7 Little-Known Integrated Marketing Campaign Examples That Made a Big Impact
Integrated marketing, aka omnichannel marketing, combines all marketing communications and channels into a unified force to create a seamless and effective customer journey.
Imagine a customer’s journey: They see your newsletter over morning coffee, smile at your creative Instagram post in the afternoon, and save your product for later. A few days pass, and they revisit your site after seeing an engaging Facebook ad. Finally, over the weekend, they step into your store to make a purchase. This seamless experience is what integrated marketing delivers.
Let’s explore the key components of integrated marketing and share inspiring campaign examples to ignite your creativity.
What is an Integrated Marketing Campaign?
An integrated marketing campaign combines multiple marketing channels to deliver a cohesive message. The goal is to create a seamless experience for the audience so that every interaction with the brand feels consistent and aligned with the overall message.
Types of Marketing Channels
Marketing channels generally fall into three categories:
- Paid media: These are channels where you pay to promote your content. Examples include Google Ads, social media ads, and ads in newsletters. Paid media helps you reach a larger audience quickly.
- Earned media: This is the exposure you gain from word-of-mouth, press coverage, or customer testimonials on social media. Earned media is valuable because it comes from others talking about your brand.
- Owned media: These are the channels you control, such as your website, email newsletters, and social media profiles. Owned media lets you communicate with your audience without intermediaries.
To run integrated marketing communication:
- Your paid channels should be laser-focused on reaching the right people fast.
- Use your earned channels to encourage positive buzz through word-of-mouth, press coverage, and social media mentions.
- Keep your owned channels fresh and engaging with content that connects with your audience and reinforces your brand message.
Integrated Marketing Campaigns in Action
Imagine you’re launching a new product. An integrated marketing campaign for this launch would look like this:
- Email marketing: You start by sending a broadcast email to your subscribers, announcing the new product. The email includes a special discount for early buyers and links to a dedicated landing page.
- Social media: On the same day, you post about the product on your social media channels. The posts have the same visuals and messages as the email to reinforce the announcement.
- Content marketing: Your blog features an article about the benefits and features of the new product. The article includes expert quotes, survey data, customer testimonials, and a call-to-action to visit the landing page.
- Paid advertising: You run targeted ads on Google and social media. The ads match the look and feel of the email and social media posts.
- In-store promotion: If you have a physical store, you set up displays and posters that match the online campaign’s design. Doing so creates a unified experience for in-store customers.
Is Integrated Marketing an Expensive Strategy?
Integrated marketing might seem expensive at first because it involves coordinating multiple channels and strategies. However, knowing your customer well is more important than having a huge budget.
Plus, when you look at the big picture, it’s a cost-effective approach. With a unified message across all platforms, you don’t need to create separate campaigns for each one.
Still, managing multiple marketing channels requires more resources than most small businesses have.
If your budget is tight, consider starting with just one channel. We recommend email marketing because it gives you a direct line to your customers, and you can send mass personalized emails at a low cost.
Integrated Marketing vs. Multichannel Marketing
We often hear about multichannel marketing alongside integrated marketing. While they’re similar, differences exist.
Multichannel marketing uses more than one channel to reach customers, but each channel operates independently.
For example, you might run separate campaigns for social media, email marketing, and PPC advertising. Each campaign might have its own goals, messages, and strategies.
The diagram below shows how each marketing channel operates independently in a multichannel approach.
Integrated marketing also uses multiple channels, but they all work together as parts of a unified strategy.
The messages, visuals, and goals are consistent across all channels. For example, when you’re creating an email campaign, you use the same email font and power words in your social media posts and on your website.
Check out the diagram below to see how integrated marketing communication unifies all marketing channels.
Why Is Integrated Marketing Important?
Integrated marketing helps create a smooth and consistent experience for your audience. As a business, you should care about this consistency because it has the following benefits.
Enhanced Trust
Consistency makes your brand more reliable and trustworthy. Keep your style guides, logos, voice, and headers uniform from your welcome email until your last interaction with each customer. Over time, this consistency leads to stronger customer loyalty and a positive reputation in the market.
