Integrated marketing is far more than marketing in different places. It is also about increasing your brand awareness and familiarity by having a consistent message that is coordinated across a variety of channels. There are so many different platforms for you to market on, which is great, but you must have a consistent message and image to really make it work.
Defining integrated marketing:
The DMA describes integrated marketing as a process designed to ensure all messages and communication strategies are consistent across all channels and are focused on the customer.
Why integrate marketing channels?
Each marketing channel works very differently; for example, what you post on Twitter would not necessarily work in the same way on Instagram. Your customers will not be paying attention to all your different posts on varying platforms; therefore, you will not have any impact if you don’t have one very clear approach to strengthen your brand. People are bombarded daily and you will be forgotten if you are not impactive enough. Consistency across the channels is vital.
Who has done it well?
Great integrated marketing is more than using the same slogan and brand images across the platforms; in addition, you need to have a message – a story to your brand. As an example, Compare the Market created a very memorable campaign by using the same meerkat characters across its platforms. Another great success story is Coca Cola’s campaign ‘Share a Coke with’, which resulted in a seven per cent increase in consumption! The company very successfully used the same messages on TV, social media and other advertising platforms.
How can you develop a successful strategy?
Consider your customers’ lifecycle with your brand. When do they come into contact with you and when do they leave? You can then ensure your channels are working together and think about factors such as retargeting. Businesses can get help with all aspects of their strategy from marketing agencies that know the ins and outs of successful content marketing, such as marketing agency Cheltenham http://www.craigpauldesign.co.uk/marketing/.
Getting it right can be quite a challenge. Even some huge companies still get it wrong; however, if you can develop a strong, consistent message that you can coordinate across multiple platforms, you have a much better chance of your customers remembering your brand and its story.
