What are integrated campaigns?

What are integrated awareness campaigns and why should they interest you?

It’s a mouthful, right? But for those of us who work in any form of communications (which is everyone really) then it’s important to know what an integrated campaign is.

It can go by many names … integrated campaign, integrated marketing campaign, integrated branding campaign.

So what are integrated campaigns?

Essentially it’s a coordinated marketing effort that combines various communication channels and strategies to deliver a consistent message to a target audience. It’s multiple elements, all integrated with each other.

The goal of such an awareness campaign is to increase recognition about a product, service, issue, or brand by leveraging multiple touchpoints and platforms to maximise reach and impact.

What are the key components of integrated campaigns?

1. Integrated campaigns use multiple channels

It’s not just a poster, or a flyer, or an Instagram advert. An integrated campaign uses a mix of online and offline channels. These including social media, email, websites, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising, events, and more. The campaign needs to be consistent across all touchpoints.

What’s a touchpoint? Basically anywhere your audience will come in contact with your message or brand. It could be a social media post, a billboard on the side of a freeway, or in an employee induction handbook.

2. Integrated campaigns have a single, consistent message

Your campaigns need a unified core message and it needs to stay consistent. It’s key to ensure that the core message and brand identity are consistent across all touchpoints to reinforce the campaign’s objectives and make a stronger impression on the audience.

The reason you need a single, consistent message is that the repetition, in different places, reinforces the message and creates a better chance of a successful outcome. If you change the goals and do different messaging, you’ll dilute your success.

3. Coordinated timing

Integrated campaigns have a timeline. They’re not ongoing – there is a defined start and finish. You need to align the timing of different activities and media placements to create a cohesive experience, often building momentum over time or around specific events or deadlines. For example, if you were launching a health and safety campaign for your workforce, you’d ensure that the display screens, posters, canteen table-talkers and email blast all start on the same day and run for 3 weeks. It would be backed up with Toolbox Talks, town hall messaging and intranet videos.

4. Specific and targeted audiences

No audience is the same so you need to tailor the message and methods of communication to suit. Clearly identify and focus on a specific target audience through specific messages and channel selection to reach and resonate with this group effectively.

5. Measurable Goals and KPIs

It’s hard to measure success, but you can use tools to get an idea of how your integrated campaigns are working. Start by setting clear objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the campaign. These can range from digital metrics such as such website traffic, social media engagement, or sales metrics such as an increase in sales, or an uptake of using a specific coupon code, through to listening to the conversations being held around your brand or message.

6. Integrated campaigns have creative synergy

When creating integrated campaigns you need great visuals! Develop creative elements (visuals, slogans, themes) that work well across different media and can be adapted for various formats while maintaining a unified look and feel. Remember the consistent messaging needs to be supported by consistent creative elements.

7. Successful integrated campaigns have full buy-in from all decision makers

This is important. You need agreement and alignment from all the key stakeholders before you plan your integrated campaigns. This involves coordination among different teams and decision makers, including marketing, PR, sales, and creative departments. It ensures that everyone is aligned with the campaign’s goals and execution plan.

What’s an example of an integrated campaign?

Let’s say you’re the internal communications manager at a large mining company. You have a problem with sexual harassment in your workplace. You need to create awareness of what it is and what the boundaries are, so you could plan a sexual harassment campaign. Your plan would be:

• Identify the problem – people are complaining about being harrassed in the workplace.
• Set a goal for the desired outcome – a workplace which is free of sexual harassment.
• Decide on the metrics to measure the success – a reduction in complaints to HR and feedback from employee pulse groups.
• Get buy-in from key stakeholders – an agreement that the awareness campaign is required and full support for the internal communications team to execute it.
• Set your dates – plan the dates your campaign will run, and give it a finite end so that you can measure it’s success.

You’d then create your campaign concept and designs and select your platforms. In a workplace environment you may consider:

• Social Media
  Engaging posts, infographics, and videos shared on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Email Blast
  Interesting and informative emails
• Posters and flyers
  Campaign collateral placed in high visibility areas
• Toolbox Talks
  Interactive talks that stimulate discussion
• Video
  A display video can be shown in high visibility areas with a short, easy to process, message.

If you’re looking for integrated campaigns for your workforce or brand, then reach out to us and lets chat!