Integrating marketing campaigns over the holidays
We may be a while off the holiday season just yet but having said that there is no time like the present to start planning your Christmas campaigns.
Irish households, on average, spend upwards of €2,500 in the run-up to Christmas. With overall expenditure totalling €4.5 billion over the period.
With spend up an average of €800 in December, it’s the ideal time to kick into gear and step up any marketing or promotional activities.
To do this you’re going to have to be loud, and by loud we mean saturate the space so that your message is heard.
So, if your marketing mix usually consists of giveaways on Facebook and the occasional radio ad, it’s time to step up your game.
Getting your message out there works best if you use more than one or two methods of communication.
When using various channels of communication, it is important that certain brand elements remain consistent so that a clear message is communicated to the end consumer.
A fragmented marketing mix, where messaging across channels is varied, and no one central and consistent message is communicated can be confusing.
This consistency can be achieved through the use of an integrated marketing campaign.
An integrated campaign allows all channels to work in tandem to move customers through the sales funnel toward making that final purchase.
And with consumers actively searching for something to spend their money on, making sure your product is their first choice is an activity worth investing in.
So how do you go about creating one?
Choose your channels
We’re starting off with the basics.
When it comes to creating a successful marketing campaign it’s about communicating the right message, to the right person in the right place, at the right time.
So, when it comes to choosing your channels there is no one size fits all formula. Because what works for one company might be a total flop for another.
This step really comes down to two key factors. How well you know your customers and the message you want to convey.
Just because a channel is popular doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be a success.
Take Facebook for example. Though it still holds bragging rights for being the biggest social media platform, its popularity is in steady decline. This is especially evident with the younger demographic where Snapchat has stolen the spotlight.
So, knowing what channels are popular among your target audience means you avoid putting spend in the wrong places.
Be ruthless in selecting channels. It’s better to concentrate on the more effective channels than trying to be everywhere all the time.
It’s also important that you don’t just restrict your messaging to the online space. Consider the effectiveness of traditional media such as radio and direct mail particularly during the holiday season.
Keep it consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to developing an integrated campaign.
When using various channels of communication, it is important that certain brand elements remain the same so that a clear message is communicated to the end consumer.
A fragmented marketing mix, where messaging across channels is varied, and no one central message is communicated can be confusing.
Everything should look as if it came from the same company. A person reading your e-dm or brochure should see an immediate visual connection when visiting your website.
With so many companies competing for customers attention during the festive period a consistent message will resonate with customers resulting in familiarity, favourability and purchase intent all increasing.
Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose
Creating clear, consistent content that can easily be adapted or repurposed to suit different media or channels will reduce cost and time spent creating these assets.
Take for example if you are planning on running a TV campaign. Breaking this down into shorter, 10-30 second segments allows for it to be used across social channels such as Youtube and Facebook.
If you’ve opted for creating some aesthetically pleasing imagery for Instagram, consider sharing them on Pinterest or running them as a Snapchat advert.
Having chosen your channels carefully will come into play here.
Integrate Internally
Christmas marks the busiest calendar month for the majority of businesses, particularly those in the B2C space.
Ensuring that your teams are working in tandem is therefore essential if targets are to be met.
Often you will have multiple members of a team working on disparate projects within the same integrated marketing campaign. If this is the case, then facilitating team meetings helps ensure that; all members are on the same page. The message behind the campaign is consistent. And that company brand standards are managed across the campaign.
As everyone knows Christmas time can be hectic so be mindful to book in jobs with any external agencies early so that projects can be delivered on time!
Interested in finding out more on how you could integrate your Christmas Campaign? Then contact us on +353 1 804 1298 today!
