As marketers we can confuse “integrated marketing” with “multi-channel marketing” when in fact they’re not one and the same. In order to get consumers engaged with our brand message we need to communicate with them on their terms via the channel of their choice be it TV, print, email, social media, mobile, apps and experientially. While this is true, it’s not the whole story.
Truly integrated campaigns leverage one insight and one big idea that can be expressed in different ways as the channel dictates. That is, each channel plays a role in bringing the brand story to life. So yes, integrated campaigns are multi-channel campaigns but it’s not about repeating the same message over multiple channels.
2014 has delivered some inspiring, funny, intelligent and effective integrated campaigns. Here’s my pick of the top five from around the world.
John Lewis – Monty the Penguin (UK)
Just because it’s Christmas and I’m feeling festive, my top pick has to be the John Lewis Christmas campaign out of the UK. John Lewis have long been known for their entertaining and heartwarming Christmas TV ads. This year’s story of the little boy Sam and his beloved Monty the Penguin is introduced via the TV spot but then beautifully brought to life with a smart integrated strategy. The characters feature in a printed book (coincidently a perfect Christmas gift) entitled “Monty’s Christmas”. Online you can visit Sam & Monty’s 360° panoramic world or download the story-telling app. The idea extends experientially with Monty’s Winter Garden in London’s Oxford Street for the entire Christmas period. It’s a dose of Christmas spirit that you can’t help but love. So even if you’ve seen it, jump on the festive bandwagon and enjoy! http://www.johnlewis.com/christmas-advert-2014-montys-christmas
Snickers – You’re not you when you’re hungry (Global)
This campaign leverages a simple insight we’re all so familiar with and that’s why it works so well. It launched at the 2010 Super Bowl and it’s since been rolled out globally (cleverly adapted with local nuances) with huge success. After all, who can’t relate to hunger? This strong insight paves the way for a multi-dimensional communication campaign. Out of the UK in social media, celebrities including Katie Price and Rio Ferdinand, tweeted messages that were out of character. In Australia, Clemenger BBDO and Snickers staged a candid camera-style experiment on the streets of Melbourne to prove that construction workers are just not themselves when they’re hungry. A team of actors posed as builders and offered positive and empowering compliments to female passers by. This is a great example of not just saying the same thing over different platforms but using the channel effectively to engage and evoke an emotional response to the brand.
American Express – Small Business Saturday (UK)
Essentially a spend stimulation campaign, Small Business Saturday has been beautifully executed online and offline driving Amex cardholders back to the high street to support small, local businesses. Again, launched in the US this idea has legs globally and most recently ran in the UK. The human insight being that many people mourn the demise of local retailers and the sense of community that they provide.
Amex created marketing material for small businesses, ran print advertising, launched Facebook apps, created You Tube explainer videos and provided Google Maps listings. Facebook was integrated with Twitter allowing customers to talk about their favourite local businesses and the businesses themselves to promote their participation. For more details: http://www.amexshopsmall.co.uk/hub.html?cid=van1-hub-pcs
LG Electronics – Mom Confessions (USA)
The Mom Confessions campaign for LG is my pick for an integrated campaign that successfully created a noisy dialogue with its target audience, Mums. The over-arching concept plays on the idea that mums have an inner dialogue, a secret narrative of their lives that plays out in their head. The TV lead campaign captured the attention of mums across the US who took to Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to confess their secrets. The best confessions were featured on an LG billboard in Times Square on Mother’s Day. Six months on and the campaign’s still going strong, check out some of the hilarious ‘mum survival tactics’ at www.momconfessions.com
Nivea Sun Kids – Protection (Brazil)
My final pick, demonstrates the smart integration of print and digital technology. Nivea Sun Kids took their brand promise of protecting children’s skin while at the beach and went one step further to prove this. They provided parents with a way to stop their kids running off by themselves and getting lost while at the beach. This came in the form of ‘The Protection Ad’, a Bluetooth enabled print ad. The ad had a protector strip with a built in locator (using Bluetooth 4.0 technology). Parents were able to remove the strip and use it as a bracelet around their child’s wrist. They could then download the Nivea app and track the bracelet. The bracelet became a desirable item with consumers requesting copies of the ad.
Needless to say, 2014 has seen some outstanding integrated campaigns, choosing only five was a tough job! As technology advances and consumers become even more sophisticated it’s only going to get better. Here’s to 2015!
