Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication

The Marketing Landscape of Tomorrow

Viewbook
Read more about our program!

A large retail chain wants to attract new customers, yet retain its loyal following. How would you achieve this goal? Should the retailer communicate to younger consumers using its existing brand, or carve out a compatible but unique image for the new audience? What target research would you conduct to help the chain effectively position itself both to the new consumers and within the larger marketplace? What is the ideal balance between print and television advertisements, direct marketing via the Internet, and high-profile celebrity endorsements and special events? As an integrated marketing communication practitioner, you are prepared to tackle these tough business decisions and provide creative communication solutions.

A strategic approach to marketing communication.

Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is a cross-functional approach that unites and expands the traditional marketing disciplines—advertising, direct marketing, public relations, sales promotion, brand management, and interactive services—in order to create and nourish successful long-term relationships with customers and other stakeholders. IMC campaigns focus on strategically controlling or influencing all messages to these groups and encouraging purposeful dialogue with each of them. Whether you wish to work on the “client side” or the “agency side,” a degree in integrated marketing communication from Emerson provides you with the knowledge and skills to build comprehensive business strategies.

More focused than an MBA and more comprehensive than an advertising degree.

IMC versus MBA

If you are torn between pursuing an MBA and enrolling in the IMC program, you are not alone. Many of our students considered an MBA, but ultimately realized they were drawn not to business administration, but to business communication. Typically, MBA programs are more broadly based, with marketing classes serving as electives. At Emerson, students understand that consistent, targeted, and efficient communication is the lifeblood of every organization and that as IMC practitioners, they will play a vital role in the future of business.

IMC versus Advertising/Public Relations

Unlike graduate programs that focus on one discipline such as advertising or public relations, the Emerson IMC program prepares you to grasp the total marketing landscape and to employ all the communication tools at your disposal. It exposes you to the language spoken in corporate boardrooms and prepares you to lead the creative process that produces novel communication solutions to meet your organization’s objectives.