What Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Rob Christian
When asked to write about what Integrated Marketing means to me, I thought immediately of the first task we have as an industry -- collaborating to develop a shared meaning. Until we create shared meaning, we cannot advance our collective capability around the discipline.
So, I won’t just offer up a proposed definition for discussion. But if I did, it would read something like this:
Integrated Marketing Communications is a customer-centric, data-driven method of communicating with the customer. IMC is the coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, functions and sources within a company into a seamless program that maximizes the impact on consumers and other end users at a minimal cost. Such efforts create and nourish profitable relationships with customers and other stakeholders by strategically controlling or influencing all messages sent to these groups and encouraging data-driven, purposeful dialog with them.
Before debating this definition, I challenge us to first create a shared meaning from the perspective of the customer or donor:
- What does Integrated Marketing mean to our donors, volunteers, ambassadors, board members -- anyone who is connected to the nonprofit organizations our industry serves?
- How does the donor want to benefit from Integrated Marketing?
- How will Integrated Marketing lead the donor to a deeper connection to nonprofit organizations?
As industry leaders, we need to frame the discussion around the donor instead of the mechanics, tools and processes we use to make it happen.
Yes, we understand the shifts in the marketplace that have caused Integrated Marketing to become a primary strategy for marketers -- from mass media to niche media; from awareness/general advertising to data-driven, targeted marketing; and there’s the explosion of the Internet. Yes, we understand the barriers to effective Integrated Marketing, such as functional silos within marketing departments, or the proliferation of single-discipline agencies. And yes, we understand the benefits to nonprofit organizations -- connecting with and influencing the customer at each stage of the buying process, nurturing and building the organization’s relationship with donors over time, increasing ROI because various channels “collaborate” to create an effect that is greater than 1 + 1 = 2.
But, do we understand what the donor wants to experience from Integrated Marketing?
People want to feel good about the charities they support. They want to feel and be connected to their charities and causes. They want to be assured that their dollars are being put to good use. They want to know they are doing good in the world. Just ask them.
So, how can Integrated Marketing meet the donors’ needs? That is the conversation I suggest we commence.
Share, Like and Post | | Article Link | CommentWhat Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Eric Overman
The term “Integrated Marketing” is a hot one these days, although the exact definition isn’t always clear. Let’s look at integrated marketing in terms of two overarching concepts:
- Providing a multichannel platform and program that maximizes donor/supporter/advocate engagement and options.
- Launching well-rounded campaigns that utilize the appropriate channel(s) to optimize conversion.
Successfully integrated campaigns have consistently proved their value -- increasing donor value and loyalty, maximizing revenue, increasing retention, driving conversion throughout donor life cycles, increasing average gift amounts, and so on. But these successes can only be achieved through analysis and strategic planning based on which channels match each campaign.
Multichannel Platforms
What does a multichannel platform look like? Current integrated programs consist mainly of the following channels: Direct Mail, Web, Social Media, Mobile, Search and Telephone. I know, I
know, this is starting to sound expensive and complicated (and these are only some of the channels!). Yes, it does require a fair amount of investment to develop multiple channels. A phased approach, based on goals and budgets, is the course of action for achieving multichannel success –- it will not happen overnight. Prioritize your approach, then plan on spending 24-36 months to fully fund and develop programs across all channels. Unless, of course, you are one of the lucky few with big budgets and lots of staff, and then things can move much quicker!
Well-Rounded Campaigns
Just because it might take between two and three years to build a multichannel program that is firing on all cylinders, you don’t want to stop campaigns until they are fully “integrated”. When creating integrated marketing strategies, it is important to build upon your existing channels, budgets and resources as much as possible. Then, look to your goals to guide the development of additional channels, and prioritize the timelines for new and existing channels.
While messaging and brand consistency across channels is a baseline, different strategies may be optimized with varying levels of channel integration. For example, a “Match Grant” appeal offer going out to the current file in direct mail might be best optimized with a three-part email series synced with the mail drop, a Match call to action on the Homepage, custom donation pages with Match information, and a follow-up campaign about reaching the Match amount (thanks to your great donors). Unless mobile and social media channels already exist within the organization, they might not be worth investing in exclusively for this type of campaign.
