A lot of people have asked lately, “given that the economy is in the tank, and is likely to be there for a while, what do you suggest we do for marketing.” That’s a great question, and – as you might expect – the answers are not cut and dried, easy, or obvious. In fact, the solution for marketing in this economy is a little different for every client. However, there is one, overarching suggestion that I can make to just about everybody. 

Synergy.

Think about it. If you’re in print, online, and direct mail, what could make each work better? Synergy. If you’re doing a combination of billboards, P.O.S., and radio, what could make your campaign stronger? Synergy. In fact, if you’re not applying synergy to your marketing, you’re wasting a lot of money, and getting far less in the “bang for your buck” department than you should be. 

So what is “synergy” anyway, and how do you use it? That, campers, is the $64,000 question. 

Synergy, to me, is when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Synergy is what happens when various elements of your marketing efforts work in harmony, mutually amplifying each other. For instance, when your billboards drive traffic to your website, which offers coupons for your brick ‘n mortar store, that’s synergy. 

Synergy also applies to a commonality in look, feel, and tone. You might be surprised, but there are huge numbers of companies out there that pay no attention to this kind of branding consistency. They use things like canned advertising packages from third-party groups, and pay no attention to the idea that their brand has value, and a consistent look and feel makes brands stronger. 

Synergy is also part of a marketing attitude. If you aren’t already looking at your entire advertising, marketing and P.R. efforts with an overarching plan, start now. Avoid the rush. Everything you do marketing-wise needs to work in harmony, or you are hurting – not helping – your brand. Synergy. It’s the “new black.” Believe it.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 3:26 pm and is filed under advertising, marketing.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.