The world has become more increasingly connected by technology, requiring companies to develop marketing campaigns in multiple media channels. Because consumers are constantly plugged into their mobile technology, they expect to be able to access a brand wherever they go.

If they hear a funny ad on the radio, they will pull out their smartphones to look up the company behind it – expecting to find a fully incorporated website waiting for them. If they scan a QR code on a poster, they expect to be led to a familiar-looking landing page.

This massive build-up of branding across platforms can solidify a corporation’s reputation. It can also make re-branding on the fly more difficult, forcing companies to communicate between multiple marketing departments to enact branding changes. Still, the risks of integrated marketing are well worth the rewards of recognition and cost management.

• What is Integrated Marketing?
• What is an Example of Integrated Marketing?
• Why is Integrated Marketing Communication Important?
• What are the Marketing Communication Tools?
• What does an Integrated Marketing Manager do?
• What Companies use Integrated Marketing Communications?
• What are the Pro and Cons of Integrated Marketing Communication?

What is Integrated Marketing?

Integrated marketing is a marketing strategy that stresses the importance of a consistent, seamless, multi-dimensional brand experience for the consumer. This means that each branding effort – across television, radio, print, Internet, and in-person – is presented in a similar style that reinforces the brand’s ultimate message.

Read Also: What is Call Tracking Marketing?

Consider, for example, the Apple computer brand. Their advertising strategy is simple – showcase a sleek, modern product that works faster, smarter and in ways that the competitors never thought possible. This ‘no gimmick’ strategy is carried across all aspects of the Apple brand.

Their products are packaged in crisp, white boxes with almost no text. Their stores are white, clean and minimalist – with products on display for intuitive use. Their commercials are stark, smart, and infectious.

By branding their products as elite, intuitive, and futuristic, Apple is able to charge prices above those of their competition and still dominate the hardware market.

This style of marketing is becoming more and more important because media fragmentation and exposure have begun to desensitize consumers. Every day, they are hit with such a barrage of advertisements that only the most integrated and consistent brands stand out as memorable.

Consistency in integrated marketing does not mean lack of creativity. Slapping a single color palate across all media or using the same tagline on a highway billboard as a product homepage is not the epitome of integrated marketing.

Instead, a marketing team must work behind-the-scenes to devise a compelling, unified voice for a brand, and transition it appropriately into every aspect of the brand’s persona, from advertising to physical presence and customer service.

What is an Example of Integrated Marketing?

The original idea of the term “integrated marketing” was to “blur the lines that separate creative, media, television, radio, and print,” according to Tony Wright, CEO of marketing firm WrightIMC, on Search Engine Journal. “Then along came digital marketing.”

The result “became a bit muddled,” but integrated marketing is now recognized as a way to incorporate all types of communications to resonate with the audience.

Here are some examples of integrated marketing campaigns that successfully combine marketing communications and tactics to provide a unified experience.

1. Always #LikeAGirl

Feminine care brand Always wanted to target the next generation of consumers. The company noticed an opportunity to support girls as they transition from puberty to young women, according to a case study from Design and Art Direction (D&AD), a British charity that promotes excellence in design and advertising.

“We set out to champion the girls who were the future of the brand,” Judy John, CEO and chief creative officer of advertising firm Leo Burnett Canada, told D&AD. “Girls first come in contact with Always at puberty, a time when they are feeling awkward and unconfident-a pivotal time to show girls the brand’s purpose and champion their confidence.”

Research discovered that more than one-half of women claimed they experienced a decline in confidence at puberty. The Always creative team was drawn to the derogatory phrase “like a girl” and developed an integrated marketing campaign to transform it to a phrase of empowerment.

The campaign uses television, print and social media, but the centerpiece of #LikeAGirl is a video created by documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield. It led to the following results, according to D&AD.

• The film generated more than 85 million views on YouTube from more than 150 countries.
• Prior to watching the film, 19 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds had a positive association toward “like a girl.” After watching, 76 percent no longer saw the phrase negatively.
• Two out of three men who watched the film said they’d now think twice before using “like a girl” as an insult.
• The campaign won D&AD awards across eight categories and generated considerable global awareness.

2. Southwest Airlines Transfarency

Southwest Airlines has launched an integrated marketing campaign called “Transfarency.” The airline uses television, radio, print and digital assets to demonstrate how customers will pay for things like checked bags, flight changes and snacks and drinks.

