The Kmiec Ramblings

I’m out on blogger vacation this week. The keys to TheKmiecs.com have been turned over to a few, select, awesome guest writers. The following has not been edited by me and is the work and effort of the original author. I appreciate the time and thinking that went into this post and hope you will too. Enjoy!

I’ve been thinking a lot about integrated marketing recently. Integrating communication – making PR, marketing, sales, social media and even customer service work hand-in-hand – will enable companies to achieve better results and do more with less.

But I know from my own experiences that this approach to communication is easier said than done. A few quick examples (not intended to be an exhaustive list):

Sales-driven organizations want their sales reps to leverage LinkedIn – but the sales team doesn’t want to spend the time making connections, answering questions or seeking introductions.
B2B companies want media clips, but don’t understand how to extend the clip via existing or new marketing channels.
B2C companies claim to prioritize customer service, yet they aren’t providing such service on the channels used by their consumers.

A while ago, Geoff Livingston wrote a smart white paper entitled The Cultural Challenges to Integration, in which he explained how internal issues hamper company-wide social media adoption. (Side note: It’s very good. You should read it, if you haven’t already.) Unfortunately, the integration problem extends beyond social media. Cultural barriers also prevent the implementation of truly integrated marketing communication strategies as well.

5 Es of Integrated Marketing Success

Embrace multiple communication channels. Media clips alone will not drive sales, generate new business leads or strengthen the bottom line. A B2B company certainly benefits from media outreach, but only if it’s accompanied by other marketing initiatives (community relations, relationship marketing, e-newsletter, etc.)
Eliminate departmental barriers. It’s not uncommon to see some friendly competition – or all-out friction – develop between the various communication departments. However, if the PR people are supposed to work with the interactive department and the marketing team, these walls need to come down. Managers must foster a creative, “no idea is a bad idea,” team-oriented environment. If communication plans are concocted in silos, integration will suffer … or be non-existent.
Educate, educate, educate. Just because we say we want cross-departmental communication doesn’t mean it will happen overnight. People spend years and years developing their areas of expertise. For example, the PR department may suggest an online initiative, but have very little knowledge of how much design and programming time is required. Allocate ample time for internal training focused on integration to help the departments learn to work together and what skill sets each team brings to the table.
Examine results from ALL marketing efforts. Current technology makes it so much easier to measure what outreach efforts spark leads. Once-static digital efforts (billboards, roadside banners, direct mail, radio ads) should be interactive – thereby more measurable. (You’d be surprised how many brands aren’t property doing this … still.) For example, instead of giving a phone number (that few people will remember anyway) on a radio ad, integrate advertising with mobile marketing. Track leads, capture phone numbers and increase convenience by encouraging listeners to send a text message for more information. In this day and age, it’s hard to imagine why any marketing or PR campaign would be developed without strong metrics.
Everything is an “experience-creating opportunity.” PR, marketing, advertising and social media are the cornerstones of an integrated communication strategy, but don’t limit yourself to those disciplines. Any interaction with a stakeholder – internal or external – presents an opportunity to create a brand-building experience. How can you make the typical atypical?

The 5 Es are just a beginning to integrated marketing success. What else would you add? Got any success – or horror – stories to share? Let’s start a discussion in the comments.

With nearly 10 years of PR agency experience, Heather Whaling recently launched her own communication firm, Geben Communication. Fusing strategic thinking, strong writing skills and creativity, Heather delivers integrated PR, social media and marketing services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Connect with her on her blog, Twitter or via email at heather [at] gebencommunication.com.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. We’ve heard that phrase for decades. As marketers and consumers that idea has been reinforced hundreds of times. If you want something you’ve got to be willing to pay for it. Pay of course is a broad term and isn’t restricted to money. You’ve heard the phrase, “no pain – no gain.” There’s no money exchanging hands, but you are making trading time and sweat for physical and health results.

I’ve always called referred to this idea as the concept of mutual exchange. When you give something you get something. In theory what you get should be equal to what you give. Want a coupon? Give your email address. Want a Coke? Hand over $0.99. Every day we’re engaging in a form of mutual exchange.

It’s a simple concept. But, lately it seems that people and companies are taking gross advantage of the concept. For example, the airline industry. The nickel and dime-ing for things like checking luggage, charging for water, or my personal favorite charging for bathroom usage, doesn’t seem consistent with a mutual exchange, does it. What about the financial crisis? People who were doing the “right thing” – borrowing only what they needed, not over-extending, and still paying their mortgage are not getting a fair shake. Where’s their “bail out.” Essentially they’re being punished for doing the right thing, while others are being rewarded for doing the wrong thing. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

But, not everyone is failing at the concept of mutual exchange. In fact some are going over and beyond the call of duty. There’s no finer example than the Hyundai Assurance program.

If the auto industry is going to turn around it’s going to need to fix the balance of the mutual exchange. Hyundai is doing this in spades. The Hyundai Assurance program states ever so eloquently:

A decade ago Hyundai pioneered America’s Best Warranty™. Now we’re providing another kind of confidence. Finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if in the next year you lose your income*, we’ll let you return it. That’s the Hyundai Assurance.

At Hyundai we think it’s easier to find a job when you’ve got a car. That’s why, for a limited time, we expanded Hyundai Assurance, and we’ve added…something extra. A plus, as in Hyundai Assurance Plus. If you lose your income, we’ll make your payments for 3 months while you get back on your feet, and if that’s not enough time to work things out, you can return the car with no impact on your credit.

We’re all in this together, and we think it’ll be a little easier to get through it with a good set of wheels.

The key piece of copy is “we’re all in this together.” As I wrote in my contribution to The Project 100, “we all have a role to play in the community.”

Now, more than ever companies and consumers need to realize that the concept of mutual exchange works both ways. You, as a consumer, have to be willing to pay a fair value and yes even provide some information if you want to get a fair deal from a company. The flip side is true as well – companies, now is the time to right your wrongs and be willing to give a little to get a little. Yes, that could mean sacrificing a few percentage points of margin to make it happen.

Lennon and McCartney had it right, “in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

Tag Archive: Fundamentals

Getting Started With Integrated Communication

Mutual Exchange