News from Vehr Communications

September 1, 2009

Integrated Marketing: A "Back-to-School" Checklist

Ask any parent who just survived another back-to-school season. The need for an integrated approach - school supplies, doctor visits, completed forms, new clothes and, yes, the latest high-tech gadgetry - requires organization, discipline and a clear understanding of the objective of getting Junior off to the right start.

It's the same for your business, whether new or old, big or small, consumer-based or b2b.

As you begin planning for 2010, now is a great time to assess whether your marketing approach is effectively integrated. Does it offer clear, concise, and creative messages delivered consistently over time? Are your offline (traditional) and online (new media) efforts in sync?

Doing your own "back to school" integrated marketing review can keep you organized and help give you the competitive edge needed to make the grade.

The first step is planning. What is your business objective? What action do you want your target audience to take? The goal is to ensure consistency of message.

Take the example set forth by Southwest Airlines, a company who markets under the umbrella of cultivating a positive customer experience. All messages put forth by the company support and reinforce its main objective.

Another step is determining your target audience. Who are they? What communication channels do they use? What messages will they respond to?

If your target audience seeks information online, social media outlets, e-newsletters and e-mail updates with links, may be most effective. These channels can support and build on one another.

Yet another step is to be sure to move away from a mindset in which different departments function independently of one another. Your message must be delivered clearly and concisely and with one voice.

Check out Vehr Communications' latest Insights article about integrated marketing. It offers some helpful tips and suggestions to, among other things, understand which channels matter most to your audiences and how to connect complementary channels.

From media releases to social media, from direct contact to direct mail, from collateral materials to community presentations, from graphics to packaging, the key to an integrated marketing approach is to deliver creative, clear and concise messages consistently over time.

If you need help developing or implementing your plan, feel free to contact Vehr Communications for assistance. We'd love to help.

Our Blog on Integrated Marketing

Visit our blog to see our most recent post on integrated marketing. See why clarity, consistency, creativity, and discipline are integral to marketing- whether consumer focused or b2b.

Please visit our blog regularly. It's called Vr3. The "r3" stands for reputation, relationships, and results. That's what we post about in Vr3. We appreciate your feedback.

Good Reads on Integrated Marketing

1. Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR by Brian Solis and Deidre Breakenridge

2. The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly by David M. Scott

3. Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

New Face at Vehr Communications

Stacy Stufft knows how to build reputations and brands. With 12 years of agency experience focusing on consumer goods and b2b companies, she develops communications strategies to connect with critical audiences from employees and local leaders to industry insiders and consumers.

Stacy's scope of work has been diverse and fuels her natural curiosity. She's generated awareness for new products and programs through national, regional and local consumer and trade media relations, special events and trade shows. She's written corporate marketing materials, created social media campaigns, trained spokespeople and developed community relations programs. She's counseled clients during crises, acquisitions and other tough times.

In addition to working with clients, Stacy also has past agency leadership experience that gives her a unique business perspective. She's managed a practice group, established employee policies, balanced budgets and led new business efforts. She knows first hand the importance of timely and consistent communications, transparency and steadfast focus.

Vehr Communications' Global Reach Grows with IPREX

Vehr Communications is the Cincinnati-area partner of IPREX, a global corporation of more than 80 leading independent public relations firms in major markets in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Vehr Communications' global reach has been expanded with the formal addition of the following firms to the IPREX partnership:

Sydney (Australia)- Wilkinson PR (www.wilkinsonpr.com.au): Wilkinson PR also has offices in Melbourne and Perth and an alliance with PLMR in London (UK).
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)- Rantau PR (www.rantaupr.com.my): Rantau PR has partnerships and affiliations expanding its reach in markets throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Our partnership with IPREX allows us to couple our local expertise with global reach for the benefit of our clients and the clients of other IPREX members.

PR News, PR Insights

This edition of March Forth provides links (on right) to some excellent blog discussions for building strategic communications plans.

As practitioners, we use communications to manage reputations, build relationships and deliver results. The Internet is changing how we do it, but how we have always done it is just as important.

We hope the connections we provide here, and the various additional news outlets and blogs we connect to on the Vehr Communications' website, help you to understand this rapidly changing industry as much as they help us.