How to develop integrated digital marketing along with traditional channels?

Marketing is a shape shifting field. There is always a hustle going on where everyone is trying to beat the competition. Brands always want to get ahead by trying different routes of advertising. Over the time, the types of advertisement change and the platforms change along with it. Brands have to evolve with the world. For decades, we only had traditional routes of marketing at our disposal. And it worked very well too. But with the advent of the internet, the marketing landscape has changed drastically. Brands are moving towards digital marketing. Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. It is advisable for a brand not to rely solely on one type. An amalgamation of both is highly rewarding.

Let’s briefly see the benefits of both channels.

Advantages of traditional marketing:

• It has a wider reach because not everyone is online.
• It offers a high success rate as it is tried and tested.
• Face to face interaction offers a more personal approach
• It stays with the customer for a longer time as there is no clicking away from the ad.

Advantages of digital marketing:

• It is easily accessible from anywhere.
• The results can be easily measured.
• Data collection is more faithful.
• Targeting is very high.
• It’s not as intrusive as traditional.

As you can see they both have their own set of benefits. Now let’s see the benefits of integrated marketing employing both the channels.

Higher recall value: Integrated marketing offers higher recall than either of the other marketing channels. It helps reinforce an idea that resonates more clearly and loudly. With the use of multiple channels, the message is communicated with a higher level of consistency.

Consistent branding: When a campaign works in offline and online channels together, there is consistency in the branding of your business. It helps create a singular image of your brand which communicates a single set of values. A consistent brand leads to higher trust-building in your customers.

Higher efficiency: It is understandable that business processes will be streamlined with integrated marketing. The focus is on one campaign throughout the organization so there is lower consumption of company resources and a higher level of attention is given to that particular campaign.

Complements each other: Shortcomings of each channel can be complemented by other channels. Like educating the audience about the usage of products can be explained well through the digital route, once a brand awareness campaign is done through the traditional channel.

Brands have to understand the benefits of both the channels and which campaign can work as an integrated strategy. They have to plan their strategies according to their needs. One can go from one channel to another or develop integrated strategy for their brand from the get go.

Let’s see how in a few simple ways you can integrate your marketing strategy from day one to get the most out of it.

• Always include digital channels in print ads
• Prompt digital call to action in traditional ads
• Drive online traffic to your physical location
• Advertise local happenings online

Let’s see some of the most successful integrated marketing examples.

Share a Coke:

Share a Coke campaign was launched in 2011 to create a more personal relationship with consumers. It was a multi-national marketing campaign in which they replaced the traditional Coke logo with the phrase “Share a Coke with __a common name__”. The campaign used a list of the country’s most common names and generic nicknames. The crux was to have people go and buy Coke bottles with their name on it and share it with their friends. They used the hashtag #shareacoke across all of their social media accounts to amplify this campaign. It worked really well as it made a personal connection with the consumers. The buyers couldn’t resist but to upload their photo on social media with the Coke bottle having their names.

Shop Small:

American Express started Small Business Saturday to encourage customers to shop from their local retailers by offering special rewards. They also hold one day in November to a nationwide Shop Small event. The movement aims to bring the small business community and consumers together. It encourages them to support local businesses in their communities. It aligns perfectly with Be Vocal for Local movement in India. Keeping that in mind, American Express brought this campaign to India in 2020 offering Rs. 300 cashback for Rs. 1500 spent by their card at any eligible small business owner. They use the hashtag #ShopSmall in their social media channels to promote local businesses.

Smell like a Man, Man:

It is one of the biggest and most successful integrated marketing. Old Spice’s Smell like a man, man campaign went viral as soon as it was released. The campaign is also called The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. It targets female buyers, despite Old Spice being a man’s grooming product. The company thought that women buy men’s products frequently and they are the decision-makers when it comes to hygiene products in male-dominant households. The TV ad was complemented by the social media channels and communicated the message with the target audience effectively.

The most important thing in marketing is to communicate the right message to the right audience. The platforms only provide you with the means to serve this message. When the message is clear and delivered properly, it strikes gold with the customers. Different channels complement each other and increase the brand value. Social media marketing is something that needs to be included in your channels of communication to reinforce the idea.