of integrated marketing communication in order to narrow the gap between literature and empirical evidence. The study was enhanced by two phases of research conducted within University X to meet the objectives of the study. The first, quantitative phase determined the extent to which University X’s communication activities are integrated. The measuring instrument used is the integrated marketing communication mini-audit scale. In the second, qualitative research phase, the role of public relations as a marketing communication function within University X’s integrated marketing communication approach was determined. The issue that became apparent throughout this study was that integrated marketing communication in any organizational context is of strategic importance for the “unity of effort” of the greater well-being of the organization. It was found in this research project that there are fundamental concerns for University X regarding integrated marketing communication, and that public relations is practised on a technical, traditional level https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1799public relationa marketing communicationenvironmental changesliterature reviewf integrated marketing communication
spellingShingle Ilse Niemann-Struwig
Andrea Crystal
Anské Grobler
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
Communicare
public relation
a marketing communication
environmental changes
literature review
f integrated marketing communication
title Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
title_full Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
title_fullStr Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
title_full_unstemmed Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
title_short Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and the role of Public Relations (PR) therein
title_sort integrated marketing communication imc and the role of public relations pr therein
topic public relation
a marketing communication
environmental changes
literature review
f integrated marketing communication
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1799
work_keys_str_mv AT ilseniemannstruwig integratedmarketingcommunicationimcandtheroleofpublicrelationsprtherein
AT andreacrystal integratedmarketingcommunicationimcandtheroleofpublicrelationsprtherein
AT anskegrobler integratedmarketingcommunicationimcandtheroleofpublicrelationsprtherein