For many years, advertising and promotion mostly consisted of mass-media forms like TV, radio and print media. A business would simply rely on their advertising agency to develop a TV ad for example in order to get their message out their. Things like Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing were handled by other firms, so as you can imagine there would be a distinct lack of synergy since each element of the marketing mix was handled differently by independent firms each with their own ideas.
In the 1980's however, marketers began to take a slightly different approach, one that was far broader than previously thought was necessary. They soon began to realize the strategic importance of integrating their promotional tools. Thus they started adopting the integrated marketing communication's (IMC) perspective which essentially involves coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with the firms audience.
Thus the basic difference is where IMC treats the promotional mix (sales promotion, advertising, direct marketing, interactive, personal selling and public relations) as one thing, traditional advertising and promotion handled them as separate entities
In the 1980's however, marketers began to take a slightly different approach, one that was far broader than previously thought was necessary. They soon began to realize the strategic importance of integrating their promotional tools. Thus they started adopting the integrated marketing communication's (IMC) perspective which essentially involves coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with the firms audience.
Thus the basic difference is where IMC treats the promotional mix (sales promotion, advertising, direct marketing, interactive, personal selling and public relations) as one thing, traditional advertising and promotion handled them as separate entities