Integrated Marketing: Debunking the myths

 

Lockdown has given me some spare time to think about what food I am going to eat first once we are out. Surprisingly, McDonald's came to my mind first - probably because I was craving some chicken wings. Then I realized, their marketing was on point. I mean, they were everywhere: social media, billboards, flyers, advertisements, emails. As their customer, I am reached on all the channels they run marketing campaigns on. And probably that is why I thought of them first when craving chicken wings, not KFC, not Jollibee, not Lotteria.

So I figured this is an example of integrated marketing done right. But...

"Integrated Marketing: What?"

Integrated Marketing, according to SmartInsights, is defined as "a strategic approach to integrating communications and interactive experiences targeting defined audiences in order achieve consistent messaging customized where possible by the channel which presents a unified and seamless experience to consumers". As complicated as it sounds, it really is just a strategy to deliver the business's big idea or message to customers across all of the marketing channels.

“Integrated Marketing offers opportunities to break through to consumers in new markets.” 

                                Betsy Holden, Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Co.

If so impactful, why don't more businesses use the strategy? Why so many people are still confused by it? As a Digital Marketing student, it provoked in me an interest to clear the misconceptions people have about Integrated Marketing. Today, we are going to fact-check the 4 most common myths about IMC that are holding marketers back from achieving the successful marketing campaign they deserve.

Myth #1: The more channels, the more user experiences

Fact-check: False

Multi-channel marketing refers to the use of various communication channels, both direct and indirect to deliver the message to a wider range of customers. The target audience might be not available on all platforms, so utilizing both online and offline channels help to spread the message further. But this does not mean for each channel, you need to create a whole new content pillar and design just to attract the customer. This goes against the ultimate goal of Integrated Marketing, which is to deliver a consistent, coherent, and unified experience that contains the core message across various channels. Consistency is what makes the customers remember your brand, as long as your core idea is distinctive and original. Be creative, be consistent!

Example: Coca-cola "Share a Coke" campaign used multiple channels, from digital marketing to traditional. However, their message: "Share a Coke with..." remains consistent throughout the whole campaign. Their color palette, fonts, layout,...continuing to be used in every design. However, the wordings, designs are different and each advertisement has a distinct look of the channel they are on. Coca-cola stays creatively consistent, giving customers a fresh user experience without having to change its key concept.

Myth #2: Integrated Marketing is only for Major Enterprises

Fact-check: False

It is true that when we think of successful IMC campaigns, we think of the big names. Cola-cola, Dove, Budweiser, Volkswagen,... you name it. The budget for these campaigns is HUGE, and these companies seem to have the greatest marketing brains gathered to come up with brilliant ideas. It sounds like the wildest dream for small businesses to have access to that kind of luxury. 

However, small businesses can benefit from IMC campaigns too if applied efficiently. Though the effect might not be as explosive as the big campaigns, small brands have the choice to experiment to choose the suitable channels for their marketing. The core of a good IMC campaign is a good understanding of the 5 what:

• What are the main business goals your brand wants to achieve?

• What is your main focus?

• What is your target audience?

• What is your strategy?

• What is your market positioning?

Having a clear and consistent answer to all of these questions will help small businesses to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time, through the right channels. Being a small business means you have the chance the pick and choose what works or not without suffering from too much financial loss. The key is to start small and grow steady. Implement and find out what works best for your company, and be patient. The results will not change overnight, but with the right direction and the right amount of dedication, IMC can change your marketing game.

Advice: Check out a blog from Deborah Harris on ways small businesses can apply to achieve an effective integrated marketing strategy.

Myth #3: Integrated Marketing mostly only uses digital platforms

Fact-check: False

Although modern tools and digital platforms have indeed allowed Integrated Marketing to deliver the brand's big idea efficiently, they are not the only channel IMC campaigns focus on. Integrated Marketing includes both traditional and digital marketing. This means that both forms are equally important, and effective Integrated Marketing can only be achieved when both are utilized. As I have previously mentioned, the target customers are everywhere. They may be on this platform, that platform, this channel, that channel. Leaving traditional ones out can lead to the missing audience as many are still comfortable with staying in traditional channels. Businesses need to do thorough research on traditional marketing channels to make sure that they are not missing out on any chance to connect with their potential customers. 

