Bringing multiple marketing disciplines together with a common, targeted message will help your company achieve its marketing goals. Just as using multiple mediums in the media world increases your reach and frequency, multiple marketing disciplines create harmony between traditional media, public relations, website optimization, and even customer service and employee relations.

If you think of your marketing solely in terms of paid media, you are overlooking tremendous opportunities in other areas. Consider the following questions to help you determine whether or not your marketing is integrated (and whether or not it should be):

1. When you launch a new radio spot, do you have supporting campaigns in place to reinforce that spot’s messaging and to capture people who turn to the web for more information? For example, does your website deliver on the message or promotion talked about in the spot? Do your social channels and emails talk about the promotion and use the same messaging?
2. Are your public relations efforts pro-active and aligned with traditional media messaging, promoting what’s great about your company or services to appropriate trade publications or news venues? Do they keep time with changes in your audience’s buying or research habits and reflect the same language as the rest of your marketing messaging? Or are your PR efforts reactive, responding to trends after they happen or only reacting to crisis scenarios? Are they flat and impersonal, or disconnected from your other marketing campaigns? (Do you have public relations communications in place at all?)
3. Do your leads and prospects have the experience or service they’ve come to expect based on your marketing promises? Are your front-line employees – your sales team, customer service representatives, receptionists – aware of specific campaigns?
4. Does your employee training support the marketing goals you have established for your company? For example, if the service you give customers sets you apart from the competition and your marketing campaigns promote your stand-out service, have you established the necessary training to sustain this asset?

While many people equate “marketing” with “advertising,” true integrated marketing takes the entire experience into account. From someone’s first touch with a brand, through multiple interactions during a purchaser’s research and purchase decision process, all the way to final (and repeat!) purchase.

Strategic, deliberate, integrated marketing will help your communications remain consistent, clear, and memorable. Don’t overlook the benefits of thinking beyond traditional media or just digital ads, and don’t make the mistake of failing to keep the branding and messaging consistent across all of your marketing channels.

Scheffey has specialized in offering clients integrated marketing experiences, recognizing that there is power in considering campaigns from all angles and selecting the messaging and paths that make the most sense for clients’ goals and budgets. If you would like to unerstand more about what integrated marketing campaigns are and how Scheffey can help, give us a call at 717-569-8274 or let us know your interest level by using our contact form.