B&A New Integrated
Marketing Blog

More than ever before, marketers are being called on to deliver measureable results.  We can rise to this challenge by adopting a new approach to Integrated Marketing that ensures we’re taking a more coordinated approach to the actions marketing takes, and ensuring these actions are part of a larger, integrated plan that is rooted in market needs and involves the entire company.

The “Old School” View of Integrated Marketing

If you work in the field of marketing, or have worked with advertising and communications agencies in the past, you’re probably familiar with the term “Integrated Marketing”.

The traditional definition is largely focused on communications – the main idea is to develop multi-channel - or integrated - advertising programs by using market information and data to create better producing campaigns.

I believe the traditional definition of this term is too narrowly focused on the advertising or promotional aspect of marketing alone, and that this needs to change.

Why This Needs to Change

The “new normal” economy we’re all living in is demanding that organizations of all types and sizes become better at what they do in order to survive. 

Companies simply don’t have the time or money to invest in anything that doesn’t have a high chance of success.  The Canadian Marketing Association created an excellent White Paper outlining the importance of this topic in 2010 called Marketing Measurement: A Timeless Framework.

In order for Marketing departments to help their organizations be great, they have to become better at adopting integration in a much broader sense.

A New Definition for the Future

Instead of just focusing on one aspect of marketing (advertising/promotion), there’s an exciting opportunity to apply an expanded concept of Marketing Integration that is based on using information and knowledge to make sure you’re doing the best job possible within ALL areas of marketing (product, price, promotion and place), and that each of these areas are also working together in unison.

This expanded vision of Integrated Marketing also includes taking steps to ensure all departments are working together towards the common goal of growing and retaining profitable revenue: for example, Marketing and Sales.  Just imagine how great that would be!

There are three steps to success when applying this new concept of Integrated Marketing to improve ROI;

1. Invest in solid market research and information…
2. To set strategies for your organization as a whole (and within marketing specifically)…
3. And then work together as a unified team to take coordinated action

What you end up with is marketing, and each of the elements within it, playing exactly the right role to help achieve your overall company goals and support your desired image in the market.

And the really great news is becoming an Integrated Marketing master isn’t that difficult.  It can be used by organizations of any size, and done so in a very practical, action-oriented way.

How This New Approach to Integrated Marketing Will Improve ROI

According to the Centre for Integrated Marketing, taking an information-based and integrated approach to the communications component of marketing alone can result in a 10%-25% increase in marketing performance.  Imagine what the impact would be if you applied this same approach to all of the areas of marketing like product development, pricing, etc.?

What do you think? Have you or any of the organization’s you work for successfully applied this new approach to Integrated Marketing that uses information, planning and coordination beyond advertising and communications alone to drive improved ROI and if so, what have your experiences been?