There are so many challenging questions that face CMOs, CROs and the like related to 2025 marketing decisions and agency needs.
In today’s world of hyper-connectivity and distraction, it’s crucial for agencies to develop multi-channel strategies to effectively communicate a client’s message and engage with customers. The right agency understands that an integrated approach to reputation, marketing and brand identity enables a brand to navigate effectively from the top of the funnel through to sales enablement.
Before even getting to the importance of an integrated strategy, middle market companies, in particular, must accept the difficult aspects of one vs many agencies because unlike emerging brands, which more often cannot afford multiple agencies and Fortune 5000 brands that will almost always have a portfolio of firms, middle market companies are the ones competing in that unfair playing field. They need every possible edge to level it. On the surface, that may seem like the more agency horsepower, the better.
One Vs. Many
Maybe 15 years ago, you selected three specialist agencies – marketing, creative and public relations, all with their own superpowers. And they collaborated, in a way, because they were not competing. Fast forward to today, and the lines are blurred. However, those blurred lines are further grayed by understanding who has superpowers in what areas. That’s why you look for the integrated agency vs the marketing firm that offers PR or the PR firm that offers creative. Why not go old school with three agencies and your small in-house team? Here’s what AI tells us you’ll face — communications challenges, excessive time management, brand inconsistencies, project timeline overlapping, all of which ultimately create budget creep and shortfalls. In the end, the idea of an integrated program will have failed to fully maximize its potential.
So Why Integrated Marketing Anyway?
Integrated marketing is a strategy that considers multiple marketing channels to develop consistent messaging, creating a 360-degree brand experience. We think it merges the traditional reputation-building tactics of public relations, like media outreach and executive visibility, with advertising and digital content marketing, from email to social to SEO to web optimization and beyond.
Instead of siloing or even outsourcing different teams, as in-house communications and traditional agencies have always functioned, the fully integrated marketing agency takes a holistic approach, understanding that building a brand’s reputation and sharing consistent messaging requires cross-channel collaboration. Integrated marketing operates knowing that nothing happens in a bubble–cross-functional teams must work together to support overall goals.
Why Does an Integrated Strategy Matter?
According to Salesforce’s 2024 State of Marketing Report, marketers engage customers across an average of 10 channels, which continues to increase. But the average isn’t the whole story. The same report states that while 93% of high performers are satisfied with their ability to target prospects through multiple channels, half of underperformers struggle to engage customers across more than one channel.
An integrated, multi-channel approach is the key to separating high-performing agencies from underperformers. It allows the fully integrated agency to achieve a few crucial client outcomes:
Create Consistency
Working across teams to establish overarching messaging and brand guidelines means an organization’s look and feel will be consistent across channels. If a company’s organic social media team operates in a vacuum, the tone may not match that of the website, email marketing or thought leadership.
Creating consistency builds a brand’s name recognition and a positive impression with consumers because they know what to expect. The Journal of Retailing and Consumer Sciences found that 60% of customers would change retailers if they received a disconnected or inefficient experience across channels and customer touchpoints during the shopping journey.
Boost Reputation
In the past, public relations and marketing have been treated as separate entities. The integrated approach understands that these two functions can support each other to boost a brand’s overall reputation and build customer trust. Positive or negative PR has always affected a consumer’s response to an ad or targeting marketing message. With the rise of social media, there are even more channels where it’s necessary to manage brand reputation.
PR can also support marketing in other ways. For example, securing coverage through media outreach and linking that coverage to a brand’s website can increase backlinks and improve search engine optimization. No one department can build trust with customers and boost reputation alone.
Harness Data Insights
A multi-channel approach means more platforms, more teams and more data. The savvy integrated agency understands that data-driven insights can help create the best marketing outcomes. Web traffic data from a tool like Google Analytics can, of course, help the web team make landing page optimizations, but it can also provide insights into what consumers are most interested in, influencing what messages an organization should prioritize sharing through email marketing or paid advertising. Social media engagement influences future content but also gives marketers an idea of the overall sentiment toward the brand. As endless new channels continue to emerge, so does new data to make intelligent and creative marketing decisions.
The Future is Integrated
Fully integrated marketing agencies aren’t a new trend but an obvious and maybe unavoidable outcome of an interconnected digital world. What separates the high-performing agencies from the underperformers is a willingness to accept this shifting marketing landscape and dive in.
At Trevelino/Keller, we pride ourselves on existing at the edge of what is now and what is next in public relations and marketing. We leverage our 20-plus years of experience to inform our strategies with the tools and insights of today.
Curious to see how an integrated marketing agency can boost your organization’s visibility? Schedule a call with us today!