Strong and Cohesive Brand Identity
Integrated marketing helps solidify your brand identity. When every channel reflects the same branding and messaging, it reinforces who you are and what you stand for. This makes your brand more memorable and recognizable.
Dynamic Customer Experience
Customers can move from one channel to another without feeling like they’re interacting with a different company. This smooth customer journey makes it easier for them to engage with your brand and take action.
Increased Efficiency
Instead of creating separate campaigns for each channel, you create one cohesive strategy. This makes your marketing more efficient. Plus, you can take content from different channels and repurpose it creatively for maximum impact.
Robust ROI
When all channels work together, they amplify each other’s impact. For example, an email campaign can drive traffic to your social media, while social media posts can encourage people to visit your website. This synergy leads to better conversion rates and boosts your ROI
Deep Data and Insights
Integrating your marketing efforts helps you understand how different channels influence each other and how your audience interacts with your brand across various touchpoints. With these insights, you can make more informed decisions and optimize your strategy.
Maximum Reach
Using multiple channels increases your chances of reaching a diverse audience. For instance, a customer who sees your social media might never subscribe to your newsletter. You don’t need to be on every channel, but being where your customers are increases your reach significantly.
Superior Customer Engagement
A consistent message across all platforms reduces confusion and resonates better with customers. When they understand and relate to your brand’s message, they’re more likely to engage with it.
7 Best Integrated Marketing Campaign Examples
Let’s take a look at seven inspiring integrated marketing campaign examples with seamless journeys and solid results.
1. Dumb Ways to Die
“Dumb Ways to Die” was a public safety campaign created by Metro Trains in Melbourne to promote train safety. While the campaign dates back to 2012, it’s one of the most impactful integrated campaigns ever.
Each element of the campaign directed people to pledge to be safe around trains.
It started with a YouTube video, which quickly went viral. To maintain momentum, the campaign included a dedicated Tumblr site for GIF sharing, an iTunes release of the song, outdoor advertising designed for Instagram, and even a smartphone game.
Melbourne Metro later developed a mobile game based on the idea, and a video game studio acquired the franchise in 2023.
The campaign was so successful that:
- The YouTube video reached over 20 million views in one week and over 40 million views in six weeks.
- It became the world’s most shared video and climbed the music charts in over 20 countries.
- Nearly a million people took the safety pledge on the campaign’s website.
- It led to a 21 percent reduction in accidents and deaths compared to the previous year.
Key Takeaways
- Viral content: A catchy and shareable video can significantly amplify your message.
- Engagement: Encourage audience participation to increase engagement and reinforce the campaign’s message.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent theme and message across all channels to give the audience a cohesive experience.
2. University of Central Florida’s Football Team
The UCF football team launched an innovative campaign during its spring game by printing QR codes on its jerseys, instead of player numbers.
Each unique QR code led to a webpage with the player’s bio, stats, official social media accounts, and more. The campaign’s objective was to create exposure for the student-athletes. It generated a huge buzz and engaged fans both in the stadium and online.
The team also filmed a promotional video featuring the players with their QR jerseys. And they published it on Easter Day, three days before the game, to build momentum.
The outcomes of this integrated marketing campaign were:
- Each student player gained over 1,000 new followers on Instagram.
- Some of the players received sponsorships and promotional deals.
- Fan engagement increased during and after the game.
Key Takeaways
- Innovative use of technology: Introduce QR codes in unexpected places to capture attention and drive engagement.
- Cross-channel integration: Combine physical and digital elements to make your campaigns more dynamic and engaging.
- Measurable impact: Track audience interactions and create campaign reports to gain valuable data on campaign effectiveness.
3. Microsoft’s MakeWhatsNext Campaign
In 2019, Microsoft wanted to encourage more girls to continue studying in STEM areas. So, the company launched its #MakeWhatsNext campaign on International Women’s Day to tackle the issue of women being underrepresented in tech and science.
The integrated campaign introduced young girls to amazing female inventors who have made significant contributions but are often overlooked. It used social media, online videos, and events to spread the message and inspire change.
