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The myth of integrated marketing

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Photo: An integrated entertainment experience in Brighton.

Ever seen an integrated marketing campaign?

In my years in PR I heard them talked about, even attended some “summits” and “integration workshops” but at the end of the day the chips always fell the same way: the ad agency called the shots and we “integrated” press releases about what they were doing.

My boss, Arjo Ghosh, is ruminating about this at the moment on our Search Sense blog, and has is down pat when he says:

For today’s marketing environment the integrated story is as tired as the 30 second slot it was built around.

Now that the TV advertising hegemony of marketing is crumbling there’s a chance to redefine how marketing works. Will the dream of integrated marketing be finally realised?

Probably not. But maybe integrated is the wrong way to think about things. Conscious that I’m linking to John Hagel for the second time in one day, but there’s something very important in his and John Seely Brown’s ideas about FAST strategy and how loose coalitions of small teams can be the most effective way to organise.

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Antony Mayfield

One response to “The myth of integrated marketing”

  1. Phil Darby Avatar
    Phil Darby

    We’ve already defined how marketing works its just that too many people with vested interests in it not working that way are being obstructive.

    I call the new model marketing Full Effect Marketing, its integrated (not as I think you are in danger of suggesting merely integrated marketing communications), its communications are media neutral, but it gets to the heart of what “marketing” as opposed to “marketing communcations” is all about.

    Most importantly, it works in the only terms that matter – increased ROI.

    Take a look at “Integrated marketing – if you don’t know what it is, you probably aren’t doing it” and a few of the other posts on my blog.

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