Five ways to power marketing integration

Bob Egner, VP, global marketing, EPiServer

Integrated marketing is a strategy, and implementing it is not a one-time task to cross off your list. In addition to the high-level activities of describing vision and brand essence, the marketing mix and customer communication points require special attention. Here are five ways to propel your integration strategy:

1.   Share the goal within your company. Organizations with multiple customer touchpoints have a greater need to communicate brand value and key messages internally. Methods normally considered for outbound communication can also be effective for internal.

2.   Leverage technology to create consistency. Cohesive messages can be difficult to control if development is distributed across the organization. For best results, use a centralized document management system for core messages and all task-specific variants. This single store can feed all your downstream systems.

3.   Standardize the customer experience. Customers interact with your brand in a variety of ways. Take time to evaluate your company's key messages at each customer touchpoint, even those that may be outside your control. Strive to keep them consistent at every level of the organization.

4.   Consolidate and correlate your analytics. Most organizations have an ecosystem of data collection and performance metrics, which often exist in silos. Consider a technology solution to consolidate this information and correlate it. Then your company can derive more meaningful insights into all aspects of your customer's brand experience.

5.   Look for ways to put social to work for your brand. Online social marketing has captured the interest of many consumers. Explore private branded communities that can improve the customer experience of online fans.