Best Practices for Complex, Integrated Communication Campaigns

As we continue to see more mergers and acquisition activity in the market, Collabry’s expertise in integration management is becoming increasingly vital to our clients. Fusing diverse elements (such as data systems or disparate products) into a seamless whole is one of our strengths and passions.

We can also help our clients ensure that their clients understand any changes to the resulting products or services. Often, this includes sending information through various communications channels. Our communications team members are aces at doing that.

JOHN PACHECO SENIOR STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

Last week, we caught up with Collabry Senior Strategic Consultant John Pacheco, who’s in the middle of an ambitious communication campaign that’s involved three years of planning and phased execution. We asked him to tell us some of his own best practices that have emerged through his 20-plus years of experience in complex communications.

These are among his top strategies:

• Piece Together the Time Puzzle: Establish the “drop date”—when the communication will be sent—and, working backward, communicate key dates with all partners, from writers and legal/executive reviewers to the digital team, printers, mailers, and support team. It’s key, John says, to ascertain if the campaign can be effectively accomplished in the time given, or if you need to reset expectations.

• Build a Mousetrap: When getting the message to a consumer is vital, you’ll likely need multiple touch points across several channels to snag their attention. For example, a cadence of well-timed email messages, mailed letters, website banners, and customized digital and mobile experiences can help alert consumers that they need to take action by a deadline or pay attention to further information that’s coming their way.

• Unleash the Quality-Control Squad: “The more complex your communication, the more quality assurance you’ll need before the message drops,” advises John. Validate every aspect of the campaign—from making sure website addresses lead to the right landing pages, to ensuring the links work and any online forms collect exactly the data you need. “Once the message has gone out, it’s incredibly hard to un-ring the bell,” he adds. Mea culpas meant to correct errors in a message, can sometimes unintentionally add to the confusion, while also highlighting mistakes that can tarnish the client’s brand reputation at a time in the consumer relationship when credibility matters most.

Of course, complex campaigns include many other facets, from tracking open and response rates to making sure the person behind the phone number given in the campaign knows the drill. The three items outlined above, however, offer a peek into John’s mind while he’s in the thick of a watershed campaign (while also trying to stay cool in the Southern California heat!).

Is the need for a grand and multifaceted communications campaign in your foreseeable future? Talk to us!