The airline has a microsite for its Transfarency campaign that showcases the value customers will receive by choosing Southwest over other airlines. It includes several sections of informational and fun content.

• A #FeesDontFly comparison of Southwest and other airlines like American, United, Spirit, Delta and more.
• A “Fee or Fake” game that tests customers’ knowledge of surprising fees they will encounter with other airlines.
• A “Dear Southwest” Mad Libs-style letter that boasts Southwest’s status as the only U.S. airline that doesn’t charge checked bag or change fees.
• A “Fee Hacker” section that parodies how customers can avoid fees with other airlines.

“It’s safe to say that the buzz the campaign has created on both Twitter and Facebook are positive signs,” according to Wright.

3. Domino’s AnyWare

Pizza restaurant chain Domino’s created the “AnyWare” campaign to help people order food in more convenient ways. Domino’s AnyWare allows customers to order with a tweet, a text, Ford Sync, smart televisions and smart watches.

The idea was possible because two years prior to AnyWare, Domino’s established Pizza Profiles, which save customers’ payment information, addresses and an Easy Order. The Easy Order is a customer’s favorite food order that includes preferred payment method, order type (delivery or carryout) and address or favorite store.

Domino’s deployed press releases, a national television campaign and more to drive customers to AnyWare.Dominos.com, where they can learn about new ways to order. This successful campaign led to the following results, according to Shorty Awards, a social media awards show.

• The AnyWare campaign generated 2 billion earned media impressions, including segments on Jimmy Fallon, Ellen and the Today Show.
• The AnyWare website received more than 500,000 visits.
• The AnyWare television campaign, which ran during the entire third quarter in 2015, generated 10.5 percent year-over-year sales growth.
• The AnyWare campaign helped Domino’s achieve its goal of having half of all orders be made digitally.

4.    “The Martian” Movie Prologue

The prologue campaign for “The Martian” movie tried to overturn historically negative box office results for films about Mars. Using an integrated marketing strategy, the goal was to bring the world of the movie to life and foster the same excitement of the Cold War-era space race.

The multiplatform narrative was developed alongside NASA, Microsoft, GoPro, Under Amour, National Geographic and StarTalk. Marketing efforts incorporated social media channels and celebrity endorsements to go along with traditional methods. The videos, apart from the trailers, surpassed 20 million views, and the campaign was honored with numerous awards.

“The Martian” opened No. 1 at the box office in the United States, where it remained for four weeks. It was the second-highest fall opening of all time, was the most successful film ever for the director and producer Ridley Scott and earned more than $600 million worldwide. The film won two Golden Globes and garnered seven Academy Awards nominations.

Why is Integrated Marketing Communication Important?

Integrated marketing communication plays an integral role in communicating brand message to a larger audience.

Integrated Marketing communication helps in integrating all essential components of marketing to communicate a similar message to potential and existing end-users.

Integrated marketing communication goes a long way in creating brand awareness among customers at a minimal cost.

Integrated marketing communication is essential not only for business to business marketing but also for direct interaction with customers. Organizations implementing integrated marketing communication not only successfully promote their brands among the target audiences but also develop trust among them who would always stick to their brands, no matter what.

Through integrated marketing communication, a similar message goes to customers simultaneously, eventually creating a better impact on them. Believe me, the end-user does not even think of buying Brand B, if the features and benefits of Brand A are communicated well to the end-users. Integrated marketing communication is more effective as it carefully blends various marketing tools such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing and so on.

Integrated marketing communication scores over traditional ways of marketing as it focuses on not only winning new customers but also maintaining long term healthy relationship with them.

Integrated marketing communication ensures two-way dialogue with customers – a must in all business. Customer feedbacks need to be monitored well if you wish to survive in the long run. Remember, their feedbacks are valuable and need to be evaluated carefully.

Gone are the days when marketers used to rely only on advertising and simple promotions to make their brand popular among end-users.

In the current scenario of cut-throat competition, marketers need to promote their brands by effectively integrating relevant marketing tools for better results and increased productivity. Integrated marketing communication plays an essential role in delivering a unified message to end-users through various channels and thus has better chances of attracting customers.