On the other hand, when looking at a similar scenario for a new donor acquisition campaign, sending out integrated emails to the Direct Mail recipients is rarely impactful. However, a combination of social media, SEM and advocacy actions might work well here to drive immediate revenue and build a list of supporters to cultivate later.
Of, course, each case varies based on the channel and the campaign, so the key is to be on top of your metrics. Ongoing analysis is always important, even with the growing list of integrated marketing best practices to provide a starting point. Also, make sure to analyze behavior by universe (i.e., those that received the direct mail piece and email vs. those who received only the mail version), instead of just looking at the last touch point by channel analysis. Like I said, it can get complicated! But when properly executed, an integrated marketing program is well worth it. Good luck!
Share, Like and Post | | Article Link | CommentWhat Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Greg Fox
As the use of digital marketing continues to evolve and expand within the nonprofit industry, fundraising executives are demanding more integration within their marketing, communication and fundraising solutions. More often than not, the integration of digital is very much tactical in execution, primarily in the form of “media” (outbound communication) and/or a “channel” of response.
The key point of distinction is that nonprofits that wish to implement truly integrated fundraising strategies must think first of their constituent rather than the communication tactic itself. In short, they need to put the donor in the center of their universe and build an integrated communications solution to maximize performance of that donor.
The problem, however, is that launching an initiative to fully integrate marketing and fundraising across the entire enterprise is a daunting task for most, if not all, organizations (and commercial enterprises, for that matter). And as study after study has pointed out, organizations lack the infrastructure and technology necessary to implement a true integrated fundraising solution. But remember…
To DO integrated fundraising means you must first BE integrated.
Virtually every nonprofit organization is divided into departments and/or business groups that have distinct and often-fluctuating focus, objectives, and goals. They most often are developed
in a silo fashion and are isolated from the other groups, and this includes among others, marketing, communications, online, special events by event, major gifts, direct mail, and planned giving. They each have unique budgets and most assuredly separate performance metrics –- often times in direct conflict with other departments.
As more and more organizations are discovering, it is easy to talk about being integrated, but far more difficult be integrated. And the level of difficulty increases substantially when you toss the constituent into the mix; more specifically the ownership of the individual constituent/donor throughout the entire enterprise. That’s because nonprofit organizations are not well-equipped to be constituent friendly, and therefore are not designed to make business decisions at the individual level.
In the traditional model, business decisions are made at the program, event, activity and/or campaign level. Budgets are developed at this level, and it’s the basis for staff evaluation and compensation. However, in programs that are truly integrated, budgets and investment strategies are created at the individual constituent level.
Ultimately, to engage in integrated fundraising nonprofits must become more focused on constituent-based investments and value-based engagements. Nonprofits must evolve from trying to maximize performance of a series of individual campaigns or special event, to one that considers the constituent’s performance across a wide array of campaigns and interactions and how each communication and engagement influences the behavior of a constituent over time.
To practice integrated fundraising requires integration across the entire enterprise and a commitment to become more constituent-centric. The industry has a long way to go before integrated fundraising is commonly practiced, but one day it will.
The sooner nonprofit organizations can become totally integrated around the constituent, the sooner they can reap the awards of integrated fundraising.
Share, Like and Post | | Article Link | CommentWhat Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Katy Dubina
In today’s world, the newest, shiniest, flashiest piece of technology is always on the horizon. Consumers are constantly being shown the latest-greatest product and told why they should buy it. The same goes for approaches to marketing. Whether you’re a small business, grassroots organization, long-established global nonprofit or big corporation, the ever-expanding toolkit of marketing technology can be overwhelming.
But what is it all for?
Let’s go back to the basics—the purpose of marketing is to gain awareness and financial support for your brand/product/cause. A combination of traditional and constantly evolving tools should be used in the best combination possible to achieve success for your organization.
