Today, brands face the challenge of overloaded information. This is probably because there are dozens of channels and it is difficult to specify the best potential of an individual channel. There are so many emerging forms of digital marketing, that it can sometimes be tricky for brands to skip the clutter to reach the audience directly. Creating a website and social media accounts does not mean that the audience will search up and look for it. With technology advancing and digital algorithms changing every passing hour, brands are trying their level best to lure customers.
That’s where the concept of Integrated Marketing comes in. With Integrated Marketing Communication(IMC), the brands get the opportunity to relay the messages or information across various digital channels more engagingly and consistently, and that too, within the budget. So let’s dive into the strategy of integrated marketing and why it is necessary.
What is Integrated Marketing?
Integrated Marketing is a strategic approach to delivering target-specific messages and integrating communication with defined audiences and individuals across all the marketing channels your brand is active on.
When we speak about Integrated Marketing implementation, one of the crucial components can be regarded as Digital PR execution along with Onground Activation. These are especially crucial during major social observance events like : Independence Day, Women’s Day, Labour Day, Diwali, etc when brands all over the Digital Spectrum involves in campaign specific brand wars. Without proper Integrated Marketing execution, a brand might not be able to withstand stiff competition from its rivals. Integrated marketing helps in coordinating all the aspects of marketing of the brand to provide a seamless experience to the audiences.
We, at UrsDigitally, work with a specialized PR Team that aims to create an omni channel, brand-specific, audience-friendly integrated marketing strategy to benefit the brands we work for. Given below are some of the PR components which we undertake to help in creating a sustainable and engaging campaign.
Campaign Strategy and Theme: Based on the event, target audience, and vision of the brand, our Digital PR team works intricately to offer a detailed plan of action as to how the entire campaign would look, executed, and what numbers it would bring to the table.
Onground Activation: Integrated Marketing involves on-ground activation that takes place on the field, covering the lives and livelihood of the people that the brand touches. It involves the outdoor practice of collecting brand voice from the mass going beyond the digital window. This in turn helps the brand understand the rhythm of the end consumers physically. The on-ground activation charter mainly involves curating a brand and campaign-specific brand video with great recall value. The Digital PR Team at UrsDigitally comes with a dynamic on-ground activation campaign and involves a professional team, who got experience and practice of the same.
Example: Kisan Diwas of Tata Agrico on the fields of different villages in West Bengal.
Visual Distribution in multiple channels: The brand video that is generated from the on-ground activation of the campaign is then sent out to the digital world. This in turn establishes a brand voice and showcases the activity taken up during the campaign to the specific target group. One can choose different digital channels like – Social Media, OTT, and Television to distribute the video. UrsDigitally can offer you a charter of different platforms and how they can impact your distribution pattern.
Pre and Post Distribution of the Campaign: A campaign is not just planned, executed, and posted on digital platforms. It involves a major chunk of pre and post-distribution works that help to leverage the promotion and reach of the campaign. Like sending out teasers, creating momentum, and dropping social hints for something big is coming before the campaign. Influencer Collaboration, Behind The Scenes, Promotional Events post to the distribution.
Influencer Activation: With digital channels creating a storm all over the world, in the past few years we have witnessed personalities from different spheres of society influencing us with their lifestyle, opinions, comments, and activities. These personalities or influencers play a very important role in transforming a campaign into a successful one. Their role is mainly important in the post-distribution phase, however, they can put an equally significant impact on creating a ground for the campaign to run successfully.
Digital Press Release: Digital Press Releases are no less than recognized assets that give a brand long-term value. These are published posts to the campaign and are mainly covered by recognized media agencies who got the strength of readers and viewers.
Media Coverages: A campaign is marked successful when it reaches a larger audience in a short span of time. To meet this target, media coverage by big media channels are considered to be one of the major stakeholders in these types of campaign. The network of media channels associated with the Digital PR Team of UrsDigitally can offer you the same and a lot more with varied activity charters.
Why Integrated Marketing is essential for a brand?
Sometimes, as we practice hygiene Digital Marketing tasks it becomes important to realize why is there a need for integrated marketing. UrsDigitally takes up a wide approach in formalizing PR strategy so that each component of marketing gets covered in it. This helps the brands in effective communication with the defined audiences and to make them a fan of the brand.
Influence Customers
“Consumer is the king of the market”. The marketer does not decide what customers will see or buy. It is the customers who decide what the marketer will show or sell. In the digital world, it becomes essential for brands to follow digital PR trends to attract audiences. If the brand becomes successful in creating a loyal consumer base, it automatically opens up the doors to successful marketing. The audience tends to not believe the brand but trust its customers. When the customers create genuine and honest recommendations, it creates a mindset among the audience that the brand is good. That’s why user-generated contents are a lot more influential than brand-generated content. Noting this, it is essential for brands to understand the nerves of their customers and that is exactly what Integrated Marketing Campaign does for a brand.
Improving the performance of marketing campaigns
Creating an integrated marketing brand strategy helps in improving the marketing campaign performance. With a consistent brand narrative, your company will be able to convey the same message across different channels. The dynamic components of an Integrated Marketing Campaign include activities from different spheres of the advertising field – traditional, broadcast, and digital. Thus it lefts no stone unturned to attract the maximum audience.
Reducing the cost
A skilfully placed Integrated Marketing Campaign reduces the overall media cost as it gets the required engagement within a short time and a one-time spent. Moreover when compared with Traditional Mode of Advertising like Newspaper Ads, Hoarding, Billboards, Radio, Television – an Integrated Marketing that includes dynamic components incurs a very nominal amount at a time with optimized target reaching facility and Digital Brand Establishment.
To evaluate, Integrated Marketing plays a pivotal role in strengthening the market hold of any brand by conveying a clear and consistent message to the audience. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) helps in unifying all the communication to build trust among the audience. If strategized properly and efficiently, IMC can sure bring brand awareness & boost revenues.
For more details, reach our strategy team at sohini.dutta@ursdigitally.com or click here