A single message goes to customers across all marketing channels be it TV, Radio, Banners, hoardings and so on. Integrated marketing communication ensures the brand (product or service) is an instant hit among end-users. It also develops a sense of attachment and loyalty among end-users.

Marketers do not also have to think really hard as to which marketing tool is really effective in creating brand awareness. Integrated marketing communication saves time which is often lost in figuring out the best marketing tool. Through integrated marketing communication, marketers can smartly blend and integrate all marketing tools for better response.

In a layman’s language, integrated marketing communication provides a wide range of options that help marketers connect easily with their target customers. Integrated marketing communication ensures that the customer gets the right message at the right place and right time.

Integrated marketing communication uses several innovative ways to promote brands among customers such as newspaper inserts, hoardings, and banners at the most strategic locations, pamphlets, brochures, radio or television advertisements, press releases, discount coupons, loyalty clubs, membership clubs, PR Activities, sales promotional activities, direct marketing initiatives, social networking sites (Face book. Twitter, Orkut), blogs and so on.

What are the Marketing Communication Tools?

As a marketer, there is a treasure trove of tools at your disposal to help your organization generate awareness and support sales efforts—these are known as marketing communication tools. Marketing communication tools are a set of diversified programs designated to communicate with your target audience effectively.

Any good marketer knows the importance of utilizing marketing communication tools that are best suited for specific marketing campaigns in order to reach your audience at various stages of the marketing funnel and across different channels.

Deciding the best way to use these tools in order to effectively reach your audience is your marketing communication strategy, which is essential if you want your message to resonate. 

So, what tools should your organization use to reinforce your message and help drive brand awareness while maintaining a consistent brand identity? Let’s explore the marketing communication tools that are essential to any organization’s success. 

Advertising & Sales Promotions

Advertising is one of the most prominent and widely used communication tools in a marketing campaign, as its main feature is increasing awareness. Ads can be effective not only for marketing your product or service, but also for marketing your brand.

Typically, advertising makes use of above the line (ATL) media campaigns because of the type of reach that can be achieved. Above the line marketing is often used by brands who aim to have a large, diversified market because ATL marketing has mass appeal. Some examples of ATL marketing include TV, radio, print media, cinema, and outdoor media such as billboards, transit advertising, and commuter displays. 

Everyone loves a discount, which is why sales promotions are very popular marketing communications tools. Usually, discounts and coupons are used to get new customers, where as memberships and loyalty programs are used for customer retention. There are three main types of sales promotions marketers use. The first is the discount that tempts the customer to make their first purchase.

Think of when you’re browsing an online retailer’s website and see a pop-up stating you’ll get 10% off your first order if you enter your email address. The second is deadline discounts, which encourage your audience to “act fast before it’s too late” (i.e. holiday sales, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday).

Finally, we have membership discounts, which focus on program tiers. These encourage customers to continue making purchases through your company in order to receive more premium discounts. Essentially, sales promotions help your brand build trust and authority with new customers.

Social Media 

Social media allows brands to engage with their audience while also providing information on its products, services, and values. From Twitter to TikTok, social media has rapidly become a valuable method for consumers to research a brand before the organization is even aware of the buyer’s interest.

Potential customers are able to find social proof through other customers who have interacted with brands on social media channels. Additionally, brands have the opportunity to make themselves more human as they engage with their audience. 

Direct Mail & Catalogs 

While online marketing has taken the world by storm over the years, there is still great value in an offline marketing plan. In an increasingly digital world, direct mail and print catalogs can help generate leads and offer benefits that online marketing cannot thanks to localization and personalization. Many consumers find direct mail and catalogs easier to understand, as one study found that it takes 21% less cognitive effort to process. 

Additionally, direct mail has also been proven to yield a higher average response rate when compared to digital. Finally, print ads won’t actively disrupt your viewer’s activity to get their attention, granting them the freedom to choose when they’ll receive your marketing message and thus allowing it to hit at the optimal time. 

Email Campaigns & Newsletters

Email marketing is another tried and true tactic for lead generation. What’s more, it allows a brand to identify better quality leads. Since email marketing itself is a lead qualifying system, you can see a prospect’s interest based on the fact that they signed up for your list, whether or not they open your emails, and if they click on any of the links within your emails. 

Likewise, email newsletters are a powerful way to nurture leads by providing recipients with targeted and personalized content straight to their inbox. This helps push them further down the funnel and keeps them engaged with your brand. 

