Holistic marketing looks at an entire business and all of its marketing as one system.
It’s a strategy to move beyond just the marketing department exclusively to instead involving all departments in crafting an actionable strategy for business functions.
By treating the business as a single entity, various departments unite for shared goals and consistent messaging and become more of a cross-functional team instead of remaining in their silos. What was once thought to be “marketing’s job” now involves multiple-function teams involved with expanded concerns, such as the role of a business in customers’ lives, general society, and the economy.
Holistic marketing involves all the different components of marketing, such as advertising, public relations, sales, operations, supply chain and customer service, believing the collective impact of a business is more than its parts when working together toward a common goal. Using this program, brand awareness can augment the guest experience by empowering all associates to realize that customer service, public relations and marketing are part of every associate’s role, not just those with these words in their job titles. Everyone from temporary associates and suppliers to the C-suite bigwigs should all know what the company stands for and be able to act accordingly. From their vantage point, holistic marketers are able to promote the interdependence of all business activities within an enterprise and focus on strategy, efficiency, and profit to drive alignment.
Since the inception of Baker Creative, we have believed there is an increasing importance of market positioning in companies in terms of the ability to differentiate brands in response to customers having more power and choice through technology. Today, holistic marketers have a broad view that provides solutions by connecting marketing to the company’s business strategy, and uniting all employees under a brand purpose with cross-functional teams working toward business objectives together.
Holistic marketers understand that everyone in the organization represents the brand as an ambassador, from the front desk to the board room, and the forklift driver to the financial director. Marketing activities are integrated to include suppliers and business partners to generate trust, shared expectations and reliability and can build a return on investment of your advertising, public relations, direct marketing, online and social media marketing initiatives.
Relationships also benefit. When all stakeholders are perceived as involved and valuable, your network unites under shared goals.
Customers still rule, but holistic marketers view all company dealings as having the ability to impact the business, profits and brand awareness. Holistic marketers look beyond the immediate impact of sales receipts to long-term views of customer satisfaction and the environmental, societal and governance (ESG) role to expand influence while remembering the facets of advertising, public relations, sales, operations and customer service. Holistic marketers find opportunities, design products and services, and build the supporting system. They respect “the big picture” and activate it.
Holistic marketing looks at a business through a single, unifying lens. Market segmentation divides a market into groups as a result of their specific differences. Holistic marketing has a wider scope, considering the entire business and its marketing channels as one, rather than just promoting a product through advertising, sales and PR. The approach of holistic marketing is more comprehensive. Goals reach more into the societal realm beyond revenue generation, with communication dedicated to elevating the guest experience.
What are the benefits of a holistic marketing approach? Indeed and other service providers mention enhanced communication efficiency, customer experiences that are consistent and seamless, and greater employee and customer satisfaction. The more employees know, the more they can creatively help foster beneficial change that both they and customers can be proud of in the end.
Similarly, at Baker Creative, our holistic approach is much like that of a doctor. We look at the pain points of your entire enterprise and then write a brand prescription to guide the health of your business. Give us a call at (614) 836-3845 today.
