FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What is the genesis of Huckleberry Finn Tomorrow?

A. Huck was founded by William (Bill) J. P. Smith, Jr. 12 years ago as an Integrated Marketing Communications agency. The mentoring portion has been part of the venue throughout those years, but informally and not as structured as it is today, all pro bono. The name first popped up by a business associate in 1967 as a company that wanted to market cute little latex tattoos for ladies in high-end stores like Bergdorf’s, Saks and Bonwit Teller in New York City. It was an idea before its time, but the name stuck as there is a Tomorrow, and Huck Finn is one of Bill’s favorite literary characters.

Q. What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)?

A. Dr. Jay Rayburn of FSU gave you his definition on our home page. Here’s another from West Virginia University. “IMC is the process of creating and maintaining profitable relations with consumers and other important stakeholders by strategically controlling and influencing the communications sent to them, while encouraging meaningful dialogue with them. IMC offers a new way of looking at the entire marketing puzzle, which once was viewed in terms of pieces, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing and promotions.”

Q. There are a lot of “handles” attached to this process. Please clarify!

A. It all began in marketing communications departments, where there were separate disciplines, run by different people, all vying for the almighty corporate dollar. Somewhere along the way, a very smart person decided to put it all together, seamlessly blending the different disciplines into one department. Universities caught the trend, and established courses and degrees in integrating the marketing communications portion of the equation. Some of us didn’t stop there, and talked our presidents into integrating the corporate communications function, as this is where it all begins. Thus, we had IC/MC, and as far as we were concerned, we called it IC, or simply Integrated Communications. IC was fashionable in high tech companies in the early 70’s, as many young entrepreneurs saw it as a way of saving a lot of time, which when translated, means saving money. Many advertising agencies heard the call, and started buying public relations firms, so they would be in sync with their corporate clients. In most cases, it didn't work.

Q. What are some of the latest developments surrounding IC/MC?

A. Many bleeding edge organizations are building IC/MC into their business models. As a result, these companies are reengineering their communications departments, asking why have four or five entities saturated with specialists competing for the corporate dollar, when you can have one organization loaded with high quality personal, who can wear many hats, all equally at home in understanding the advertising, public relations, Internet, event marketing, whatever mix.

Q. Will you be more specific?

A. Many existing business models have its marketing communications (marcom) people interface with different agencies to create different tactics for branding purposes, e.g., a public relations agency for writing press releases and media placement, an advertising agency for print and TV, a direct marketing agency, an Internet firm to create and maintain the web site, etc. This is a terrible waste, as this means hours of separate input sessions, approval cycles, budget battles, etc. In many cases, it also means that you have hired different people, who have graduated with degrees in their specialties, such as public relations or advertising, people who may not have a clue.

Q. Are you telling me that there are now professionals who understand all of these tactics, and can manage and direct the seamlessly blending of all of this as one?

A. Yes, and it will save you money right to the bottom line. Change can be a threat, especially if you’ve been doing it one way for a number of years. But today, advanced-thinking universities have created degrees in IC/MC, and as a result business is embracing the concept and building it into their business models.

Q. How new is IMC, and will you give me a Bill Smith take?

A. Surprise! It’s not new. It simply dealt with change as a threat to what you may have considered good working relationships with many resources, and the fact that many great institutions, beginning with the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University couldn’t prepare enough students for it to become mainstream if the demand or acceptance was there. Many agencies went through a period of mergers, informing clients, “We not only have advertising resources for you, but now public relations as well.” All this was icing, because in reality, advertising wasn’t talking to the public relations entity, didn’t understand the role it took, and competed for the all-mighty client budget. It was all heavy makeup to fill in the cracks, as in window dressing. A lot of clients suffered as a result, and went back to the more traditional ways of communicating to its target audiences. I was in the trenches and lived it.

Q. O.K., it’s not new, where did it begin? Another Bill Smith take, please.

A. Historically, I trace it to Bozell Jacobs of Omaha, Nebraska and the 1930’s. The agency offered an insurance giant, Mutual of Omaha, public relations, print advertising and promotions, under one roof. Later, the agency built on its success and became a powerful force in New York City. In the 50’s, Marsteller, Inc. in New York City positioned itself as all things to all mankind in the communications world by offering public relations and advertising under one roof, but in two separate entities. However, when I was interviewed fresh out of the Marine Corps by Burson himself for a public relations entry level position, no mention was made of the advertising side of the business. In retrospect, I have a feeling that the two entities had bottom line responsibility, and competed for the clients almighty dollar. I saw IC/MC first hand in the 70’s with Creamer, Inc. of Providence, Rhode Island, and later in New York City and briefly in Los Angeles, where it handled Bell & Howell’s Electronics & Instruments Division in Pasadena, and Digital Equipment Corporation out of Maynard, Massachusetts. Michel-Cather under Paul Palace in New York City, and Galusha & Associates in Newport Beach, California also offered full IC/MC. I personally taught the subject at Emerson College in Boston as early as 1994, using the Don E. Schultz, Stanley I. Tannenbaum and Robert F. Lauterborn text on the subject. I practiced what I “preached,” taking 10 outstanding students, set up an IC/MC agency, pitched a publically traded company, won the account, and created a strategic plan. The account was a restaurant chain, and the kids ate hardily. At the corporate level, I ran IC/MC programs, beginning in the early 70’s and agreed upon by the presidents before I took the job, at Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General Corporation and Dataproducts Corporation, all market leaders in their categories at the time.