The Importance of Campaign Integration

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By: Dwayne W. Waite Jr.

We are in the very beginning of an integrated, complex campaign with one of our clients. As we developed the strategy for them, we thought we could meditate on the importance of having an integrated marketing campaign.

In the information age, our colleagues in AdLand (and now, our partners from IT World) want to rush to the digital sphere before calculating exactly where our audience is going to be. As markets fragment and mass marketing becomes as expensive as it is ineffective, we must take the time and effort to research and evaluate our efforts before launching the campaign.

How the campaign is set up determines its success.

From there, the data from the audience and the creativity from the advertising team can be merged together to create a compelling branding and advertising campaign. But the term "integrated campaign" can mean much more than simply using different media outlets.

It can mean different messages as well.

Take our client, for example — we are tasked with a dual purpose: increase brand awareness amongst its community, and increase the awareness of programs it offers to its already loyal customers. So we are looking to expand its customer base while, in the meantime, increasing the penetration in the market share it already has.

Can one use a single message for that? Obviously not.

The complexity comes not with developing the different messages, but with making sure that both messages share the brand's personality. Though we have different objectives, the overall themes but encompass both. And along with the different messages, we must then determine which medium would be best.

This is why research matters.

In recent years, integrated communications has been the rage, which is good. But we still have the laggards that believe the single-bullet theory, and we have those way in the front who believe that digital is the only way a campaign can be successful.

We appreciate the rise of integrated campaigns because it does take the specialist out of their comfort zone. Yes, in the land of integrated campaigns, the generalist AdPerson is king.

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About the Author

Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.

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