Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe, review and critique the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMCs) and to suggest ways forward conceptually and managerially. Design/methodology/approach – This paper critically reviews the emergence, growth and current status of IMC. Findings – As the authors consider IMC diffusion in business practice, its generic acceptance in terms of theory and obstacles or difficulties standing in the way of further developments, this leads to positioning IMC more ably, strengthening its theoretical foundations, critiquing its contribution so far and assessing conceptual and managerial issues. Research limitations/implications – As a critical review, the authors draw upon data from wide variety of academic IMC research. However, there is an identifiable specific need for in-company empirical research. Practical implications – Where IMC is applied in a strategic way, with a view to creating synergy among the different marketing communication elements to achieve short- and long-term returns, the approach can be and is associated with greater consistency among messages and functions, and leads to cost savings, easier working relations between different departments, better utilisation of media and promotional mix elements, together with greater efficiency and enhanced returns. Originality/value – The value of the paper lies in its detailed review of the literature, IMC’s significance in terms of conceptualisation and business practice, and underlines the need for further in-company research.

[IMC is a] concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplinesgeneral advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations -and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communication impact (Caywood, Schultz, and Wang, 1991b: 2-3).However, more recent definitions, such as the one presented by Schultz (2004a), add substantial value to old definitions and to the term IMC more generally. The concept is now viewed as a strategic instrument (Schultz, 2004b: 9).IMC is the concept and process of strategically managing audience-focused, channel-centerd, and result-driven brand communication programs over time (Kliatchko, 2005: 21).The new definition seems more appropriate to the twenty-first century, as Schultz acknowledges IMC's importance as a business process and its value to both external and internal audiences. The definition provided by Schultz integrated marketing communication 3 Author and Year Concepts IntroducedCaywood, Schultz, and Wang (1991) and Caywood, Schultz, and Wang (1991b) • Coordination and consistency of messages and communication channels (one sight, one sound) • Use of a variety of communication disciplines to work in synergy based on a comprehensive plan • IMC as a concept Schultz (1991) • Kliatchko (2005: 21) (2004b) has also been used by the American Marketing Association to define integrated brand communication (American Marketing Association, 2007). However, Kliatchko (2005) does not focus explicitly on individual stakeholder groups but rather refers to them as ''audiences.'' In addition, his definition is not as explanatory in nature as Schultz's (2004b), as he underplays the results-driven characteristic of IMC and does not explicitly mention the importance of the long-term brand value and short-term financial returns. As noted by Kliatchko (2005);Schultz's (2004b) definition supplements other IMC definitions through its employment of the terms ''business process,'' ''evaluation,'' and ''measurability''. Many researchers have noted that it may not be possible to agree upon a universal IMC definition, given the various interpretations of IMC and its different values in the academic and commercial spheres (Kliatchko, 2005;Phelps and Johnson, 1996;Stewart, 1996). A critical review of previous definitions of IMC and an assessment of current IMC literature reveals that researchers were able to reduce any IMC definition to five crucial attributes (Kitchen et al., 2004a;Low, 2000): integrated marketing communication1. The communication effort should be directed at consumers in order to affect behavior. 2. An outside-in approach should be utilized, that is, start with the customer first when developing a communication strategy. 3. A well-established relationship between the company and the customer is necessary. 4. To deliver a message correctly all communication activities should be included with contact points integrate...

PurposeInvestigating one aspect of the potential of firms to market their offerings internationally, this research seeks to explore the impact of that familiar topic – culture – on online international marketing. More precisely, whether the technologies of the web (manifest in the graphical user interface (GUI)) are culturally neutral, allowing for transparent communication between different cultures.Design/methodology/approachUtilising the widely cited cultural dimensions of culture – “uncertainty avoidance” and “power distance” – comparative content analysis for a sample of web sites from two industry sectors (banking and education) across three countries (Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom) was undertaken.FindingsThe results of the analysis revealed differences in aspects of GUI design between the three country web sites in line with associated cultural dimensions. It also revealed similarities between the three countries in GUI design in apparent contradiction of their associated cultural dimension. This early work suggests, therefore, that, whilst internet‐based technologies exist as a global medium in the sense of connecting individuals, those individuals may still be culturally bound. To truly escape the constraints of time and space, communicating effectively online across boundaries, some acknowledgement that culture does matter is necessary.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research, both in terms of the number of countries and industries, would be needed to confirm the generalisation that culture does indeed matter in terms of web site design (all be it in a qualified way) and, in addition, that the results were not unduly influenced by either the choice of countries or industries. Whilst other researchers should consider applying the methodology to other industries, such as sports, fashion, etc. in order to test further the results of this study, additional research should also look towards different methodologies. For example, analysing web sites utilising Hofstede's other dimensions, or even applying Trompenaars and Hampden‐Turner's dimensions seems desirable.Practical implicationsThis paper shows that culture, at least partially, influences GUI design. The value in the suggested directions made in this paper lies in the possible creation of guidelines for the subsequent development of successful web sites. The work here adds to the limited body of work in this area against which future works may be contrasted.Originality/valueRecognising the apparently obvious virtues of the internet and web in exchanging rich information with distant (international) markets, this work builds on the little work already undertaken in this direction and in doing so contributes to the wider debate in international marketing over standardisation versus adaptation. Specifically, this paper considers the influence of culture in an online context and researches the questions, “Does culture matter online?” and more specifically, “Are the multitude of graphical user‐interfaces of organisational web sites cultura...