Integration vs. DIVERSITY

Randall Rothenberg wrote an article in Advertising Age: Chasing Marketing's Holy Grail Into Cyberspace
And Pondering the Ad Industry's Difficulties With Integrated Campaigns

Read the full article here: http://www.adage.com/columns/article?article_id=109084

It hit me: why does this silly "integrated" idea persist? It clearly is not something consumers asked for, or notice. It is also unclear whether there have ever been any success stories due to this strategic approach.

Is the convenience of "one-creative-idea-fits-all" really relevant in this fractured media environment? And in a culture where some consider it good to have attention deficit disorder?

Here's my reality: a brand has dozens of attributes and benefits, that appeal to millions of different people, in thousands of different media context, across a broad spectrum of purchase situations. It is time to embrace DIVERSITY and VOLUME of unique tailored creative messages.

Give the customers the message they want and can engage.

Ponder this instead: “Surround the brand with multiple messages and romance the customer with all of them until they react. Repeat what works. Reward customer performance. Succeed by learning.”