Example: A McKinsey & Company research has proven that Email Marketing is 40 times more effective and pushes the buying process 3 times faster than social media. Nike, the famous fashion brand took advantage of this to incorporate Email Marketing into their Father's Day Campaign. This took part in making Nike's campaign be in the top 7 Greatest Father's Day campaigns in the world.

Myth #4: Multiple channels receive better reach than fixed channels during the customer journey

Fact-check: True

A study in the UK showed that the British are using more than 20 channels to interact with brands during their buying journey to interact with brands. New researches show 86% of consumers regularly hop across at least 2 channels before making a purchasing decision. Harvard Business Review also conducted a studying, which showed that 73% of shoppers used multiple channels throughout their shopping journey. All those numbers explain the reason why 87% of the retailers emphasize the crucial role of omnichannel marketing strategy for the business.

Brands tend to believe that if they focus on 1 channel, it will be more efficient as they can focus on improving customers' experience there. In contrast, a survey published in 2018 by Integrate pointed out that Email (59%), Search (56%), and Website (51%) are the top 3 Early-Stage engagement channels. If companies only focus on one channel, they will miss out on opportunities to reach targeted customers and risk getting a smaller audience reach. The use of diverse channels is extremely important for IMC campaigns to achieve success, as it is all about being where your customers are shopping. 

Integrated Marketing can seem all risky and mysterious to new-to-market marketers, but if utilized efficiently, it can be a powerful tool to help your business expand to new markets. A good understanding and clear direction are all it takes to overcome the roadblocks, heading towards success.

Until the next thoughts, stay safe.
Hang Nguyen

References:

Allen, R 2021, What is integrated marketing, SmartInsights, 28 May, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://www.smartinsights.com/traffic-building-strategy/integrated-marketing-communications/what-is-integrated-marketing/>.

Aufreiter, N, Boudet, J, Weng, V 2014, 'Why marketeres should keep sending you emails', McKinsey, 1 January, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/why-marketers-should-keep-sending-you-emails>.

Bannerflow n.d., 7 of the Greatest Father's Day ads in the world, Bannerflow, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://www.bannerflow.com/blog/7-of-the-greatest-fathers-day-ads-in-the-world/>.

Decision Marketing 2021, 'Channel hopping consumers give marketers a headache', DecisionMarketing, 7 May, viewed 25 August 2021, <decisionmarketing.co.uk/news/channel-hopping-consumers-give-marketers-a-headache>.

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Digital Marketing Institute n.d., Integrated Marketing: 7 Successful Campaigns through the decades, Digital Marketing Institute, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/integrated-marketing-7-successful-campaigns-through-the-decades>.

Harris, D n.d, What is Integrated Marketing good for in small businesses?", Clarke, viewed 25 August 2021, <http://www.bebetterdomore.com/blog/what-is-integrated-marketing-good-for-in-small-businesses/>.

Iterable 2018, '34 Essential Omni-Channel marketing stats you need to know', Iterable, blog post, 10 January, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://iterable.com/blog/34-essential-omni-channel-marketing-stats-you-need-to-know/>.

Integrate 2018, 'How to manage an integrated marketing campaign like a boss', Intergrate, blog post, 29 March, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://www.integrate.com/blog/how-to-manage-an-integrated-marketing-campaign-like-a-boss/?cn-reloaded=1>.

Kaushik, A 2021, 'Omnichannel Marketing: A complete Guide for 2021 and beyond', Moengage, blog post, 20 August, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://www.moengage.com/blog/omnichannel-marketing/>.

Lumen n.d, Introduction to Integrated marketing communications, Lumen, viewed 25 August 2021, <https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-marketing/chapter/introduction-to-integrated-marketing-communications/>

Taylor, H 2013, Marketing Communications for Small Businesses, Ironistic, 17 June, viewed 25 August, <https://www.ironistic.com/insights/marketing-communications-for-small-businesses/>.