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Integration and the way forward for advertising in the global arena

Successful building of relationships between brands and consumers requires the presence of more and different touch points. And while traditional advertising remains the marketer's primary instrument (and will probably continue to be in the future), other communication tools are becoming ever more important.

Within this altered environment, the need to be able to integrate multiple and often diverse marketing disciplines into a cohesive thrust is the single biggest challenge facing the industry, believes Neil van der Weele, CEO of FCB South Africa, SA's leading marketing communications group.

"Within communications groups, we need to find ways to collaborate," he says, "so that everyone is selfless in their desire to solve brand problems rather than their own narrower sector needs. This challenge lies at the operating level, not the holding company (though of course the holding company has to mirror, and provide support for, the way the rest of the group is structured and transacts its business).

"Not only must we have the predisposition to work together, we also need the human resources capabilities at the highest level to utilise other kinds of marketing communication tools," Van der Weele continues. "And we must have the skills and insights to integrate the tools to create the optimal mix. Yet at the same we should recognise that the process of creating the perfect combination of tools may require some out-of-the-box thinking. We should not be afraid to venture into uncharted territory if the result is a quantum shift for the brand."

Marketers are increasingly looking to their communication partners to demonstrate a thorough understanding of their industry and brands, and devise fresh ideas and creativity to grow those brands. Marketing partners are also required to develop closer, more meaningful and more emotional relationships between brands and consumers.

"Yet while demands on agencies are steadily increasing, the financial resources available to achieve the desired results are pressurised as never before," Van der Weele points out. "Not only are marketers tightening their purse strings, they are also strongly emphasising accountability and measurability across the board. Return on investment in advertising has truly become the modern mantra.

"The stringent focus on results is one of the most powerful drivers of the move towards marketing integration and the relatively new concept of holistic, media-neutral communication solutions, developed and delivered by one-stop communication shops operating as fully-fledged partners in a seamless relationship centered on the brand."

Several years ago, before these ideas become current, FCB South Africa restructured its business to enable it extend its offering to clients and their brands. The agency acquired or organically grew top-class skills in the full range of marketing disciplines, ranging from research and strategy through design and implementation to leveraging marketing spend via PR and other means.

Using concepts such as Core Teams and Key Account Plans, the FCB group has been highly successful in developing integrated campaigns focused on the needs of clients, rather than on the operational needs of agency business units as the traditional agency model tended to emphasise.

"We're geared to grow every one of our clients' marketing properties," Van der Weele says. "We do not look at ways of how to cut up the existing assets into smaller pieces. Neither do we rely on the full-service agencies within the group to provide the bulk of new leads or revenue sources. Our specialist units have well-developed antennae and have proved themselves more than adept at identifying business opportunities and bringing these into the rest of the group.

"Sometimes it is asked whether client organisations are themselves attuned to the demands of integrated marketing. FCB are extremely fortunate in having client partners who not only understand the advantages of the holistic approach but also actively support our endeavours to reach beyond the traditional paradigm to embrace a more effective, cost-efficient brand of advertising."



Editorial contact

C-Cubed Communications
Petra Peacock
(011) 462-2596

20 Jun 2002 18:27

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