In the nonprofit sector, this is not always as easy as it seems. Resources are tight and sometimes there is pressure from a board member or donor to try a new approach that brought in $1,000,000 for another organization (completely unrelated, much larger, with 500% of your marketing budget). How do you keep mission-focus and determine the best marketing mix for your environment and resources?
Streamline your voice.
The first step to true integration is to break down internal silos and keep messaging specific. I know this is easier said than done. I co-founded a multi-media arts nonprofit and our core staff consists of three individuals. Even between the three of us, it can be a challenge to keep a consistent tone with our audience. I’ve also worked with large nonprofits where communications are spread across marketing, development and volunteer departments, making consistency can be even more difficult to realize! It is vital that all the players come to the table to understand everyone’s efforts and priorities.
Focus on what you know.
No one understands your organization better than you! Decide on your company’s voice and what priorities you want to extend to your supporters and make sure your messaging is consistent through all channels. What has your audience responded well to in the past? Communicate with various segments based on their interests and actions. Improve on those strategies and rework campaigns that haven’t performed quite as well.
Supporter-centric.
In the end, it’s all about the donor. When taking an integrated approach, you can understand the donor behavior in all channels. Do they give offline, online or both? Are they active in social networks to help build awareness and funds for your mission? In understanding the donor behavior, you can optimize your approach. If a donor is giving at a higher rate online, use that as a basis for your ask string in the mail.
Resources.
In this economy, everyone is strapped for cash. And in turn, strapped for personnel, especially in the nonprofit arena. What is the most effective and realistic use of your resources? Yes, there are many great ideas out there, but which endeavors can you truly employ, see results, while staying true to your mission?
All in all, integrated marketing is the way to go. Understanding how your supporters respond to your messaging in all channels will only continue to benefit your organization and your mission. By using the information you learn about your supporter behavior, you can optimize the donor experience and in turn, raise more money and awareness for your cause. To me, it’s understanding what works for the size, scope, mission and reality of your organization. Use the tools that are out there to improve, expand and develop your cause!
What Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Sara Spivey
I live in a two name household. I got married after I had already started down a career track and I decided to keep my maiden name for business purposes. My husband was not bothered by this (although interestingly, it bothers my two daughters for some reason) so I’ve never changed it. You would think in this day and age of divorces, remarriages, single parenting, domestic partner parenting and the like, this would not seem to stump ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ENTITY that sends us hard mail, e-mail, and solicits us by phone. But it does. The question I have is WHY???
The answer would appear simple — they don’t take the time to really know who I or my husband is, or how we are associated. This is mildly irritating to me. We’ve been married with two different names for 20 years. You’d think Vendor A would know this by now. It’s also expensive for them. The amount of hard mail recycled (and before recycled, put into a landfill somewhere), emails deleted, and phone messages not listened to is staggering. But the “soft” cost of irritating me is even more expensive. I haven’t bought anything at Vendor A for 5 years. And I won’t, because I think their marketing department is full of idiots who can’t quite grasp the BASICS of householding.
I share this anecdote because it is but one microcosm of the effect that poorly integrated marketing has. Multiply by millions of organizations and billions of people and think about the indirect and direct profit loss. How much higher could the US GDP be if all these organizations captured 1% more revenue? How much more investment in innovation and expansion could be made with a mere single percentage point of gross margin? The impact could be staggering.
There are organizations that do it well, and I reward them richly as my Visa bill would attest. For example, when I log into Vendor B (where we have a shared account), they ask me if I am Michael or Sara. They know what I purchased last, they suggest new items based on what I bought, and when I check out, they thank me. They do the same for my husband. They get a little confused by my teenagers because they buy under both of our credit cards, but all in all, a fantastic integrated experience. Bravo. Vendor B is one of the most profitable retailers in the world, and it isn’t JUST because they are 100% online.
My point is this: A commitment to building an integrated marketing experience and really understanding your buyers or donors is the best investment you can make in long-term marketing return and customer loyalty. Make 2012 the year you commit to it.
Share, Like and Post | | Article Link | Comment
Subscribe to the RSS feed
Receive posts via email: