Integrated marketing is a type of strategy in which multiple marketing methods work together to complement and support each other. Sharing mutual support in order to thrive is not news to the animal kingdom. In fact, many animals form lifelong relationships that science calls mutualistic symbiotic relationships. Marketers can learn a thing or two about creating strong integrated marketing campaigns from looking at some of the odd partnerships that are formed in the wild.
FIG TREE + AMAZON FRUIT BAT
Each night, Amazon fruit bats eat half their body weight in figs. The bats return the favor to the fig tree through their messy eating habits. As the bats happily munch away, fig seeds tumble to the forest floor where some take root and sprout a new generation of fig trees.
Marketing Lesson: Your website is like a fig tree – plenty of yummy content, but no way to spread and grow throughout the Internet. Think of social media as your devoted fruit bats. Whenever you post something new on your site, promote it by sharing via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any number of other social media platforms.
ANGLERFISH + BIOLUMINESCENT BACTERIA
Deep, deep beneath the sea lives the anglerfish, an unattractive fish that lures prey right into its gaping jaws. How can such an ugly creature be so attractive? Above the fish’s mouth, a luminous spine protrudes, providing a glowing beacon of welcome to unsuspecting dinner guests. The spine’s neon glow can be attributed to millions of bioluminescent bacteria.
Marketing Lesson: Make internet users an offer they can’t refuse. By optimizing your website content with carefully chosen keywords that your target market is searching for, you can lure search engine users to your site. Unlike the anglerfish, though, make sure your visitors have a good reason to stick around. Don’t scare them away with an unattractive, cranky site. Design with viewers in mind, and make your site a beautiful online representation of your company.
COYOTE + BADGER
The lore of Western Native American tribes is filled with stories about the clever coyote and his hunting buddy, the badger. Coyote and badger teams work together to catch ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and other small animals. They save energy during the hunt by sharing the workload. Since the coyote has keener eyesight than the badger, he can easily spot prey above ground. If the quarry slips underground, the badger, with his keen sense of smell and claws designed for excavation, can dig it out.
Marketing Lesson: Know the strengths of each of your marketing tools and use them to complement each other. For instance, well-designed print collateral can make your one-on-one marketing more effective. When your prospect returns home, however, make sure that you’ve given him or her another way of interacting with your company. Include a code on your print collateral that prospects can scan to view a video, read exclusive content, or engage in interactive media on your website.
As we’ve learned from these three relationships, marketers have more in common with animals than we might think. By learning a few tricks from our flying, finned, and furry counterparts, we can sharpen our own marketing survival skills.
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