Engagement Strategies
In the age of IMC, it is essential for marketers to think creatively about what they are trying to accomplish with target customers through the campaign. Beyond just “pushing” a product through channel partners or “pulling” a customer in through advertising and awareness-building, marketers should consider how the campaign will draw attention, make an impact, and invite target audiences to take action amidst a crowded marketplace. Exposure alone is no longer sufficient to create brand equity and loyalty; interaction is now the name of the game.
Marketers today have many different avenues for creating engagement opportunities focused on making a desired impact in the mind–and behavior–of the customer. By thinking through campaign objectives at this level, marketers can better pinpoint not only a winning strategy for the campaign, but also the types of IMC tactics and tools to help them deliver the desired results. For example:
| Campaign Strategy | Well-suited IMC Tactics, Tools |
| Interact | Social media, events, guerrilla marketing efforts |
| Engage | Word-of-mouth recommendations, viral sharing, social media |
| Embrace | Brand community, social media, events, sales promotions, viral sharing |
| Influence | Public relations, thought leadership activities, personal selling |
| Convince | Case studies, testimonials, comparisons, free trials, samples |
| Educate | Advertising, thought leadership activities, public relations, website and other content marketing |
| Inspire | Testimonials, guerrilla marketing, events, advertising, case studies |
| Nurture | Email marketing, content marketing, personal selling |