Considering that nearly every brand benefits from an integrated communications approach, why is it so difficult for most organizations to pull this off? Why is it that breaking
down internal silos is, to some PR professionals, a pipe dream? Reminds one of the old saw: Why can't we all just get along?
Questions and answers concerning the "Future of Integrated Communications" were flying last month in San Francisco during the Thought Leaders Roundtable hosted by PR News and
VMS. A dozen senior level communicators took part in the roundtable to share ideas and the challenges they face as they attempt to tear down the walls between PR and
Marketing/Advertising for the greater good of the brand and their organization's' reputations.
Following are highlights from the Roundtable, which was facilitated by PR News Group Publisher Diane Schwartz and VMS Editorial Research VP Director Angie Jeffrey. Gary Getto,
EVP of VMS, shared results from some recent studies analyzing the impact of paid and nonpaid media, and outlined the enhanced understanding available through a more holistic
analytical approach.
What does the term "integrated communications" mean to you?
Bloom: Taking primary messages and weaving them through all communications.
Hammond: It's measuring up against bottom-line results.
Young: It's how communications influences the "convinced to buy." It's the process from "I never heard of you" to "I know who you are" to "I'm convinced to buy."
Bergevin: It's delivering the experience that reinforces the brand promise.
How well is the integrated communications process working in your organization?
Krug: At Visa, organizational change opened the door to fix the process. We had been resisting the process, but then we embraced it [as Visa reorganized and got more clarity
on each person's specific role].
Bergevin: It's the marketing mix together, not against, and I see very few companies that include the customer experience to reinforce brand promise.
Latta: The challenge is to educate people internally to be brand stewards. We eliminated practices across our three offices. Now 25% of our revenue comes from integrated
campaigns vs. 4% to 12% the previous year.
What role is PR playing in integrating the communications process?
Bloom: Some clients are just starting to see the light, but they're so busy and don't really have time to address this. Other clients would just as soon cut off their arm than
have this discussion.
Marklein: CMOs are moving to lead and represent the business, taking a holistic view of sales and marketing. If you're doing true integrated communications, it's about who's
representing the business rather than thinking about functional silos.
Do you find it's difficult to integrate in a large company?
Hammond: We're a $500 million company, and just to get the groups to work cohesively is a huge undertaking. Sometimes it takes courage to do the right thing.
Marklein: It's not the size as much as the structure of the organization. For example, IBM drives this well with a business level commitment, not just a team commitment.
Scanlon: Small companies tend to have closer relationships with customers. They have an understanding of sales that is intimate, so knowledge into the whole organization
happens faster.
Which brands do you feel evoke the brand promise 24/7?
Bergevin: Apple, Target, Amazon and FedEx.
Young: Southwest is an example of brand commitment from the back end on up. They are committed to the long term. Brands and reputations are built over a long period of time.
There's no faking it.
Does paid advertising still work for your brands?
Getto: Compared to several years ago, it now takes six to seven more impressions to communicate a message, and double the cost. Research shows that with paid vs. non-paid
media, there is no difference in customer credibility. New research calls into question whether non-paid media really is more credible than paid. It depends on the industry, the
product or service, the timing - a host of factors.
Bergevin: I know that half my media mix is working, I'm just not sure which half. I still believe that the credibility of unpaid media is higher than with advertising. We're
witnessing a profound shift in advertising, with much of it going online. Control [of the message] is the key thing.
How has social media (from blogs to sites like MySpace) affected your PR efforts?
Latta: We are blogging more to connect with peers. We build corporate blogs, but the metrics are more like "pin the tail on the donkey" - in other words, much more organic at
this point than they need to be.
Marklein: The "hip factor" is balancing out the "fear factor." We're moving from a situation of "I communicate to you," to a much more organic style of communications that's
more participatory. Companies that participate are ahead.
Krug: We're somewhat afraid, but we do want to go there. Corporate communications took the lead with an athlete's blog during the Turino Olympics in Italy. It was so subtle
that Visa was even behind the blog, and it worked brilliantly.
Scanlon: Clients come to me and say, "We want a blog." And then we ask, "Who's your blogger?" It's a tremendous time commitment that has to be considered.
Latta: Clients want blogs, but sometimes they want to keep the communications one way - like posting a CEO letter.
Young: It's important to start small, to put your toe in water, and thus control risk. But you can't fake authenticity.
Kimball: At Hitachi, we've been doing video experimentally. It's good viral marketing for us.
Anderson: You need to have a conversation with your stakeholders and also think about the lawyers. Will there be a change in law [because of the rise of user-generated
content]?
What's one of the keys to fully integrating communications?
Krug: Integrated marketing requires a lot more meetings, so check your ego at the door.
Nicholson: Reward integration by making it part of compensation.
Wright: You need to link PR impressions with sales.
Bergevin: You definitely need to have a champion at a high level in the company.
Bloom: I agree that you need your CEO to champion integrated marketing - then everyone rolls up their sleeves.
Marklein: Invest time in integration, step beyond your role and step out of the silo.
Editor's Note: To request an invitation to an upcoming Thought Leaders Roundtable in your city, contact Diane Schwartz at [email protected].
Thought Leaders Roundtable Participants
Forrest Anderson, Forrest Anderson Consulting, [email protected]
Paul Bergevin, president, Citigate Communications, [email protected]
Jonathan Bloom, CEO, McGrath Power Public Relations, [email protected]
Gary Getto, executive vice president, VMS, [email protected]
Chris Hammond, vice president, communications, Wells Fargo, [email protected]
Angie Jeffrey, VMS editorial research VP director, [email protected]
Kevin Kimball, vice president, communications, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, [email protected]
Kellie Krug, senior vice president, marketing services, Visa USA, [email protected]
Shannon Latta, executive vice president and partner, The Horn Group, [email protected]
Tim Marklein, executive vice president and general manager, Weber Shandwick Worldwide, [email protected]
Natasha Nicholson, vice president and publisher, International Association of Business Communicators, [email protected]
Bryan Scanlon, executive vice president and assistant general manager, Schwartz Communications, [email protected]
Diane Schwartz, group publisher, PR News, [email protected]
Margot Wright, research associate, Ketchum, [email protected]
Michael Young, senior vice president, Access Communications, [email protected]