The Industry View on Integration

89% of the collective management of the broader communications industry agree that an integrated campaign is bound to be a better campaign.  No wonder then that findings of the Answered RedZone industry study confirm that the journey to integration of communication services is well underway and even gaining in momentum as 2016 approaches.

Exploration of integration as an evolving business model has been prompted by strong environmental pressures, and the continued expectation of their impact:

• Economic contraction 69%
• Marketers’ demand for accountability regarding return on investment 66%

Agency leadership express shared concerns of being under pressure to get more done with fewer resources of all kinds.  The ideal response was dominantly identified as centring on provision of business solutions alongside diversification of skills thought to be necessary to do this.  The result is a widespread drive to integrate communication-based services, with an integrated agency thought to be identifiable primarily as strategically led and solution focussed.

The CEO sample consulted could clearly articulate the many advantages of integration, demonstrating the commercial grounds of their support for this industry development.  However, those rushing to embrace the move to integration are advised to note the challenges already encountered by the forerunners.

For more check out: http://www.financialmail.co.za/redzone/2015/11/26/integration-the-way-forward or grab your latest copy of the Annual Ad Focus 2015 and turn to page 10.

If you are interested in attending an information session with Answered and the RedZone in 2016 on this study, please contact Chantal Cloete at chantal.cloete@answeredinsight.co.za or 010 020 2111.

Ashraf Garda and Jacqui have a chat on SAFM

Have a listen to our very own Jacqui Greeff (Answered MD) chatting to Ashraf Garda on Branding and the internal and external influences.  Find out why it is important for measuring and understanding stakeholders in terms of branding to avoid a disconnect. “The more insight we have… the more we can prioritise our action strategically”

Your Stakeholder Landscape – Do you have the map?

By Jacqui Greeff
MD Answered

Stakeholders matter.  By definition a stakeholder has the potential to impact your business or vice versa, and impact warrants your attention.  Whether the end point is set to be positive or negative it’s always better to have it in clear sight.   Understanding the position, perceptions and expectations of these role players relative to your business has to be a priority in today’s connected environment. However, one vital step is often overlooked in the haste to simply assess -Comprehensive mapping of who constitutes a stakeholder in your current landscape.

Today’s hyper-connected environment demands vigilant awareness of all those with any prospect of influence.  Some of the top tips for starting or reassessing your stakeholder engagement journey include:

• think wide
• look to the past and the future
• trawl social media
• include the quiet and the noisy entities
• consider internal and external groups

Assessing the impact potential of all prospects tells us where they fit on our map and the relative attention they need in strategically managing engagement across the landscape. Best practice mapping has distinctive features:

1. iterative, organic, responsive to the changing environment
2. acknowledges interrelationships and how these effect you
3. reflects multiple views in its development
4. visual, for easiest assimilation throughout your organisation
5. uses value creation as the ultimate criterion

My recent power chat with Jeremy Maggs will tell you more about where, why and how to navigate your stakeholder terrain.

Please contact us for more information.