Mastering the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Strategy in Public Relations

The IMC Strategic Process in Public Relations

The Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) approach ensures coherence between what an organization does and what it says. In Public Relations, IMC functions as a strategic blueprint for building reputation, credibility, and legitimacy, ensuring that communication is aligned with real organizational behavior.

The 10-Step Strategic Framework

Situation Analysis (SWOT)

• Theory: Analysis of internal and external environments to identify reputational risks, ethical pressures, and opportunities.

• PR Significance: Decisions must be grounded in real data rather than assumptions to avoid legitimacy and trust issues.

Define the PR Problem & Challenge

• Theory: Identification of negative perceptions and their connection to ethical or social issues.

• PR Significance: A clearly defined problem acts as a north star guiding all communication decisions.

Set SMART Objectives

• Theory: Objectives must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

• PR Significance: Enables professional evaluation of effectiveness and demonstrates the strategic value of PR.

Identify & Prioritize Stakeholders

• Theory: Mapping internal stakeholders (employees, management) and external stakeholders (media, NGOs, communities).

• PR Significance: PR focuses on relationship management, not merely message dissemination.

Core Message & Positioning

• Theory: Development of a central message aligned with corporate values, CSR, and the SDGs.

• PR Significance: Message consistency prevents contradictions that can undermine credibility.

Design Integrated Strategies

• Theory: Integration of PR actions with CSR initiatives and internal communication; actions must support discourse.

• PR Significance: Reinforces legitimacy by ensuring the organization walks the talk.

Tactics & Tools

• Theory: Selection of communication tools (press releases, events, storytelling, digital platforms).

• PR Significance: Translates strategy into concrete and visible actions.

Media Planning & Timing

• Theory: Strategic scheduling to ensure message continuity and repetition.

• PR Significance: Avoids isolated communication efforts and strengthens message retention.

Budget Planning

• Theory: Allocation of resources while balancing cost and impact.

• PR Significance: Demonstrates feasibility and allows PR departments to justify investment to management.

Evaluation & Control (KPIs)

• Theory: Measurement of outcomes such as sentiment, trust levels, and media coverage.

• PR Significance: Proves the value of PR and enables continuous improvement when objectives are not met.

Unit 5: Social Media and Public Opinion (PO)

Measuring Public Opinion

• Scientific Methods (Random Sampling): Polling a representative group of people. These results can be applied to the whole population, so they are used for important decisions.

• Non-Scientific Methods (Straw Polls): Informal polls such as online votes or radio call-ins. They are not reliable because they are biased, but they can show quick public reactions.

Social Media Transformations

• Bespoke Realities: People no longer see the same content. Social media shows personalized feeds, so users live in different information “realities”.

• Echo Chambers and Filter Bubbles: Algorithms show content that matches users’ beliefs and hide opposite opinions. This increases polarization.

• The Engagement Trap: Platforms promote emotional and controversial content because it gets more clicks. Engagement is prioritized over truth.

Strategic Influence

• Reinforcing vs. Influencing:

  • Reinforcing: Repeating what people already believe. It creates short-term engagement but can damage reputation in the long term.

  • Influencing: Using strategic narratives to change opinions and promote understanding or facts.

• Solution Infrastructure: Tools to rebuild trust and pluralism, such as:

  • Middleware: Tools that allow users to control their feeds.

  • Community Notes: Fact-checking created by users to add context and reduce misinformation.

Unit 4: External Communication and Media Relations

Media Relations and Press Releases

• Media Relations: Managing relationships with journalists to obtain earned media, meaning free and credible coverage.

• Press Release: A formal communication sent to the media. It must be newsworthy, meaning timely, relevant, and interesting for the public.

2026 Trends in Media Relations

• AIO (AI Optimization): Content is adapted so AI tools and chatbots can easily find and use it.

• Human Factor: Human judgment is essential to ensure ethics, credibility, and authentic communication.

• High-tech / High-touch: Combining AI efficiency with human connection and trust-building.

Unit 3: Internal Communication (IC)

Internal Communication is essential because reputation starts inside the organization. Employees are the foundation of external Public Relations and play a key role in building trust.

Main Roles of Internal Communication

• Informing: Sharing clear and accurate information with employees.

• Engaging: Encouraging participation and involvement.

• Motivating: Increasing commitment and job satisfaction.

• Brand Advocacy: Employees act as trusted ambassadors of the organization.

Internal Communication Tools

• Centralised Hubs: Intranets used as a main source of information.

• Real-time Tools: Platforms like Teams or Slack for fast communication.

• Two-way Channels: Feedback systems and surveys that allow employees to express opinions.

Strategic Internal Communication Plan

• Situation Audit: Analyze the current internal communication.

• Segmentation: Adapt messages to different employee groups.

• Content Calendar: Plan communication over time.

• Manager Empowerment: Managers are the most trusted sources and must be trained to communicate effectively.

Unit 2: Corporate PR – Strategies, Communication, and Sponsorship

Action vs. Response Strategies

• Action Strategy (Proactive): Building goodwill before a crisis through community engagement and CSR activities.

• Response Strategy (Reactive): Used during a crisis and requires a fast and transparent response. Delaying action can damage goodwill (the company’s “trust reserve”) and create serious risks:

  • Loss of Narrative Control: The media defines the problem before the company does.

  • Cover-up Perception: Silence is seen as hiding the truth.

  • Insincerity: Apologies seem forced by pressure, not by company values.

  • Legitimacy Gap: A gap between what the company says (values) and what it does (actions), which damages long-term credibility.

Trust Recovery Formula

To rebuild trust after a crisis, organizations must follow four steps:

• Acknowledgement of the problem

• Apology

• Recognition of victims

• Action to fix the issue and prevent it from happening again

Effective Communication Pillars

Good corporate communication is based on:

• Clarity

• Consistency

• Credibility

• Empathy

• Correct channel selection

Sponsorship Requests

A sponsorship is a formal partnership, not a donation.

• Logic: It must clearly show mutual benefit for both sides.

• Structure:

  1. Introduction

  2. Project description

  3. Benefits for the sponsor (visibility, brand association)

  4. Specific request (financial or material support)

  5. Closing

Unit 1: Foundations and Models of Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) is a professional field that uses intentional communication to manage the relationship between an organization and its publics.

The Strategic Management Process

PR follows a strategic process that includes:

• Analysing

• Planning

• Monitoring

• Evaluating

This process helps organizations communicate in a structured and effective way.

Intentional vs. Unintentional Communication

• Intentional Communication: Planned messages such as advertisements, press conferences, or official statements.

• Unintentional Communication: Unplanned signals that also communicate meaning, such as:

  • CEO body language

  • Office conditions

  • Speed of response during a crisis

Both types affect reputation.

PR Jargon and Professional Profile

• Boilerplate: A standard paragraph that explains who the company is, usually at the end of a press release.

• KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): Metrics used to measure PR effectiveness.

• Thought Leadership: Showing expertise to build credibility and trust.

• Stakeholders: Groups that affect or are affected by the organization.

The PR Cover Letter

A PR cover letter should include:

• A summary of qualifications

• Alignment between personal goals and company values

• A clear Call to Action (CTA)