John R. Kowalski Integrative Marketing Fusion

Metrics – 5 of 16, The IMF Model Disassembled

Measure the success of marketing campaigns and show how well campaigns are tracking toward key performance indicators (KPIs). They are one of the most important elements of any campaign, and without them, you wouldn’t have a clear picture of whether their marketing strategy is a success.

Questions & Approaches to an Effective Marketing Strategy

While goals indicate what you want to achieve; a strategy is the plan to meet those goals.

This is where we map out several integral elements in one, concise document to act as a checks and balances against your communications activities. Reviewing your activities against this document will quickly identify if you are on strategy with your mix and tactics.

Keep conscious when you’re creating this

  • What will stand you apart from competitors?
  • What will capture attention?
  • What will cut through the market “noise?”
Icons depicting teamwork, brainstorming, and leadership float around the words, "Marketing Strategy."

Here are five distinct marketing strategies you can use to achieve your marketing goals

Awareness marketing

I want people to know who I am and what I do
In order to be noticed, this marketing strategy must be loud and clear
The marketing message is simple and straightforward
Large companies use this marketing strategy because it gets a lot of attention very quickly


Legitimacy marketing

  • This marketing strategy is about building a reputation. Its marketing message is about the value you add to people’s lives
  • This strategy usually involves many marketing tactics over a long period of time
  • Small businesses use this marketing strategy because it takes much longer for it to pay off, but when it does, your success will be felt throughout the market segment

Affinity marketing

  • I want people to see me as part of a community, to become part of a bigger whole
  • The marketing message is about being a member of the club
  • No one company owns it. Several companies may use this marketing strategy at any given time depending on how they approach their marketing activities

Relationship marketing

  • I want to build a strong relationship with my customers, offering them the best of me and my business
  • The marketing message is that we fit with each other
  • This marketing strategy is about deepening communications over time through multiple marketing activities and approaches

Target marketing

  • I want to focus on a specific market segment, a specific target audience
  • The marketing message is about having the same needs, wants and desires
  • This marketing strategy usually involves marketing tactics created for this purpose only
  • It can be very effective when you have a smaller marketing budget which would allow you to focus on a small number of marketing activities instead of trying to cover a lot of marketing ground

Depending on your marketing goals and budget, all the above strategies can be used at the same time. Your strategy should also be aligned to support your brand and what you want to achieve through marketing activities.

Book Progress

I figure it’s time for an update on my marketing book. It seems the writing process ebbs and flows with time availability, energy and the right mindset but I’m cranking right along. Currently at 68 pages (18,000-ish words). I’m really happy with how this is progressing.

Here’s a look at the current outline and working title:

A Practical Guide for Integrative Marketing Fusion

Foundations, strategies & tactics for marketers, growth drivers & change agents

  1. Introduction
  2. Marketing Defined
  3. Integrative Marketing Fusion
  4. Team Empowerment & Creativity Equals Growth
  5. Self-Care Equals Growth
  6. A Brand
    • Molding the Brand
    • A Brand Identified
    • Corporate vs Product Brand
    • Product Traits vs Brand Traits
    • Brand Checklist
    • Brand Brief Defined
    • Brand Attributes & Architecture
    • Brand Perception Survey
    • Brand Outline Example
  7. Building a Personal Brand
    • Evolve, Connect, Inspire – Evolution Guide Workbook
  8. Marketing Strategy
    • SWOT Analysis
    • Market Trends
    • Competitive Landscape
    • Target Audience & Creating Personas
    • Messaging Focus
    • Reviews & Workflow
    • Marketing Strategy Template
  9. Marketing Communications Program Management
    • Setting Goals
    • Tactics Must Support the Brand
    • Programs & Tactics
    • Learnings & Tips
    • Marketing Mix/Tactics Template
    • Public Relations Strategies for Success
    • Strategies for the Future
  10. Metrics
  11. Product Launches
  12. Product Launch Template
  13. Annual Planning
  14. Marketing Functions
  15. Resources & Tools
  16. IMF for Greater Value
    • Gaining Leadership Support
    • Tying it all Together
    • Leadership & IMF
    • PeaceWalker Project
    • WorldBlu
    • Ubuntu
  17. Connected & Aligned
  18. The Future of B2B Marketing
  19. Close
  20. Acknowledgements
  21. Testimonials

Other elements to add in:

  • Experience Notes (Stories)
  • Content bits that need to find a home

Ensure a Focused Approach – Personas

This answers the “Who are you talking to?” question. I break these down:

  • Primary audience – Decision makers and those who receive your messaging directly.
  • Secondary audience – Influencers or users who do not have decision making responsibilities. These are people that may receive your messaging.

Each primary and secondary target audience must be broken down into a persona. What they think, how they use your product or service, what challenges do they face daily or annually? What attitudes, concerns or criteria drives customers to choose your product or service?

This also includes where they get their information? What do they read, listen to or watch? Where do they go or hang out? Do they use any buzzwords or industry speak? What are their professional goals?

Outlining your primary and secondary audiences will provide valuable insight into who you’re marketing to.

The persona development process can help you assess your target audience persona development much easier. This helps you identify the specific group of people that represent your target audience, and guide marketing and business to design experiences that are relevant for specific persona.

Each persona is a type of person represents, or a representation of, your ideal customer. This typically is based on real data from your existing customers.

When creating personas include demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, goals, and values. The more detailed, the better. This can is the foundations for your marketing tactics and programs. Your messaging and imagery should trigger emotions and actions in these personas. That will ensure an on-strategy tactic. Also look at your SWOT analysis and work the strengths and opportunities into your messaging if appropriate.

Essential information for persona development includes:

  • Gender
  • Age range
  • Job title
  • Job function
  • Industry or market
  • Preferred communication channels
  • Customer needs and desires

Persona development can also relate to other areas of business-like product design, branding, marketing, and sales. By understanding persona this way, you will be able to focus on the needs of your persona development which results in them returning to buy products or services from you over time.

Marketing Tactics Must Support the Brand

Keep in mind that messaging and creative development need to support your brand assets. The brand assets are your checks and balances. If your tactics don’t support some or all the brand assets, then your tactic is off strategy. Consistency and repetition are key.

The primary goal of marketing is to communicate with your audience, and you must do this in a way that reinforces the values, tones, style, and strategy that your brand represents. The ultimate outcome should be an effective message that moves them to action.

Messaging (and every interaction) must support the overall brand. For this to happen consistently, there needs to be some framework or foundation from which you build everything on top of. These are the brand assets we discussed earlier in the book. Strong messaging comes from a strong branding foundation. Strong branding requires consistency so use brand asset checks and balances when implementing individual marketing tactics. Your brand assets are powerful tools at your disposal, and they need to be honored in every piece of communication.

You may remember seeing a box when you were writing an essay for school; we’re going to use the same idea in our marketing. Every time we launch a new campaign or message, we’ll check it against these brand asset questions:

  • Does this message support the tone and strategy that I’ve built around my brand?
  • Does this message fit into the overall feel for my brand?
  • Does this align with what I’m communicating on all other channels?

If your answer is yes, then you can proceed confidently knowing that your messaging is not only on strategy but also reinforcing the branding foundation that’s already there.

If the answer is no, then you need to go back to the drawing board and ask yourself why. It will help you rebuild your branding foundation so that it’s stronger next time. Remember, you’re building this over time. Don’t give up!

By taking a holistic approach, messaging and creative will reinforce your brand values for marketing to be effective.