South Afrcian marketing and communication agencies' understanding of integrated communication (IC): A true reflection of the concept?

Despite almost 20 years of existence, agreement on the definition and scope of integrated communication (IC) has not been reached and, furthermore, the concept of IC is still seen as difficult to implement. In this article, the authors argue that in the stakeholder-centric twenty-first century, integrated communication (IC) is the evolved offspring of integrated marketing communication (IMC), the no-longer-valid customer focus of the twentieth century. Definitions and assumptions of integrated communication are subjected to critical scrutiny and divided into four eras of evolution to arrive at a clear understanding of integrated communication (IC) as a concept. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with the top 10 marketing and communication agencies in South Africa to determine: their understanding of the concept of IC; whether IC principles are implemented in the South African context; and if not, what the barriers preventing their implementation might be.