Comparative Study on the IMC Level of TV andPrint Ads between Korea and China

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국마케팅과학회
· 수록지 정보 : Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science(마케팅과학연구) / 21권 / 1호 / 9 ~ 22페이지
· 저자명 : Dong-xin Li, 이동일, 이용기, Mitch Griffin

초록

The development of new media technologies that have weakened the power of traditional mass media as an advertising channel. This has led to a diversified media sector and the development of consumer databases, widely varying consumers' needs and tastes, and clients' desires to develop cost-efficient and effective marketing strategies that quickly respond to the changing marketing environment (Kim, Han, and Schultz, 2003). Duncan (2005) declares that it's hard to find an agency or client marketing executive who doesn't believe in the IMC concept. In the view of Kim, Han, and Schultz (2003), IMC is acceptable and practicable if the market circumstances are suitable. As a result, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is one of the most widely used concepts in the marketing communications field. Many scholars have identified and assessed the factors that influence the emergence of IMC in several ways.
This study assesses the IMC level of television and magazine advertisements in Korea and China, compares and contrasts these two environments, and tests the market immaturity effect and product involvement effect on the level of IMC across these contexts. By utilizing 120 pairs of ad samples (60 television ads and 60 corresponding print advertisements) collected in both China and Korea between May 2007 and May 2009, a comparative study has been conducted.
The findings suggest that the IMC level in Korea is significantly higher than that in China in terms of intensity and/or variety, the IMC level of ads for high-involvement products is higher than that for low-involvement products in terms of intensity and/or variety, the IMC level for high-involvement products is more positive than that for low-involvement in Korea, and the interaction for high-involvement shows no difference from that of for low-involvement in three of the given dimensions in China in terms of intensity and/or variety. Finally, the results partially show there is an interaction effect between country and product involvement. The results should prove helpful in providing marketers with strategic direction on implementing IMC in international markets as follows.
This research shows the methods of IMC operation and deployment, as well as the developmental paths, differ based on socio-cultural and economic factors of certain societies. Specifically, due to differing levels of market maturity, economic development, and its capitalist society, Korea has a higher level of IMC currently deployed. Conversely, since China is a more socialist society, a different development level of IMC exists. Moreover, as China is a much larger and more diverse country - within its border are different languages, cultures, and geographic dispersions – than Korea, IMC may be less appropriate. To learn more about this issue, it will likely be necessary to conduct research including both cultural and institutional differences in each society, the corporate cultures of the client and the agency, as well as the target consumer cultures, to be able to accurately categorize those factors that affect the development level of IMC.
The current study also has theoretical implications. First, the empirical results suggest that Korea has successfully passed the second stage of IMC development and is currently in the third stage for application of information technology. In contrast, China is still in stage 1 for tactical coordination of market communications and stage 2 for redefining the scope of marketing communications. A manager working in the largest advertising agency in China, China-Guangdong Advertising Agency, states several factors are influencing the development of IMC in China. The three more important factors are the implementation of IMC by Chinese advertising agencies without considering the special cultural values of China, the special characteristics of Chinese media, and the immature consumer market (Xin, 2004).
Second, the IMC level for low-involvement products van very depending on the dimension of IMC examined. The“Unified Communications for Consistent Message and Image” dimension is higher than that for high-involvement products. While on the “Relationship Fostering Communications with Existing Customers,” “Differentiated Communications to Multiple Customer Groups,” “Database-centered Communicat- ions for Tangible Results” dimensions, the IMC level for low-involvement products is lower than that for high-involvement products. Thus, a blanket statement regarding the relationship between level of involvement and development of IMC should not be made.
Third, the host country’s market development level and product involvement has an interactive effect on the development of IMC level. This can largely be explained by the market immaturity effect. In China, the IMC level for low-involvement products does not different from that for high-involvement products. In Korea, the IMC level for high-involvement products tends to be more positive than that for low-involvement products. Only on the “Unified Communications for Consistent Message and Image” dimension is the result contrary.
From a practical perspective, three managerial implications can be offered. First, the empirical results provide clues about the degree of development of IMC for each dimension in both Korea and China. In Korea, the three dimensions “relationship fostering communications with existing customers,” “differentiated communications to multiple customer groups,” and “database-centered communications for tangible results” showed higher development levels for high-involvement products than that for low-involvement products. It appears that advertising companies in Korea spend more effort to segment consumers based on their needs and wants for high-involvement products as in computers, cameras, automobiles, home appliances, real-estate or insurance marketing than low-involvement products. In China, the three dimensions “unified communications for consistent message and image,” “relationship fostering communications with existing customers,” and “differentiated communications to multiple customer groups” show higher development levels for low-involvement products than that for high-involvement products. This may be due to stronger competition for daily-use low-involvement products.
Second, marketing researchers need to pay more attention to how to practically implement IMC across the conditions of high- or low- involvement products. In the case of South Korea, all types of agencies, advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and the like must find the most practical manner to reduce the various agency turf battles and find ways in which they can coordinate the various marketing and communication disciplines for high- and low-involvement products.
Third, marketing organizations themselves must first be integrated in order to implement IMC. Only then specific tasks can be handed over to agencies. Thus, all the agency-generated terminology such as “media-neutral,” “integrated services,” “multi-media platforms,” and the like can be ignored. In practice, clients must employ or promote a high-level marketing executive with an understanding of the strategic planning process and the ability to provide direction to a variety of communications resources. And, the marketing communications executive must be given the support he or she needs and effective IMC will start to happen. The ones who get to IMC first will get a driving force for the advancing of marketing communication strategy.

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