外文资料：Integrated Marketing Communications in U.S.Advertising Agencies: An Exploratory Study This paper reviews the development of the concept of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) in terms of its theoretical foundations through an exploratory study of IMC within a judgment sample of U.S. advertising agencies (total estimated billings-$20.4 billion). The paper considers the arguments advanced from both academic and practitioner sides in relation to what IMC is and whether it offers significant value to advertising agencies and their clients in the rapidly changing communications marketplace leading toward the next millennium. This paper is one of a series relating to a continuing, now becoming worldwide, investigation of the emergent concept and field of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). The original research in this field began in 1991 by faculty at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, in the United States (Caywood et al., 1991).This paper extends knowledge on how the concept of IMC is diffusing by providing an initial analysis of data on how senior advertising agency executives perceive IMC use and development in the United States. It provides a perspective on the current state of IMC and levels of implementation and usage in an important segment of the marketing communications landscape. Additional studies will follow with advertising agencies in India, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. A similar study has already been conducted in the United Kingdom. Results of that study are not included here.This paper represents an interactive effort among three groups: the IMC faculty, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.; the Research Centre for Corporate and Marketing Communications, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.; and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), New York, NY, U.S. The second group was responsible for adapting and extending the original research study conducted by Northwestern University in 1991 (Caywood et al., 1991). The study was furthered by the support of the 4As which provided not only a membership list of active agencies for questionnaire distribution but a cover letter of support as well.The research explored three related objectives: 1. To deepen understanding of how and in what areas the IMC concept is developing in the United States 2. To examine the extent to which a group of major U.S. advertising agency executives is developing, practicing, or utilizing IMC on behalf of their clients. 3. To understand the importance and value of traditional advertising agencies in a marketplace where IMC is apparently becoming more important.The research is predicated on the dynamic that there may well be wide variation and differing views concerning what IMC conceptually represents and how it might be practiced. Thus, the implementation of an integrated approach by advertising agencies for their clients may well differs not only in thought but in practice. Thus the paper is not necessarily concerned with either a consensual or conclusive mission. Its overall aim is to explore the multiple dimensions of the IMC concept, thus helping underpin future research.Prior to the study conducted by Caywood et al.(1991) there appears to be little or no formal discussion or even description of what is now called Integrated Marketing Communications. While doubtless there had been practitioner discussions and trade press articles, the Northwestern study, funded by the 4As and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) appears to be the first formal, well-defined attempt to bring some understanding of the concept to the literature. Thus, most of the history of IMC thinking and discussion is generally less than seven years old. While there has been considerable debate and discussion of the subject, i.e., who does it, how it is done, etc., the formal presentation of research, theory development, and other materials by either practitioners or academics has been slow in coming. Given its history, much of the IMC literature and learning has focused on the explanation of IMC in the marketplace, i.e., what it is, how it operates in the communications arena, etc., rather than on theory building or understanding of the basic principles. These points must be kept in mind, for while the literature is sparse at this point, it is apparently growing rather rapidly.Schultz (1991) formalized the IMC discussion in the United States by arguing that nothing in the United States had received as much publicity and discussion at learned meetings, while seeing little real activity, as had the concept of IMC in 1990. At that time most manufacturers and marketing organizations in the United States were still trying to sort out the need for and value of IMC. What is evident now, some six years later, is that the concept is still undergoing development.A special issue of the Journal of Ma