Marketing for the distribution industry is making an ongoing progress in the changes
of customers, the competitive environment, and the internal marketing environment.
Integrated marketing communication activities are required for the enhancement of
efficiency in the market oriented activities.
In this study, IMC is defined as “a notion that a market oriented business integrated
marketing communication means, conducting and evaluating marketing activities with
consistent messages in order to communicate with customers based on databases.”
In this study, an IMC planning model for the improvement of marketing efficiency in
the distribution industry was derived from a pilot study. This model may be broken
down into the following phases: IMC goals setting, situational analysis (customer
analysis, competition analysis and company analysis), customer data analysis, contact
management, budgeting, the establishment of an IMC strategy, the IMC mix and
execution, an evaluation system, and feedback.
In consideration of the characteristics of the distribution industry, this study was
accompanied by a vocational study on IMC means employed by, in particular, department
stores and other distributors such as: advertising, sales promotion, sales promotion
advertising, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, the Internet, mobile, visual
merchandising, words of mouth.
In addition, this study also covered the correlation among variables such as IMC
activities of distributors, the process of forming customer's brand attitudes, brand loyalty
and repurchase intention. This research would enhance the utilization of IMC.
The analysis on customer's brand attitudes toward the IMC activities of distributors
requires the simultaneous consideration of how they are linked to purchase as well as
their attitudes toward both distributors and stores. The formation of brand loyalty and
repurchase intention is related to the integration of marketing communication and the
maintenance of consistency in contents, which requires integrated brand communication
(IBC) strategies. IBC is a concept of using IMC means to manage the brand in a
continuing and consistent manner and measuring their effect, which is a process to
establish enterprise level brand identity and maximize brand loyalty and repurchase
intention by integrating IMC means.
For an empirical analysis in this study, an online questionnaire survey was conducted
among those department store customers from 20’s to 50’s who reside either in the Seoul
and Gyeonggi areas and have made purchase at department stores.
In this study, the research model consisted of four theoretical variables: IMC activities,
IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and repurchase intention, on which variables a pilot study
was conducted. A number of hypotheses were constructed on the relations between IMC
activities and IMC attitudes, between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention, and
between brand loyalty and repurchase intention. The test of the hypotheses may be
summarized as follows:
Firstly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the relation between IMC attitudes and
IMC activities – advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal
selling, the Web, mobile, visual merchandising, and word of mouth – indicates that
advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, mobile,
visual merchandising, and word of mouth have significant impact on IMC activities. In
addition to the result similar to those of previous studies that such marketing
communication means as word of mouth, advertising, personal selling and sales
promotion, in particular, play very important roles, a notable finding of this study is that
visual merchandising performed by department stores is shown to have very significant
impact on IMC activities. On a separate note, it is also noteworthy that Internet
marketing activities engaged by department stores are not shown to have significant
impact on IMC attitudes. Secondly, the test of the hypothesis on the relation between
IMC attitudes and brand loyalty attests that IMC attitudes for the distribution industry
significantly affect brand loyalty. Thirdly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the
relation between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention confirms that IMC attitudes for
the distribution industry significantly affect repurchase intention. Fourthly, the test of the
hypothesis concerning the relation between brand loyalty and repurchase intention
indicates that brand loyalty significantly affect repurchase intention.
A comprehensive view of these findings points to the conclusion that the IMC
activities for the distribution industry do affect IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and
repurchase intention.
Marketing for the distribution industry is making an ongoing progress in the changes
of customers, the competitive environment, and the internal marketing environment.
Integrated marketing communication activities are required for the enhancement of
efficiency in the market oriented activities.
In this study, IMC is defined as “a notion that a market oriented business integrated
marketing communication means, conducting and evaluating marketing activities with
consistent messages in order to communicate with customers based on databases.”
In this study, an IMC planning model for the improvement of marketing efficiency in
the distribution industry was derived from a pilot study. This model may be broken
down into the following phases: IMC goals setting, situational analysis (customer
analysis, competition analysis and company analysis), customer data analysis, contact
management, budgeting, the establishment of an IMC strategy, the IMC mix and
execution, an evaluation system, and feedback.
In consideration of the characteristics of the distribution industry, this study was
accompanied by a vocational study on IMC means employed by, in particular, department
stores and other distributors such as: advertising, sales promotion, sales promotion
advertising, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, the Internet, mobile, visual
merchandising, words of mouth.
In addition, this study also covered the correlation among variables such as IMC
activities of distributors, the process of forming customer's brand attitudes, brand loyalty
and repurchase intention. This research would enhance the utilization of IMC.
The analysis on customer's brand attitudes toward the IMC activities of distributors
requires the simultaneous consideration of how they are linked to purchase as well as
their attitudes toward both distributors and stores. The formation of brand loyalty and
repurchase intention is related to the integration of marketing communication and the
maintenance of consistency in contents, which requires integrated brand communication
(IBC) strategies. IBC is a concept of using IMC means to manage the brand in a
continuing and consistent manner and measuring their effect, which is a process to
establish enterprise level brand identity and maximize brand loyalty and repurchase
intention by integrating IMC means.
For an empirical analysis in this study, an online questionnaire survey was conducted
among those department store customers from 20’s to 50’s who reside either in the Seoul
and Gyeonggi areas and have made purchase at department stores.
In this study, the research model consisted of four theoretical variables: IMC activities,
IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and repurchase intention, on which variables a pilot study
was conducted. A number of hypotheses were constructed on the relations between IMC
activities and IMC attitudes, between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention, and
between brand loyalty and repurchase intention. The test of the hypotheses may be
summarized as follows:
Firstly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the relation between IMC attitudes and
IMC activities – advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal
selling, the Web, mobile, visual merchandising, and word of mouth – indicates that
advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, mobile,
visual merchandising, and word of mouth have significant impact on IMC activities. In
addition to the result similar to those of previous studies that such marketing
communication means as word of mouth, advertising, personal selling and sales
promotion, in particular, play very important roles, a notable finding of this study is that
visual merchandising performed by department stores is shown to have very significant
impact on IMC activities. On a separate note, it is also noteworthy that Internet
marketing activities engaged by department stores are not shown to have significant
impact on IMC attitudes. Secondly, the test of the hypothesis on the relation between
IMC attitudes and brand loyalty attests that IMC attitudes for the distribution industry
significantly affect brand loyalty. Thirdly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the
relation between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention confirms that IMC attitudes for
the distribution industry significantly affect repurchase intention. Fourthly, the test of the
hypothesis concerning the relation between brand loyalty and repurchase intention
indicates that brand loyalty significantly affect repurchase intention.
A comprehensive view of these findings points to the conclusion that the IMC
activities for the distribution industry do affect IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and
repurchase intention.