Trade Shows, Webinars, & Seminars 

Trade shows, seminars, and webinars are great tools to address issues, generate leads, and introduce a new product or service. Trade shows give consumers the opportunity to meet with brand representatives face-to-face, providing a more personable experience.

Seminars and webinars can also establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, giving consumers a convenient outlet to learn about your product or service.

What does an Integrated Marketing Manager do?

Integrated marketing professionals develop and manage communication campaigns that integrate advertising, public relations, sales promotion, digital and social marketing disciplines to deliver consistent messages across all media.

The supporters of integrated marketing claim that it improves the cost and the results of marketing campaigns compared with campaigns based on a single marketing tool. Experience in integrated marketing opens career opportunities in advertising agencies, marketing communications consultancies and in-house marketing departments.

Skills

Integrated marketing professionals combine analytic and communication skills with excellent understanding of the full range of marketing techniques.

They must possess solid teamwork skills as they may be working with specialists from each of the marketing disciplines. Project management skills are essential to coordinate the work of a wide range of different internal and external suppliers.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, mass communication, journalism, public relations or business is an essential qualification for a career in marketing. A number of educational organizations also offer specific qualifications in integrated marketing.

The San Diego State University Center for Integrated Marketing Communications, for example, offers a specialization in Integrated Marketing Communications that focuses on topics in advertising, promotions, communications and public relations, and leads to a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

Graduates can also study for the higher qualification of Master of Integrated Marketing Communications, such as the course offered by Emerson College.

Experience

To develop the knowledge and skills to manage integrated campaigns, marketing professionals must have experience in a related role, such as advertising, public relations, marketing management or marketing communications.

They must have practical experience of developing successful campaigns across a wide range of disciplines, including print, broadcast and digital advertising, direct marketing, public relations, sales promotion, event management, channel development and relationship marketing.

Integrated Approach

Integrated marketing professionals must have an understanding of the requirements and benefits of integrated campaigns. They must understand how different campaign elements work together to reinforce each other and improve results.

A simple integrated campaign might use direct marketing and a sales incentive program to follow up press advertising. The aim is to achieve a higher number of new customers than advertising alone could deliver.

Professionals must also understand the importance of communicating consistent messages and brand images across all elements of an integrated campaign.

Opportunities

Advertising, marketing and promotions managers held 216,800 jobs in the U.S. in 2010, with a median annual salary of $108,260, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, not all agencies or marketing departments offer integrated marketing services.

Some advertising agencies position themselves as integrated marketing agencies, either developing in-house services or sourcing the services they need from external suppliers. Companies with marketing departments that use a wide range of marketing tools may also offer opportunities for integrated marketing professionals.

What Companies use Integrated Marketing Communications?

Nike and IMC

The benefits of a strong brand includes differentiation from its competitors, a barrier to entry, the ability to demand a higher price, and the opportunity to experience higher revenues.

Nike is a prestige brand that adds value to its products communicating an upscale image identified by the Nike swoosh logo distinguishing the purchaser as a selective individual.

Image is especially important in the highly sporting goods market with fierce competition from Under Armour, Adidas, and Reebok. These competing brands cannot compare to Nike in terms of consistent brand message over time.

In the case of Reebok, they have changed brand messages several times over the years. Nike’s marketing excellence with a consistent brand message has propelled the company to economic success and established Nike as a prestige brand with significant brand equity.

An Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) strategy enhances the effectiveness of the branding strategy to use the right message using the medium to achieve your business goals. IMC aligns and synergizes every group and department to collaborate and deliver results. IMC provides the ability to achieve a consistent corporate branding that delivers significant bottom line results.

B2C companies such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Starbucks, Apple, American Express, Stonyfield Farm/Danone and newcomer GoPro are great examples of companies that are doing IMC right.

B2B companies such as Intermedia, Datavail, and Rockwell Automation are also using IMC to achieve business and marketing goals.  The success of these organizations and many others provide examples and evidence that IMC is a critical differentiator for success.

Using IMC offers significant advantages and a distinct competitive advantage for a company in the form of financial results, and the ability to compete at a heightened level with the synergy IMC provides the company.

What are the Pro and Cons of Integrated Marketing Communication?

