It’s official: communication in the workplace is changing. Recent studies have shown that in the past two decades, the time employees spend on “collaborative activities” has increased by almost 50 percent (Singh, 2019) and work tools like Slack that make it easier than ever to communicate between teams have become billion-dollar success stories. The need for holistic marketing can also be marked by the demand for integrated marketing communications experts. Businesses recognize that they need to make sure teams are on the same page before launching products, services, and even brands. Learn more about how integrated marketing is changing the way teams communicate and how it’s been so effective at transforming marketing efforts and results.

What is integrated marketing?

Integrated marketing rejects the silo mentality and breaks down barriers between departments to embrace holistic marketing. According to Belch (2013), integrated marketing is seen as “an approach to creating a unified and seamless experience for consumers to interact with the brand/enterprise; it attempts to meld all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and social media, through their respective mix of tactics, methods, channels, media, and activities, so that all work together as a unified force.”

Treating marketing departments as separate entities limits communication and reduces operational efficiency. An integrated approach to marketing communications ensures that all channels are aligned and following the same strategy, overarching business objectives and company values.

What are a few Integrated Marketing Communications Examples?

Integrated marketing communications is the method by which a company ensures different promotional methods within a marketing campaign are clear, consistent and working toward the same goals. For example, if an advertising agency is planning on launching a creative campaign, they should first use integrated marketing communications to guarantee that various marketing tools convey the same message and branded experience. An integrated approach would use a variety of communication tools to convey the same branded message, including traditional advertising, online marketing, public relations activities, sales campaigns, and email marketing.

Case Study: Always Uses Integrated Marketing to Launch the #LikeAGirl Campaign

The feminine care products brand Always launched a massively successful #LikeAGirl campaign in 2014. Their team came together to deliver a moving message about female empowerment to a wide audience. First, market research was completed to determine that girls’ self-esteem begins to worsen as they reach puberty. This insight was paired with the market research that determined many Always’ consumers have their first touchpoint with the company at the same age. The marketing team would then create an “audience persona” around this demographic. Next, Always’ strategists used these insights to create a powerful message, their copywriters coined the iconic hashtag and supporting headlines, and their graphic designers produced a series of eye-catching ad sets.

But they didn’t stop there, Always went on to create the #LikeAGirl campaign video that was considered a documentary and won eight different awards from the British charity, Design and Art Direction. The video currently has more than 65 million views on YouTube (Pinegar, 2018). The aforementioned tools and teams are only a select few of many that were probably involved in the #LikeAGirl campaign. 94% agree Always #LikeAGirl encouraged girls to be more confident after the empowering campaign gained traction, indicating the success of the brand’s integrated marketing efforts (Always, 2019).

Why Is Integrated Marketing Communications Important?             

Builds Brand Recognition and Trust

If a brand is able to reach its intended consumer multiple times, across various channels, they begin to resonate with its audience. If the various channels do a good job of communicating the brand and message consistently, then the person is even more likely to recognize and trust the brand. An integrated marketing communications strategy makes this consistent delivery possible. Without this communication, the audience receives a disjointed brand experience and it becomes less likely that the intended message will translate.

Allows You to Reach Larger Audiences

Using more channels to communicate increases the number of people a company is able to reach. If a brand launched an advertising campaign strictly on subway car posters, they would be missing the audience that drives to work by overlooking radio advertising and billboard ad. Having an awareness of integrated marketing communications allows a company to create a multi-pronged marketing campaign that targets wider audiences. An MBA with a marketing concentration teaches students how to determine the right channels that will target the right audience with the right messaging.

Yields Higher Revenues

After a company is able to deliver a clear branded message across various channels to wide audiences, naturally revenue growth will increase. Businesses are highly competitive and use a combination of efforts to rake in revenue, including their research team, strategists, public relations team, digital and social media marketing team, design team and more. It no longer makes sense to focus on one department independently. If a business wants to remain competitive in their given industry, they have to get comfortable communicating between all departments.

Transform your Career Prospects with an MBA in Marketing

An MBA in Marketing can help set you apart from the competition, providing you with the skills and experience needed to lead and innovate in various business environments.

St. Bonaventure University offers an accredited online MBA with a marketing concentration that will help you develop effective marketing plans to drive business success.

• Make Strategic Decisions: Conduct market research and apply it to guide strategic decision-making about your organization.
• Develop Sound Strategy: Explore the nature of the consumer decision-making process and understand the implications for marketing strategy.
• Flexible: 100% online coursework. Study anywhere at any time
• Easy enrollment: No application fee. Apply with a BA or BS in any field. No GRE or GMAT is required.
• Competitive tuition
• Graduate in just under two years

St. Bonaventure University’s dedicated staff are ready to answer your questions and help you prepare for what’s next in your career. Learn more about the program and connect with an Enrollment Advisor to discuss your future career.

 

Click here to learn more about SBU's online MBA in Marketing Now!

 

References:

Always (Updated 2019). Our Epic Battle #LikeAGirl. Retrieved from

https://always.com/en-us/about-us/our-epic-battle-like-a-girl

Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2004). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Gleeson, Brent (2013). The Silo Mentality: How to Break Down the Barriers. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2013/10/02/the-silo-mentality-how-to-break-down-the-barriers/#1ca3ccb8c7e9

Pinegard, Grace (2018). What is IMC? A Beginner's Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications. G2. Retrieved from https://learn.g2.com/integrated-marketing-communications

Singh, Pooja (2019). Why Open Plan Offices Are Bad News For Employees. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325959