Obsession with integration

It seems to me that as an industry, we often still struggle to consistently get integration right. An integrated advertising approach is basically how above the line meets below the line to make through the line. A good integrated approach maximises the use of multiple platforms to communicate a message consistently, but a poor integrated approach can kill an idea with suitcase advertising, over using multiple platforms without any strategic grounding.

So what has led to the need or trend of integration? Well the fragmentation of the media landscape has played a large part. Consumers are increasingly consuming media simultaneously on many platforms and the amount of advertising clutter has reached critical levels. We are seeing a trend of advertisers attempting to engage with consumers as a way of cutting through this clutter and a cross-channel integrated approach can certainly enhance media engagement.

However, it seems that striving for quality integration can make us lopsided in our thinking. Good advertising comes from understanding the brand, understanding the consumer and coming up with a great idea – simple. But the drive for integration is creating an imbalance in how we do this. Maybe the desire for integration can come from the aim to please or impress within the agency or the industry, whilst forgetting about the core objective of most clients, which is to drive sales. Like any channel selected for a campaign, an integrated approach should come from asking ‘why?’ not ‘how?’, but it seems too often that agencies are immediately asking themselves how they can do an integrated campaign before asking why.

It’s clear that an integrated cross-channel approach can have a positive impact on consumer’s engagement levels which can lead to enhanced processing of an advertising message. But, like any other channel approach to communications, there is a process that advertisers should adhere to before execution. Just like any campaign, the first questions asked when considering a cross-channel campaign should be ‘why is this relevant?’ and ‘will it achieve the objectives set out on the brief?’ And only then should the idea processing begin. This will avoid inconsistencies and fractures within the process and make sure that the reasoning behind such a campaign is built from a solid strategic angle.