Feature: Marketing integration: Marketing in harmony

Hands up if you’re now presenting your agency as “integrated”? Thought so. There’s no future in being a one-trick pony. The traditional SP campaign or any single discipline approach is archaic in our new multi-channel world. 360 degrees marketing, IMC, media neutral – we’re an industry that likes buzzwords more than most, so let’s get back to basics: what is it? What trends are driving it? And how do you best approach it?

Integrated marketing on a communications level is the co-ordination of a range of promotional channels to drive a consistent and relevant message to customers at all touch points. However, fully embracing integrated marketing requires new organisational competencies – in particular, enhanced customer knowledge management and employee participation through internal marketing.

This “new” approach is a response to the fragmentation of traditional media channels driven by changing consumer usage (eg, the internet). A “Super Consumer” has been born, more price aware and consuming media on their terms in new ways. Consequently the single discipline approach, whether a broadcast ad or an on-pack promotion, is redundant. Brands need a “big, salient creative idea” and they need it delivered consistently to their target consumer groups through the most appropriate channels… and at the most appropriate time. Challenging, so what’s the best approach?

Firstly, (and I said back to basics) know your customers better than your competitors, in fact better than they know themselves. Data is important, but bring them to life – construct a 3D profile, go and talk to them. Secondly, know your brand – the integrated idea must be distinct and totally ownable. If a competitor could do the same campaign, think again as it’s just a badging job. If you haven’t already got one, develop a brand essence wheel.

Drawing out your key consumer and brand insights (at IM, we call it our “intelligenceIM”) will enable the development of a “communication platform” – this platform is essential to integrate all media channels together towards achieving the communication goal.

For example, IM worked as part of a multi-agency team on the Guinness “Second from Greatness” international rugby campaign – the platform was Guinness’ role in the “anticipation of great rugby moments”. This could be developed and refined across the different media – ie, a different anticipation in the build-up through the above the line and online to that communicated through the in-bar promotion as the games kicked off – but still driving an overriding, consistent message.

If you’re using a multi-agency approach, marketers should get all agencies’ buy-in to ensure the platform works equally effectively across each channel. Regular inter-agency meetings are also useful during the development stage. Ideally, creative executions would integrate as well, but it’s important that marketers don’t ignore the needs of different channels – eg, what works in a TV ad may not translate creatively into in-store point of purchase and promotion.

Internal engagement in delivering an integrated message is an element that’s too often overlooked. Employees must act as your brand advocates, inspired to deliver the right brand message internally and externally. For HSBC’s latest nationwide advertising campaign, IM wanted to get employee participation through the network. This was achieved through red gift boxes for each member of the team, including: a personalised letter from the head of business banking; a campaign booklet, explaining what the campaign is about and their role in making it a success; a “behind the scenes” DVD, showing the making of the ads; and a gift (five different options, each one bringing a brand value to life). Consequently, the network was ready and willing to talk to customers about the campaign in the right way when it launched.

And effective marketing demands high accountability. A sensible approach is to agree metrics on an overall campaign level (eg, brand equity) interlinked with channel metrics (eg, frequency, reach). It’s also useful to measure internal factors – eg, staff brand knowledge. Taking such a holistic view of integrated marketing metrics will enable an in-depth understanding of the return on investment achieved through each media channel, driving future planning decisions.

There’s no room for fluffy marketing now – consumers blank out 99 per cent of communication messages sent to them – so to be in that one per cent, make sure your promotional tools work in harmony not isolation.