**Why take an integrated approach in your marketing strategy?**
While most businesses are using both (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing/ text: online and offline marketing strategies popup: true title: The Superdream Guide to Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing) to promote themselves these days, many don’t realise the importance of combining these approaches to achieve a successful, harmonised brand image, and to make the most of their marketing budget.
Integration is not as simple as it appears.
Don’t mistake what is meant by an integrated campaign – you can’t simply slap on the same tag-line, colour palette and/or message across your online and offline marketing, then sit back and hope for the best.
You need to be aiming for a (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/what-is-a-brand/ text: consistent brand identity popup: true title: What is a Brand?) between mediums. A great TV ad rarely translates well into a billboard or magazine advertisement, yet your campaign’s strategy and message must be consistent throughout these mediums.
Many marketers avoid this approach as it takes real time and perseverance.
The average advertising campaign lasts more than 2 years, and the companies that maintain healthy growth have the longer lasting campaigns – with both McDonald’s and Coca-Cola as obvious examples. Coke’s focused and consistent marketing approach has it leading ahead of PepsiCo in the Cola wars.
If your marketing strategy isn’t working for you, it’s time to re-evaluate on a deeper level. Consider and evaluate all the expressions of what your company says and does. If your findings appear fragmented to you, chances are they do to your customers to.
**Some first steps to achieving integration:**
– Include your **Twitter and Facebook handles** on your printed marketing and promotional merchandise – reinforcing your brand whilst promoting your online marketing.
– Use **QR Codes** – these black and white pixelated squares can be scanned with a smart phone to direct a customer to your website. They are found on printed merchandise or in shop windows, making it quick and easy for consumers to make an online purchase.
– Use your **SEO keywords/phrases** offline – you spend a lot of time and money to rank highly for your keywords online, so why not use this to your advantage in your offline marketing?
Looking at online and offline marketing as two different aspects of your campaign is a thing of the past, and simply having a great strategy and a big idea isn’t enough to get your great ideas off the ground. As consumer’s media and purchasing options become increasingly fragmented, those companies that manage to integrate all of their marketing approaches have the best chance of succeeding.