Each year, marketers divide their ad budgets across several media by earmarking advertising dollars for print, online, TV, and, increasingly, mobile. The allocation of budgets across channels is representative of a desire to reach people holistically by engaging several sensory touch points in what scientists call a "multimodal approach." From a marketing perspective, this shows a healthy trend in a consistency of messages flowing seamlessly between channels.
The most advanced marketing thinking to date has taken this inclusive approach -- for proof, look at recent Cannes winners, which serve as great examples of integrated transmedia storytelling. All would agree this organic movement is being driven by digital, and evidence suggests that the majority of marketers (about 85 percent) are now implementing cross-channel campaigns to varying degrees.
But to reach a level of branding and response that's credible for advertisers, we need to convey the validity of integrated campaigns. Measurement is the key ingredient that can both secure investment in future advertising while strengthening marketing strategies across the board.
In looking at how one medium influences another, we gain advanced insight into the media consumption of consumers and, ultimately, their path to conversion, whether that is online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Through cross-channel analysis, new strategies will be implemented that encompass the power of multiple media channels and start to align closely with actual consumer life cycles.
Much of the movement for integrated campaigns can be attributed to the pervasiveness of digital. If you look at the growth of online over the last 10 years, it has significantly enhanced the reach and frequency of campaigns by promoting real-time relevancy. The live insertion of ads and the recent addition of smart phones are taking advertising into the realm of the "personal" web, making consumers amenable to brand messages anytime and anywhere. A recent Adweek article, "Digital Channels Blur the Line," calls out a common misconception -- that online is for response and offline is for branding. Recent evidence proves this is no longer is the case.
Digital enhances other media, which then take on the dual role of branding and response within a single creative execution. Take a walk around Times Square and see how digital is replacing print in outdoor advertising and enhancing consumer engagement.
What we can predict is that as digital taps additional media, cross-channel strategies will fully enter the mainstream, and marketers will be able to leverage the impact channels have on one another.
For example, take QR codes, two-dimensional bar codes used for "quick response." Imagine the potential opportunities for mobile to drive response whenever a consumer passes a billboard or even looks at a print ad. No need to fire up your laptop -- it's taking the concept of "tear-and-share" to another level, wherever you are.
However, before we move too fast into a synergized market, we need to look at the current climate and what marketers wrestle with as they try to implement these cross-channel campaigns, or worse, shy away from venturing too far out of their strengths because of the perceived barriers to integration.
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