Opinion: Savvy consumers pushing brands to adopt integrated marketing

The modern-day digital-first consumer, across cohorts, is now getting smarter with their preferences. They are making informed and well-researched decisions on everything from content consumption to buying choices.  

 

As marketeers we strive each day to find a vantage point to ensure that the consumer is exposed to the brand’s message, but since their avenues to discover any format of the content are multidimensional, it is a constant challenge for brands to play catch up.  

 

The consumers have predefined their choices of using a particular digital channel for a specific type of content which is format agnostic. For example: 

While the platforms continue to dominate the consumer discovery experience by pushing paid content, it has left brands with no choice but to deprioritize the organic approach and continue to regularise media spends. 

  

The traditional funnel-led brand strategy becomes furthermore interesting when layered with comms across all the three marketing touchpoints: Upper, middle, and lower funnels. 

 

The digital-first consumer who is exposed to a certain piece of communication is eager to know what the last mile offerings are -- “Is the new product worth trying? Is it a good deal? Does this service absolutely suit my need?” It is essential that the articulation of the message to this consumer completes the journey from creating intrigue to taking action.  

 

The consumer might get exposed to this piece of comms at any point in their brand/offerings related journey. The key is to connect, convince and convert. 

 

We have brands that are bullish to accelerate growth in a short span of time and are focusing all their energies on a performance-centric approach with minimal budgets on branding. Even though performance marketing would drive the numbers the how (communication) is what will complete the missing piece of the puzzle in the branding initiative that we execute via social channels and influencer marketing.  

 

The content formats suited for various channels pivot around the core comms and hence it becomes quintessential that we tailor make i.e., conceptualise, and produce to meet the business objectives, without diluting the overall proposition. 

 

The integrated process follows a focused goal-oriented approach where all the key digital touchpoints where the brand meets the consumer maintain uniformity and there is a linkage between communication, media, and commerce. 

 

The core of integration is based on a simple framework where the communication layer is synchronised seamlessly to tap into each consumer action while media becomes the enablers to ensure the final mile.  

 

We have equipped our cross functional teams to go business objectives first which then fast tracks the creative and planning process that enables a faster churn. Some key areas that we focus on from a deployment standpoint are: 

a: Insta for discovery and creation 

b: YouTube for search 

c: Short form videos apps for instant connect and relatable content 

With omnichannel immersive experiences that are now made accessible to the consumer, it is imperative that there is uniformity in what is being conveyed and how is it being conveyed. This is where communication and creativity are challenged, and its measure of success has moved beyond just brand love but more so on it translates to recurring commerce. 

 

(The author is vice president - social and strategy at PivotRoots.)