Assessing Integrated Marketing Communication in innovation-oriented organizations: a diagnostic approach for strategic alignment

  • Janire Gordon Isasi Universidad de Deusto
  • Lucía Porcu University of Granada
Palabras clave: Comunicación Integrada de Marketing, Innovación, Transformación Digital, Marketing de Servicios, Herramienta de diagnóstico

Resumen

En el actual contexto de transformación digital y la innovación, las organizaciones orientadas al servicio se enfrentan a crecientes desafíos para coordinar sus estrategias de comunicación entre plataformas y múltiples partes interesadas. La Comunicación Integrada de Marketing (IMC) ha surgido como un enfoque estratégico que va más allá de la coherencia del mensaje, promoviendo la colaboración interna, la agilidad organizacional y la capacidad de innovación. Este artículo presenta un marco conceptual y una herramienta de diagnóstico, IMC Audit Tool (IMC-AT), diseñados para evaluar y fortalecer la implementación de la IMC en entornos impulsados por la innovación.

Basado en modelos previos validados en diferentes sectores como el turismo o la educación, el marco incorpora cuatro dimensiones clave: coherencia del mensaje, interactividad, enfoque estratégico centrado en los stakeholders y alineación organizacional. Estas dimensiones se operacionalizan en un instrumento práctico y escalable de autoevaluación que permite a las organizaciones identificar fortalezas y áreas de mejora en sus prácticas comunicativas. La herramienta apoya la toma de decisiones basada en evidencias en el diseño de campañas, la coordinación interna, la integración de canales digitales y la gestión de las relaciones con stakeholders.

El artículo también analiza los principales facilitadores y barreras organizacionales para la adopción de la IMC, incluyendo el liderazgo, la cultura organizacional, las estructuras flexibles y la preparación digital. Al vincular la IMC con la innovación, este trabajo posiciona la comunicación no solo como una función operativa, sino como un motor estratégico de transformación empresarial. La contribución radica en ofrecer tanto fundamentos teóricos como herramientas aplicables para profesionales que buscan integrar comunicación e innovación en entornos organizacionales dinámicos y ágiles.

Biografía del autor/a

Janire Gordon Isasi, Universidad de Deusto

Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering (University of Deusto). She has participated in European, H2020 and Erasmus + research projects. She has published several scientific articles in high-impact scientific journals and has also participated in several international conferences related to marketing, higher education or entrepreneurship. Her research interests are the following: marketing, communication, management, entrepreneurship and innovation. She is also director of the Dual Master’s degree in Innovation and Technology.

Lucía Porcu, University of Granada

Catedrática de Marketing en la Universidad de Granada (España). Cuenta con experiencia previa como profesora visitante en la Universidad de Brock (Canadá), la Universidad Northwestern (EE. UU.) y la Universidad de Bolonia (Italia). Sus intereses de investigación son la comunicación corporativa integrada (ICC), la comunicación de marketing integrada (IMC), el marketing intercultural y las humanidades digitales. Ha participado en varias conferencias internacionales (EMAC, ICORIA, CMC, Academy of Marketing, AMS World Marketing Conference) y ha publicado en revistas de prestigio, como Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Advertising y Computers in Human Behavior, entre otras.

Citas

Ahmad, A., Salleh, S. M., a/l Permual, S., Porcu, L., & Ahmad, W. (2025). Unveiling the drivers and outcomes of IMC capability: insights from consumer market companies in Pakistan. International Journal of Advertising, 44(2), 359-392.

Beard, F. (1996). Integrated marketing communications: New role expectations and performance issues in the client-ad agency relationship. Journal of Business Research, 37(3), 207-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(96)00071-9

Blank, S., & Dorf, B. (2020). The startup owner’s manual: The step-by-step guide for building a great company. Wiley.

Chatterjee, S., Rana, N. P., Tamilmani, K., & Sharma, A. (2021). The next generation of artificial intelligence: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 102283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102283

Christensen, C. M., & Raynor, M. E. (2013). The innovator’s solution: Creating and sustaining successful growth. Harvard Business Review Press.

Cillo, V., Rialti, R., Bertoldi, B., & Ciampi, F. (2021). Knowledge management and open innovation in agri-food firms: The moderating role of internal barriers. Journal of Business Research, 128, 826–836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.03.072

Cornelissen, J. P., & Lock, R.A. (2000). Theoretical concept or management fashion: Examining the significance of integrated marketing communications. Journal of Advertising Research, 40(5), 7-15.

