TY - JOUR T1 - The Emergence Of IMC: A Theoretical Perspective JF - Journal of Advertising Research JO - J Advert Res SP - 19 LP - 30 DO - 10.1017/S0021849904040048 VL - 44 IS - 1 AU - Philip J. Kitchen AU - Joanne Brignell AU - Tao Li AU - Graham Spickett Jones Y1 - 2004/03/01 UR - http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/44/1/19.abstract N2 - Within a short period of just over a decade, IMC has swept around the world and become the accepted norm of businesses and apparently the agencies that service their needs. Here we critically consider IMC in terms of (1) development, (2) impact on marketing communications, (3) barriers to further progress, and (4) current location ideñtification and likely development in the future. Evidently, IMC is here to stay. But there are problems. Not least of these is the apparent reluctance of many businesses to adopt anything more than an inside-out approach to IMC- in other words, bundling promotional mix elements together so they look and sound alike. But, IMC has to move beyond this stage if it is to radically change the face of communications and marketing. ER -