It’s time for the new integrationJust doing digital, or advertising, or social isn’t enough anymore. Nick Gill, Planning

Director at DCH, explains why new thinking on Integration is so desperately needed.

Some people would have you believe that advertising is dead. Some claim that digital is old hat (check out the multiple blog posts on our “post-digital world”). Even the Digirati are heralding the new online king, Social Media the First.

But there’s something wrong here. This is all channel-based thinking. Thinking that suggests one media must rule them all.

The real story

Advertising is not dead. It’s thriving. And evolving. We’re watching more TV than ever before but in new and interesting ways, and on new and interesting devices. The

often released as excerpts or episodes, to encourage sharing and get people clamouring for more. Outdoor has evolved to become interactive, and even press can now take the form of video.

Digital is not dead. It’s thriving. And evolving. Social might still be in its infancy, but it’s maturing each day. Some brands have already gone a long way to weave social media into their activities; others are still experimenting.

But, with each new technology and experience that arrives, comes new and exciting ways to realise the potential of connecting brands, consumers and communities.

Integration: a dirty word

In a time when people are disagreeing over what media takes top spot, what’s the next big thing and what’s not, a little calm and a lot of perspective is required.

Point of ViewDate: July 2010

Author:

Nick Gill Planning Director

dch.co.uk

Despite the evolution of advertising, digital and social, it seems that brands and agencies are still pledging their allegiance to just one or two of these disciplines. ‘Integrated’ appears to be a dirty word these days.

Why? Maybe because integrated smacks of what advertising agencies used to do when they were scared of wave upon wave of digital ‘stuff’ and either bought new media shops or just said they did everything anyway.

In those days, what integrated really meant was augmented advertising. An ad campaign that had a matching luggage microsite and a few half-hearted banner ads featuring the main campaign image and a headline with a gratuitous “click here”. As long as everything carried the same strapline it ticked the box called integrated.

Welcome to the new integration

Digital has come a long way since then. Broadband is now ubiquitous, social networking is culturally assimilated and 3G mobile means we’re always on, wherever we are. In fact, digital is making advertising more exciting. It’s providing more opportunities to create, distribute, engage, share, entertain, participate and amplify. It’s moved advertising from being just accessible to being a conversation opportunity.

So, it’s time to revisit integrated. But not in the old sense.

The new integration is about digital enabling an idea, making it meaningful and participatory. It’s about taking an idea beyond the screen and into the real world.

As users, we don’t passively view or actively participate in silos. We don’t think in these terms, we just do what we do. Mashing is second nature; we’ll happily listen to the radio while we drive, or use the laptop or mobile while we watch TV.

We blend.

We instinctively demand more integrated experiences from brands. And we expect them on-demand.

At the same time, we expect relevant, meaningful experiences. We demand relevance because we live in a connected, seamless world fuelled by technology where

as unnecessary noise. This is most relevant to us as advertisers.

We need to be jettisoning the silos and getting the right people together to create these multi-layered, seamless experiences. People who understand digital and all its possibilities within a broader context, as well as those who understand how to make brands interesting.

Digital needs to come up from the basement. Social needs to come out of the bedroom. Advertising needs to come out of the lounge. Media needs to come in from the kitchen. And analytics needs to come out of the cupboard. And they all need to meet in the room that hasn’t been built yet. And do something extraordinary. Something relevant. And interesting. Together. And when this meeting has taken place, we can use spaces in the right way. We can be cohesive, and

and participation in order to ignite ideas. Not ideas that are dictated by channel but ideas that are just really good.

Integrated ideas

The new integration is about concepts that are born from smart, strategic thinking, that is curated from culturally good stuff and leans towards new technological possibilities. Ideas that are born of information, insight, and knowledge. Ideas that don’t stop at launch, or after a six-week burst of media spend, but evolve through participation, active analytics and by absorbing content and engaged communities.

We’re talking here about concepts that can be activated in interesting and extraordinary ways to challenge conventions, demand attention and harness the interactivity and social contagiousness that digital offers. Concepts that draw on both the consumer understanding of advertising, and the analytical rigour of direct marketing, then combine them with the possibilities of the digital, social and mobile world.

The drive for new integration

When you take a step back, it’s clear that huge cultural shifts are driving the need for this new integration.

Just doing digital, or advertising, or social isn’t enough anymore. The new integration is about the seamless convergence of all of them.

That’s what’s truly needed.

Nick’s favourite exemplars for the new

integration…

My Starbucks idea is one of these thoughts that harnesses collective intelligence of users to re-shape the Starbucks of the future. http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaHome

Nike’s Chalkbot: A robot you program to paint messages on the road during the Tour de France, connecting the digital and real-world in an inspirational and meaningful way.http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/24/cannes-lions-cyber-nike-chalkbot

Guinness brought new meaning and relevance to rugby by embedding RFID chips in the ball and on the players to monitor, understand and

A Pepsi can now has the potential to become a brand experience rather than a drinks receptacle through Sticky Bits – blending the physical and digital worlds with barcode stickers that trigger multimedia information when scanned using a Smartphone.

Attention ParticipationInformation Inspiration

ROI Return on InvolvementImpact ExperienceCampaign Multiple Micro- InteractionsAwareness InfectionPost campaign Active Analytics reporting

From To

About the author

About the agency

DCH is an integrated agency with one aim: to reveal the simple truths behind the brands, services and products that we promote. Why? Because we believe that simple truths equal compelling work and successful connections between brand and audience.

DCH60 Charlotte Street.LondonW1T 2NU+44 (0) 20 7632 7600www.dch.co.uk@dch_agency

we count ourselves as fortunate to have one of the best in Nick Gill.

The role encompasses development and delivery of digital strategy, integrated planning, social brand consultancy, CRM, web development, content strategy, interactive advertising experiences.

Previously Ford of Europe, McLaren Automotive, Nissan GB & Europe, Unilever, Shell International, Smirnoff, Beverage Brands, Samsung, Activision, Morgan Stanley, Barclaycard, and GSK have all had the Gill treatment.As have some of the leading digital and direct agencies including OgilvyOne, Digitas, Wunderman, Tullo Marshall Warren and Lawton Communications Group.

Interact Congress blog, or on his own blog, and he is a regular speaker and thought leader in digital industry events and publications.

Or, better still, come in and meet the real thing.