The Effect of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) on Customer Relationship Management in Private Banks in Zahedan City

Extended Abstract
Abstract
Optimal customer relationship management includes all marketing activities designed to establish, develop, maintain, and maintain a successful relationship with target customers. To achieve this goal, companies are trying to integrate marketing activities so they can communicate best with customers. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of integrated marketing communications (IMC) on customer relationship management (CRM). The statistical population consists of managers and experts of private bank’s (Ayandeh, Pasatgard, Parsiyan, and Saman) in Zahedan city which number was 120 people.that according Krejcie and Morgan table, 95 individuals were selected by simple random sampling as statistical sample. The data collection method was cross-sectional. Data collection doing with standard questionnaires. Reliability and validity of research confirmed. The data analysis method was structural equation modeling (SEM) with smart PLS3 software and result of research show that integrated marketing communications effect on customer relationship management, and the dimensions of integrated marketing communications (public relations, advertising, personal sales, direct marketing, sales promotion, internet marketing) have positive and significant impact on customer relationship management.
Introduction
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a sustained, planned interaction with customers to assess their needs through technology platforms. It includes using technology to ensure customer satisfaction and to organize organizational responses to sale, marketing and customer services. CRM is a customer-oriented service responding relied on personal relationships with customers to improve customer satisfaction and to maximize profit, identify profitable customers, and to deliver the highest services.
Customer relationship management is an extended approach to understand and influence customer behavior through a meaningful (significant) relationship for customer enhancement, customer retention, loyalty, and customer profitability. CRM can be seen as a person-to-person marketing program and relation-oriented marketing meeting customer individual needs based on what he/she says and what he/she wants. This is a management approach allowing organizations to identify, attract, and to maintain profitable customers using customer relationship management and recognizing significant strategic customers (Osunde, 2014).
Integrated marketing communication is of effective factors of optimal implementation of customer relationship management. Several studies indicate that organizations enjoying a proper level of integration in their marketing communication activities may well utilize the investment on the constituents, and derive a strong competitive advantage (Luxton, Reid and Mavondo, 2015).
On the other hand, transmitting inconsistent messages of marketing communication elements, in most national firms, to audiences indicates that most organizations including service industry and in particular, banks have ignored integrated marketing communication; further, it also reveals that Iranian executives lack sufficient knowledge of how to implement integrated marketing communication. Even worse, significance of this concept has been lost among their marketing communication activities (Amirshahi et al, 2011).
Materials and Methods
This is an applied research in term of purpose, and a descriptive-correlational survey with SEM approach. Research statistical population included all private single-branch banks in Zahedan including Ayande Bank, Pasargad Bank, Parsiyan Bank, and Saman Bank. Research samples were 95 individuals selected through census method. A questionnaire was distributed among research samples.
Research data were collected through library and field studies. In the library study, the scholar used documents, books, articles, journals, theses, database, and web-based studies for data collection, literature review, and research theoretical backgrounds. For the field study, the scholar used a questionnaire to collect field data.
Research variables were measured through a standard questionnaire of Luxton et al (2015), Muhanji (2015), and Chen (2012). Research instrument reliability and validity were verified using factor analysis method, composite reliability, and Cronbach’s Alpha. The results revealed the research instrument validity.
Research data were analyzed through descriptive statistics including sample demographics using Measures of Central Tendency (mean, median, and mode) and coefficient of dispersion (standard deviation, variance, and range), and inferential statistics. The questionnaire reliability was verified through Cronbach’s Alpha; kmo test was also used to determine the sample adequacy. Research hypotheses were also analyzed using structural equation modeling method through SMART PLS.
Discussion and conclusion
Results of the research hypothesis indicating “integrated marketing communication and its components have a significant effect on optimal customer relationship management” demonstrated that the effect of integrated marketing communication variable on CRM is 4.767, which is significant (>0.05). It shows that the effect of independent variable on dependent variable is significant. The impact factor equals 0.587 exhibiting the positive effect of integrated marketing communication on the optimal CRM in private banks. In other words, an increase in the independent variable may improve the dependent variable as 0.587. Research findings are consistent with Amirshahi et al (2012) studying integrated communication status, Rahmatnezhad et al (2015), Muhanji et al (2016), as well as Jimouta and Wamboo (2016).
Respecting the public relations contribution to the optimal customer relationship management, it can be expressed that public relations is part of management task- a constant and planned effort, and a process by means of which individuals and firms strive to attain the responsiveness and support of those they are dealing with now and in the future. 
Public relations try to create a sustained mutual understanding and mutual benefit through identifying the needs of customers, shareholders, stakeholders, and buyers, and through classifying and transferring their demands to the management. In addition, it can also be stated that advertisement has a positive effect on the optimal CRM. Moreover, direct marketing including finding, communication, suggestion, and availability of encouraging data to the consumers may also influence optimal customer relationship management. The findings are reasonable as private banks may better communicate with customers by direct relationships through emails, in person, phone calls, etc. Furthermore, the results also demonstrated that personal selling, promotion, and digital marketing influence optimal CRM, too. Banks may transmit the effective use of negotiation techniques by offering specialized direct sale courses for line staff; and may encourage customers to use digital platforms through some bonuses for digital banking users and establishing customer clubs, and can also activate e-CRM.