Marketing That Syncs: Connecting Traditional and Digital Communication

In today's world, there are countless of brands we are exposed to on a daily basis, and yet, most of their messaging fails to grab our interest. But I will be honest, I have no problem with that; it is not easy to have effective brand communications (you need the appropriate storytelling at the right time, place, and for the right customer), and at the end of the day, the fact that is not easy is what keeps us good marketers employed in the first place.

Nevertheless, in my years of experience, there is something that bothers me even more than bad advertisement, and it is failed execution. Let me explain: Have you ever seen a fantastically executed TV commercial that made you want to learn more? That had you grab your phone and search the brand? Only to find that the brand's website didn't load, is hard to navigate, or the social media is  written in a different tone. Well, according to Forbes, "40% of users will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load", and this is just one of many ways we can fail while integrating our marketing.

The Promised Land

We dream of seamless campaigns that flow across all channels, reality on the other side, can be very different from this. When I worked in Digital Marketing for Reckitt in the Andean region, managing brands like Enfamil, I learned what happens when traditional and digital communications truly work together across the customer lifecycle, it takes your marketing to the next level and helps you stand out in your organization. Today, I will show you how it can be done.

Create Awareness: Be At The Right Place

To build awareness for Enfamil Confort in Peru, we ran a 360 campaign that combined doctor’s office brochures and TV spots with targeted social media ads and influencer collaborations. Why? Because we knew moms didn't just live on Instagram. Sure, they probably spend more hours than intended on that platform (people spend an average of 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media according to HubSpot), but we had to be aware that our target audience also talk to doctors, browse supermarket shelves, and look for trusted recommendations in both physical and digital spaces.

Dear reader, are you thinking like this?

And just there, you can see what you, as a marketer, have the responsibility to ensure that your company has a unified message with tailored executions per channel and that the message stays consistent across them.

For us, everything had to work towards this message: Enfamil Confort is the only product in the market with the best nutrients and easy digestion.

Act: Communicate Value to Foster Purchase

On our digital platforms like Club Enfabebé, we didn't just post content; we created tailored journeys. With our CRM we based all emails on the baby's birthdate, we sent personalized newsletters, product suggestions, and articles that targeted common issues.

Note: Club Enfabebe. Facebook (2023)

The result? Parents felt the content was unique to them, and that the brand was holding their hands on each step of the way (building trust). This would help us invite them to offline brand events that were relevant based on their needs or take them to their first purchase.

Convert: Converting leads is a Team Sport

While digital drove clicks and online orders, many of our conversions still came from offline doctors' offices, pharmacies, and supermarkets. That's why aligning POS materials with digital campaigns was essential. A disconnect here could mean a lost sale, or even worse, a lost sense of trust in the brand. As a Statista study showed, “Over 40 percent of consumers who lose trust in a brand stop using it, and buy from its competitors.”

The Most Important Part: The Engagement After-Purchase

Integrated communications don't stop after the sale, I usually tell my clients, it is here where the most important part starts. You must keep your audience engaged through the complete customer journey. We used our social media to continue conversations with influencer posts, reels, appreciation emails, and more to retain our customers, because remember, this is 5x-25x cheaper than finding new ones according to Harvard Business Review. 

If your Online and Offline are telling different stories, you're not building a brand; you're creating confusion. Ask yourself: Is your brand guiding customers through a unified journey, or are you making them piece it together themselves?