Duncan, T., & Mulhern, F. J. (2004). A white paper on the status, scope and future of IMC. Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications, 2004, 1–30.

Einwiller, S., & Boenigk, M. (2012). Examining the link between integrated marketing communication and market success. Journal of Marketing Communications, 18(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2011.620765

Gordon-Isasi, J., Narvaiza, L., & Gibaja, J. J. (2020). Revisiting integrated marketing communication (IMC): a scale to assess IMC in higher education (HE). Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(1), 58–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1758283

Gulati, R. (2007). Silo Busting. How to Execute on the Promise of Customer Focus. Harvard Business Review. May 2007.

Jarek, K., & Mazurek, G. (2019). Marketing and artificial intelligence. Central European Business Review, 8(2), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.18267/j.cebr.213

Kang, K. (2024). The antecedent role of leadership styles on IMC and business performance: Empirical evidence from Japanese firms. Business Communication Research and Practice, 7(1), 17–34. https://doi.org/10.22682/bcrp.2024.7.1.17

Kerr, G., Mulhern, F., Viswanathan, V., Kitchen, P., Zabkar, V., Lings, I., & Kliatchko, J. (2023). The power of synergy to reinvent IMC education. Journal of Marketing Communications, 30(2), 188–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2023.2291466

Kitchen, P. J., & Burgmann, I. (2015). Integrated marketing communication: Making it work at a strategic level. Journal of Business Strategy, 36(4), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-07-2014-0086

Kumar, A., Rajan, C. A., & Gupta, H. (2022). Artificial intelligence in marketing: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 142, 1103–1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.081

Low, G.S. (2000). Correlates of integrated marketing communications. Journal of Advertising Research, 40(3), 27-39.

Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability and brand performance. Journal of Advertising 44(1), 37-46.

Navarro-Bailón, M. A., Eguizábal, E. S., & Ruiz, C. L. (2012). The impact of IMC on brand preference and customer-based brand equity creation in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 975–985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.11.008

Pearson, S., & Malthouse, E. C. (2023). Fifth Generation IMC: Expanding the Scope to Profit, People, and the Planet. Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications, October 2023, 1–8.

Porcu, L., Del Barrio-García, S., & Kitchen, P. (2017). Measuring integrated marketing communication by taking a broad organisational approach. European Journal of Marketing, 51(3), 692-718. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-08-2015-0587

Porcu, L., Del Barrio-García, S., Alcantara-Pilar, J. M., & Crespo-Almendros, E. (2019). International Journal of Hospitality Management, 80, 13-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.01.008.

Rabetino, R., Kohtamäki, M., Bustinza, O. F., & Vendrell-Herrero, F. (2021). A configurational study of servitization practices and performance of product-centric firms. Industrial Marketing Management, 96, 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.04.004

Reid, M. (2005). Performance auditing of integrated marketing communication (IMC) actions and outcomes. Journal of Advertising, 34(4), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2005.10639202

Ries, E. (2011). The lean startup: How today’s entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses. Crown Business.

Šerić, M., Gil-Saura, I., & Ruiz-Molina, M. E. (2017). The role of IMC in strengthening brand equity: Empirical evidence from the higher education sector. Journal of Marketing Communications, 23(2), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2014.981229

Spence, M., & Crick, D. (2006). A comparative investigation into the internationalization of Canadian and UK high-tech SMEs. International Marketing Review, 23(5), 524–548. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330610703442

Tafesse, W., & Kitchen, P. J. (2017). IMC–firm performance relationship: Exploring the mediating role of market-based performance. Journal of Marketing Communications, 23(6), 572–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2016.1147475

Troise, C., & Tani, M. (2020). Exploring entrepreneurial marketing in startups: An empirical investigation of the drivers of marketing capabilities. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 27(6), 1021–1040. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-01-2020-0012

Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2008). Service-dominant logic: Continuing the evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0069-6

Publicado
2026-02-27
Cómo citar
Gordon Isasi, Janire, y Lucía Porcu. 2026. «Assessing Integrated Marketing Communication in Innovation-Oriented Organizations: A Diagnostic Approach for Strategic Alignment». Boletín De Estudios Económicos 80 (236), 185-205. https://doi.org/10.18543/bee.3234.