I had a NY client ask me yesterday what’s integrated marketing and how does it differ from them just running a few print ads and waiting to see if that works. This was a new business, right out of the gate.
Drilled down to its basics, an integrated marketing campaign combines the medium, e.g., print/broadcast advertising, public relations, direct marketing, email, digital and in-store promotions, and multiple stages in a promotional campaign to ensure that the marketing message is consistently received by the greatest possible number of people in the target market
For example, a radio station has commercials as a platform, they should have a listener database with email addresses for an email blast campaign. The station can increase revenue by selling Google AdWords campaigns to its clients and managing that part of the marketing, plus they can display or video advertising platforms on their website to complete the integrated campaign….
Alan Kercinik, now at Ogilvy Public Relations, said yesterday, November 8, “Communications and marketing channels continue to converge, which means agencies need to tap diverse expertise and experience to build engaging, creative campaigns. I was attracted to the model and the team’s ability to provide clients with high-level strategic thinking, creative excellence and integrated programs.”
On Facebook, Coca-Cola has received more than 35 million “likes,” and Coke’s senior vice president of integrated marketing who oversees the social media effort, says having all those fans respond to Coke is meaningful. Letting fans be fans on Facebook, instead of turning the page into a corporate mouthpiece, has paid off, says Jedrzejewski. “People are savvy enough to know when a Facebook page is contrived and manufactured.”
My takehome for you, small to medium sized brands still working to get a foothold and engage a new type of market: “If you’ve got people who are passionate about your brand, you’re over half way there,”