You may be asking, “What is effective integrated advertising?” That’s a fair question.
In today’s world there are many customer touch points. Whether it is a B2B initiative or a B2C, there are multiple effective ways to connect the target audience to your brand. In years past, we spoke of traditional advertising and digital advertising as being two distinct realms. However, in today’s marketing world, you need an integrated and cohesive strategy when communicating to your target audience. Because today’s consumers simultaneously access both traditional and digital mediums, the smart marketing campaign seeks a seamless solution. Only then is the message clear and the results effective.
Recent studies reveal that niche marketing firms, whether traditional or digital, are becoming a thing of the past. More and more today’s marketer is looking to one agency to provide an integrated marketing solution. Furthermore, most time-strapped chief marketing officers only have the bandwidth to manage one firm – expecting them to be experts at both areas.
Now, let’s get to the main subject of best practices for effective integrated advertising. Most marketers today have limited time and smaller budgets to get the required results. Therefore, it is essential that CMOs plan ahead and be smart about reaching their marketing goals.
Here are the must-haves to be effective with integrated campaigns:
Have them Surrounded: Integrated advertising is, by its nature, advertising that surrounds your target at each and every touch point of the shopping process: trade ads, digital banners, e-blasts, trade show booths, direct mail, pay-per-click and social media.
Be Consistent: It is important that all tactics and media vehicles are unified and adhere to the brand strategy and standards. Any tactic diversion may cloud the brand message. Stick to it. Give it time. Never throw in the towel too soon.
Plan Smart: All campaigns have budget limitations. The budget will dictate the number of tactics that can be deployed and the amount of brand exposure. Therefore, each tactic needs to work hard to get the desired results. So wise creative planning is very important in identifying the most effective campaign tactics.
Understand the Medium: When it comes to best practices, marketers must know the differences and limitations of each tactic. The brand position must be consistent, however the message might need to be addressed differently depending on the vehicle. For instance, social media messaging would be addressed differently than direct mail or a print ad.
Set Metrics: Before you launch a campaign or even a single tactic, determine your goals and then identify and implement metrics that will be used to measure the results. Trackable phone numbers, unique landing pages, and promotional offers are effective ways to measure an integrated campaign.
Integrated marketing is essential in today’s marketplace. Mastering it is not always easy. By applying these best practices you will help ensure your integrated campaign will be a success. If you have any questions or need advice on improving your integrated marketing campaign, give me a call: 972-488-1660.
Mark Wyatt is the founder, president, and the CEO of Agency Creative, a full-service strategic advertising agency committed to connecting brands to customers through idea-driven solutions.
