As marketers work with limited budgets in a slowing economy, they are challenged to develop innovative campaigns using a mix of off- and online media to communicate their brands and positioning.
But thanks to a wide variety of lower-cost Internet programs, from webinars to white papers, as well as traditional media and guerrilla marketing initiatives, marketers and their agencies are creating effective integrated campaigns that are producing positive results.
For some marketers, such as FedEx Corp., this meant developing a fully integrated marketing program using TV, print, online, in-store and guerrilla marketing to promote FedEx Kinko's print online service.
"We took a 360-degree view of a day in the life of small-business professionals and hit them all through the day with the message, whether they were on their way to work, reading news online or watching TV at home," said Steve Pacheco, director of advertising at FedEx.
Working with its lead agency, BBDO New York, as well as Atmosphere BBDO, New York; the Integer Group, Dallas; and Ketchum New York, FedEx created an integrated campaign that seamlessly wove its message through online and offline media.
Other b2b marketers, such as Pitney Bowes MapInfo, have developed more-targeted integrated campaigns that drive users to a specific action.
Working with Mobium Creative Group, Chicago, MapInfo developed an integrated marketing campaign to raise awareness of its "location intelligence" positioning, using direct mail and online marketing tactics to drive users to a white paper download.
Flo Healthcare, a division of Emerson, also used a white paper program as a central part of its integrated campaign. Developed by Arketi Group, Atlanta, the program's goal is to educate customers about the total lower cost of ownership of its premium mobile workstations aimed at the healthcare industry.
The campaign also included print, online, direct and trade show support.
For ITT Corp., a global engineering company, trade shows proved to be the core component of an integrated marketing program, developed by Doremus, New York, to position the company as a leader in the water equipment industry.
Using a combination of print, online and innovative out-of-home media placements, ITT "hijacked" the Aquatech trade show in Amsterdam to break through the clutter.
On the pages that follow, BtoB takes an in-depth look at some of the most successful integrated marketing campaigns of the past year.
The campaigns were nominated by BtoB staff, ad agencies and marketers, and were selected based on their ability to creatively integrate different elements to achieve results.