Developing a Model for the Impact of Media on the Quality and Variety of Services Regarding Integrated Marketing Communication in Sepah Bank

The aim of this study was to explain the impact of media on service quality and diversity based on the integrated marketing communication (IMC) approach. Raising awareness about the influence and role of media in integrated marketing communications highlights the importance of media management in organizations and companies. Moreover, it can prepare the ground for optimal management of intra-organizational media and optimal use of external media. Consequently, this study seeks to find an answer for the following question: “How Sepah Bank can manage the media in accordance with its marketing goals in order to help integrate marketing communications and influence the local audience in line with the bank's ultimate objectives.

The present survey research is descriptive researches in terms of methodology and applied in terms of purpose. Interviews with the focus group was employed to extract the initial model; in addition, the structural equation modeling method and LISREL were implemented to assess the relationship between the components of the model. For this purpose, SPSS software was used. The statistical population of this study included all experts of central offices of Sepah Bank branches. Besides, 450 questionnaires were distributed among the experts of the central offices of Sepah Bank, and finally 410 questionnaires were analyzed. Eventually, qualitative content analysis method was use to investigate qualitative data.

According to the research model, the media can manipulate the diversity and quality of banking products through accessing news and reports about the activities of other local and foreign banks and also reflecting on public reports as well as scientific and educational articles in the field of banking services. Therefore, research hypotheses were approved, indicating the effect of media on the diversity and quality of service through providing information to the public.

Media management in organizations is not confined to advertising purposes to influence customers and increase sales. Instead, management and planning are implemented in order to make optimal use of educational functions, provision of information, and media monitoring functions. It is sought by targeting local audiences based on IMC approach to influence the quality and variety of services. Organizations can employ organizational media (organizational publications, websites, brochures, etc.), mass media (press, radio and television, etc.), and advertising media (environmental advertising, press advertising, radio and television advertising, as well as Internet advertising) to influence audiences both inside and outside the organization. As a result, we should conclude that intra-organizational and external media can have significant impact on the diversity and quality of banking services by means of purposeful reflection on the people’s problems, demands, and opinions concerning banking interactions, reflection on the activities and services of other domestic and foreign banks, reflection on the cybercrime and hacking, as well as reflection on educational and scientific articles in the field of banking services.