Interdependent Marketing: Part 1

I've decided to go public with a bunch of ideas, the first being my thoughts on "Interdependent Marketing."  I typically hold these kinds of thoughts close to my chest, never write them down, forget and move on.  Sometimes I drop a hint to a client (if it applies), and they go all Mickey Mouse on me, wide eyed and joyful (assuming it can be put into practice).  But, this one, Interdependent Marketing, I couldn't let go. Interdependent Marketing, unlike Integrated Marketing, is not all of the rage, but you do it every day, even in your personal relationships.

Have you ever gone camping?  There's a bunch of stuff integrated in the mix: clothes, tools, tent(s), gear, food, and so on and so on, but unless the people understand and can effectively execute on the inter-dependence of their actions, the outcome will be short lived and no long-term gain will be achieved.

The bottom line is: we interact with people every day, and are inter-dependent upon them, as they are on us.  So, how would it be any different if a marketing organization, in parallel to communication in a family or circle of friends, not depend upon each other in similar ways?

In contrast, Integrated Marketing speaks to the mix of marketing disciplines being integrated into each other, but the mix doesn't also highlight the inter-related needs of a marketing organization.  For example, a company can have dozens of stand-alone communications vehicles using varied social media tools such as Twitter, FriendFeed, facebook, as well as email marketing, direct marketing, PR, etc., but unless those marketing vehicles are in support of one another, the consistency of messaging and visual branding will be lost.

As a marketing organization it is critical that it re-read its marketing goals; take inventory on budget, resources, human capital and chart how one activity will affect another and how an organized marketing team can take advantage of such an orchestration.

The best example in my book is film marketing.  The goal is to have a successful, high grossing film launch.  Nuff said.  Back up from there.  From day one when the film marketing is set to go the planning begins.  I've personally been in this process many times and it is very exciting to basically "storyboard" marketing to the point where a marketing team is leveraging its best assets, best people, budgeted resources and mapping out creative ideas timed to launch.  The marketing is inter-dependent, integrated and strategic.

As more social media tools are developed and marketing is handled by more people (even outside of marketing) and across distributed media will marketing teams need to take quarterly camping trips to remind themselves of how many people it actually takes to build a fire.