Keep It Integrated

Today's drip goes back to the textbook, reminding us that things like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs are actually really relevant to our jobs in MARCOM.

Is there a brand that has gotten "values" right with their marcom? I'm falling in love with Tinder....

How do personal values map to messaging? We hear from Dr. Americus Reed from UPenn on the politicization of Cracker Barrel.

Kraft Heinz is breaking up. What do private labels and the Situation Analysis have to do with it?

Cognitive dissonance and Cracker Barrel - could a better Situation Analysis have helped the brand's rebrand?

The Hawthorne Effect, the Say-Do Gap: Two theories that can explain where/how research can go wrong. Does this explain what happened with Cracker Barrel? Maybe....

Nothing cures a back to work than starting off with some research statistics about the holiday weekend, AND, some potential problems researchers face when making sense of data.

Still talking about Cracker Barrel. Here we refer to a brief of the brief if you will, what I call the Target Market Incentive Statement (TMIS) as an integral tool to carry around with you any time you are messaging for your client. Is what we are saying/doing consistent with our TMIS? You can bet that Cracker Barrel's rebrand wasn't!

Oh, snap! Cracker Barrel made a big mistake. Let's talk about how this happening, and how the Creative Brief could have saved them from failure.

Here's a quick take on the Creative Brief - the main planning document used in Advertising. Other IMC folks may call it a Strategy Statement, Strategy Document, or even a Master Narrative. Whatever you call it, it is integral in helping us get to those consistent, cohesive messages we look for in IMC.

Let's talk about Account Planners - you might not have this job title, BUT, you should be playing the role as you engage in IMC. Always strive to be the Voice of the Consumer, and the Heatbeat of the Brand.

What a better way to start Season 5 and kickoff the week than a brief definitional check in - what is marketing? What is IMC? What will you add as an "anything and everything" in these definitions?

This short teaser welcomes Keep It Integrated back from a long hiatus, and tells you what to expect in our current season - SEASON FIVE. Spoiler... The first DRIP is DROPPING later today (8/25/25). Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!

Sarah and Kristin keep cool despite the dog days... Catch us grooving to brand jingles and throwing our two left feet into the delicate PR dance between Nathan's and Joey Chestnut.

Sarah and Kristin have some fun breaking down the strategies behind some great brand "extensions" and collaborations this summer. Its a barkingly cheesy time!

Sarah & Kristin kick off Summer 2024 with a discussion of pride marketing - one brand fails; a surprising one succeeds - and the lengths we go to get kids to read... Pizza is always a good bribe and Pizza Hut delivers!

Sarah and Kristin work hard to find at least one Super Bowl ad worthy of Keep it Integrated's praise. After a disappointing Super Bowl ad season we highlight the metrics of the big game, and give accolades to at least one brand. Which one will it be?!? Bonus lessons on aided vs. unaided recall and how to calculate a CPM. #AlwaysTeaching

That's right folks - keep your ears tuned for a fun filled debrief of everything integrated at the BIG GAME this Sunday. We'll be watching, so you can focus on eating and drinking... Catch up with Keep it Integrated next Wednesday, February 14th (a little love from your co-hosts Kristin and Sarah).

Sarah and Kristin return from winter "break" to run down important MARCOM stories/campaigns this winter. We discuss both the pronunciation of Reese's and the brands legal woes around misleading packaging; We give props to Dominoes (not so much for the deliciousness of their pizza); and look ahead to Super Bowl advertising & promotion.

Sarah and Kristin talk about the ultimate holiday tradition - shopping! We share statistics from Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday and unpack shopper behavior and marketing strategies. A special shout out given to Pure Love Bakery (a gluten free shop specializing in vegan and keto) in Avon CT who had a truly spectacular Small Business Strategy initiative.

Kristin and Sarah break down the good and bad of brand integration in 2023's Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In just under 30 minutes, this episode is slightly shorter than the parade itself!

Kristin reflects on Thanksgiving as a time for food, football, and SHOPPING. Hear some fun facts/stats about the holiday and how B&G Foods uses its mascot, The Jolly Green Giant, to stay relevant and connect with customers. Shout out to Kristen Thompson SVP, President Frozen & Vegetables Business Unit B&G Foods for sharing knowledge in an Advertising Week 2023 panel.

Kristin mines their Advertising Week 2023 audio clips and uncovers negative and positive implications of AI for advertisers. Many thanks to the Female Quotient for sponsoring the Equality Lounge and the AI "exhibit/installation;" to Raquel Zuzarte, Founder & CMO Equity Project for All who moderated the AI panel I discuss; Alexia Adana VP, Director, Creative Technology at Edelman for...

Sarah and Kristin compare notes from their respective conferences. In this episode we talk about what graduates need to know/have as they enter Ad/PR industries.

From Spirit Day "pride" Skittles and 1990's queer music icons to authentic connections around culture belonging - experience day 4 of Advertising Week with us, and keep listening for deeper dives into conference sessions over the next few weeks.