Microsoft also launched a patent program specifically for young female inventors, which provided guidance and funding to help girls file patents for their innovative ideas.
Within one month of the launch:
- The campaign received over 184 million media impressions.
- Brand sentiment soared to an unprecedented 83%.
- Searches for women inventors more than tripled.
Key Takeaways
- Highlight underrepresented groups: Bring attention to overlooked contributions to drive engagement and awareness.
- Encourage action: Provide practical steps, like the patent initiative, to turn awareness into actionable change.
- Inspire younger generations: Role models and real-life success stories can motivate young people to pursue their goals and make a difference.
4. Wimbledon’s “Always Like Never Before”
In 2023, The Wimbledon Tennis Championships launched an integrated marketing campaign to revitalize its brand. The objective was to celebrate the tournament’s rich history while promoting a new generation of tennis players.
The campaign worked across various channels, including social media, digital platforms, and global broadcasts. It featured a rousing trailer with advanced 3D animation, CGI, and photography. During the competitions, themed billboards were also placed around the venue.
This integrated approach helped engage fans worldwide and kept the spirit of Wimbledon alive.
The campaign was:
- Over 1 million impressions on YouTube.
- Well-received across global broadcast channels.
- Renewed for a second year in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Consistency pays off: Continuing successful campaigns can strengthen brand presence and maintain audience interest year after year.
- Create visual appeal: Incorporate 3D animation and visual effects to make your campaigns stunning and memorable.
- Celebrate heritage: Honor past achievements to create a strong emotional connection with your audience.
5. Duolingo On Ice
Since 2016, Duolingo, the language learning app, has started a tradition of pranking its users on April’s Fools Day. In 2024, Duolingo took the tradition to new heights with an elaborate video campaign advertising a fake live show called “Duolingo on Ice.”
The campaign’s believability was key to its success. They linked the fake show to a webpage on SeatGeek with real event details and show dates.
Duolingo used multiple social platforms to run its campaign, and it played to the strengths of each social media platform.
On YouTube, they uploaded a three-minute trailer video because they knew the audience was willing to watch it. They posted shorter versions on TikTok and Instagram with slightly different hashtags for each platform. For Facebook, they adjusted the content using more relatable humor to appeal to Millennials.
The campaign was hugely successful in raising brand awareness by every metric:
- The video received 2.9 million views on YouTube.
- It generated 2.2 million likes on TikTok and Instagram.
- The original post on platform X garnered over 2.9 million impressions.
Key Takeaways
- Engaging video content: High-quality, engaging video content can capture and hold the audience’s attention across multiple platforms.
- Platform-specific strategies: Tailor content to fit the preferences of each platform’s audience. This will help you enhance engagement and reach.
- Authenticity: Believable content, even as a prank, can significantly boost virality and audience interaction.
6. Duolingo Super Bowl
Duolingo’s marketing team has mastered the art of running stunning integrated campaigns. That’s why we decided to include another example of their work here.
During the 2024 Super Bowl, they bought a five-second commercial slot and used the element of surprise to capture attention and generate social media buzz.
The ad featured Duo the Owl in a hilarious spot where Duo’s butt grew larger until it exploded with a smaller version of Duo popping out to remind viewers to do their daily Duolingo lesson.
Right after the commercial aired, Duolingo sent a push notification to all users in the regions where the ad aired, reading “Do your lesson, no buts.” The message reached 4 million users almost instantly, thanks to a complete redesign of their notification system.
This creative campaign:
- Got over 4.6 million impressions on YouTube.
- Generated significant social media buzz and online engagement.
- Motivated the engineering team to create a cutting-edge notification system.
Key Takeaways
- Element of surprise: Not teasing the ad beforehand can create a bigger impact and generate more buzz.
- Technical innovation: Don’t be afraid to push technical challenges to achieve your marketing goals.
- Humor: Add a dash of (cheeky) humor to capture attention and make your campaigns more memorable.
7. Yeti’s Map the Gaps
Yeti’s “Map the Gaps” campaign is a perfect example of blending adventure, technology, and marketing.
Google has mapped 98% of the world’s roads, but many wilderness trails remain untouched. Yeti saw this as an opportunity to showcase their Hopper M20 cooler by mapping these hidden trails.