Integration can be tough. It requires new thinking, new consistency and a more ‘together’ attitude to marketing on all platforms. So, why should we make the effort to get into all this, when it’s so tough and much easier to continue our disparate marketing campaigns as they are?

Well, we’ll discuss all the benefits of integrated marketing in a moment, but before we do, let’s look at what our customers want. After all, isn’t fulfilling our customers wishes all part of the job?

In the My Buys/e-tailing group’s Annual Consumer Insights Survey, the disparity between what our customers want and what we’re actually giving them was made profoundly clear.

Respondents to the survey rated ‘consistency’ as one of the most important elements to make them feel loyal to a brand, with 85 percent stating that having a consistent shopping experience from the website to the store was either very or somewhat important.

Similarly, 72 per cent of respondents felt that any marketing collateral should be consistently presented from the web to the store to the mobile or PC at all times. How many brands are actually meeting these needs? Not enough.

Around 50 per cent of brands strive to ensure a consistent shopping experience from web to store, a gap of 41 per cent between needs and provision. Only 39 per cent of brands are ensuring consistency of marketing collateral, leaving a gap of 46 per cent between needs and provision.

These gaps serve to create frustration among consumers, who are looking for something that just isn’t there. But for brands who are prepared to make the effort, these gaps are ready to be filled, and to put them well ahead of the competition.

Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of integrated marketing, so we can understand just what we’re getting ourselves into here.

Pros

As a B2B integrated agency ourselves, we could go on, and on, and on, about the benefits of integrated marketing. But in the interest of brevity, we’ve picked just a few of the top pros to share with you here:

You’ll develop more trust: Consistent reliability and reliable consistency helps your customers get to know and to trust you.

Your brand will be more easily recognised: Looking the same way, speaking the same way and giving the same clear message at every touch point is guaranteed to help customers recognise you faster and more easily.

The message becomes concentrated: Instead of diluting your message by opting for a scattergun approach, you’ll be focussing it and concentrating its effects, both on your customers and internally within your organisation too.

Your budget goes further: When everyone from your SEO genius to your social media manager is focused on the same message and end goal, things get cheaper. Duplicated efforts are less likely, transactional costs are minimised through standardised branding and promotional collateral, and design and print costs will benefit from being scaled up.

You’ll make more money: There are plenty of case studies out there which show a direct benefit to revenue from integrated customer journeys. In fact, in some cases, integrated marketing has been shown to produce double the sales value year on year.

It’s what your customer’s want: As we discussed earlier, customers are crying out for consistency in marketing and shopping experiences, so why on earth wouldn’t you give it to them? Chances are many of your competitors are not giving it to them either, so you’ll be a step ahead if you take the lead in this initiative.

Read Also: 10 Advantages of Social Media Marketing for Your Business

If you’re looking for a marketing strategy that offers the biggest impacts, the best ROI and the highest chance of success, integration is for you.

Cons

Not everything about integrated marketing is roses and white picket fences though. Here are some of the things we’ve watched brands struggle with in the past:

It’s not easy: It takes a shift in mindset to get integration really working for you. You’ll need to plan meticulously in order to get it right, and will need to stop thinking about different types of marketing as different ‘departments’ or teams, because it’s all one big animal now.

You have to do your homework: But Miss, the dog ate it. No, really, you have to crunch some numbers to get this to work, largely to find out who your audience are and what motivates them. Without this knowledge, you’ll struggle to find a message that really resonates and motivates in the way you need it to.

You’ll have to work together: Does your design department tend to live a very separate life from your web analytics team? Do your CRM specialists barely nod hello to your SEO team on a day to day basis? Well, all that needs to change, because you can only achieve truly integrated marketing when you’re running a truly integrated team.

This may require some alterations to your operations, or even to the layout of your office, but don’t be afraid; together you are stronger!

Measurements can be challenging: Because you’re working across so many channels with this one mega-campaign, measurements of success and data points to consider are about to get much more complicated.

It’s all perfectly do-able, but you need to have agreed as a team what successes look like before you start, so you can measure and recognise when you’ve achieved a goal.

None of these cons are very difficult to overcome if you’re approaching this with a commitment to integrated marketing. We can support you through this changing process, and help you implement the right frameworks to ensure success in the long run. Get in touch with our B2B integrated agency today and find out more about making your messages more consistent.