How to unlock a winning integrated marketing strategy

The concept of integrated marketing strategies is a long-standing one. However, it can often be overlooked amidst corporate jargon and buzz words that so frequently dominate marketing discussions. In a market where the demands for a multi-faceted, intra-platform campaign are higher than ever, understanding the tools and techniques needed to make your marketing strategy integrated has never been more important. So we thought we’d take a look at a handful of tips and tricks to integrated marketing from our wealth of industry experience, and help you find the keys to unlocking this useful marketing tool.

Understand integration

It may sound obvious, but understanding integrated marketing and the value it holds are crucial. It is easy to call your campaign integrated because you know that’s what is required. But, you might not have put the tools in place to increase the effectiveness of your campaign.

A sleek, consistent brand message which is translated cleanly across all marketing platforms is required. These can be traditional or digital, and compatible with all your techniques. Whether it’s mass marketing, direct or one to one, consistency is key to a successful integrated strategy.

Marketing giant The Drum says that planning with integration in mind is essential. It requires multi-channel media planning skills, performance tracking and data interoperation capabilities. You’ll also need a keen eye on creativity among others to be successful. The Drum estimates that ‘the multi-channel media campaign management market is predicted to be worth $2.7 billion within four years’, so understanding these techniques is only going to become more important in the coming years.

Be customer focused

Focusing on the customer, the heart and soul of your business, can be a useful tool when developing an integrated marketing campaign. The Drum argues that ‘any well planned campaign starts with your target market, so get[ting] to know your audience, understand[ing] exactly who they are and what they’re looking for’ is key to starting to build an integrated approach. You need to understand how your target market will interact with your campaign, and which platforms best reach which segments. This can provide crucial insights to consistently improve your strategy and streamline your approach.

Influential industry website business2community.com has also highlighted the importance of putting the customer at the centre. They argue that you should talk to customers to find out exactly what they need from your company and how they want to access it. This is the first step towards developing an integrated strategy that works for everyone.

Learn from others

If you’re new to integrated marketing, take the opportunity to learn from industry experts. See what insights you can gain to apply to your own field. This week Figaro Digital will be hosting their annual Retail Conference in London’s Prospero House. Huge names in retail join together to discuss a huge range of techniques and top tips for marketing.

They have an impressive line-up of speakers including Branded3’s Creative Director Andrew Machin, Marketing Director of notonthehighstreet.com Ben Carter and Vijayanta Gupta, the Head of Product and Industry Marketing at Adobe Systems Europe. The event looks set to be an insightful and enjoyable day.

Even if you’re not in retail, there will be something to inspire you. Topics such as omnichannel marketing, creating a customer-first strategy, generating audience engagement and intelligent email marketing, the Figaro Digital Conference are not to be missed. This is your chance to learn about integration from those who know.

Need some help with creating your integrated marketing strategy? Contact OTB today to see what we can do for you and your company.