They equipped 15 global ambassadors with GPS-enabled 360º cameras and the Hopper M20 cooler. These ambassadors, who are also social media influencers, shared their experiences and footage on their social media accounts.
Besides leveraging Google Maps, the campaign included a dedicated website where viewers could watch the 360-degree footage. This integrated approach turned Google Maps into an interactive advertisement and demo for Yeti’s new cooler.
What did this campaign achieve?
- Hopper sales increased by 300%.
- Added 75 miles of new trails to Google Street View.
- Received 78 million press impressions from top outlets.
Key Takeaways
- Unconventional marketing channels: Don’t limit your marketing to just social media. You can create unique and engaging experiences using many other platforms.
- Showcase product features: Demonstrate your product in real-world settings to highlight its features and benefits.
- Leverage influencers: Collaborate with social media influencers to amplify your reach and exposure.
The Role of Email Marketing in Integrated Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing lets you speak directly to your audience and send tailored messages to your subscribers based on their interests and behaviors. You can use emails to drive traffic to your latest blog post, generate new leads, or tell your customers an item is back in stock.
What’s more, email marketing is a budget-friendly channel. You can reach many people without spending a lot of money.
Follow these tips to make email marketing a high-impact part of your integrated campaigns.
Boost Deliverability for Campaign Success
Your deliverability reflects how many of your sent emails make it to your subscribers’ primary inboxes. A high deliverability rate increases the chances of your audience seeing and engaging with your emails.
Email deliverability is our specialty here at Campaign Refinery. Our email marketing solution offers a unique set of features designed to make sure your email domain earns a high reputation with ISPs.
We break down the factors that impact deliverability into three categories:
- Sender reputation: How email providers perceive your trustworthiness.
- Email strategy: The consistency and planning of your email campaigns.
- Technical setup: Correctly implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols to verify your legitimacy as a sender.
To maximize your deliverability, focus on growing an engaged audience. Follow email list management best practices and steer clear of bad email marketing practices, such as cold emailing.
Segment for Maximum Precision
Email segmentation involves splitting your audience into smaller, more focused groups. This way, you can customize your messages because these groups have varying preferences.
For instance, you might segment your audience based on:
- Purchase history,
- Demographic information,
- Geographic location,
- Email open rates,
- Click-through rates,
- Customer lifecycle stage.
At Campaign Refinery, we have a robust tag-based segmentation engine. While other services manage separate lists for each segment, our system uses tags to organize subscribers. This way, there’s no confusion with overlapping lists.
We’ve also recently introduced a new feature called Audience Groups. This powerful option lets you send the same content to multiple segments without worrying about emailing a contact more than once.
Personalize to Connect and Engage
Sending the same content to a group with similar interests is a necessity, but paying attention to each subscriber’s preferences can make a big difference. Email personalization lets you tailor your messages without crafting each one individually.
When designing integrated marketing campaigns, think about how you can use the data from other channels to personalize the email experience.
Let’s say you’re using email marketing for your e-commerce business. If a subscriber recently looked at a specific product category, follow up with an email featuring similar items or offering a discount on those products.
You can also use purchase history to your advantage. For example, if a customer often buys sports gear, send them updates on new arrivals in that category or special promotions. This way, you keep your emails relevant and engaging.
Effortless Integrated Campaigns with Campaign Refinery
At Campaign Refinery, we do one thing extremely well: email marketing. But we also understand the value of flexibility.
You can easily connect Campaign Refinery with thousands of other marketing tools, either directly or through Zapier. This lets you create your perfect set of tools for managing integrated campaigns without any headaches.
Our platform provides everything you need to run your campaigns smoothly:
- An intuitive and clean UI to make navigation a breeze.
- Precision analytics to track your success and make informed decisions.
- A powerful automation builder to build any workflow logic.
- A handy campaign library to get you started quickly.
- A reliable countdown timer that can’t be tricked, so your time-sensitive offers are fair and final.
Why settle for less when you can have the best tools at your fingertips? Apply today to join Campaign Refinery!
