The feedback I received from my most recent column was, "nice analysis, but I need a how to." So below I've detailed the top five integration steps a company needs to pursue to maximize the marketing/sales activity for the holiday shopping season, and provide a solid framework to extend the success into 2006.

If you can express confidence that you have put these actions into place, then you are indeed prepared -- and more prepared than most.

Step#1: Build the multi-channel safety net

Customers are now very comfortable in bouncing from online stores to physical retail to 800 numbers, and in whatever order they choose.

Now it may be a little late before the 2005 holiday season to install the ideal CRM system to reconcile all of the promotional options a shopper may encounter at all points of sale, but do you plan to have the channel heads and marketing at least meet in the same room before December? This is where all of the sales closing triggers should be discussed, as well as the hand-off protocol from channel to channel.

I recently walked into a Sprint/Nextel store looking for a Blackberry charger. The item was out of stock. But the salesperson subtly asked me about my Blackberry, pointed to the newer model, and encouraged me, if I were to upgrade, to call-in for inventory per location or shop online for a lower price. Based on this experience, I am far more likely to continue with Sprint/Nextel, instead of switching to another carrier.

That is how it's done

Step #2: Always keep in mind that the experience is the brand

Customer service begins when the customers dictates, not the retailer. \My wife just went through a surprisingly challenging engagement with an online costume retailer when she purchased our daughter's Halloween outfit.

When the Blue from Blue's Clues shaggy jumpsuit arrived for our two-year old, the hand and foot covers as shown on the website were not included. When my wife sent an email complaint to Support, she was sent an updated web page with a new photo that said "Final costume elements may not be the same as shown. Foot and hand covers not included. We can not honor returns during the Halloween period."

This disclaimer was not there when we bought the costume.

Following a justifiably irate email response, my wife did receive a friendly call from the Help Desk. Alas, a satisfactory resolution could not be reached, which was reinforced by the final email from the retailer stating: "due to overwhelming Halloween volume, and understaffing in our Support department, we will not be able to service future phone requests."

Clearly, this is a marketing department, reliant on one dominant busy season, which was not prepared.

Its brand suffered.

Step #3: Remember that not all buying is instantaneous

Several published pieces of research, most notably from comScore, point to the majority of search-driven purchases occurring after the immediate post clickthrough session. This means that conversion from marketing campaigns can come in many steps and is not limited to a one-time event.

To gain visibility to the immediate and latent revenue impact, there needs to be discrete reporting requirements and unique URLs for landing pages, perhaps several, per each execution type, so you're not guessing on performance, or pitting DM against FSI or Search in too narrow a window for success measurement. And this leads to…

Step #4: All data capture is valuable

If a shopper peruses the store (in whatever form) and isn't ready to purchase yet, is collecting an email, phone number or address for potential sale at a later date worthless? Of course not. That warm prospect, placed into an email or DM re-marketing execution, is far more inclined to buy, and likely to stay a customer longer, than a first time shopper. Furthermore, to place such a high expectation on instant gratification, juxtaposed by a willingness to disregard those early in the buying process, is not sound business sense.

Online, I see this as the biggest opportunity missed when evaluating the true impact of branded media CPM, paid Search and site traffic versus the perceived-to-be less risky one-action Cost Per Performance execution.

Don't overlook the fact that people brand themselves by the media they consume. Dedicated readership of brand media online can produce incredible results using a multiple call-to-action strategy, as long as there are means to capture a variety of shopper data post ad exposure.

Step #5: Don't go dark after December 20, 2005

Yes you want to limp home, Operating Expense positive. And maybe the frenzy dies down with only one week to go in the year, but your company will sell things in January -- right? You still plan to accept currency, credit cards, et cetera in 2006? I believe that dollars will still be legal tender.

I've seen it far too often. Completely shutting down outbound campaigns after December 20 puts incredible pressure on delivering Q1 revenue goals, and this literally shortens the selling upside for the entire following year. Dial it down, certainly, but don't expect a quick cure from the hangover magically on New Year's Day.

Conclusions

The foundation for my philosophy of marketing integration is simple: don't settle for the one-time acquisition only. Monetize all-hand raising activity to build up higher lifetime value per customer over time. These are not tactics to be attempted in a vacuum; they feed into each other, over and over again.

Isn't that what integrated means?