Suay Pérez, Francisco

En el desarrollo de las Comunicaciones Integradas de Marketing (CIM), en estos más de 30 años de evolución, se han desarrollado múltiples estudios para comprender el concepto, sus dimensiones, así como la implicación para consumidores y empresas. En este artículo revisamos el concepto del CIM desde una perspectiva teórica y profundizamos en cada uno de sus componentes. Posteriormente, para completar la revisión teórica, analizamos las dimensiones que componen el CIM. Uno de los aspectos menos tratados por la literatura ha sido la implicación de los consumidores y cómo las empresas han adaptado sus estructuras de marketing a este nuevo concepto. En este trabajo, se analiza la estructura de la compañía Coca-Cola en España y como ha modificado su forma de trabajar para adecuarse a un modelo de CIM donde el propio responsable de marketing tiene el cargo que se ocupa de la CIM. El departamento de marketing ha cambiado su estructura, metodología y la forma de integrarse internamente y con los proveedores de marketing para adecuarse a una estrategia totalmente basada en los principios de la CIM. / In the development of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), in these more than 30 years of evolution, multiple studies have been developed to understand the concept, its dimensions as well as the implication for consumers and companies. In this article we review the concept of the IMC taking a theoretical perspective and delve into each of its components. To complete the theoretical review, we analyze the dimensions that make up the IMC. One of the aspects that has received poor attention by the literature has been the involvement of consumers and how companies have adapted their marketing structures to this new concept. In this paper we look into the structure of the Coca-Cola company in Spain and how it has modified its working patterns to adapt to an IMC model, where the marketing manager himself is in charge of the IMC management. The marketing department has changed the structure, the methodology and the way of integrating internally and with the marketing providers to adapt to a strategy totally based on the IMC principles.

Purpose: This thesis focuses on IMC research, a concept that has had a strong development in recent years, mainly from the emergence of new technologies and a change in the methods in which the companies communicate with the consumers. In the first part of this study, the different IMC contributions are reviewed. Next comes an analysis of both companies, our object of study, finishing with a rivalry analysis between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. This paper stands out for the its originality in studying the perception of consumers in the use of Integrated Marketing Communications in Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, two large multinational companies, and between the two countries of Spain and the U.S.A. Design / Methodology This research has been undertaken in the Spanish and U.S. markets. In the first place, the perception of the quality of communications of these companies by the industry professionals is analyzed. The consumer's perception was analyzed next, in order to compare same to that of the professional’s, and to demonstrate the validity of the model utilized. Two questionnaires were prepared: a simpler one for professionals that was collected on the streets of New York and Valencia, and another one for consumers that was realized in Spain and the U.S.A. through an online platform. Findings: It may be concluded that the selected group of items accurately determine whether or not a company manages its marketing communications as Integrated Marketing Communications 1 0 Integrated Marketing Communications. After validating the model used, based on the different previous studies published, the perception similarity between consumers and professionals has been demonstrated. Research limitations: The study has been developed for two countries, and for two specific brands, which might be a limitation. Thus, distinct questionnaires for professionals and consumers were used, despite the validation of the model used. Practical implications: The conclusions of this thesis could lead to future research that strengthens the understanding that the consumers have about integrated marketing communications made by companies, and how being a user versus a heavy user may influence said perception. The study of both markets allows us to compare the consumers’ image of the two brands, concluding that there are hardly any differences between the consumers of both countries. The differences depending on the brand consumed and in heavy users have also been analyzed, concluding that these factors hardly influence the consumer’s perception of the IMC of the brands studied. Originality / Value: This paper’s valuable contribution resides in the research uniqueness and originality, as it is conducted in two different markets, and compares industry professionals with consumers. Additionally, we undertake an analysis of the perception in function of someone being a consumer of a brand, or by being a heavy user.