Strategic integrated communication implementation : towards a South African conceptual model

Abstract

Change on various levels in globalised markets necessitates organisations to adopt a stakeholder-based approach to communication management and marketing management. In order to meet the needs of these stakeholders, organisations need to create and nourish long-term relationships between the organisation, its brands and its stakeholders. Strategic integrated communication is fundamental in relationship building between these components to ensure that the organisation is viewed as cohesive. However, after almost 15 years of existence, the concept of integrated communication is still seen as a difficult concept to implement in organisations. Literature proposes various implementation models (predominantly developed in Europe and America) for the implementation of integrated communication. While these models could in theory be applied on an international scale, the South African context calls for specific communication approaches, as the country is in a unique situation in a post-apartheid era. It is therefore contended that there is a need for a strategic integrated communication implementation model for the South African business landscape, based on the specific needs related to this distinct environment. Therefore, the primary research objective of this study was to develop a conceptual model for strategic integrated communication implementation in the South African marketplace. The research was conducted through three phases, based on the Mitroff et al. (1974) model of systematic problem solving. Phase 1 consisted of the literature review to determine the theoretical status of the concept of integrated communication. Phase 2 explored the state of integrated communication implementation among advertising and communication agencies in South Africa empirically, through in-depth interviews. These interviews were conducted with the strategic planning directors (or an equivalent) of the top ten advertising and communication agencies in South Africa, to establish the extent to which integrated communication is practised by these representatives of the field. Phase 3 consisted of the development of the conceptual implementation model of strategic integrated communication in the South African marketplace, based on the findings from the first two phases. The proposed conceptual model for the implementation of strategic integrated communication in the South African marketplace is based on the fundamental principle that the strategic intent of the organisation drives all communication and that learning organisational principles, amid profound global and national changes, incessantly reposition the organisation based on the consequent changes in the marketplace. In order to promote unity of effort in relationship building, the organisation needs to be integrated on three levels, namely the organisational, stakeholder and environmental levels, which form the centre of the conceptual model. At the core of the organisational integration area is the renaissance communicator, which could be the key to strategic integrated communication implementation. The renaissance communicator contributes to the organisational success through the alignment of communication objectives with the strategic intent of the organisation and the subsequent changing business landscape, thereby ensuring unity of effort in all organisational efforts through strategic consistency.