The integration of marketing communications 409
The process of achieving
integration
The task of developing and implementing
marketing communications campaigns is
becoming increasingly divergent. No longer is
the task in one pair of hands. As the specialist
functions develop further, the marketer must
seek and co-ordinate the input from a number
of different sources. Many organizations will
retain an advertising agency, a public relations
consultancy, a sales promotion company and,
perhaps, even a media specialist. Ensuring that
all of these contributors work to the same set of
objectives and deliver a cohesive message to
the consumer is a task which is an increasingly
challenging one.
The key requirement is the establishment
of a feedback mechanism between all elements
of the strategic development process and,
importantly, the consideration of all of the tools
of marketing communications designed to fulfil
the promotional objectives established for the
campaign. It is the adoption of a holistic
approach to campaign development which is at
the heart of integration, a fundamental shift
from the practice of developing each of the
elements on a piecemeal basis.
Integrated marketing communications offers
strategic and creative integrity across all
media.
(Linton and Morley, 1995)This ensures that the company maintains a
constant theme and style of communication
which can be followed across all applications.
In turn, this provides for a strong and unified
visual identity in all areas of communication.
This does not imply that all material
should have the same copy and visual execu-
tion; however, all items used must serve to tell
the same story and to reinforce the overall
message to the consumer. This enables each
element of a campaign to reinforce the others
and to achieve the maximum level of impact on
the target audience. The best platforms for
integrated campaigns are ideas that can be
spread across the whole marketing commu-
nications mix, e.g. American Express’ ‘Member-
ship Has Its Privileges’ and Gillette’s ‘The Best
A Man Can Get’ will work in any discipline.
Andrex has, for many years, used the
image of a Labrador puppy in its advertising to
symbolize softness. More recently, however, the
device has been extended into other promo-
tional areas. Its ‘Puppy Tales’ campaign offered
a series of books about the adventures of a
puppy, which was featured on-pack and in
television advertising. The promotion gained
editorial coverage both for the promotion itself
and by way of reviews of the author, Gerald
Durrell. All of these devices reinforced the
brand message.
Some companies go further. They produce
a visual identity manual to which all items
produced on behalf of the company must
comply. This establishes a series of specific
requirements which may cover the typefaces
used, the positioning of the logo and other
important visual elements, which provides a
high level of commonality in all materials
produced. Often, this is associated with a
redesign of the corporate image. When the
author was working with the Prudential Cor-
poration, Woolf Olins were engaged to redesign
the company look and, as part of the package,
created a corporate ID manual which covered
all of the above areas, and to which all agencies
were required to comply.
An essential part of IMC is the process of
ensuring that the message conveyed is con-
sistent. Whereas this is achievable in the context
of a single agency which produces all of the
materials required by its client, in the vast
majority of cases, companies will employ sev-
eral different agencies, often independent of
each other. Indeed, some of the material will be
produced by the company in-house. In this
instance, someone must take overall responsi-
bility for ensuring the consistency of the vari-
ous items to ensure that there is an overall
coherence in what is produced. This means that