EACA - Integrated Marketing Communications Council (IMCC)

History
Today’s Integrated Marketing Communications Council (IMCC) was founded some 25 years ago by three Dutch entrepreneurs as the European Federation of Sales Promotion (EFSP).
Being used to sharing ideas at a national level and travelling abroad frequently, they realised that no platform or forum existed for their specific business sector to share ideas across Europe and to exchange and learn from best practice.
Simultaneously, the original EFSP European Award for the best promotional cases was created to stimulate exchange of ideas and make the best cases visible to the world.
The development of the sector over recent years from mainly tactical promotions to more strategic marketing services and covering a much broader spectrum than sales promotion alone has finally led to the current Integrated Marketing Communications Council.

What do we do?
The IMCC represents the integrated marketing communications agencies and agency associations in Europe. It acts as a central source of information for the industry and assists in the development of the reputation and professionalism of the industry across Europe by focusing on three key areas: best practice, lobbying and recognition by way of a reputable Awards competition, ‘The IMC European Awards’.

Mission Statement
o To advocate industry standards for honest, effective Integrated Marketing Communications campaigns, high professional standards and awareness of the contribution of Integrated Marketing Communications in a free market economy.

o To provide a forum for discussion and establish opportunities for cross-border research and promotion to improve results through the entire Integrated Marketing Communications process.

What business are we in?
Industry trends are shifting from mainly tactical promotions to more strategic marketing services and becoming wholly integrated and multi-disciplinary. Integrated marketing communications has become one of the most effective and efficient uses of marketing resources.

Code of Conduct
As part of its work to improve the quality of promotional activities in Europe, all member organisations of the Integrated Marketing Communications Council have agreed to adopt a Code of Ethics for their agency members to adopt. This Code regulates the nature and administration of those marketing techniques that involve the provision of direct or indirect additional benefits designed to make goods or services more attractive to potential purchasers.

How are we organised?
Because of the merger of EFSP with EACA in 2003, all aspects of the marketing industry are represented by a pan-European organisation with a wide remit and a dedicated secretariat in Brussels. The EACA secretariat functions as a central co-ordination point for IMCC which is managed by a Board representing the 10 national associations of leading sales promotion agencies in Europe:

Board:

Chairman

Christos Damalas /MSPS/HACA/Greece

Members

Alvaros Ales/AEMI/Spain
Georges-Eric Armand/AACC/France
Michel Charvat/OgilvyAction/AKA/Czech Republic
Peter Draeger/FREY.G2/POSMA/Germany
Marco Gualdi/Inventa/AssoComunicazione/Italy
Fiona Moore/Blue-Chip Marketing/Institute of Sales Promotion/UK
Kees-Jan Rozestraten/De Combinatie van Factoren/VEA/Netherlands
Stephan Smets N’Lil/ACC Expert Group Brand Activation/Belgium
Padraig Smith/Marketing Network/APMC/Ireland

EACA
EACA, the European Association of Communications Agencies, is an organisation which brings together the advertising, media, healthcare & integrated marketing agencies and agency associations across Europe, enabling international experience and issues to be shared and dealt with on a pan-European basis. It provides an important link between agencies, advertisers and the advertising media in Europe and around the world and participates closely in the setting of standards in many aspects of the business across Europe.