If we need a standalone piece of marketing or communications collateral, is that something mark-making* can help with?

We certainly can. Direct mail, a press ad, social media templates, a video, an exhibition stand, a radio ad….whatever you need in isolation or as part of an integrated campaign, we have the strategic and creative firepower to ensure it hits the mark.

Are B2C and B2B integrated marketing communications and campaigns fundamentally different?

In a word, no. An insurance broker is still a human being, as is a procurement lead or a fleet decision maker. We all consume content similarly. We’re all affected by the same cultural, societal and economic context. Whether for B2B or B2C, as an integrated marketing communications agency, our approach never changes.

How important is digital to integrated marketing campaigns?

Ten years ago the answer would have been it depends on the marketing objective. What are we trying to achieve? For a given situation a ‘digital’ execution like social media, rather than an offline alternative like direct mail, might be the right approach. And today, the answer is the same. Match the channel to the goal. The only difference now is that it’s all digital. Even what we might sometimes refer to as ‘traditional’ is most likely to have a digital element. Printed publications have their digital counterparts, radio and TV are consumed digitally. Taking a siloed approach to budgets by thinking in terms of digital vs traditional can seriously undermine success simply by distracting from that perennial question – what’s the right tool for the job?

Integrated Marketing Communications Agency

The idea is king and delivery rules

At mark-making*, we believe in the power of ideas and creativity to solve business challenges. We also recognise that just as you can’t polish a turd (horrible expression, but does the job – pun intended), ideas live or die by how they are delivered.

The brands with the very best integrated marketing communications understand this implicitly. They also know that before the creative leap, comes something else.

Strategy first

With an infinite array of media channels on hand, the modern marketer can be forgiven for being so easily seduced and finding themselves busily immersed in tactics and actions. But in the absence of strategy, that’s time wasted and budget down the drain.

Effective integrated marketing communications has to start with the ends, not the means. We’ll ensure you’re asking the right questions from the outset, and push you for crystal clarity on the answers, before we go anywhere near media options.

Who exactly are we targeting? What do we know about them? What do they want and what insight can we garner from their behaviour?

How are we positioning ourselves? Do we understand what makes us different in a way that our audience actually cares?

And what are our strategic objectives? Is the intention to raise awareness for example, or is this about the sharp end and moving consumers from consideration to purchase?

Armed with the answers to these questions, we can take the next step.

The big idea

The excessive excitement around data in recent times has often been at the expense of creativity. Data is of course valuable and important, but worthless without an idea that supercharges your message in a way that truly resonates with your audience. That’s why you can count on us to ensure your integrated marketing communications aren’t just strategically aligned, they’re amplified by a single and compelling creative idea.

Strategy? Check. Creative? Check. Now, let’s talk media.

Customer centric, media neutral

Media choice is determined by strategy, creative, and budget. We’ll always ensure the first is in place, the second grabs attention and drives action, and the third is used in the most effective way possible.

That means being media-agnostic. Never favouring a channel just because we like it or it’s worked amazingly in other situations. Success hinges on picking the right tool, or tools, for the job.

Typically it is the plural, as plenty of research has shown, that for a given budget, use of a mix of media consistently trumps committing an entire budget to a single channel. Advertising plus PR is more effective than advertising alone. Print activity alongside digital display out-performs just print. We’ll help you exploit the optimum combination.

And btw it’s all digital

It’s worth being clear here. It’s. All. Digital. The digital/traditional media divide no longer exists. Press is online, radio is digital, TV is on demand. Splitting budgets into digital and traditional buckets makes no sense. And it’s unhelpful to think like that. Viewing your budget as a single pot, to be used in the most effective way, will ensure not a penny is misdirected and what you have available works as hard as possible. And on that subject…

Paid, owned and earned

For a true 360 customer engagement experience, we’ll help you get the most not just from paid media, but owned and earned too. Here’s what we mean by each:

Paid: the platforms where you pay to reach your audience – like print, press, direct mail, digital display, search ads, paid social and sponsored posts.

Owned: the platforms you already own and control – such as SMS, app, email, organic social, blogs and of course your website.

Earned: promotion and advocacy that you earn through reaching out to others, including reviews and recommendations, unpaid viral content, organic social shares and good-old-fashioned word of mouth.

Our detailed understanding of these (and how to make them sing alongside each other) allows us to deliver true, omnichannel experiences to create wider reach, with each communication complementing – and building upon – the last, for a customer experience in keeping with the demands of the modern world.

Integration in action

Over the last quarter of a century we’ve worked with clients in all sectors crafting successful integrated marketing communications. Here are just a few examples. For more visit our work page: