Bledcom Conference debates the IMC Mix

Here is a great post by B.G. Smith, a panelist at the Bledcom Conference in Slovenia. It seems the debate centered on who's more truthful, advertising or PR. I think each has their faults, but advertising doesn't have much of a chance of changing becuase it lacks a two way dialogue.

http://theorynpractice.com/2008/07/09/guerrilla-pr-bledcom-2008/

Swirl on B. G.

Pitching Integrated Marketing

I have gone through a Masters program in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) at Emerson College and I still have a hard time wrapping my arms around IMC. I think my main problem has been that IMC falls under the "all things to all people" rule. When companies use IMC to promote themselves it always looks like they are saying that they can provide expertise in all areas of communication. I have held jobs in advertising, PR, branding, graphic design and social media and I would say that while I have experience in all these disciplines, my talent lies in strategy and branding. However, I am challenged as how I should position myself to new clients. I think this something that I will be exploring as I start up IMC Society, a new network for communication professionals that are interested in Integrated Marketing Communications. (www.imcsociety.wordpress.com)

What problems do you face when pitching IMC to your potential clients?

Twitter is a New Part of the Integrated Marketing Mix

This is a great article about the power Twitter is having on the integrated marketing mix. Twitter is a medium where marketing becomes all about customer support and helpful conversations. http://tinyurl.com/6l9ych

Keep Swirling

Over the 4th of July I have had some time to think. Well maybe not that much, but enough to be struck by a comment from my very own dad. He said "the thing I most admired about my son when he was young was that nothing ever stuck to him. He just did his thing and rolled with it and made it work. Well now it's a little different."

"Well now its a little different." What did that mean? However, I know exactly what it meant. It meant I have lost that spring in my step. The glisten in my eye. The attack in my soul.

So its been awhile and I don't really believe in new years resolutions or diets, but I challenge my self to get this blog back up and running. I challenge myself to lead the charge for Integrated Marketing. I challenge myself to let lose and speak my mind. I challenge myself to be all those things I thought I was going to be. In this Doogie Howser MD moment that I am having right now. I need to let lose. Fire this blog post across the internet and open up to the world of possibilty that I had forgotten existed until this last year. The new age of media has opened up the game to anyone and it is time I stepped on the court and played a few games.

So as of July 7th, swirlingmedia.blogspot.com and my new blog www.imcsociety.wordpress.com are up and running. Please RSS these sites for latest in intgrated marketing news.

Keep swirling.

Patrick Richardson
swirlingmedia